100TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2017 and 2018
HB5161

 

Introduced , by Rep. Kelly M. Cassidy

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
20 ILCS 3930/16 new

    Amends the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority Act. Creates the Professionalized Street Outreach Workers Task Force under the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority. Provides the Task Force shall examine best practices for training and professionalizing street outreach staff and hold public hearings for recommendations on how to professionalize street outreach through training and accountability. Provides for Task Force members. Requires the Authority to report its findings and recommendations to the General Assembly on or before January 1, 2019. Repeals Task Force provision on January 1, 2020. Effective immediately.


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FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

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1    AN ACT concerning State government.
 
2    WHEREAS, The Illinois General Assembly understands
3holistic outreach services in communities experiencing
4excessive rates of gun violence are a proven strategy for
5reducing gun violence.
6    WHEREAS, Outreach services include: (1) crisis
7intervention to pause or end ongoing conflicts between
8community members or groups of community members that
9frequently have resulted in gun violence; (2) pro-social
10activities and events for at-risk youth and young adults that
11encourage community members to enjoy public spaces and reclaim
12parts of their community that have been overtaken by the fear
13of gun violence; (3) case management referral services for
14community members with the greatest risk of gun victimization
15and perpetration to provide short and long term alternatives to
16being at severe risk of being shot; and, (4) individual and
17group counseling for community members with the greatest risk
18of gun victimization and perpetration to improve personal
19decision-making in crisis situations and everyday life.
20    WHEREAS, With the recent increase in gun violence in
21Chicago, street outreach services broadly defined are being
22increasingly deployed with State, federal, local, and private
23foundation resources. Yet, effective, holistic outreach
24services demand substantial professional skills from direct
25line staff and supervisors. First and foremost, staff must have
26cultural competence and credibility within the precise

 

 

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1community where they work. Second, staff must have the ability
2to navigate the human complexities of trauma in an environment
3that can become violent with little or no notice. Finally,
4staff must have the ability to establish trusting relationships
5with diverse community members while encouraging highest risk
6individuals to seek supports based on their unique strengths
7and challenges.
8    WHEREAS, The General Assembly acknowledges that best and
9promising practices for outreach staff training exists because
10professionalized and standardized outreach services have been
11provided in other cities as part of a comprehensive strategy to
12reduce gun violence. Training should include at a minimum:
13        (1) teaching the core competencies, knowledge, and
14    skills required of outreach workers and violence
15    prevention practitioners and provide professional
16    certification for achieving basic competency;
17        (2) defining consistent professional standards of
18    conduct and practice for outreach workers including
19    appropriate partnerships with various public sector
20    entities engaged in violence reduction efforts such as law
21    enforcement;
22        (3) creating ongoing professional development of
23    outreach workers to promote best practices and continuous
24    learning; and
25        (4) establishing a city-wide network of outreach
26    workers to ensure the highest probability of success in

 

 

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1    creating safer communities and a support network that
2    allows for career development in a stressful occupation.
3    WHEREAS, To ensure high quality, holistic street outreach
4services are delivered in this State's highest risk
5communities, the Illinois Criminal Justice Information
6Authority shall create professional standards for training of
7street outreach workers in consultation with the
8Professionalized Street Outreach Workers Task Force created by
9this Act; therefore
 
10    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
11represented in the General Assembly:
 
12    Section 5. The Illinois Criminal Justice Information Act is
13amended by adding Section 16 as follows:
 
14    (20 ILCS 3930/16 new)
15    Sec. 16. Professionalized Street Outreach Workers Task
16Force.
17    (a) In this Section, "Authority" means the Illinois
18Criminal Justice Information Authority.
19    (b) The Professionalized Street Outreach Workers Task
20Force is hereby created.
21        (1) The Task Force shall examine best practices for
22    training and professionalizing street outreach staff and
23    their supervisors and create a report of the type of

 

 

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1    training and accountability, if any, which should be
2    required for street outreach workers funded with State
3    appropriated funds.
4        (2) The Task Force shall hold public hearings at the
5    call of the Chairperson to receive testimony from the
6    public and make recommendations to the Illinois Criminal
7    Justice Information Authority on how to ensure that the
8    role of street outreach is professionalized with the proper
9    forms of training and accountability.
10    (c) The Task Force shall be an independent Task Force under
11the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority for
12administrative purposes, and shall consist of the following
13members:
14        (1) the Executive Director of the Illinois Criminal
15    Justice Information Authority or his or her designee shall
16    be the Chairperson of the Task Force;
17        (2) the Executive Director of the Illinois Community
18    College Board or his or her designee;
19        (3) one representative of a statewide organization
20    that works on violence reduction issues appointed by the
21    Executive Director of the Authority;
22        (4) 2 representatives from academic or research
23    institutions who have studied issues related to violence
24    interruption appointed by the Executive Director of the
25    Authority;
26        (5) 2 representatives from community-based

 

 

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1    organizations that provide street outreach services to
2    persons at severe risk of gun victimization or perpetration
3    appointed by the Executive Director of the Authority;
4        (6) one representative from an organization that
5    specializes in non-profit training of direct-service staff
6    appointed by the Executive Director of the Authority; and
7        (7) 2 representatives from national organizations with
8    more than 7 years of experience in training street outreach
9    workers in multiple cities.
10    (d) The Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority
11may consult, contract, work in conjunction with, and obtain any
12information from any person, agency, association, or research
13institution deemed appropriate by the Authority.
14    (e) The Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority
15shall allow any training approved by the Professionalized
16Street Outreach Workers Task Force to be a reimbursable expense
17for any programs that receive funding for outreach services in
18at-risk communities.
19    (f) The Task Force shall submit a written report of its
20findings and recommendations to the General Assembly on or
21before January 1, 2019.
22    (g) On or before January 1, 2019 the Illinois Community
23College Board shall issue a request to community colleges
24throughout this State to apply for Permanent Approval of Career
25and Technical Education Curriculum or Temporary Approval of
26Career and Technical Education Curriculum, or both, that

 

 

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1addresses the educational and training needs identified as
2required by the Professionalized Street Outreach Workers Task
3Force. The Illinois Community College Board shall approve any
4of these requests provided, the requests meet both the Illinois
5Community College Board standards for approval and the
6identified training standards of the Professionalized Street
7Outreach Workers Task Force.
8    (h) This Section is repealed on January 1, 2020.
 
9    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
10becoming law.