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HOUSE RESOLUTION


 
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    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of 
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Representatives are pleased to congratulate Carolyn Cochran 
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Kopel on the occasion of her retirement as Deputy Director of 
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Clinical Operations and Policy for the Division of Mental 
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Health of the Illinois Department of Human Services; and

 
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    WHEREAS, Carolyn Cochran Kopel received her bachelor's 
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degree in Social Work from Illinois State University in 1981 
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and her Master of Social Work degree from the University of 
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Illinois at Urbana in 1983; and

 
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    WHEREAS, Carolyn Cochran Kopel has had a long and 
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distinguished career in social work and public service; she 
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began her career as a caseworker for the Department of Public 
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Aid in Livingston County, serving there from 1972 until 1975; 
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she went on to serve as a Resource Coordinator for the Juvenile 
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Intake Unit of the Livingston County Court system, serving 
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there from November of 1977 until June of 1979; she served in 
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an internship as a Child Abuse Investigator for the Department 
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of Children and Family Services from September of 1980 until 
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May of 1981; and

 
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    WHEREAS, In June of 1982, Carolyn Cochran Kopel accepted a 
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position as a Budget Analyst for the Illinois Bureau of the 
 


 






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Budget; as a Budget Analyst, she was responsible for the 
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analysis, budgeting, and development of policy recommendations 
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for the Departments of Aging, Rehabilitation Services, 
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Alcoholism and Substance Abuse, and Children and Family 
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Services; she served in this position until June of 1984, when 
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she accepted a position at the Illinois Department on Aging, 
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where she created and managed the department's Elder Abuse 
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Intervention Program; and

 
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    WHEREAS, In December of 1985, Carolyn Cochran Kopel 
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accepted a position as Manager of the Illinois Department of 
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Rehabilitation Services' new Division of Planning and 
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Analysis, where she was responsible for the creation, hiring, 
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and management of the division and its projects until her 
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departure in November of 1989; in December of 1989, she took 
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the position of Chief of the Bureau of Policy, Planning and 
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Program Development in the Division of Developmental 
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Disabilities at the Illinois Department of Mental Health and 
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Developmental Disabilities; where she served until May of 1993, 
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when she became the Chief of the Division of Human Services and 
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Education at the Illinois Bureau of the Budget; and
 
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    WHEREAS, In July of 1994, Carolyn Cochran Kopel was 
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selected to serve as the Chief of Staff for the Director of the 
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Illinois Department of Children and Family Services and served 
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in that capacity for seven years; and

 
 


 






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    WHEREAS, In June of 2001, Carolyn Cochran Kopel was 
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appointed Associate Secretary of Human Services; as Associate 
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Secretary in the Department of Human Services, she was 
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responsible for the renovation and general management of the 
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department's Early Intervention program, the improvement of 
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the program's data system, the development and implementation 
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of performance contracts for the regional intake and service 
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coordination entities working with the department, and the 
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cultivation of improved relations with the program's advisory 
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council, advocates, and providers; and
 
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    WHEREAS, In June of 2003, Carolyn Cochran Kopel became the 
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Special Assistant to the Secretary for Special Projects for the 
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Illinois Department of Human Services, where she worked on 
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projects involving the increase in Medicaid claiming 
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throughout the department's six program divisions and the 
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improvement of integration and access to various services and 
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work processes; and
 
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    WHEREAS, In March of 2007, Carolyn Cochran Kopel became the 
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Deputy Director of Clinical Operations and Policy for the 
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Division of Mental Health for the Illinois Department of Human 
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Services; as Director, she has been responsible for the 
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oversight of the nine psychiatric hospitals operated by the 
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State of Illinois, as well as the implementation of various 
 


 






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community clinical services and policies; and

 
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    WHEREAS, Carolyn Cochran Kopel has also been an active 
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member with many community organizations; she has served as a 
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board member and president of the Sojourn Women's Center, a 
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domestic violence shelter in Springfield; she was a board 
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member of Planned Parenthood of Springfield Area and the 
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Illinois State University Child Centers; she also served as a 
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board member and president of The Parent Place, an agency in 
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Springfield dedicated to strengthening the skills of parents; 
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and

 
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    WHEREAS, Carolyn Cochran Kopel was named Social Worker of 
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the Year, Springfield Region in 2005 in recognition of her 
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accomplishments in the field of social work; and
 
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    WHEREAS, Carolyn Cochran Kopel's dedication to her 
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profession and willingness to serve her community makes her a 
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model for the people of the State of Illinois; therefore, be it

 
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    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE 
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NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we 
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congratulate Carolyn Cochran Kopel on the occasion of her 
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retirement and wish her continued success and happiness in the 
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future; and be it further

 
 


 






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    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be 
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presented to Carolyn Cochran Kopel as a symbol of our esteem 
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and respect.