The Association of Community Mental Health Authorities of Illinois (ACMHAI pronounced “ack-my”), established in 1972 is a partnership of organizations committed to the concept of community behavioral health. This commitment is demonstrated by a shared respect and concern for citizens of our communities who experience mental illness, emotional disturbances, substance abuse and developmental disabilities. What separates us from other communities in Illinois is that we not only talk-the-talk, we also walk-the-walk. We invest our community’s dollars in programs and services to address the behavioral health needs of our friends and neighbors.

The majority of our members are known as “708” boards governed by the Illinois Community Mental Health Act (Illinois Compiled Statutes, Chapter 405, Act 20, Section 0.1 et.seq.) and are accountable at the local level to the citizens of our communities. A portion of our membership is also comprised of “553” and “377” boards whose statutory authority derives from public health legislation or legislation specific to developmental disabilities respectively. As a rule, all of our local boards are appointed by our respective governmental units, and as such are tied to the electoral process. In short, our board members live and work in our community and demonstrate their commitment by volunteering to be responsible for the funding, planning and delivery of behavioral health services as defined by the Act.