Illinois General Assembly - Full Text of HB5133
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Full Text of HB5133  103rd General Assembly

HB5133 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

 


 
103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2023 and 2024
HB5133

 

Introduced 2/8/2024, by Rep. Amy L. Grant - Dan Ugaste - Jackie Haas - Nicole La Ha - Jennifer Sanalitro, et al.

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
55 ILCS 5/Div. 3-16 heading new
55 ILCS 5/3-16005 new
55 ILCS 5/3-16010 new
55 ILCS 5/3-16015 new
55 ILCS 5/3-16020 new
55 ILCS 5/3-16025 new
55 ILCS 5/3-16030 new
55 ILCS 5/3-16099 new

    Creates the County Co-Responder Pilot Program Division in the Counties Code. Provides that each county sheriff's office may establish, subject to appropriation, a co-responder unit by no later than 6 months after the effective date of the amendatory Act. Provides that, in addition to other responsibilities, the unit's social workers are responsible for conducting follow-up visits for victims who may benefit from mental or behavioral health services. Provides that the unit's primary area of focus shall be victim assistance. Includes other provisions relating to establishment of the units, duties of the unit, unit training, and privileged or confidential communications. Repeals the Division on January 1, 2029.


LRB103 36451 AWJ 66554 b

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

HB5133LRB103 36451 AWJ 66554 b

1    AN ACT concerning local government.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The Counties Code is amended by adding Division
53-16 as follows:
 
6    (55 ILCS 5/Div. 3-16 heading new)
7
Division 3-16. County Co-Responder Pilot Program

 
8    (55 ILCS 5/3-16005 new)
9    Sec. 3-16005. Definitions. As used in this Division:
10    "Sheriff's office" means the sheriff's office of a county.
11    "Social Worker" means a licensed clinical social worker or
12licensed social worker, as those terms are defined in the
13Clinical Social Work and Social Work Practice Act.
14    "Station adjustment" has the meaning given to that term in
15Section 1-3 of the Juvenile Court Act of 1987.
16    "Unit" means a co-responder unit created under this
17Division.
 
18    (55 ILCS 5/3-16010 new)
19    Sec. 3-16010. Establishment; responsibilities; focus.
20    (a) Each sheriff's office may establish a co-responder
21unit, subject to appropriation, including the hiring of

 

 

HB5133- 2 -LRB103 36451 AWJ 66554 b

1personnel as provided in this Division.
2    (b) Along with the duties described in Sections 3-16015
3and 3-16020, the unit's social workers are responsible for
4conducting follow-up visits for victims who may benefit from
5mental or behavioral health services. The unit shall utilize
6community resources, including services provided through the
7Department of Human Services and social workers in juvenile
8and adult investigations, to connect individuals with
9appropriate services.
10    (c) The unit's primary area of focus shall be victim
11assistance.
 
12    (55 ILCS 5/3-16015 new)
13    Sec. 3-16015. Duties. The duties of the unit shall
14include, but shall not be limited to:
15        (1) serving as a resource to a department's community
16    to identify and coordinate the social services available
17    to residents who are victims of criminal acts;
18        (2) networking with area social service agencies to
19    develop a community-mutual resource system and wrap-around
20    services (a team-based, collaborative case management
21    approach) for victims in need of social service
22    assistance;
23        (3) fostering relationships with community
24    organizations, including, but not limited to, area
25    hospitals, school districts, juvenile justice system, and

 

 

HB5133- 3 -LRB103 36451 AWJ 66554 b

1    various community groups;
2        (4) employing social workers of the unit who shall:
3            (A) provide, upon request, community presentations
4        on an array of social service topics;
5            (B) assist individuals in diversion from the
6        criminal justice system by addressing problems or
7        concerns through therapeutic intervention;
8            (C) facilitate follow-up treatment or referral to
9        the appropriate community resource organization;
10            (D) assist department employees, upon request, in
11        securing services for those in need and provide
12        educational information to help the employees better
13        understand the circumstances or the community concern;
14            (E) meet with walk-ins requesting information or
15        assistance;
16            (F) protect the interest, confidentiality, and
17        civil rights of the client;
18            (G) train social work interns who may be working
19        within the unit;
20            (H) be on-call after regular business hours, as
21        needed;
22            (I) inform clients, prior to providing services
23        under this Division, about which communications are
24        confidential pursuant to applicable provisions of
25        State or federal law, rule, or regulation and which
26        communications may be shared with the social worker's

 

 

HB5133- 4 -LRB103 36451 AWJ 66554 b

1        employer;
2            (J) consult on all cases as needed by the
3        sheriff's office;
4            (K) perform other functions as provided in Section
5        3-16020 or as otherwise needed by the sheriff's
6        office;
7        (5) employing social workers who shall work with
8    victims of crimes as follows:
9            (A) review police reports to identify known
10        victims and contact them to offer direct and referred
11        services;
12            (B) assist victims with filing police reports and
13        victim compensation forms;
14            (C) provide safety planning services to victims;
15            (D) provide crisis counseling services to victims
16        and their families;
17            (E) conduct home visits with victims in
18        conjunction with police backup, when needed;
19            (F) assist victims in obtaining orders of
20        protection. A social worker, in the performance of his
21        or her duties under this subparagraph, is an advocate,
22        as that term is defined in Section 112A-3 of the Code
23        of Criminal Procedure of 1963;
24            (G) facilitate court advocacy services for
25        victims, including arranging for transportation to and
26        from court;

