Full Text of SR0380 095th General Assembly
SR0380 95TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
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| SENATE RESOLUTION
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| WHEREAS, The vast majority of the employees of Heartland | 3 |
| Human Services have been on strike since July 2 because of the | 4 |
| employer's refusal to accept the democratic election of a | 5 |
| union; and
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| WHEREAS, These employees normally deliver crucial mental | 7 |
| health and substance abuse services that are necessary for the | 8 |
| health, welfare, safety, and quality of life of Heartland | 9 |
| clients and all residents of Effingham County; and
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| WHEREAS, Because of the strike, almost no services are | 11 |
| currently being delivered; and
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| WHEREAS, Heartland clients are going without services, | 13 |
| traveling long distances to obtain services, and relying on | 14 |
| family and friends for temporary help; and
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| WHEREAS, This lack of services is placing an unsustainable | 16 |
| burden on Heartland clients and their families, to the point | 17 |
| that one client has committed suicide; and
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| WHEREAS, Over 30 behavioral health professionals formerly | 19 |
| employed at Heartland attended a public meeting to support the | 20 |
| strikers, saying Heartland places financial considerations |
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| before client and community needs and creates a hostile | 2 |
| environment through demeaning and abusive treatment that is not | 3 |
| conducive to quality care; and
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| WHEREAS, Because of the lack of service delivery due to the | 5 |
| strike, the Department of Human Services Division of Alcohol | 6 |
| and Substance Abuse has discontinued grant payments to | 7 |
| Heartland; and | 8 |
| WHEREAS, The money the Division of Alcohol and Substance | 9 |
| Abuse has not paid to Heartland may be available to fund | 10 |
| increased service delivery by other providers in the area who | 11 |
| are attempting to serve the former Heartland clients; and | 12 |
| WHEREAS, The Division of Mental Health pays Heartland | 13 |
| approximately $200,000 monthly, even though virtually no | 14 |
| services are being delivered; and | 15 |
| WHEREAS, The Division of Mental Health has not been able to | 16 |
| guarantee other mental health providers who are treating | 17 |
| Heartland clients that they will be reimbursed for their | 18 |
| expanded service delivery this year; therefore, be it
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| RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL | 20 |
| ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that State agencies should | 21 |
| steward State funding to ensure the maximum amount of services |
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| is delivered to the most clients possible; and be it further | 2 |
| RESOLVED, That immediately upon passage of this resolution | 3 |
| the Senate urges the Division of Mental Health to discontinue | 4 |
| payments to Heartland Human Services until the agency has | 5 |
| resolved its dispute with its workers and is once again | 6 |
| delivering its full array of services; and be it further
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| RESOLVED, That the Auditor General is directed to conduct a | 8 |
| performance audit of the State moneys provided by or through | 9 |
| State agencies to Heartland Human Services under contracts or | 10 |
| grant agreements in Fiscal Year 2007 and year-to-date 2008; and | 11 |
| be it further | 12 |
| RESOLVED, That this performance audit include, but not be | 13 |
| limited to, the following determinations:
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| (1) the purposes for which State moneys were provided | 15 |
| to Heartland Human Services, for each State agency and for | 16 |
| each amount transferred;
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| (2) the nature and extent of monitoring by State | 18 |
| agencies of how Heartland Human Services used the | 19 |
| State-provided moneys;
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| (3) the actual use of State moneys by Heartland Human | 21 |
| Services;
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| (4) whether, through a review of available | 23 |
| documentation, Heartland Human Services has met or is |
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| meeting the purposes for which the State moneys were | 2 |
| provided, with specific information concerning Heartland | 3 |
| Human Services' staffing levels and its compensation of | 4 |
| management employees; and
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| (5) whether Heartland Human Services is in compliance | 6 |
| with the applicable laws, regulations, contracts, and | 7 |
| grant agreements pertaining to Heartland Human Services' | 8 |
| receipt of State moneys; and be it further | 9 |
| RESOLVED, That Heartland Human Services and any State or | 10 |
| local agency that may have information relevant to this audit | 11 |
| cooperate fully and promptly with the Auditor General's office | 12 |
| in its audit; and be it further | 13 |
| RESOLVED, That the Auditor General commence this audit as | 14 |
| soon as possible and report his findings and recommendations | 15 |
| upon completion in accordance with the provisions of Section | 16 |
| 3-14 of the Illinois State Auditing Act.
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