The Disability Rights Consortium Meeting will be hosted by Equip for Equality.

Each day, children with mental health needs in Illinois face emotional or behavioral issues that impact school successes. Many children in our communities are exposed to the trauama of violence, abuse or chronic stress that puts them at a higher risk for developing mental health issues that are likely to impact their educational experiences. Unfortunately, many of these children do not access needed services. Legally mandated school-based services provide a critical opportunity for children's educational and emotional success. Equip for Equality's Children's Mental Health Project provides direct legal services to address the educational and related social-emotional needs of children with mental health concerns. This presentation will discuss legal strategies for securing school-based services for children with mental health issues. It will also address the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration between community-based mental health providers and legal advocates in ensuring that children receive needed support in school, leading to better mental health and educational outcomes.

Our speaker this month will be Lee Robbins, who is an Equal Justice Fellow and is also funded by the Chicago Bar Foundation.

Illinois attorneys attending this session will receive 1.5 hours of Continuing Legal Education (CLE) credit.