Thresholds’ Statement in Response to Governor Pritzker’s Appointment of a New Chief Behavioral Health Officer, Launch of SOAP
We are thrilled by Governor Pritzker’s announcement today to appoint David T. Jones as the state’s newly established Chief Behavioral Health Officer. This appointment, in addition to the Governor’s appointment of Dr. Dana Weiner to lead the Children’s Transformation Initiative, are major steps forward in investing in access to care for Illinoisans of all ages suffering from the current mental health crisis.
Governor Pritzker also announced today the launch of the 2022 Illinois Statewide Overdose Action Plan to improve access to substance use prevention, treatment and harm reduction strategies, and hit Illinois’ overdose epidemic head on. The state’s overdose action plan and these outstanding new leaders are game-changing for the people of Illinois and will only be bolstered further if the proposed $170-$180 million investment in treatment services is passed this legislative session. Thresholds applauds the Administration for taking such bold steps to invest in the mental health of our communities and urges the General Assembly to get the proposed funding over the finish line.