(410 ILCS 53/15)

Sec. 15. Suicide Prevention Alliance.

(a) The Alliance is created as the official grassroots creator, planner, monitor, and advocate for the Illinois Suicide Prevention Strategic Plan. No later than one year after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 101st General Assembly, the Alliance shall review, finalize, and submit to the Governor and the General Assembly the 2020 Illinois Suicide Prevention Strategic Plan and appropriate processes and outcome objectives for 10 overriding recommendations and a timeline for reaching these objectives.

(b) The Plan shall include:

(1) recommendations from the most current National Suicide Prevention Strategy;

(2) current research and experience into the prevention of suicide;

(3) measures to encourage and assist health care systems and primary care providers to include suicide prevention as a core component of their services, including, but not limited to, implementing the Zero Suicide model; and

(4) additional elements as determined appropriate by the Alliance.

The Alliance shall review the statutorily prescribed missions of major State mental health, health, aging, and school mental health programs and recommend, as necessary and appropriate, statutory changes to include suicide prevention in the missions and procedures of those programs. The Alliance shall prepare a report of that review, including its recommendations, and shall submit the report to the Department for inclusion in its annual report to the Governor and the General Assembly.

(c) The Director of Public Health shall appoint the members of the Alliance. The membership of the Alliance shall include, without limitation, representatives of statewide organizations and other agencies that focus on the prevention of suicide and the improvement of mental health treatment or that provide suicide prevention or survivor support services. Other disciplines that shall be considered for membership on the Alliance include law enforcement, first responders (including, but not limited to, emergency medical dispatchers), faith-based community leaders, universities, and survivors of suicide (families and friends who have lost persons to suicide) as well as consumers of services of these agencies and organizations.

(d) The Alliance shall meet at least 4 times a year, and more as deemed necessary, in various sites statewide in order to foster as much participation as possible. The Alliance, a steering committee, and core members of the full committee shall monitor and guide the definition and direction of the goals of the full Alliance, shall review and approve productions of the plan, and shall meet before the full Alliance meetings.

(Source: P.A. 101-331, eff. 8-9-19; 102-1006, eff. 1-1-23.)