What is CESSA and how does the Behavioral Health Crisis Hub support CESSA implementation?

The Behavioral Health Crisis Hub works continually to develop tools and identify and promote best practices for the development of crisis continuum services for individuals experiencing behavioral/mental health crises in Illinois.

CESSA Informational Flyer

Statutory Background and Requirements

The Illinois Community Emergency Services and Support Act (CESSA) legislation requires the development of plans to coordinate emergency responses between 911 Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs), emergency medical service providers (EMS) dispatched by 911 PSAPs, law enforcement, 988 entities and Illinois Division of Behavioral Health and Recovery (DBHR) funded Mobile Crisis Response Teams (MCRTs). The intent is to provide emergency response options, in addition to a law enforcement response as appropriate, to individuals experiencing mental health or behavioral health crises.

Implementing Illinois CESSA: Context for EMS Coordinators

CESSA Level Setting 101 Presentation (April 2026)

CESSA Illinois Risk Level Matrix

The CESSA Illinois Risk Level Matrix, approved by the CESSA Protocols and Standards Technical Subcommittee, is a policy framework designed to guide 911 Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs) in dispatching emergency services for individuals experiencing behavioral health crises. Importantly, the Risk Level Matrix itself is not intended to be used directly by telecommunicators or crisis counselors during live decision-making; it serves as a foundational reference for protocol development and training. See the full preamble and Risk Level Matrix at the link below.

Illinois Risk Level Matrix Approved Jan. 22, 2026)

CESSA Pilots

The implementation of CESSA requires the establishment of protocols for emergency responder coordination. This was addressed by working with PSAP protocol vendors to incorporate risk factors and risk acuity information developed by the CESSA Protocol and Standards Technical Subcommittee into their protocol scripts to support dispatch decisions made for callers experiencing behavioral health crises that provide alternative responses to law enforcement as appropriate. The changes to the scripts were being pre-tested and then pilot tested with 19 PSAPs between January 2025 and July 2025. Click below to access the Pilot Brief (published in October 2025).

CESSA Pilot Brief

CESSA Quarterly Reports

Since the law was enacted in August 2021, the Division of Behavioral Health and Recovery (DBHR) and its partners across the State have been working to design and implement the transformation. Pursuant to the requirements of HB1364, which was signed by the Governor on June 27th, 2023, DBHR and the Behavioral Health Crisis Hub provide a Quarterly Report to the General Assembly. See the Quarterly Reports linked below for an up-to-date understanding of where implementation of CESSA stands.

State of Illinois Resources

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Resources

Other Crisis Continuum Resources

Crisis Now

National Association of State Mental Health Directors (NASMHPD)

National Association of State Mental Health Directors Research Institute (NRI)

PsychU