HR0510 99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0510 LRB099 12412 GRL 35685 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives are pleased to congratulate Deborah McCarrel, Senior Policy Advisor for the Division of Medical Programs of the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services, on the occasion of her retirement; and

WHEREAS, Deborah McCarrel will retire on May 31, 2015 after a long and distinguished career in social work and public service; over the course of her 30-year career, she has served in a variety of capacities across numerous State agencies, transforming State programs and dedicating her talents to the children and families of Illinois; and

WHEREAS, Deborah McCarrel received a Bachelor's Degree in Social Work from the University of Illinois at Springfield in 2001 and a Master of Social Work degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana in 2003; and

WHEREAS, Deborah McCarrel began her career with the Department of Transportation in Traffic Safety, serving there from 1978 to 1980; she went on to serve in the Public Inquiry Office at the Department of Public Aid from 1988 to 1990 and the Division of Developmental Disabilities at the Department of Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities from 1989 to 1994 before managing the Statewide Food Stamp Employment and Training Development Program at the Department of Public Aid from 1994 to 1996; and

WHEREAS, Deborah McCarrel served in a number of increasingly responsible and influential positions within the Department of Children and Family Services from 1996 to 2006; in the Office of Legislative Affairs, she was responsible for the development and analysis of legislative proposals impacting the Department; within the Director's Office, she developed and managed the Advocacy Office for Children and Families, served as the Department's liaison to the Office of the Inspector General, represented the Department to a wide variety of stakeholders, and developed and directed agency programs to assure continuous quality of services to children; in the Division of Clinical Services, she supervised the Child Welfare Employee Licensure unit, managing the licensure process for 7,500 direct service workers, and was responsible for the design, implementation, and analysis of programs in response to federal and State policy mandates; and

WHEREAS, From 2006 to 2011, Deborah McCarrel worked with the Department of Human Services; during her tenure, she served as the Program Manager for the Illinois AmeriCorps State programs, successfully rebuilding the Illinois Commission infrastructure, increasing federal funding, and expanding volunteer programs in the State; she also served as the Program Administrator for the Comprehensive Community Based Youth Services Program, a statewide system of community-based programs focused on diverting youth from the juvenile justice and child welfare systems; and

WHEREAS, Deborah McCarrel was selected to serve as Manager for the Policy and Program Development Section of the Bureau of Comprehensive Health Services in the Division of Medical Programs at the Department of Healthcare and Family Services in 2011, where she implemented program and operational policies and procedures for the Illinois Medicaid Program and managed the State Chronic Renal Dialysis Program, the Home and Community Based Waiver Program for Medically Fragile Technology Dependent Children, the Acquired Brain Injury Program for Youth, and the Non-Emergency Transportation Prior Approval Program; and

WHEREAS, In 2012, Deborah McCarrel became the Chief for the Bureau of Operations at the Department of Children and Family Services, serving as a Senior Member of the Director's Executive Staff; she established statewide and regional goals and objectives and evaluated outcomes and was responsible for formulating and overseeing the implementation of statewide policies and procedures involving child welfare placement, adoptions, and resources and for monitoring program compliance with federal and State rules; and

WHEREAS, In May of 2014, Deborah McCarrel was selected to serve as a Senior Policy Advisor for the Division of Medical Programs of the Department of Healthcare and Family Services; as Senior Policy Advisor, under the authority of the Governor's Office, she led a multi-agency team in the statewide effort to reform the children's behavioral health system, overseeing the workgroup process of the Children's Services Subcommittee of the Governor's Office of Health Innovation and Transformation, coordinating the input of over 250 stakeholders from multiple child-serving agencies, advocacy organizations, trade organizations, provider groups, families, and consumers, and establishing consensus on 48 recommendations in support of Systems of Care and children's behavioral health reform; and

WHEREAS, Deborah McCarrel has also served as Adjunct Professor for the School of Social Work and the Center for State Policy and Leadership at the University of Illinois Springfield since 2005, inspiring, mentoring, and teaching future social workers; and

WHEREAS, Deborah McCarrel's dedication to her profession and willingness to serve makes her an exemplary model for the people of the State of Illinois and a stalwart champion for children and families; therefore, be it

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

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Deborah McCarrel as a symbol of our esteem and respect.