Cook County Health and Hospitals Committee Meeting - June 9, 2026

The Cook County Health and Hospitals Committee met on June 9, 2026, at 1:00 p.m. to receive and approve several reports and presentations on public health initiatives, behavioral health services, and updates from various county departments. The meeting included presentations on the Building Healthier Communities 2030 community health improvement plan, behavioral health reports from the Office of the Chief Judge, Cook County Health, the Sheriff’s Office, and the State’s Attorney’s Office. All agenda items were approved or received and filed.

Consent Calendar

• Item 26-1662: Minutes from the May 12, 2026 Health and Hospitals Committee meeting were approved (moved by Chairman Daly, seconded by Commissioner Kevin Morrison). All in favor.
• Item 26-1081: The Cook County Department of Public Health Quarterly Report Q2 2026 was initially moved to receive and file, but was later corrected to approve (moved by Commissioner Vasquez, seconded by Commissioner McCaskill). Approved.
• Item 26-1208: Annual behavioral report from the Cook County Office of the Chief Judge (period Dec 1, 2024 – Nov 30, 2025) was received and filed (moved by Commissioner Marita, seconded by Commissioner Stamps).
• Item 26-1270: Annual behavioral health report from Cook County Health (same period) was received and filed (moved by Commissioner Vasquez, seconded by Commissioner Trevor).
• Item 26-145: Behavioral health report from the Cook County Sheriff (period Jun 2025 – Apr 2026) was received and filed (moved by Vice Chair Anaya, seconded by Commissioner Aguilar).
• Item 26-1516: Behavioral health report from the Cook County State’s Attorney (period Dec 1, 2024 – Nov 30, 2025) was received and filed (moved by Commissioner McCaskill, seconded by Commissioner Britton).

Public Comments & Testimony

• No public comments were made. Two registered speakers, George Blake Moore and Jessica Jackson, were not present.

Discussion Items

Building Healthier Communities 2030 (CCDPH Community Health Improvement Plan)

• Dr. Kieran Joshi, COO of CCDPH, presented the five-year community health improvement plan, "Building Healthier Communities 2030". The plan is built on extensive community engagement including a steering committee, over 50 partners, surveys (nearly 2,000 collected via the Alliance for Health Equity), and approximately 15–20 focus groups. Successes from the prior plan were highlighted: over 7,000 naloxone kits distributed in 2023-2024, over 2,060 food boxes provided by partner Sisters Working It Out, and 14 students certified as community health workers through a high school pipeline. The new plan prioritizes three areas: chronic disease, maternal and child health, and mental health and substance use. Each priority has goals and strategies, with implementation through a Community Partnership Collaborative and four action teams.
• Commissioners discussed partnerships with community groups (Commissioner Daly), acronym clarification (Commissioner Stamps), alignment with City Colleges of Chicago and Cook County Health (Vice Chair Anaya), outreach and PSAs (Commissioner Miller), and integration with the Cook County Health Strategic Plan. Staff noted ongoing coordination with Cook County Health and plans to align quarterly reports with the priority areas.

Behavioral Health Reports

• Office of the Chief Judge: Tamara Stockley reported on juvenile probation services: as of FY2025, 2,577 adjudicated youth were served (87% male, 69% Black/African American). 1,666 referrals for services were made, and 1,100 screenings were conducted by pretrial services. Family navigators served 1,194 families. Three contracted providers delivered specialized counseling (Infant Welfare Services, NIAP, Youth Outreach Services), with varying success rates (e.g., 22 of 29 closures successful for NIAP). A new Quality Care Unit will conduct follow-up reviews. Kelly Gallavan (Problem-Solving Courts) reported on 20 drug, mental health, and veterans treatment courts, all certified. Reduced funding led to pivoting services, including partnerships with the Chicago School and University of Chicago. Jordan Bulger and Karen Holtzberg (Adult Probation/ Social Services) presented on Partner Abuse Intervention Programs: internal groups served 613 participants (up 52% from FY2024) with 224 intakes, 316 group sessions. Of 150 discharges, 47% satisfactory completions. Among those on probation with a special condition for partner abuse groups, 60% successfully completed probation.
• Cook County Health Behavioral Health: Dr. Nutter presented the Office of Behavioral Health (OBH) annual report. OBH awarded over 60% of ARPA funds through "Stronger Together" grants to more than 50 community partners, reaching over 70,000 residents, connecting 20,000 to care, with nearly 11,000 demonstrating improved outcomes. The NAMI Chicago helpline fielded almost 9,000 calls in 2025. The regional behavioral health strategic plan implementation is gaining traction; 11 regional collaboratives have been established. Workforce development initiatives include an apprenticeship and retention hub. Opioid overdose deaths in Cook County declined more than 60% (to ~750 in 2025). Jail behavioral health services saw a reduction in psychiatrist vacancies from 40% to 10% (under CERMEC). JTDC continues evidence-based trauma interventions. Outpatient psychiatry still has five vacancies; hiring challenges remain. The TRIP program (violence intervention) was cited as a national model by the American College of Surgeons. Substance use disorder services added a DART team and expanded the opioid treatment program at Austin Health Center.
• Sheriff’s Office (remote): Dr. Kiana Mohammed reported on programs in the Cook County Department of Corrections: SMART (1,245 served), Thrive (405 served), Mental Health Transition Center (704 served), SOAR (47 served), SAVE (362 served), CART (489 served). The Community Resource Center assisted 3,444 individuals/families. The Treatment Response Team responds to mental health/substance use calls, covering unincorporated Cook and partner police districts.
• State’s Attorney’s Office: Kayla Johnson (Victim Witness Unit) reported serving over 90,000 people in FY2025 with 80 victim specialists across eight courthouse locations. A mental health team of three specialists maintains a caseload of about 50 providing enhanced clinical case management. New partnerships: Uber (over 500 rides provided since January 2026) and Relo Share for emergency housing. Kristen Piper (Clinical Forensic & Behavioral Health Unit) described the mental health writ process and the Assisted Outpatient Treatment (AOT) program. AOT orders have doubled in the past year due to a SAMHSA grant, leading to reduced hospitalizations, incarcerations, and homelessness.

Key Outcomes

• Item 26-1662: Approved.
• Item 26-1081: Approved (corrected from receive and file).
• Item 26-1208: Received and filed.
• Item 26-1270: Received and filed.
• Item 26-145: Received and filed.
• Item 26-1516: Received and filed.
• Adjournment: Motion by Chairman Daly, seconded by Vice Chair Anaya, all in favor.
• Next Steps: CCDPH will submit the community health improvement plan to IDPH this month and will reconvene partners for implementation later in 2026. OBH will continue quarterly reporting aligned with the three priority areas. The second Behavioral Health Summit is scheduled for September 9, 2026. The State’s Attorney’s Office will work on expanding safety measures for victims and witnesses, including potential escort services.