SR0514enr 94TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

09400SR0514 Enrolled LRB094 14894 DRJ 49921 r

SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 514

WHEREAS, Community Integrated Living Arrangements (CILAs) currently serve approximately 8,500 individuals with developmental disabilities in Illinois; and

WHEREAS, These individuals manifest a wide range of medical needs, including chronic and acute diseases, post-surgical conditions, and ongoing medical assessment and oversight needs; and

WHEREAS, As individuals served in CILAs advance in age, their medical needs become more acute; and

WHEREAS, The administrative rules adopted by the Department of Human Services require CILA program operators to provide individuals served in CILAs with the necessary services of registered nurses; and

WHEREAS, Registered nurses are critical to the work of the community support team and are the key to providing staff training and oversight with respect to the administration of medications; and

WHEREAS, It is recognized that registered nurses provide necessary health care analysis and staff consultation in CILAs; and

WHEREAS, Having a sufficient number of registered nurses is vital to providing high levels of health care to CILA participants; and

WHEREAS, Current levels of reimbursement by the State of Illinois to CILA providers appear inadequate to recruit and retain sufficient nursing staff; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that the Illinois Department of Human Services shall establish a CILA nursing services reimbursement working group that will examine the scope and responsibilities of registered nurses working within the CILA program and make recommendations with respect to appropriate duties, staffing expertise, salary, wages, and staffing ratios that recognize the multiple site locations of CILAs; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the CILA nursing services reimbursement working group shall also study and evaluate the adequacy of reimbursement rates for nursing services within the CILA rate methodology with respect to their sufficiency and competitiveness of wages; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the CILA nursing services reimbursement working group shall be chaired by the Director of the Division of Developmental Disabilities of the Department of Human Services, shall include CILA providers, representatives from statewide provider and advocacy organizations, other representatives of the Department of Human Services Division of Developmental Disabilities, representatives from the nursing profession, and other appropriate stakeholders, and shall issue a written report of its findings and conclusions to the Secretary of Human Services, the General Assembly, and the Governor no later than September 1, 2006; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a copy of this resolution be sent to the Secretary of Human Services.