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| Public Act 097-0528 | ||||
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AN ACT concerning health.
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Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
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represented in the General Assembly:
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Section 5. The Community Services Act is amended by adding | ||||
Section 6 as follows: | ||||
(405 ILCS 30/6 new) | ||||
Sec. 6. Geographic analysis of supports and services in | ||||
community settings. | ||||
(a) For purposes of this Section: | ||||
"Direct support professionals" means direct support | ||||
workers, direct care workers, personal assistants, personal | ||||
attendants, and paraprofessionals that provide assistance to | ||||
individuals with developmental disabilities or mental illness | ||||
in the form of daily living, and provide the habilitation, | ||||
rehabilitation, and training needs of these individuals. | ||||
"Licensed professionals" means, but is not limited to, | ||||
dentists, dental hygienists, dental assistants, advanced | ||||
practice nurses, licensed practical nurses, registered nurses, | ||||
psychiatrists, psychologists, and qualified mental health | ||||
professionals. | ||||
"Supports and services" means direct support | ||||
professionals, licensed professionals, and residential | ||||
services, including, but not limited to, private residences, | ||||
community-integrated living arrangements, supported | ||
residential programs, supervised residential programs, or | ||
supportive housing programs. | ||
(b) Long-term care rebalancing. Pursuant to Public Act | ||
96-1501, the State of Illinois has established a long-term care | ||
rebalancing initiative. This amendatory Act of the 97th General | ||
Assembly seeks to further the goals of that initiative by | ||
ensuring that individuals with developmental disabilities or | ||
mental illness who utilize long-term care services under the | ||
medical assistance program and other long-term care related | ||
benefit programs administered by the State have meaningful | ||
access to a reasonable array of community-based and | ||
institutional program options. Furthermore, the General | ||
Assembly declares that it is the policy of the State to ensure | ||
that the clinical, habilitative, and social needs of | ||
individuals with developmental disabilities or mental illness | ||
who choose to reside in integrated community-based settings can | ||
have those needs met in integrated community-based settings. In | ||
order to meaningfully comply with this policy, the General | ||
Assembly must have an understanding of the existing capacity in | ||
integrated-community based settings, including direct support | ||
professionals and licensed professionals, such as dentists, | ||
nurses, and psychiatrists, as well as residential capacity to | ||
provide for these needs. | ||
(c) By no later than July 1, 2012, subject to | ||
appropriation, the Department shall conduct a geographic | ||
analysis of supports and services for individuals with | ||
developmental disabilities or mental illness. The Department | ||
may work with other State agencies to perform the geographic | ||
analysis or to gather data for purposes of performing the | ||
geographic analysis. This analysis shall also identify gaps | ||
between required supports and services by region of the State. | ||
The Department shall prepare a final report by no later than | ||
January 1, 2013 that shall be made available to the Governor | ||
and shall be presented by the Department to the appropriate | ||
standing committees in the Senate, as determined by and on a | ||
date determined by the President of the Senate, and the House | ||
of Representatives, as determined by and on a date determined | ||
by the Speaker of the House. The final report shall be made | ||
available to the public and shall be published on the | ||
Department's website in an appropriate location a minimum of | ||
one week prior to presentation of the report to the General | ||
Assembly.
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Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon | ||
becoming law.
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