405 ILCS 100/15

(405 ILCS 100/15)

Sec. 15. Powers and duties of the Department. The Department shall have all of the following powers and duties:

(1) To allocate funds to psychiatric practice residency and child and adolescent fellowship programs according to the following priorities:

(A) to increase the number of psychiatric physicians in designated shortage areas;

(B) to increase the percentage of psychiatric physicians establishing practice within the State upon completion of residency;

(C) to increase the number of accredited psychiatric practice residencies within the State; and

(D) to increase the percentage of psychiatric practice physicians establishing practice within the State upon completion of residency.

(2) To determine the procedures for the distribution of the funds to psychiatric residency programs, including the establishment of eligibility criteria in accordance with the following guidelines:

(A) preference for programs that are to be established at locations that exhibit potential for extending psychiatric practice physician availability to designated shortage areas;

(B) preference for programs that are located away from communities in which medical schools are located; and

(C) preference for programs located in hospitals that have affiliation agreements with medical schools located within the State.

In distributing such funds, the Department may also consider as secondary criteria whether or not a psychiatric practice residency program has (i) adequate courses of instruction in the child and adolescent behavioral disorder sciences; (ii) availability and systematic utilization of opportunities for residents to gain experience through local health departments, community mental health centers, or other preventive or occupational medical facilities; (iii) a continuing program of community oriented research in such areas as risk factors in community populations; (iv) sufficient mechanisms for maintenance of quality training, such as peer review, systematic progress reviews, referral system, and maintenance of adequate records; and (v) an appropriate course of instruction in societal, institutional, and economic conditions affecting psychiatric practice.

(3) To receive and disburse federal funds in accordance with the purpose stated in Section 5 of this Act.

(4) To enter into contracts or agreements with any agency or department of this State or the United States to carry out the provisions of this Act.

(5) To coordinate the psychiatric residency grants program established under this Act with other student assistance and residency programs administered by the Department and the Board of Higher Education under the Health Services Education Grants Act.

(6) To design and coordinate a study for the purpose of assessing the characteristics of practice resulting from the psychiatric practice residency programs including, but not limited to, information regarding the nature and scope of practices, location of practices, years of active practice following completion of residency and other information deemed necessary for the administration of this Act.

(7) To establish a program, and the criteria for such program, for the repayment of the educational loans of physicians who agree to (i) serve in designated shortage areas for a specified period of time, no less than 3 years, (ii) accept medical payments, as defined in this Act, and (iii) serve targeted populations to the extent required by the program. Payments under this program may be made for the principal, interest, and related expenses of government and commercial loans received by the individual for tuition expenses and all other reasonable educational expenses incurred by the individual. Payments made under this provision are exempt from State income tax, as provided by law.

(8) To require psychiatric practice residency programs seeking grants under this Act to make application according to procedures consistent with the priorities and guidelines established in items (1) and (2) of this Section.

(9) To adopt rules and regulations that are necessary for the establishment and maintenance of the programs required by this Act.

(Source: P.A. 96-1411, eff. 1-1-11.)