The SPIDER Collaboration
The Service Provider Identification & Exploration Resource (SPIDER) application and its predecessor, the Statewide Provider Database (SPD), is a collaborative effort sponsored by the IL Department of Children & Family Services, with data maintenance and user support provided by the Northwestern University/Hospital Feinberg School of Medicine, technology resources provided by the IL Department of Innovation and Technology, and information provided by countless child and family welfare service providers across the state of Illinois. Since 2002, this resource continues to be a key resource for the Department, human service provider staff, other state agencies, city and county human services personnel, non-profit service organizations, and a variety of behavioral health and insurance organizations. Collaboration between these organizations, the SPIDER Team, and technical/IT support has been a key factor in keeping this resource operational, accurate, and useful to our users.
Here are the collaborators and our roles:
1. IL Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) sponsored and funded SPIDER’s predecessor SPD since 2004 and has renewed its commitment to
this service through its sponsorship and funding of the SPIDER application and team. DCFS publishes SPD and SPIDER through a public-facing website,
allowing access by both state employees as well as a variety of other service provider staff at other human service agencies. DCFS’s continued commitment
to this service has been essential to the depth, breadth, and quality of the provider information SPIDER offers.
2. IL Department of Innovation and Technology (DoIT) provides the critical IT resources – hardware, software, database, and developers - that implemented and continue to support this service. DoIT closely collaborated with the SPIDER Team to reimagine, redesign, and launch this resource in 2018. DoIT also provides 24/7 user support and issue tracking through its helpdesk team.
3. The Mental Health Services & Policy Program (MHSPP) (within Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine) has a mission to provide research, evaluation, outcomes management, technical assistance and training that helps improve the lives of individuals and families who receive publicly funded mental health services. Their team of analysts and health interviewers have been supporting SPD and now SPIDER since 2002, delivering full-time data maintenance, updating over 4,000 programs on a yearly basis, adding new programs and agencies, and removing invalid programs to ensure that our users have the most accurate and appropriate referral information available. The MHSPP SPIDER Team provides in-person and online training as well as on demand one-on-one customer service to make sure our users derive maximum benefit from SPIDER.
SPIDER Version #: 1.0.02. IL Department of Innovation and Technology (DoIT) provides the critical IT resources – hardware, software, database, and developers - that implemented and continue to support this service. DoIT closely collaborated with the SPIDER Team to reimagine, redesign, and launch this resource in 2018. DoIT also provides 24/7 user support and issue tracking through its helpdesk team.
3. The Mental Health Services & Policy Program (MHSPP) (within Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine) has a mission to provide research, evaluation, outcomes management, technical assistance and training that helps improve the lives of individuals and families who receive publicly funded mental health services. Their team of analysts and health interviewers have been supporting SPD and now SPIDER since 2002, delivering full-time data maintenance, updating over 4,000 programs on a yearly basis, adding new programs and agencies, and removing invalid programs to ensure that our users have the most accurate and appropriate referral information available. The MHSPP SPIDER Team provides in-person and online training as well as on demand one-on-one customer service to make sure our users derive maximum benefit from SPIDER.
Usage Stats: Pending
PLEASE NOTE: The information listed in the Service Provider Identification and
Exploration Resource (SPIDER) is solely based on self-reported information given by the
respective Agencies and Programs listed in SPIDER. The Illinois Department of Children and Family Service (DCFS),
Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine’s Mental Health Services and Policy Program (MHSPP) and the
Department of Innovation and Technology (DoIT) make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied,
regarding the accuracy, adequacy, validity, reliability, availability, or completeness of any information listed on SPIDER.
Under no circumstances shall DCFS, MHSPP or DoIT have any liability to you for any loss or damage of any kind incurred as a result of the use of SPIDER or reliance on any information provided on SPIDER. Your use of SPIDER and reliance on any information on SPIDER is solely at your own risk.
If you see any inaccurate, outdated or missing data from SPIDER, please contact the SPIDER Team at DCFS.SPIDER@illinois.gov for assistance.
Under no circumstances shall DCFS, MHSPP or DoIT have any liability to you for any loss or damage of any kind incurred as a result of the use of SPIDER or reliance on any information provided on SPIDER. Your use of SPIDER and reliance on any information on SPIDER is solely at your own risk.
If you see any inaccurate, outdated or missing data from SPIDER, please contact the SPIDER Team at DCFS.SPIDER@illinois.gov for assistance.