SR0698 95TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0698 LRB095 21381 DRJ 50645 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The 2008 State of the States In Developmental Disabilities has ranked Illinois 51st in the United States in funding for community residential developmental disability (DD) services in settings of 6 or fewer individuals; Illinois ranked behind the District of Columbia; and

WHEREAS, The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) has once again given Illinois an 'F' for its lack of funding to ensure access to community mental health (MH) services; and

WHEREAS, The Illinois Council on Developmental Disabilities recently commissioned a study by the Human Services Resource Institute, the Blueprint for System Redesign in Illinois, that further highlights the need for system change; and

WHEREAS, The Illinois General Assembly also commissioned a study by the University of Illinois, State Funding of Community Agencies for Services Provided to Illinois Residents with Mental Illnesses and/or Developmental Disabilities, to complete a rate study per Public Act 93-0842; and

WHEREAS, The low per person costs of services in Illinois are not so much indicative of economy and efficiency in service delivery as they are the by-product of problematic payment policies; there is broad agreement in Illinois that the rates that are paid for developmental disability services are insufficient to ensure the delivery of high quality, effective supports for individuals (Source: Blueprint); and

WHEREAS, State payments in 2006 covered on average from 74 to 79 percent of agency costs, depending on the program area; current rates, originally based on provider costs for particular inputs, have not been overhauled in many years

(Source: University of Illinois Rate Study); and

WHEREAS, Illinois now has at least four studies that document underfunding of the community system that provides services and supports to people with developmental disabilities and mental illness; and

WHEREAS, SB 1664, now Public Act 95-0682, unanimously passed both the Illinois House and the Illinois Senate in 2007 and the Governor's amendatory veto was unanimously overridden in both the House and the Senate; and

WHEREAS, PA 95-0682 requires the Governor to create a Commission by July 1, 2007, or as soon thereafter as possible, to review funding methodologies, identify gaps in funding, identify revenue, and prioritize the use of that revenue for community developmental disability, mental health, alcohol and substance abuse, rehabilitation, and early intervention services; and

WHEREAS, The rate and reimbursement methodologies must reflect economic factors inherent in providing services and supports; and

WHEREAS, The Commission will have 13 voting members, including four members of the General Assembly, one appointed from each caucus; and

WHEREAS, The Governor has not yet made his nine appointments to the Commission: two members from unions representing workers in the community, one person or a family member/guardian with a developmental disability, one person or family member/guardian of a person with a mental illness, and five members from statewide associations representing community providers; and

WHEREAS, The Commission will also have three ex-officio, non-voting members from the Governor's Office of Management and Budget, the Department of Human Services, and the Department of Healthcare and Family Services; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we urge the Governor of the State of Illinois to immediately make his nine appointments to the Commission, so it can begin its work to review funding methodologies, identify gaps in funding, identify revenue, and prioritize the use of that revenue for community developmental disability, mental health, alcohol and substance abuse, rehabilitation, and early intervention services; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Illinois Association of Rehabilitation Facilities (IARF) wants to highlight these dismal reports of Illinois' investment in community services and work with the General Assembly, the Governor and his office, the Department of Human Services, and the Department of Healthcare and Family Services to make a change through its "51st and Failing Advocacy Campaign"; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Commission begin its work as soon as members are appointed; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the Governor of Illinois and the Illinois Association of Rehabilitation Facilities (IARF), as the initiating organization of SB 1664.