 

 

HB5133- 5 -LRB103 36451 AWJ 66554 b

1            (H) maintain confidential case files that include
2        social history, diagnosis, formulation of treatment,
3        and documentation of services;
4            (I) perform miscellaneous personal advocacy tasks
5        for victims, as needed;
6            (J) oversee activities to ensure that those
7        victims with the most urgent needs are given the
8        highest priority for services; and
9            (K) provide status updates on the progress of a
10        victim's case;
11        (6) adhering to and understanding the applicable
12    policies, procedures, and orders of a department;
13        (7) attaining department-established unit goals;
14        (8) maintaining a positive relationship with
15    coworkers, as well as the investigators from area police
16    departments, and facilitating the exchange of information
17    and resources pertaining to investigations that would not
18    violate confidentiality as protected pursuant to
19    applicable provisions of State or federal law, rule, or
20    regulation;
21        (9) keeping informed on crime trends within the
22    county;
23        (10) remaining obedient and responsive to all lawful
24    verbal and written orders issued by superiors; and
25        (11) completing police reports and other required
26    documentation; and

 

 

HB5133- 6 -LRB103 36451 AWJ 66554 b

1        (12) performing such other duties as may be required
2    by State law, city ordinance, and office policy or as may
3    be assigned by a sworn supervisor.
 
4    (55 ILCS 5/3-16020 new)
5    Sec. 3-16020. Social workers.
6    (a) Unit social workers may be referred to as victim
7service specialists. Social workers are responsible for
8working as a team to provide trauma-informed crisis
9intervention, case management, advocacy, and ongoing emotional
10support to the victims of all crimes, with extra attention to
11crimes that cause a high level of victim trauma.
12    (b) Unit social workers involved in a case under adult
13investigations:
14        (1) work with domestic violence investigators;
15        (2) assist victims with finding safe housing,
16    transportation, and legal assistance;
17        (3) provide other needed resources for victims and
18    their families, including working with children who
19    witness or experience domestic violence;
20        (4) assist victims and their children in setting up
21    counseling; and
22        (5) help reduce victims' chances of reentry into
23    violent situations.
24    (c) Unit social workers involved in a case under juvenile
25investigations may:

 

 

HB5133- 7 -LRB103 36451 AWJ 66554 b

1        (1) work with families that have habitual runaways and
2    determine why the juveniles keep running away;
3        (2) provide services to families where there have been
4    domestic disturbances between the juveniles and their
5    parents;
6        (3) provide resources for parents to help their
7    children who are struggling in school or need
8    transportation to school;
9        (4) provide guidance and advice to the families of a
10    juvenile who has been arrested and what the next steps and
11    options are in the process;
12        (5) assist a juvenile with station adjustments and
13    creating a station adjustment program in the sheriff's
14    office;
15        (6) provide services to juvenile victims and families
16    where the Department of Children and Family Services
17    either did not get involved or did not provide services;
18        (7) assist with overcoming feuds between groups of
19    juveniles;
20        (8) assist in instances where the families are not
21    cooperative with the sheriff's office;
22        (9) discuss with families and juveniles options and
23    solutions to prevent future arrest;
24        (10) maintain a list of families in need that the unit
25    or sheriff's office have had contact with for office or
26    county special events;

 

 

HB5133- 8 -LRB103 36451 AWJ 66554 b

1        (11) help facilitate or assist the sheriff's office in
2    community-oriented events, such as setting up an event
3    where officers or unit personnel read books with younger
4    children, talking about cyber crimes and social media, or
5    having an officer or unit personnel visit a school for
6    other activities; and
7        (12) help reduce juvenile recidivism.
 
8    (55 ILCS 5/3-16025 new)
9    Sec. 3-16025. Training. All unit employees shall receive
10crisis intervention training and integrating communications,
11assessment, and tactics training. Integrating communications,
12assessment, and tactics training shall be designed for
13situations involving persons who are unarmed or are armed with
14weapons and who may be experiencing a mental health or other
15crisis. The training described in this Section shall
16incorporate different skill sets into a unified training
17approach that emphasizes scenario-based exercises, as well as
18lecture and case study opportunities.
 
19    (55 ILCS 5/3-16030 new)
20    Sec. 3-16030. Privileged or confidential communications.
21Nothing contained in this Division shall be construed to
22impair or limit the confidentiality of communications
23otherwise protected by law as privileged or confidential,
24including, but not limited to, information communicated in

 

 

HB5133- 9 -LRB103 36451 AWJ 66554 b

1confidence to a social worker or social work intern who works
2under the direct supervision of a social worker. A social
3worker may not be subjected to adverse employment action, the
4threat of adverse employment action, or any manner of
5discrimination because the employee is acting or has acted to
6protect communications as privileged or confidential pursuant
7to applicable provisions of State or federal law, rule, or
8regulation.
 
9    (55 ILCS 5/3-16099 new)
10    Sec. 3-16099. Repeal. This Division is repealed January 1,
112029.