Full Text of SJR0030

SJ0030 LRB104 13179 MST 25323 r

SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, Approximately 141,587 new brain injuries are sustained by children and adult Illinois residents each year; and

WHEREAS, It is estimated that more than 4,000 residents ages 19 or younger from central Illinois alone have sports-related brain injuries; and

WHEREAS, Illinois is the sixth most populous state in the United States with diverse demographics and ever-changing health care needs; and

WHEREAS, Illinois has created a multifaceted system to support individuals with brain injury, overseen primarily by the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services; and

WHEREAS, Brain injury services and efforts by other states, including the planning and implementation process for any new or modified programs, may serve as models for the large and growing needs of services offered in this State; and

WHEREAS, Individuals and their families should have a choice of options, including the choice to reasonably decline services and place of service they do not believe to be appropriate to meet specialized supports required for individuals in need; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES CONCURRING HEREIN, that the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services is urged to conduct a study on the State's current needs and system capacity for providing a broad spectrum of care options reflective of the needs of individuals with brain injury in Illinois; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the study should focus on the following:

(1) Whether the services provided in the State relating to the care and treatment of individuals with brain injury are adequate, including a review of the State's existing programs to identify potential pathways and treatment options for individuals with brain injury, a review of any service gaps and programmatic recommendations identifying potential strategies to address the identified gaps, a review of current contracts and how they can be better utilized to improve care, potential federal and state funding sources for services, other known best practices and other state models, a method to evaluate the efficacy of new programs, and a comprehensive rate analysis of brain injury services;

(2) The impact of the State's current delivery system available to individuals with brain injury;

(3) The fiscal impact to the State's Medicaid program of current policies directing patients over the age of 21 to be sent out-of-state for care instead of remaining in-state;

(4) Whether current Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services policies for brain injury patients over the age of 21 violate any consent decrees the State has entered into requiring services for these patients to be provided in the most integrated setting appropriate to the needs of qualified individuals with disabilities;

(5) How current federal and State laws and regulations impact and limit supports and services;

(6) An examination of the collaborations between the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services, managed care organizations, and providers, including reimbursement rates, direct support professionals, other funding sources, and how these collaborations can be strengthened to better serve individuals with brain injury;

(7) Illinois' current treatment needs, including network capacity to treat and care for individuals with high acuity support needs, individuals with complex medical needs in addition to brain injury, and individuals who need specialized care and assistance with intensive behavioral health support needs, including, when appropriate, provider referral and admission and discharge practices;

(8) All available living settings, including long-term care settings, residential facilities, intermediate care facilities, community homes, services within family homes, state centers, lifesharing, independent living with assistance, farmhouse settings, campus settings, and any other innovative residential services available to individuals living with brain injury;

(9) Barriers and obstacles in transportation for individuals living in the home or receiving community-based services for jobs, medical appointments, telehealth services, and peer-to-peer groups;

(10) Workforce issues related to providing brain injury services, including recruitment, retention and turnover for direct support professionals, licensing requirements, background check delays, support coordinators, prospective international workers, and other behavioral health or mental health specialists or health care practitioners who assist with the provision of services; and

(11) Providers who have ceased operations, closed all or parts of brain injury programs, or halted new admissions to these programs since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services is urged to solicit input from representatives and advocates from all aspects of the sector and continuum of care to assist the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services with its findings and recommendations in the report; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services is urged to develop recommendations for individual and family access, service system enhancements, rate setting and reimbursement, provider contract revisions, prevention, and education and awareness; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services is urged to issue a report with its findings and recommendations no later than 12 months after the adoption of this resolution and submit it to the Illinois General Assembly and Governor's Office.