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SENATE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, Approximately 1.5 million Illinois adults and
3more than 300,000 Illinois children have a mental illness, and
4approximately 850,000 adults and 62,000 youth in Illinois have
5a substance use disorder; and
 
6    WHEREAS, In 2011, suicide due to the presence of a mental
7health condition was the third leading cause of death for
8children between the ages of 10 and 14, and the second leading
9cause of death for youth and adults between the ages of 15 and
1034; and
 
11    WHEREAS, Despite the fact that community-based/outpatient
12mental health treatment, combined with the appropriate
13medications, is highly effective in treating mental illnesses
14and enabling recovery, more than two-thirds of Illinois
15children and 59% of adults living with a mental illness do not
16receive a diagnosis or treatment; this lack of access to
17treatment results in severe disability for those with untreated
18serious mental illnesses, the costs of which are borne by
19taxpayers for the remainder of the person's life; and
 
20    WHEREAS, The evidence is clear - when treatment is
21available early on following the signs of a mental illness,
22youth are less likely to drop out of school, turn to substance

 

 

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1use, or engage in self-injurious or criminal behaviors; they
2are also able to more effectively manage their mental illness
3over their lifetime; and
 
4    WHEREAS, Similar to other states, mental health and
5substance use treatment services and supports are primarily
6publicly-funded; and
 
7    WHEREAS, In recent decades, limited access to mental health
8care and substance use treatment has resulted in substantial
9increases in homelessness, institutionalization, and
10incarceration due to untreated serious mental illnesses and
11substance use disorders; and
 
12    WHEREAS, The estimated average cost of an emergency room
13visit in Illinois is $2,027, while the estimated average cost
14of a psychiatric hospitalization is $4,301; from 2009 to 2012,
15during the years of the deepest cuts to community mental
16health, increased emergency room visits and hospitalizations
17of individuals with untreated mental illnesses cost Illinois
18$123.3 million; without sustained treatment, this cycle
19continues unabated and often results in homelessness,
20incarceration, or institutionalization; and
 
21    WHEREAS, Despite the best efforts of community-based
22service providers, and due to a lack of State investment in

 

 

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1community mental health services and adequate reimbursement
2rates, too many Illinois citizens lack access to evidence-based
3treatments and robust support services which are proven to
4produce better health outcomes and reduce costs; and
 
5    WHEREAS, On March 31, 2014, Congress passed the Protecting
6Access to Medicare Act, which included provisions establishing
7a demonstration program that creates state Certified Community
8Behavioral Health Clinics; Certified Community Behavioral
9Health Clinics are intended to serve individuals with serious
10mental illnesses and substance use disorders and will provide
11intensive, person-centered, multidisciplinary, evidence-based
12screening, assessment, diagnostics, treatment, prevention, and
13wellness services, with a strong emphasis on care coordination;
14and
 
15    WHEREAS, This Act provides for the single largest federal
16investment in community-based mental and substance use
17treatment in decades; and
 
18    WHEREAS, The Act provides that $25 million will be made
19available as planning grants to states to develop applications
20to participate in the 2-year pilot; only the states receiving
21planning grants will be eligible to participate in the pilot;
22and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, During the duration of the pilot, states with
2Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics will receive an
3enhanced Federal Matching Assistance Percentage for the
4services provided by the clinics; and
 
5    WHEREAS, On February 2, 2015, the Secretary for the United
6States Department of Health and Human Services released draft
7criteria for a clinic to be certified by a state, with guidance
8for establishing a prospective payment system for the clinics
9expected by September 2015; and
 
10    WHEREAS, By January 1, 2016, the Secretary for the United
11States Department of Health and Human Services will award the
12planning grants; by September l, 2017, the Secretary will
13select the 8 states that will participate in the demonstration;
14and
 
15    WHEREAS, Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics
16will have uniform certification criteria in the areas of
17staffing, availability and accessibility of services, care
18coordination, scope of services, quality, and other reporting
19and organizational authority, thus ensuring the quality of
20services provided by the clinics; and
 
21    WHEREAS, States interested in pursuing Certified Community
22Behavioral Health Clinics should demonstrate the potential to

 

 

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1expand available services in a demonstration area and increase
2the quality of services without increasing net federal
3spending; and
 
4    WHEREAS, By being a catalyst for driving change in
5Illinois' mental health and substance use treatment systems,
6Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics will be an
7important component in Illinois' overall Medicaid payment and
8delivery system reform efforts; and
 
9    WHEREAS, Given the limited scope of the demonstration
10program, it is in the best interests of the State of Illinois
11to engage in efforts aimed at securing a planning grant; unless
12Illinois pursues and receives a planning grant, it is
13prohibited from participating in the demonstration program;
14therefore, be it
 
15    RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-NINTH GENERAL
16ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we encourage Governor
17Rauner's Administration, including the Department of Human
18Services Divisions of Mental Health and Alcoholism and
19Substance Abuse, the Department of Healthcare and Family
20Services, and the Governor's Office to prioritize a plan aimed
21at securing and submitting an application for a planning grant
22for the State of Illinois; and be it further
 

 

 

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1    RESOLVED, That we urge the aforementioned groups to
2collaborate in this effort with key stakeholders, including
3organizations representing individuals with serious mental
4illnesses, community-based mental health providers, substance
5use treatment facilities, federally-qualified health centers,
6hospitals, supportive housing providers, and rural health
7clinics; and be it further
 
8    RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be
9delivered to the Governor, the Secretary of Human Services, and
10the Director of Healthcare and Family Services.