Crisis Services

Mobile Crisis Response was added to the Medicaid Community-based Behavioral Health services array in 2018. By adding this service, HFS expanded the availability of existing crisis services to all Medicaid customers. Prior to this expansion, mobile crisis assessments were only available to youth under the age of 21 enrolled in the SASS program.

With this expansion, any willing and qualified Medicaid enrolled Community Mental Health Center or Behavioral Health Clinic may enroll to provide Mobile Crisis Response services to Medicaid customers. Additional information regarding this expansion can be found on the Webinars and FAQs webpage.

The requirements of providing Mobile Crisis Response services can be found in 89 Illinois Administrative Code Rule 140, and a service description and reimbursement requirements can be found in the Community-based Behavioral Health Services Handbook.

For more information on enrolling to provide Mobile Crisis Response and other crisis services, please Contact Us.

Medicaid enrolled customers, customers enrolled in the SASS Program, or Family Support Program who are experiencing a behavioral health crisis may be eligible for Mobile Crisis Response services. HFS and all HFS contracted HealthChoice Illinois Managed Care Plans contract with the CARES Line for the purpose of centralized intake and dispatch of Designated Mobile Crisis Response providers for customers experiencing a behavioral health crisis. When the CARES Line worker determines it is appropriate, a Designated Mobile Crisis Response provider will be dispatched to the location of the customer in crisis.

Providers who are considered Designated Mobile Crisis Response providers by the Department are required to enter crisis assessment information into the Crisis Reporting System (CRS) for referrals they accept from the CARES Line. For information on using the CRS and requirements of the system, please review the CRS Manual (2019).

The Illinois Medicaid - Crisis Assessment Tool (IM-CAT) is a decision support and communication tool to allow for the rapid and consistent communication of the needs of customers experiencing a crisis that threatens their safety or well-being or the safety of the community.  It is intended to be completed by those who are directly involved with the customer.  The form serves as both a decision support tool and as documentation of the identified needs of the customer and of the decisions made about treatment and placement at the time of the crisis.

The IM-CAT is composed of a crisis subset of items from the IM+CANS.  The IM-CAT and the IM+CANS together comprise a broader toolkit of linked assessments that are designed to meet the unique needs of multiple public payer systems, while also breaking down barriers to accessing behavioral health treatment. This suite of assessments is designed to reduce the duplicate collection of administrative and clinical data points needed to appropriately assess a customer’s needs and strengths while establishing a commonality of language between customers, families, providers, and payer systems. Providers delivering Mobile Crisis Response (MCR) services are required to utilize the IM-CAT as a component of service delivery.

• Illinois Medicaid Crisis Assessment Tool (Word version)
• Illinois Medicaid Crisis Assessment Tool (PDF)
• Illinois Medicaid Crisis Assessment Tool - Spanish (Word version)
• Illinois Medicaid Crisis Assessment Tool - Spanish (PDF)

HFS has partnered with the Provider Assistance and Training Hub (PATH) at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign to provide training and technical assistance to providers delivering crisis services.  Staff must attend training through PATH and complete annual certification to utilize the IM+CANS and/or the IM-CAT, and must attend specific training on crisis de-escalation and crisis safety planning.

Looking for the IM+CANS or IM-CAT training schedule? All courses are now open for registration in Adobe.  If you haven't already set up your Adobe account, please navigate to https://go.uillinois.edu/MTAC to create your account with Medicaid Technical Assistance (MTAC) Virtual Training Platform and register for a class.

If you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health crisis or you have concerns for their immediate safety, that they may harm themselves or worry that they may require inpatient psychiatric treatment, please contact the CARES line at 1-800-345-9049 to access mobile crisis response services. Services are available 24/7, 365 days a year.

If you need immediate assistance or are experiencing a medical emergency, please contact 911.