FIRST.IL Mental Health Program

FIRST.IL is a program of the Illinois Department of Human Services/Division of Mental Health. It is a specialized treatment approach that helps individuals who are between the ages of 14 to 40 and who have had a treated or untreated psychotic illness for no more than 18 months.

The program aims to reduce the symptoms of psychotic illnesses, improve individual and family functioning, promote recovery, reduce the chance of relapse and more.

Eligible diagnoses are schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, schizophreniform disorder or other specified/unspecified schizophrenia spectrum and other psychotic disorder, bipolar disorder with psychotic features, major depressive disorder with psychotic features and PTSD with dissociative symptoms.

Individuals can call the FIRST.IL agency in their service area for an assessment. If the agency determines that FIRST.IL treatment is appropriate, they will expedite an appointment with their team psychiatrist.