100TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2017 and 2018
HB5111

 

Introduced , by Rep. Lou Lang

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
New Act

    Creates the Behavioral Health Workforce Act. Creates the Behavioral Health Education Center, administered by a teaching or research State university, or both. Provides that the Center shall be operational on or before July 1, 2019. Provides that the Center shall: (1) provide funds for 2 additional medical residents in a State-based psychiatry program each year beginning July 1, 2019 until a total of 8 additional psychiatry residents are added in 2022; (2) provide funds for 5 one-year doctoral-level psychology internships, master social workers, and master level clinical professional counselors in this State within 12 months after the effective date of this Act and every year thereafter and increase the number of interns in the program to 10 within 36 months after the effective date of this Act. Provides that the interns shall be placed in communities so as to increase access to behavioral health services for patients residing in rural and underserved areas of this State; and (3) beginning July 1, 2020, develop 5 behavioral health interdisciplinary training sites each year until a total of 20 sites have been developed. Provides that 10 of the 20 sites shall be in counties with a population of fewer than 50,000 inhabitants. Requires the Center to perform other duties. Provides that no later than December 1 of every odd-numbered year, the Center shall prepare a report of its activities under the Behavioral Health Workforce Act. Provides that the report shall be filed electronically with the General Assembly and shall be provided electronically to any member of the General Assembly upon request.


LRB100 19028 RLC 34282 b

FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

HB5111LRB100 19028 RLC 34282 b

1    AN ACT concerning health.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the
5Behavioral Health Workforce Act.
 
6    Section 5. Findings. The General Assembly finds that there
7are insufficient behavioral health professionals in this
8State's behavioral health workforce and further that there are
9insufficient behavioral health professionals trained in
10evidence-based practices. This workforce shortage leads to
11inadequate accessibility and response to the behavioral health
12needs of persons residing in this State of all ages, children,
13adolescents, and adults. These shortages have led to
14well-documented problems of consumers waiting for long periods
15of time because care is not available. As a result, individuals
16with mental illness or substance use disorders end up in
17hospital emergency rooms which are the most expensive level of
18care or are incarcerated and do not receive adequate care, if
19any. As this State moves individuals from institutions to
20community care to keep them more closely connected with their
21families and communities, the behavioral health services
22workforce shortage is increasingly felt by the inability to
23hire and retain behavioral health professionals in this State.

 

 

HB5111- 2 -LRB100 19028 RLC 34282 b

1The purpose of this Act is to improve community-based
2behavioral health services for persons residing in this State
3and to increase the number of behavioral health professionals
4and train these professionals in evidence-based practices that
5will improve the quality of care, including utilizing the
6existing infrastructure and telehealth services which will
7expand outreach to more rural and underserved areas in this
8State.
 
9    Section 10. Behavioral Health Education Center; creation;
10duties.
11    (a) The Behavioral Health Education Center is created and
12shall be administered by a teaching or research State
13university, or both. The Center shall be operational on or
14before July 1, 2019.
15    (b) The Center shall:
16        (1) provide funds for 2 additional medical residents in
17    a State-based psychiatry program each year beginning July
18    1, 2019 until a total of 8 additional psychiatry residents
19    are added in 2022. The Center shall provide psychiatric
20    residency training experiences that serve rural areas of
21    this State and other underserved areas. As part of his or
22    her residency training experiences, each Center-funded
23    resident shall participate in the rural training for a
24    minimum of one year. A minimum of 2 of the 8 Center-funded
25    residents shall be active in the rural training each year;

 

 

HB5111- 3 -LRB100 19028 RLC 34282 b

1        (2) provide funds for 5 one-year doctoral-level
2    psychology internships, master social workers, and master
3    level clinical professional counselors in this State
4    within 12 months after the effective date of this Act and
5    every year thereafter and increase the number of interns in
6    the program to 10 within 36 months after the effective date
7    of this Act. The interns shall be placed in communities so
8    as to increase access to behavioral health services for
9    patients residing in rural and underserved areas of this
10    State;
11        (3) focus on the training of behavioral health
12    professionals in telehealth techniques, including taking
13    advantage of a telehealth network that exists, and other
14    innovative means of care delivery in order to increase
15    access to behavioral health services for all persons within
16    this State;
17        (4) analyze the geographic and demographic
18    availability of this State's behavioral health
19    professionals, including psychiatrists, social workers,
20    community rehabilitation workers, psychologists, substance
21    abuse counselors, licensed mental health practitioners,
22    behavioral analysts, peer support providers, nurse
23    practitioners, psychiatric-mental health nurses, and
24    physician assistants;
25        (5) prioritize the need for additional professionals
26    by type and location;

 

 

HB5111- 4 -LRB100 19028 RLC 34282 b

1        (6) establish learning collaborative partnerships with
2    other higher education institutions in this State,
3    hospitals, law enforcement, community-based agencies, and
4    consumers and their families in order to develop
5    evidence-based, recovery-focused, interdisciplinary
6    curricula and training for behavioral health professionals
7    delivering behavioral health services in community-based
8    agencies, hospitals, and law enforcement. Development and
9    dissemination of the curricula and training shall address
10    the identified priority needs for behavioral health
11    professionals; and
12        (7) beginning July 1, 2020, develop 5 behavioral health
13    interdisciplinary training sites each year until a total of
14    20 sites have been developed. Ten of the 20 sites shall be
15    in counties with a population of fewer than 50,000
16    inhabitants. Each site shall provide annual training
17    opportunities for a minimum of 3 behavioral health
18    professionals.
19    (c) No later than December 1 of every odd-numbered year,
20the Center shall prepare a report of its activities under this
21Act. The report shall be filed electronically with the General
22Assembly, as provided under Section 3.1 of the General Assembly
23Organization Act, and shall be provided electronically to any
24member of the General Assembly upon request.