Chestnut Health Systems expands crisis intervention services across 13 Southern Illinois counties
By Tribune Staff • Chestnut Health Systems™ announced expanded mobile behavioral health crisis response services for residents across 13 southwestern Illinois counties as part of a statewide effort to strengthen coordination and standardization of crisis care.
Chestnut will serve as the designated mobile crisis response provider for Bond, Calhoun, Clinton, Greene, Jersey, Macoupin, Madison, Monroe, Montgomery, Perry, Randolph, St. Clair and Washington counties. The expansion builds on its 30-year history of providing crisis services in Madison and St. Clair Counties.
Funded through the Illinois Department of Human Services’ 590 and 591 Crisis Care System grants, the initiative is part of Illinois’ broader move to build a more unified crisis response system connected through the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.
“Even during times of change, our priority remains the same: ensuring individuals in crisis receive the best possible care, exactly when and where they need it,” said Julie Brugger, Director of Intensive Behavioral Healthcare at Chestnut. “This model allows us to strengthen coordination across counties and provide a consistent experience in the communities we serve.”
Mobile crisis teams respond directly to individuals experiencing mental health, substance use or co-occurring crises, offering in-person support, stabilization, safety planning and connection to ongoing care in the communities in which they live. The approach is designed to meet people where they are and reduce reliance on emergency departments when appropriate.
Building on a Strong Foundation
For more than 30 years, Chestnut has operated mobile crisis response services in Madison and St. Clair counties. Monthly, handling approximately 700 crisis calls and deploying a mobile team an average of 85 times.
The 13-county expansion extends the infrastructure Chestnut has refined over the past 30 years to the additional counties. In those counties, Chestnut will continue to build on the already robust crisis response systems in the areas.
Strengthening the Local Workforce
The expansion will include the hiring of nearly 50 team members across the region, including full-time, part-time and as-needed roles. Response teams include a peer specialist, someone with lived behavioral health experience, and a crisis clinician, someone with at least a bachelor’s degree or 5-years of behavioral health experience.
Hiring efforts will prioritize local candidates and behavioral health professionals already serving in the region, helping retain community expertise while strengthening the crisis response system.
“It is important to us that those answering crisis calls live, work and understand the challenges of the communities they serve,” Brugger said.
Accessing Support Through 988
Under the integrated model, individuals in crisis can access services by calling or texting 988, the national Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, which connects callers to trained professionals and local mobile response teams when needed. Residents may also contact Chestnut’s crisis line directly at 618.877.0316 for a crisis response.
