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Elizabeth M. Whitehorn, Director

Mobile Crisis Response

Children under the age of 21 who are enrolled with a managed care plan and experiencing a mental health crisis may be eligible for their managed care plan’s Mobile Crisis Response program.

All HFS-contracted Managed Care Organizations (MCOs) and Managed Care Community Networks (MCCNs) with contracts serving children utilize the CARES line for the purposes of centralized intake and localized dispatch for children in mental health crisis.  When determined appropriate, the CARES line will dispatch the managed care plan’s contracted crisis responder to the child’s location. The crisis responder will complete a face-to-face crisis assessment using the Childhood Severity of Psychiatric Illness (CSPI), a decision support tool used to determine whether or not the child can be stabilized in the community.  Children who access their managed care plan’s Mobile Crisis Response program have open access to covered community-based behavioral health services for a minimum of thirty (30) days following the crisis event.

If you believe a child is experiencing a mental health crisis, please contact the CARES line at 1-800-345-9049.

If you have questions, concerns, or would like to learn more about a managed care plan’s Mobile Crisis Response program for children, please contact a representative from the appropriate managed care plan.  You may also email hfs.sass@illinois.gov representative from HFS with additional questions or concerns.