SR0167 102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0167 LRB102 17654 LAW 23484 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, Health and human service organizations are important components of a strong Illinois, essential employers for a robust economy, and integral to healthy and safe communities throughout our State; and

WHEREAS, These organizations contribute $4.5 billion to the economy annually, while ensuring people are healthy, stable, and able to realize their potential, care for their families, and contribute to their communities; and

WHEREAS, These organizations play a fundamental role in providing person-centered, culturally sensitive, evidence-based healthcare, social services, and long-term services and supports aimed at promoting equality, opportunity, and advancing equity; and

WHEREAS, According to national statistics, 81% of social workers are female, with 27% of social workers being people of color; 69% of counselors are female, with 24.7% of counselors being people of color; 87% of direct support professionals are female, with 60% of direct support professionals being people of color; 87% of nursing, psychiatric, and home health aides are female, with 39% of these professionals being people of color; and

WHEREAS, Adequately supported health and human service organizations are crucial in preventing hospitalizations and addressing the increased demand for services, including childcare, access to food, housing, mental health services and supports to persons with disabilities, and healthcare for our most underserved populations; and

WHEREAS, The COVID-19 pandemic greatly publicized the crucial nature of health and human service organizations, with increased expectations to provide high quality services and supports in an unprecedented environment, while ensuring the health and safety of as many Illinoisans as possible; and

WHEREAS, It has been consistently documented across national and state level studies that many health and human services sectors were in precarious financial positions prior to the start of the pandemic, which significantly hampers the ability of these organizations to meet their missions of service; and

WHEREAS, According to Feeding America's Map the Meal Gap Study, food insecurity in Illinois is projected to increase by 46% due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with Northwestern University estimating 23% of Illinois households being impacted; and

WHEREAS, According to data from the Illinois Department of Public Health, 85% of COVID-19 fatalities are among adults age 60 or older, with nearly half of these deaths being residents of nursing homes; and

WHEREAS, According to the Illinois Department of Public Health data, opioid overdose deaths rose 36.5% in the first five months of 2020, from 197 deaths in January to 269 deaths; and

WHEREAS, According to data from Illinois counties, teen suicides were up in 2020 compared to 2019; Cook County's Black community experienced 71 suicides in the first 9 months of 2020, compared to 56 in all of 2019; and

WHEREAS, There are 18,452 individuals with developmental disabilities on Illinois' Prioritization of Unmet Need for Services (PUNS), meaning these individuals and families are waiting for access to services and supports; and

WHEREAS, According to the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, there were 143,056 child victims associated with investigations of abuse or neglect in 2019; and

WHEREAS, According to the Child and Family Research Center at the University of Illinois, Black children are more than two and a half times more likely to be taken into protective custody than white children; and

WHEREAS, According to McKinsey and Company, students on average could lose five to nine months of learning by the end of June 2021, making learning enrichment and the social and emotional support provided in afterschool programs critical to helping Illinois children return to success; and

WHEREAS, Illinois early childhood programs were required to operate at a 30% reduced capacity during phases 3 and 4 of the Restore Illinois plan, putting significant financial strain on an already fragile system; and

WHEREAS, According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the U.S. Census American Community Survey, an estimated 10,199 individuals experience street and shelter-based homelessness and an additional 106,443 people experience homelessness by temporarily staying with others across Illinois; and

WHEREAS, More than 3 million Illinoisans live in 245 areas experiencing shortages in primary health care workforce across our State, limiting their access to basic health care; and

WHEREAS, Nationally, 95% of community health centers have reported at least one clinical staff vacancy, impacting their ability to provide community-directed, primary and preventative care; and

WHEREAS, While health and human services are always important components of a strong state, the current crisis facing Illinois elevates health and human services to the highest priority level for the General Assembly and the Governor as they approach the State fiscal year 2022 budget; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that the State fiscal year 2022 health and human services budget should ensure that people and communities have access to essential services, including services that address the social determinants of health, economic support, and family well-being; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the budget should include funding to accommodate the increasing number of people in need of health and human services, to continue reimbursing for remote services, and to promote flexibility in order to adapt to evolving needs; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the health and human services budget should prioritize funding for communities that have been hardest hit by the pandemic, including Black, Brown, and rural communities, and reflect the needs of those who have been disproportionately impacted by systemic racism, which has been exacerbated by COVID-19; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the health and human services budget should avoid historic silos and take a holistic approach to budgeting by understanding how the various State departments and their programs interact with and impact each other, avoid short-sighted and costly strategy of short-term cuts, and instead invest in prevention and early intervention to prevent suffering and control costs over the long term; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the health and human services budget should invest in the human services workforce both as a matter of equity and to ensure the sector is able to attract, support, and retain talented and committed individuals, recognizing the workforce is disproportionately female, disproportionately people of color, and disproportionately low-income to moderate-income people who have been acting as essential workers and have shouldered the burden of care in this pandemic; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the overall budget should include new means of revenue including, but not limited to, closing loopholes and corporate perks, and should invest those revenues in health and human services that will help hasten Illinois' recovery from the pandemic; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we support the principles detailed in this resolution as we work with the Governor and his administration to finalize the State fiscal year 2022 budget.