NAMI Chicago’s policy priorities are developed from the voice and needs of our community, and advance a vision of a well city and community that supports people’s mental health. We envision a world where everyone has meaningful and equitable access to mental health treatment, and communities have abundant services and resources that promote wellness and recovery.
NAMI Chicago’s four policy priority areas for 2024 are:
NAMI Chicago believes that everyone should be able to get the right mental health services they want at the right time. We advocate for improved availability, accessibility, quality, safety, and dignity in mental health treatment and the other mental health supports that people seek. We advocate for a strong workforce that is capable of meeting the community’s needs.
NAMI Chicago believes that anti-racism is at the core of advocating for our community’s mental health. We advocate to transform systems that harm marginalized groups, such as the crisis response system and court system. We emphasize policies that support the wellbeing of those groups, such as expanding care and cultural responsivity in BIPOC communities, diversifying the mental health workforce, and addressing trauma.
NAMI Chicago believes that people deserve mental health support before symptoms are at their worst. We advocate for early screening and education, and to improve the care available to children and young adults. We fight to keep people out of the crisis and court systems through improving community mental health care and increasing connection to longer-term support.
NAMI Chicago believes that advocating for mental wellness includes fighting for housing, economic opportunity, and human rights. We support and elevate these campaigns and offer mental health expertise to partners in these fields.
Read NAMI Chicago’s report on transforming the experiences of people with mental health conditions in the criminal court system.
This vision provides a platform to create a paradigm shift in the way mental health, substance use, and well-being are prioritized by policymakers.
Before the pandemic, only a fraction of children who needed mental health treatment were able to access care. Now, it is likely even more difficult.
A comprehensive system to support our City's mental health must have several "levels of care" or intervention alternatives. It's not just about building out a better crisis system.
Our policy priorities pave the way for NAMI Chicago’s work on numerous policy and advocacy campaigns. Below are just a few of our key issues in 2024.
Improving mental health crisis care so that every person having a mental health emergency can get the most appropriate, safe, and timely support, as well as connection to follow-up care in the community.
Improving how people with mental health needs are treated in the ‘justice’ system, including in the courts, jails, prisons, and state psychiatric hospitals, as well as supporting re-entry into the community.
Expanding prevention and early intervention services, education and supports for college students on Illinois’ 2- and 4- year campuses.
Increasing prevention and early intervention services, education and supports for children and youth, wraparound supports for their families, and expanding perinatal mental health care.
Transforming Medicaid and private health insurance to increase access, affordability, and quality of mental health care. This includes advocating for enforcement of Illinois’ and federal parity laws.
Promoting policies that reduce barriers to care, emphasize quality in all settings, increase training and certification capacity to enable more people to enter careers in mental health and substance use treatment, emphasize diversifying the workforce, and making it easier for people with lived experience to enter the field.
Supporting initiatives to reduce community violence, including supporting gun control efforts, and expanding programs to treat the trauma of those affected by violence.
Supporting campaigns that expand housing options in our community, including supportive housing for people with complex needs, homelessness prevention, affordability, and fair housing.
Supporting advocacy campaigns of all kinds to address inequities in opportunity and quality of life, dismantle structural racism, and support those who are marginalized.
Supporting efforts to increase equitable access to healthy activities that support people’s wellbeing, like improving access to healthy food and exercise as well as promoting clean, safe, and beautiful communities.
If your organization would like to partner with NAMI Chicago on our policy and advocacy efforts, please contact Lily Rocha, Associate Vice President of Policy, at lilyr@namichicago.org. Sign up for policy updates here.