Offers policymakers and providers a roadmap for sustaining behavioral health access as national funding landscapes shift
CHICAGO, IL, January 06, 2026 /24-7PressRelease/ — Collaborative Bridges today announced the publication of The Bridging the Gaps Issue Paper, How Illinois and Collaborative Bridges Are Protecting Behavioral Health in an Era of Federal Cuts. The paper examines the growing national threat to Medicaid-funded behavioral health services. It also highlights Illinois’ innovative response through its Healthcare Transformation Collaboratives (HTCs).
Against the backdrop of proposed federal reductions exceeding $1 trillion over ten years, the issue paper warns of serious consequences for safety-net systems across the country.
“Our goal in producing The Bridging the Gaps Issue Paper was to bring clarity and urgency to a moment that demands both,” said Patrick Dombrowski, Executive Director of Collaborative Bridges. “Communities across Illinois are facing unprecedented uncertainty. This paper documents the stakes and highlights the solutions already working on the ground. It shows that when hospitals, community providers, and neighborhood partners come together with shared purpose, we can preserve access to care.”
Collaborative Bridges, an Illinois HTC founded in 2021 now serves as a leading example of an integrated, equity-focused community care hub. Through partnerships with hospitals, health centers, behavioral health agencies, and justice-involved service providers, Collaborative Bridges has built a model that is both clinically effective and financially sustainable. Key outcomes include a nine percent psychiatric readmission rate, compared to 33 percent nationally; and an estimated $3 million in annual Medicaid savings
The Bridging the Gaps Issue Paper is available in a summary version and a full version. Both formats can be accessed for free at www.collaborativebridges.org.
Collaborative Bridges is also launching its new Voices campaign. an ongoing series of conversations with community leaders across Chicago’s West Side. The campaign captures firsthand reflections on the challenges facing safety-net communities during this period of uncertainty. Short clips from these interviews will begin appearing on Collaborative Bridges’ social media channels.
Collaborative Bridges is a partnership of historic West Side Chicago safety net hospitals and community mental health agencies designed to ensure that the care needs of people experiencing mental health and substance abuse are supported in their community, especially after a hospital admission. We are here to improve the health equity of West Side communities and reduce the gaps in care among disjointed islands of service. To do this, we are creating a continuity of care between hospitals and communities to put resources closer to those who need it, when they need it.
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