HR1307

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HOUSE RESOLUTION


 
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    WHEREAS, Employees of Heartland Human Services in 
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Effingham have been on strike since July, 2007; and

 
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    WHEREAS, These employees normally deliver crucial mental 
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health and substance abuse services that are necessary for the 
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health, welfare, safety, and quality of life of Heartland 
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clients and all residents of Effingham County; and

 
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    WHEREAS, The State of Illinois, through the Department of 
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Human Services and other State agencies, contracts with 
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Heartland to provide those services; and

 
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    WHEREAS, Because of the strike, only a small fraction of 
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normal services have been delivered over the past 10 months; 
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and

 
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    WHEREAS, Data for the first 7 months of the fiscal year 
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show that Heartland's billings were reduced by 96%, and the 
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number of  clients served was reduced by 71%; and

 
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    WHEREAS, Many former Heartland clients have reported that 
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they have gone without services or have received insufficient 
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services; and

 
 


 






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    WHEREAS, This lack of services has placed an unsustainable 
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burden on Heartland clients and their families, to the point 
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that one client committed suicide; and

 
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    WHEREAS, Over 25 behavioral health professionals formerly 
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employed at Heartland  signed a statement attesting that 
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Heartland "demonstrated a disturbing lack of concern for the 
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well-being of clients" and that the employees had themselves 
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"felt the lack of respect that management had for employees who 
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sought to serve those clients"; and

 
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    WHEREAS, Because of the lack of service delivery due to the 
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strike, the Department of Human Services Division of Alcohol 
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and Substance Abuse has discontinued grant payments to 
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Heartland; and

 
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    WHEREAS, The money the Division of Alcohol and Substance 
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Abuse has not paid to Heartland may be available to fund 
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increased service delivery by other providers in the area who 
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are attempting to serve the former Heartland clients; and

 
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    WHEREAS, The Department of Human Services Division of 
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Mental Health elected to continue to pay Heartland for the 
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first five months of the fiscal year, despite the lack of 
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service delivery; and

 
 


 






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    WHEREAS, The Division of Mental Health paid Heartland 
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approximately $200,000 monthly even though virtually no 
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services were being delivered; and

 
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    WHEREAS, The Division of Mental Health has not been able to 
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guarantee other mental health providers who are treating 
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Heartland clients that they will be reimbursed for their 
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expanded service delivery this year; therefore, be it

 
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    RESOLVED, BY THE  HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE 
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NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that 
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State agencies should steward State funding to ensure the 
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maximum amount of services are delivered to the most clients 
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possible; and be it further

 
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    RESOLVED, That the Auditor General is directed to conduct a 
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performance audit of the State moneys provided by or through 
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State agencies to Heartland Human Services under contracts or 
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grant agreements in Fiscal Year 2007 and year-to-date 2008; and 
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be it further
 
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    RESOLVED, That this audit include, but not be limited to, 
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the following determinations:
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        (1) the purposes for which State moneys were provided 
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    to Heartland Human Services, for each State agency and for 
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    each amount transferred;
 


 






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        (2) the nature and extent of monitoring by State 
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    agencies of how Heartland Human Services used the 
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    State-provided moneys;
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        (3) the actual use of State moneys by Heartland Human 
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    Services;
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        (4) whether, through a review of available 
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    documentation, Heartland Human Services has met or is 
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    meeting the purposes for which the State moneys were 
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    provided, with specific information concerning Heartland 
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    Human Services' staffing levels and its compensation of 
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    management employees; and
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        (5) whether Heartland Human Services is in compliance 
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    with the applicable laws, regulations, contracts, and 
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    grant agreements pertaining to Heartland Human Services' 
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    receipt of State moneys; and be it further
 
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    RESOLVED, That Heartland Human Services and any State or 
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local agency that may have information relevant to this audit 
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cooperate fully and promptly with the Auditor General's office 
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in its audit; and be it further
 
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    RESOLVED, That the Auditor General commence this audit as 
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soon as possible and report his findings and recommendations 
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upon completion in accordance with the provisions of Section 
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3-14 of the Illinois State Auditing Act; and be it further

 
 


 






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    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be 
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presented to the Auditor General.