HR1117 LRB095 17915 DRJ 48748 r

1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, Children with developmental disabilities or
3 mental illness receive a variety of services provided or
4 sponsored by the Department of Children and Family Services
5 (DCFS), the Department of Human Services (DHS), and the
6 Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE); and
 
7     WHEREAS, Each of those agencies has adopted a different age
8 by which children in their programs "age out" of those programs
9 (that is, become ineligible for those programs based on their
10 age); for DCFS it is age 18; for DHS it is age 21; and for ISBE
11 it is age 22; and
 
12     WHEREAS, Upon "aging out" of these programs, individuals
13 must undergo a transition to programs and services for adults;
14 an individual between the ages of 18 and 22 may have to
15 participate in children's programs and adult programs at the
16 same time; and
 
17     WHEREAS, This lack of uniformity in the "age-out" age
18 between agencies results in disparities in services provided to
19 children and their families and confusion among beneficiaries
20 of State programs and services; therefore, be it
 
21     RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE

 

 

HR1117 - 2 - LRB095 17915 DRJ 48748 r

1 NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
2 the Department of Children and Family Services, the Department
3 of Human Services, and the Illinois State Board of Education,
4 in coordination with providers of developmental disability and
5 mental health services, shall establish a Cross-Agency
6 Coordination Task Force on Developmental Disabilities to study
7 the implementation of a uniform age by which children with
8 developmental disabilities or mental illness "age out" of
9 programs administered by those agencies; the study shall
10 include an examination of ways to improve transition services
11 to individuals affected by a developmental disability or mental
12 illness; and be it further
 
13     RESOLVED, That the task force shall consist of 9 members;
14 the Department of Children and Family Services, the Department
15 of Human Services, and the State Board of Education shall each
16 appoint one of each of the following as a member: (i) a parent
17 of a child who receives mental health or developmental
18 disability services; (ii) a provider of mental health or
19 developmental disability services; and (iii) a staff member of
20 the appointing agency; and be it further
 
21     RESOLVED, That the task force shall submit a report of its
22 findings and recommendations to the House of Representatives by
23 August 31, 2008; and be it further
 

 

 

HR1117 - 3 - LRB095 17915 DRJ 48748 r

1     RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be
2 delivered to the Governor, the Director of Children and Family
3 Services, the Secretary of Human Services, and the State
4 Superintendent of Education.