Bill Text: IL HR0840 | 2023-2024 | 103rd General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Urges the Department of Human Services (DHS) to work with stakeholders, including sheriffs, to submit monthly reports to the General Assembly detailing the number of available beds, the number of individuals needing mental health services on the waiting list, staffing changes implemented to support improvements, and the waiting time from the receipt of the judge's order for individuals deemed unfit to stand trial to when they begin receiving services.
Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill
Status: (Introduced) 2024-05-25 - Referred to Rules Committee [HR0840 Detail]
Download: Illinois-2023-HR0840-Introduced.html
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| 1 | HOUSE RESOLUTION | ||||||
| 2 | WHEREAS, The State of Illinois has repeatedly emphasized | ||||||
| 3 | the importance of timely and accessible mental health | ||||||
| 4 | services; and
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| 5 | WHEREAS, The number of individuals facing mental health | ||||||
| 6 | challenges in Illinois continues to rise at an alarming rate; | ||||||
| 7 | and
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| 8 | WHEREAS, Mental health issues affect individuals across | ||||||
| 9 | every socioeconomic status; and
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| 10 | WHEREAS, It is critically important to provide necessary | ||||||
| 11 | assistance to those experiencing mental health challenges; and
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| 12 | WHEREAS, The provision of community-based mental health | ||||||
| 13 | services varies greatly across the State; and
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| 14 | WHEREAS, Numerous facilities that previously provided | ||||||
| 15 | inpatient mental health care have been eliminated and closed | ||||||
| 16 | over the past few decades; and
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| 17 | WHEREAS, Efforts have been made and continue to be made to | ||||||
| 18 | bring mental health services to those in need; and
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| 1 | WHEREAS, These efforts have not been sufficient to meet | ||||||
| 2 | the growing mental health needs of Illinois citizens; and
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| 3 | WHEREAS, The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has | ||||||
| 4 | significantly exacerbated the already existing problem of | ||||||
| 5 | unmet mental health service needs; and
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| 6 | WHEREAS, Mental health service providers face increasing | ||||||
| 7 | challenges in finding necessary staffing to address the | ||||||
| 8 | growing mental health needs of the people of Illinois; and
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| 9 | WHEREAS, Many individuals with unmet mental health needs | ||||||
| 10 | have become entangled in the criminal justice system; and
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| 11 | WHEREAS, Numerous individuals facing mental health | ||||||
| 12 | struggles have been incarcerated in county jails, environments | ||||||
| 13 | not suited for addressing or treating mental health problems; | ||||||
| 14 | and
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| 15 | WHEREAS, Many individuals with mental illness are found | ||||||
| 16 | unfit to stand trial by the courts and are ordered to the | ||||||
| 17 | Department of Human Services (DHS) for restoration to | ||||||
| 18 | competency; and
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| 19 | WHEREAS, DHS was previously required to assign such | ||||||
| 20 | individuals to an inpatient facility within 20 days of being | ||||||
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| 1 | found unfit to stand trial, after which the local county | ||||||
| 2 | sheriff would transfer them; and
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| 3 | WHEREAS, DHS has successfully passed legislation to change | ||||||
| 4 | that timeline to 60 days, with the possibility of additional | ||||||
| 5 | 30-day extensions in perpetuity; and
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| 6 | WHEREAS, These extensions have placed significant burdens | ||||||
| 7 | on county resources, diverting valuable time and attention | ||||||
| 8 | away from the critical issues that county personnel are | ||||||
| 9 | specifically trained and mandated to address, not only | ||||||
| 10 | hampering the efficiency of our county systems but also | ||||||
| 11 | undermining the well-being and safety of our communities; and
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| 12 | WHEREAS, This change in timeline has exacerbated the | ||||||
| 13 | situation for those in need of mental health treatment, | ||||||
| 14 | leaving individuals incarcerated when they should be receiving | ||||||
| 15 | critical services from DHS; and
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| 16 | WHEREAS, The mental health crisis continues to grow with | ||||||
| 17 | no end in sight; therefore, be it
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| 18 | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE | ||||||
| 19 | HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that | ||||||
| 20 | we urge the Department of Human Services (DHS) to work with | ||||||
| 21 | stakeholders, including sheriffs, to submit monthly reports to | ||||||
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| 1 | the General Assembly detailing the number of available beds, | ||||||
| 2 | the number of individuals needing mental health services on | ||||||
| 3 | the waiting list, staffing changes implemented to support | ||||||
| 4 | improvements, and the waiting time from the receipt of the | ||||||
| 5 | judge's order for individuals deemed unfit to stand trial to | ||||||
| 6 | when they begin receiving services; and be it further
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