Part of IMHCA's mission is to promote the professional well-being of mental health counselors in Illinois through Advocacy. We do this in a number of ways, from events like Day on the Hill in Springfield to our work with the Coalition of Illinois Counselor Organizations (CICO), and more.
Day on the Hill
Day on the Hill is an annual advocacy event hosted in partnership with the Illinois Counseling Association. For this event, the staff of both organizations (IMHCA and ICA), alongside members and individuals interested in advocacy, travel to Springfield to advocate for legislation that is impacting Professional Counselors, Social Workers, Psychologists, and other mental health professionals.
Day on the Hill is a great opportunity to learn the foundations of advocacy, increase your awareness on current mental health legislation, and network with likeminded individuals.
Day on the Hill, 2026 is tentatively scheduled for March. We will release more details on the event in the coming months.
CICO
The CICO team consists of expert lobbyists with extensive experience in the legislation process. The IMHCA office meets with CICO once per month to receive updates on the status of certain bills, to brainstorm how to advocate for these bills, and to discuss ideas for bills we would potentially like to introduce. CICO provides a monthly bill tracking report which can be found below.
If you're interested in getting involved in advocacy, don't hesitate to reach out to our office at myimhca@gmail.com or by phone at 815-787-0515.