HB3167ham001 102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY

Rep. Robert Rita

Filed: 4/20/2021

10200HB3167ham001 LRB102 15017 RLC 25528 a

AMENDMENT TO HOUSE BILL 3167

AMENDMENT NO. ______. Amend House Bill 3167 by replacing everything after the enacting clause with the following:

"Section 5. The Illinois Police Training Act is amended by adding Section 3.2 as follows:

(50 ILCS 705/3.2 new)

Sec. 3.2. Statewide Mental Health and Peer Support Institute.

(a) Mental Health and Peer Support Institute. There is created under the authority of the Board a Mental Health and Peer Support Institute to develop, implement, review, and revise programs for mental health and peer support education for law enforcement, correctional, and court security officers (certified officers).

(b) Advisory panel. The Institute shall be staffed and operated by employees of the Board. The Institute shall create a standing advisory panel, which shall be a part of the Institute, and shall be composed of content experts that shall consist of at least one of the following as appointed by the Board Chairman, who should be representative of both rural and urban settings that vary in size, location, resources, and demographics:

(1) a law enforcement agency administrator with experience operating a mental health response program;

(2) a representative of an officers' pension or benefits organization;

(3) a certified Crisis Intervention Team officer, with at least 5 years of experience;

(4) a representative of a National Alliance on Mental Illness chapter based in Illinois;

(5) a licensed therapist or clinical social worker with experience assisting law enforcement officers; and

(6) a representative of a police union.

The Chairman may appoint additional members to the advisory panel. This panel shall meet periodically and report regularly to the Board.

(c) Curriculum development. The Institute shall have the following authorities and duties:

(1) review all stand-alone courses, blocks of instruction, and student performance objectives for mental health courses approved by the Board;

(2) establish or approve a course of instruction for basic academies to introduce recruit officers to mental health issues they could face throughout their career;

(3) establish or approve evidence based in-service courses addressing personal mental health issues including resilience training, trauma-based training, and training for certified officer families;

(4) set standards for offering adult continuing education in mental health for officers at various stages of their careers;

(5) periodically coordinate with colleges and universities to review best practices and produce research on the trainings and their effectiveness; and

(6) create model policies for law enforcement and correctional agencies related to mental health response and peer support program development.

(d) Crisis Intervention Team coordination. The Institute shall establish a statewide system to coordinate Crisis Intervention Team programs and offer resources to certified Crisis Intervention Team officers and their respective agencies for responding to crisis intervention calls and addressing critical incident stress management. The Institute may develop a web portal, telephone line, or mobile application accessible 24 hours a day for those involved with crisis intervention response to coordinate services with an established network of regional mental health providers. The Institute shall organize professional development summits for first responders, mental health providers, community organizations, advocacy groups, trainers, agency program administrators, and other content affiliates.

(e) Peer support. The Institute shall establish a peer support network for certified officers that provides anonymous services by licensed therapists with a strong understanding of first responder challenges. This shall include access to a network of professionals who offer treatment for trauma, including PTSD, who have a strong working knowledge of the challenges facing certified officers. The Institute may also develop a web portal, telephone line, or mobile application accessible 24 hours a day for those seeking a consultation. The Board may retain the services of licensed therapists and trained peer consultants on behalf of the Institute.

(f) Funding. The Institute shall explore areas and opportunities for funding to support its operation and administration of services. These shall include the application for public and private grants and donations. Administrative support for the Institute shall be provided by the Board.".