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| 1 | AN ACT concerning local government.
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| 2 | Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
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| 3 | represented in the General Assembly:
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| 4 | Section 5. The Illinois Police Training Act is amended by | ||||||
| 5 | adding Section 3.1 as follows: | ||||||
| 6 | (50 ILCS 705/3.1 new) | ||||||
| 7 | Sec. 3.1. Statewide PTSD Mental Health Coordinator. | ||||||
| 8 | (a) There is created under the authority of the Illinois | ||||||
| 9 | Law Enforcement Training Standards Board the Statewide PTSD | ||||||
| 10 | Mental Health Coordinator, appointed by the Governor, by and | ||||||
| 11 | with the advice and consent of the Senate, for a term of 4 | ||||||
| 12 | years. The Statewide PTSD Mental Health Coordinator shall | ||||||
| 13 | receive a salary as provided by law and is eligible for | ||||||
| 14 | re-appointment. The Statewide PTSD Mental Health Coordinator | ||||||
| 15 | shall be responsible for implementing a program of mental | ||||||
| 16 | health support and education for law enforcement officers. | ||||||
| 17 | (b) The Statewide PTSD Mental Health Coordinator shall: | ||||||
| 18 | (1) be an active duty law enforcement officer with an | ||||||
| 19 | established career in different aspects of law | ||||||
| 20 | enforcement, including, but not limited to, patrol officer | ||||||
| 21 | and detective and in urban and rural settings; | ||||||
| 22 | (2) be a law enforcement professional with a history | ||||||
| 23 | of developing and disseminating evidence-based training in | ||||||
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| 1 | mental health and resilience and with a strong working | ||||||
| 2 | knowledge of the legislative process at the State and | ||||||
| 3 | local level; and | ||||||
| 4 | (3) have an established history of working with police | ||||||
| 5 | administrations and police unions. | ||||||
| 6 | (c) The Statewide PTSD Mental Health Coordinator shall: | ||||||
| 7 | (1) cooperate with statewide police academies to | ||||||
| 8 | introduce police recruits to mental health issues they | ||||||
| 9 | could face throughout their career in law enforcement; | ||||||
| 10 | (2) assist in establishing mental health training for | ||||||
| 11 | law enforcement, including resilience training, | ||||||
| 12 | trauma-based training, inter-and intra-departmental | ||||||
| 13 | training, and training for law enforcement families; | ||||||
| 14 | (3) select medical professionals statewide to | ||||||
| 15 | establish a reference list that can be utilized by police | ||||||
| 16 | departments who seek out professionals who offer | ||||||
| 17 | evidence-based treatment for trauma and have strong | ||||||
| 18 | working knowledge of the challenges faced by law | ||||||
| 19 | enforcement; | ||||||
| 20 | (4) cooperate with police agencies to establish peer | ||||||
| 21 | support programs; | ||||||
| 22 | (5) cooperate with private limited liability companies | ||||||
| 23 | who train in mental health and wellness to ensure that | ||||||
| 24 | their programs are scientifically sound and factual; | ||||||
| 25 | (6) utilize the State university system to establish | ||||||
| 26 | training and produce research documentation of training | ||||||
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| 1 | effectiveness; and | ||||||
| 2 | (7) set standards for continuing education in mental | ||||||
| 3 | health with an emphasis on meeting the developmental | ||||||
| 4 | training needs for officers at various stages of their | ||||||
| 5 | career. | ||||||
| 6 | (d)
The Statewide PTSD Mental Health Coordinator shall | ||||||
| 7 | report to the Board on the development and implementation of | ||||||
| 8 | programs and training for law enforcement officers and shall | ||||||
| 9 | advise the Board and receive advice from the Board on | ||||||
| 10 | direction and training needs for law enforcement agencies that | ||||||
| 11 | vary in size, location, and demographics.
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