Illinois Launches Division of Behavioral Health & Recovery
The Illinois Dept. of Human Services’ (DHS) Division of Behavioral Health & Recovery (DBHR) was officially launched on July 1. The DBHR integrates the Division of Substance Use Prevention and Recovery (SUPR) and the Division of Mental Health (DMH) into a single, unified division, with the intention of breaking down internal silos and improving continuity of care. 

In partnership with the Institute for Healthcare Delivery Design, DBHR has identified five initial focus areas:

• Unified communications: Work communications will now come from the DBHR, to reduce duplication, provide consistent guidance and tailor communications to stakeholder needs.
• Standardized fiscal reporting: Processes and tools for fiscal reporting on expenditure-based grants will be aligned to reduce administrative burden and ensure regulatory compliance. Fixed-rate grant billing and reporting will continue through the Division’s Automated Reporting & Tracking System. 
• Actionable performance metrics: A shared approach to creating program performance metrics that are clear and actionable will be developed to ensure quality data for performance monitoring. Current metrics will not change until programs go through the next competitive solicitation cycle.
• Coordinated site visits: Details on how site visits are approached will be shared across teams to better coordinate efforts to reduce duplication and administrative burden. Providers will be engaged to help shape impactful improvements.
• Updated grant management web content: Online guidance and web content is being updated to help providers and grantees easily find the grant resources they need. 

Looking ahead, and after the above-mentioned focus areas, future efforts will include additional web content updates; standardized performance reporting tools; a new portal for managing grant agreements, invoicing and reporting; training and technical assistance for integrated services; and enhanced avenues for provider support. 

To provide input or ask questions about the merger, contact DHS.DBHR.Integration@illinois.gov.

Staff contact: Lia Daniels

U.S. Measles Cases Hit 33-Year High
The United States has reached its highest annual measles case tally in 33 years, with at least 1,283 confirmed cases across 38 states and the District of Columbia, according to Johns Hopkins University’s Center for Outbreak Response Intervention (CORI). As of today, CORI is reporting 10 confirmed Illinois cases. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported July 2 that there have been 27 outbreaks reported in 2025, and 88% of confirmed cases are outbreak-associated. For comparison, 16 outbreaks were reported during 2024 and 69% of cases (198 of 285) were outbreak-associated. Approximately 92% of the measles cases are in people who are either unvaccinated or whose vaccination status is unknown, according to the CDC. 

U.S. Children’s Health Declined Over the Last 17 Years
U.S. children’s health “significantly worsened” across a broad spectrum of measures between 2007 and 2023, according to a recent study published in JAMA. Notably, U.S. children were 15% to 20% more likely to have a chronic condition in 2023 than a child in 2011. Rates of obesity, early onset of menstruation, trouble sleeping, limitations in activity, physical symptoms, depressive symptoms, and loneliness all increased during the study period, as have rates of autism, developmental delays, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and behavioral problems. 

When comparing mortality rates of American infants, children and teenagers to peers in other high-income nations, U.S. children were 1.8 times more likely to die. Infant deaths were driven largely by sudden unexpected infant death and prematurity, while older children and adolescent mortality was driven by firearm-related incidents and motor-vehicle crashes. Study authors said, “The broad scope of this deterioration highlights the need to identify and address the root causes of this fundamental decline in the nation’s health.”