Illinois Model Shows Path to Protect Behavioral Health Services Amid Federal Funding Cuts

Collaborative Bridges has released an issue paper detailing how Illinois is protecting behavioral health services during a period of proposed federal Medicaid cuts exceeding $1 trillion over ten years. The publication examines the national threat to Medicaid-funded behavioral health services and highlights Illinois' innovative response through its Healthcare Transformation Collaboratives. The paper warns of serious consequences for safety-net systems across the country if adequate protections are not implemented.

Patrick Dombrowski, Executive Director of Collaborative Bridges, emphasized the urgency of the situation, stating that communities across Illinois are facing unprecedented uncertainty regarding behavioral health services. The issue paper documents both the stakes involved and the solutions already working on the ground, demonstrating that when hospitals, community providers, and neighborhood partners collaborate with shared purpose, access to care can be preserved. The full analysis is available at https://www.collaborativebridges.org.

Collaborative Bridges serves as a leading example of an integrated, equity-focused community care hub that has developed a model both clinically effective and financially sustainable. Founded in 2021 as an Illinois Healthcare Transformation Collaborative, the organization partners with hospitals, health centers, behavioral health agencies, and justice-involved service providers to create continuity of care between hospitals and communities. Key outcomes include a psychiatric readmission rate of nine percent compared to 33 percent nationally, along with an estimated $3 million in annual Medicaid savings.

The organization is also launching its new Voices campaign, an ongoing series of conversations with community leaders across Chicago's West Side that captures firsthand reflections on challenges facing safety-net communities during this period of uncertainty. Short clips from these interviews will appear on the organization's social media channels. The Bridging the Gaps Issue Paper demonstrates how integrated approaches can maintain critical services while achieving significant cost savings, providing a potential model for other states facing similar federal funding reductions.