HR0066 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0066 LRB103 30674 ECR 57136 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The Department of Human Services (DHS), through its Division of Developmental Disabilities (DDD), oversees the administration of Independent Service Coordination (ISC) activities around the State of Illinois; and

WHEREAS, ISC agencies serve as the primary connection between individuals and guardians who are seeking or receiving developmental disability services through DHS' DDD; and

WHEREAS, ISC agencies are essential to providing accurate individual information for statewide planning as well as collaborating with service providers to ensure individuals' health, safety, welfare, well-being, and satisfaction with services funded by DDD; and

WHEREAS, Prior to FY20, 17 organizations, mostly not-for-profits, provided ISC services for the State of Illinois; and

WHEREAS, On January 2, 2019, DHS, after the use of a competitive procurement process, announced that the number of ISC agencies to serve the entire state was cut from 17 to 8; and

WHEREAS, In April of 2020, the Auditor General released a management audit of the DHS process for the selection of ISC providers that serve the front line by providing information and assistance to help individuals and families make informed choices for services; and

WHEREAS, The audit found significant problems with the competitive procurement process used to select the ISC providers, resulting in 13 recommendations, including 274 scoring irregularities in this one grant opportunity, a failure to uniformly apply the grant criteria to applicant proposals, a failure to maintain documentation to show how protest resolutions were made, and a failure to follow selection criteria for the grant opportunity; and

WHEREAS, The Auditor General, given the failures by DDD, could not conclude with absolute certainty that the correct proposers were selected by DHS for the awards, estimated to value over $38 million; and

WHEREAS, In FY23, ISC costs had increased to nearly $55 million; and

WHEREAS, In July of 2018, the Auditor General released a performance audit of the Community Integrated Living Arrangements (CILA) program which reported, in part, a failure by DHS to ensure that ISCs maintained documentation on all required visits to individuals that transitioned from State Operated Developmental Centers to CILAs, and that ISCs only conducted 62 percent of weekly and 82 percent of monthly required visits to individuals in CILAs; and

WHEREAS, Oversight of programs designed to assist individuals with developmental disabilities is vitally important to ensure that transitions to living arrangements are successful; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that the Auditor General is directed to conduct a performance audit of the oversight of the Independent Service Coordination (ISC) program by the Department of Human Services' Division of Developmental Disabilities; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the audit include, but not be limited to, for the period of FY21 to FY23, an examination of the caseloads, by ISC, around the State to determine whether ISCs are providing coverage based on agreements with the State, an examination of whether ISCs maintain documentation and report allegations of suspected abuse, neglect, and financial exploitation to the appropriate oversight entity, and an examination of the oversight and monitoring of ISCs by DHS ensuring that the ISC complies with statutory, regulatory, and contract requirements, including site visits and inspections of records and premises; and be it further

RESOLVED, That DHS and any other entity having information relevant to this audit cooperate fully and promptly with the Auditor General's Office in the conduct of this 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 suitable copies of this resolution be delivered to the Auditor General and the Department of Human Services.