HR1307 95TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR1307 LRB095 21344 HLH 50556 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, Employees of Heartland Human Services in Effingham have been on strike since July, 2007; and

WHEREAS, These employees normally deliver crucial mental health and substance abuse services that are necessary for the health, welfare, safety, and quality of life of Heartland clients and all residents of Effingham County; and

WHEREAS, The State of Illinois, through the Department of Human Services and other State agencies, contracts with Heartland to provide those services; and

WHEREAS, Because of the strike, only a small fraction of normal services have been delivered over the past 10 months; and

WHEREAS, Data for the first 7 months of the fiscal year show that Heartland's billings were reduced by 96%, and the number of clients served was reduced by 71%; and

WHEREAS, Many former Heartland clients have reported that they have gone without services or have received insufficient services; and

WHEREAS, This lack of services has placed an unsustainable burden on Heartland clients and their families, to the point that one client committed suicide; and

WHEREAS, Over 25 behavioral health professionals formerly employed at Heartland signed a statement attesting that Heartland "demonstrated a disturbing lack of concern for the well-being of clients" and that the employees had themselves "felt the lack of respect that management had for employees who sought to serve those clients"; and

WHEREAS, Because of the lack of service delivery due to the strike, the Department of Human Services Division of Alcohol and Substance Abuse has discontinued grant payments to Heartland; and

WHEREAS, The money the Division of Alcohol and Substance Abuse has not paid to Heartland may be available to fund increased service delivery by other providers in the area who are attempting to serve the former Heartland clients; and

WHEREAS, The Department of Human Services Division of Mental Health elected to continue to pay Heartland for the first five months of the fiscal year, despite the lack of service delivery; and

WHEREAS, The Division of Mental Health paid Heartland approximately $200,000 monthly even though virtually no services were being delivered; and

WHEREAS, The Division of Mental Health has not been able to guarantee other mental health providers who are treating Heartland clients that they will be reimbursed for their expanded service delivery this year; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that State agencies should steward State funding to ensure the maximum amount of services are delivered to the most clients possible; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Auditor General is directed to conduct a performance audit of the State moneys provided by or through State agencies to Heartland Human Services under contracts or grant agreements in Fiscal Year 2007 and year-to-date 2008; and be it further

RESOLVED, That this audit include, but not be limited to, the following determinations:

(1) the purposes for which State moneys were provided to Heartland Human Services, for each State agency and for each amount transferred;

(2) the nature and extent of monitoring by State agencies of how Heartland Human Services used the State-provided moneys;

(3) the actual use of State moneys by Heartland Human Services;

(4) whether, through a review of available documentation, Heartland Human Services has met or is meeting the purposes for which the State moneys were provided, with specific information concerning Heartland Human Services' staffing levels and its compensation of management employees; and

(5) whether Heartland Human Services is in compliance with the applicable laws, regulations, contracts, and grant agreements pertaining to Heartland Human Services' receipt of State moneys; and be it further

RESOLVED, That Heartland Human Services and any State or local agency that may have information relevant to this audit cooperate fully and promptly with the Auditor General's office in its audit; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Auditor General commence this audit as soon as possible and report his findings and recommendations upon completion in accordance with the provisions of Section 3-14 of the Illinois State Auditing Act; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the Auditor General.