Governor Rauner's office announced the establishment of the Illinois Helpline for Opioids and Other Substances. The confidential and free helpline is available 24-hours a day, seven days a week to those who experience or are affected by use disorders. Helpline specialists assist in connecting callers to treatment and recovery support services. The Helpline number is 1-833-2FINDHELP.
Primary goals through the establishment of this statewide Helpline include providing individuals and families with:
- Information and timely access to opioid use disorder (OUD) behavioral health treatment, rehabilitation, and recovery support services
- Information and referrals to a comprehensive range of OUD services and resources
- Assisting callers with eligibility and insurance enrollment resources
- Assisting callers in connecting to care, when possible
- Providing OUD behavioral health crisis intervention services
This information was made available to the Police Department through the December 2017 SMART ALERT publication composed by the Illinois Department of Human Services, Division of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse (link provided below). Available within that publication is an embedded link to Governor Rauner's video press announcement of the Helpline (12/5/17) and detailed information on the program and its formation.