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1
SENATE RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, The vast majority of the employees of Heartland
3 Human Services have been on strike since July 2 because of the
4 employer's refusal to accept the democratic election of a
5 union; and
 
6     WHEREAS, These employees normally deliver crucial mental
7 health and substance abuse services that are necessary for the
8 health, welfare, safety, and quality of life of Heartland
9 clients and all residents of Effingham County; and
 
10     WHEREAS, Because of the strike, almost no services are
11 currently being delivered; and
 
12     WHEREAS, Heartland clients are going without services,
13 traveling long distances to obtain services, and relying on
14 family and friends for temporary help; and
 
15     WHEREAS, This lack of services is placing an unsustainable
16 burden on Heartland clients and their families, to the point
17 that one client has committed suicide; and
 
18     WHEREAS, Over 30 behavioral health professionals formerly
19 employed at Heartland attended a public meeting to support the
20 strikers, saying Heartland places financial considerations

 

 

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1 before client and community needs and creates a hostile
2 environment through demeaning and abusive treatment that is not
3 conducive to quality care; and
 
4     WHEREAS, Because of the lack of service delivery due to the
5 strike, the Department of Human Services Division of Alcohol
6 and Substance Abuse has discontinued grant payments to
7 Heartland; and
 
8     WHEREAS, The money the Division of Alcohol and Substance
9 Abuse has not paid to Heartland may be available to fund
10 increased service delivery by other providers in the area who
11 are attempting to serve the former Heartland clients; and
 
12     WHEREAS, The Division of Mental Health pays Heartland
13 approximately $200,000 monthly, even though virtually no
14 services are being delivered; and
 
15     WHEREAS, The Division of Mental Health has not been able to
16 guarantee other mental health providers who are treating
17 Heartland clients that they will be reimbursed for their
18 expanded service delivery this year; therefore, be it
 
19     RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL
20 ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that State agencies should
21 steward State funding to ensure the maximum amount of services

 

 

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1 is delivered to the most clients possible; and be it further
 
2     RESOLVED, That immediately upon passage of this resolution
3 the Senate urges the Division of Mental Health to discontinue
4 payments to Heartland Human Services until the agency has
5 resolved its dispute with its workers and is once again
6 delivering its full array of services; and be it further
 
7     RESOLVED, That the Auditor General is directed to conduct a
8 performance audit of the State moneys provided by or through
9 State agencies to Heartland Human Services under contracts or
10 grant agreements in Fiscal Year 2007 and year-to-date 2008; and
11 be it further
 
12     RESOLVED, That this performance audit include, but not be
13 limited to, the following determinations:
14         (1) the purposes for which State moneys were provided
15     to Heartland Human Services, for each State agency and for
16     each amount transferred;
17         (2) the nature and extent of monitoring by State
18     agencies of how Heartland Human Services used the
19     State-provided moneys;
20         (3) the actual use of State moneys by Heartland Human
21     Services;
22         (4) whether, through a review of available
23     documentation, Heartland Human Services has met or is

 

 

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1     meeting the purposes for which the State moneys were
2     provided, with specific information concerning Heartland
3     Human Services' staffing levels and its compensation of
4     management employees; and
5         (5) whether Heartland Human Services is in compliance
6     with the applicable laws, regulations, contracts, and
7     grant agreements pertaining to Heartland Human Services'
8     receipt of State moneys; and be it further
 
9     RESOLVED, That Heartland Human Services and any State or
10 local agency that may have information relevant to this audit
11 cooperate fully and promptly with the Auditor General's office
12 in its audit; and be it further
 
13     RESOLVED, That the Auditor General commence this audit as
14 soon as possible and report his findings and recommendations
15 upon completion in accordance with the provisions of Section
16 3-14 of the Illinois State Auditing Act.