HR0279 98TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0279 LRB098 11752 GRL 44754 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, Behavioral healthcare disparities exist across Illinois; these disparities include underserved populations with behavioral healthcare needs as one of their acute or chronic conditions; and

WHEREAS, Behavioral healthcare disparities include racial, ethnic, and rural behavioral health disparities and underserved or professional shortage areas; and

WHEREAS, The mental well-being of young people and their ability to not use alcohol or other drugs is strongly linked to their academic success; helping students stay healthy is a fundamental mission of schools; and

WHEREAS, According to the United States Surgeon General, approximately 50% of children with emotional disturbances and behavioral disturbances drop out of school; and

WHEREAS, According to the Centers for Disease Control, suicides are among the leading cause of death for people 15-54 years of age; and

WHEREAS, County coroners in Illinois report that, in some counties, the suicide rate has doubled since 2002, while, in other counties, the suicide rate has increased in recent years; and

WHEREAS, According to the Department of Defense Annual Suicide Report, suicides in the military started climbing considerably in 2005; this trend has not abated in recent years; and

WHEREAS, Cook County Jail is the largest "mental institution" in the State, due to its active inpatient psychiatric population; there are over 1,700 people on psychotropic medication for treatment of bipolar disorder, clinical depression, and schizoaffective disorder in the jail; and

WHEREAS, In Cook County Jail, 80% of the women there have a chronic mental illness; 80% of the women in that jail are the sole caretakers of their children; and

WHEREAS, Illinois courts, municipal and county jails, and the juvenile justice system have direct contact with many individuals who could be diverted away from these systems if behavioral healthcare services were available to them; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-EIGHTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we urge the Governor to seek to empower and engage individuals and communities where behavioral healthcare disparities exist through the use of incentives, education, outreach, technology, and innovation; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we further urge the administration to work with the 98th General Assembly to establish Behavioral Healthcare Enterprise Zones (BHEZs); BHEZs, modeled after economic enterprise zones, should be established in areas with significant behavioral health disparities, poor access to behavioral healthcare, high rates of trauma, or acute or chronic behavioral healthcare illnesses; primary care physicians and behavioral healthcare clinicians should be encouraged to practice in BHEZs through a range of incentives, including loan repayment assistance, tax credits, and assistance in installing health information technology; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we further urge the administration to establish Behavioral Healthcare Loan Repayment Assistance initiatives, in which behavioral healthcare professionals would be encouraged to practice through a range of incentives to include loan repayment assistance; the initiatives should include eligibility requirements, in which clinicians would have to participate in the Medicaid program and meet voluntary standards for community service; community-based organizations should be urged to apply to create the zones and proposals with matching funding should be given priority; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we further encourage the administration to call on the Department of Human Services, in collaboration with the Department of Healthcare and Family Services, to identify a method to establish pilot programs for health homes, systems of care, and essential community behavioral healthcare providers to address the racial, ethnic, and rural behavioral health disparities, underserved populations, and underserved areas or professional shortage designated areas; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we further encourage the administration to include a standardized collection and analysis of data on the impact on racial, ethnic, and rural healthcare disparities, underserved populations, and underserved or professional shortage designated areas in the Department of Human Services data collection process; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we further encourage the administration to create an Illinois Behavioral Health Innovation Prize that would provide public recognition for a new intervention or program that successfully reduces or eliminates behavioral healthcare disparities; the prize should broaden the scope of community participation and discover new solutions that can be duplicated and employed throughout the State; and be it further

RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be delivered to Governor Pat Quinn and the Secretary of the Department of Human Services.