The Illinois Department of Human Services (DHS) and Google Public Sector are partnering to create a new program called Behavioral Health Care and Ongoing Navigation (BEACON). The program includes a service portal for Illinois youth to help them access behavioral and mental health resources. BEACON will utilize Google’s cloud services to keep all information on the portal secure and accessible. The Division of Mental Health (DMH) at DHS will be spearheading this effort to centralize behavioral health resources for Illinois families.

It is anticipated the program will benefit children and families that regularly engage with the Department of Public Health (DPH), the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE), the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS), the Department of Healthcare and Family Services (HFS), and the Department of Human Services (DHS). BEACON will rely on human-centered artificial intelligence and will serve as a preventive measure by intervening in children’s lives earlier to prevent further trauma from occurring. It will also help children learn positive ways to deal with and heal from trauma they have experienced.