HR0375 98TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

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HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, Behavioral healthcare disparities exist across Illinois, and these disparities include underserved populations with behavioral health care needs as one of their immediate, acute, chronic or co-morbid condition; and

WHEREAS, Behavioral health care disparities include racial, ethnic, and rural behavioral health disparities, underserved, or professional shortage areas; and

WHEREAS, The mental well-being of young people and their ability to not use alcohol or other drugs is strongly linked to their academic success; helping students stay healthy is a fundamental mission of schools; and

WHEREAS, According to the US Surgeon General, approximately 50% of children with emotional disturbances and behavioral disturbances drop out of school; and

WHEREAS, According to the Centers for Disease Control, suicides are among the leading cause of death for the ages of 15 through 54; and

WHEREAS, County coroners in Illinois report that in some counties the suicide rate has doubled since 2002 while in other counties the suicide rate has increased in recent years; and

WHEREAS, According to the Department of Defense Annual Suicide Report, suicides in the military started climbing considerably in 2005, and the trend has not abated; and

WHEREAS, Cook County Jail is the largest "mental institution" in the State due to its active inpatient psychiatric population, and there are over 1700 people on psychotropic medication for treatment of bipolar disorder, clinical depression, and schizoaffective disorder in the jail; and

WHEREAS, In Cook County Jail, 80% of the women who are there have a chronic mental illness, and 80% of the women in that jail are the sole caretakers of their children; and

WHEREAS, Illinois courts, municipal and county jails, and the juvenile justice system have direct contact with many individuals who could be diverted away from these systems if behavioral health care services were available to them; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-EIGHTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that the Governor, through the use of education, outreach, technology, and innovation, should seek to empower and engage individuals and communities where behavioral healthcare disparities exist; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we urge the administration to work with the 98th General Assembly to develop strategies to remediate behavioral health disparities in areas and regions of the State with poor access to behavioral health care treatment or services, with high rates of trauma, or with high rates of acute or chronic behavioral health illnesses; strategies to remediate behavioral health care disparities may include work force development so that primary care physicians and behavioral health care clinicians would be encouraged to practice in areas with behavioral health disparities; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we encourage the administration to call on the Department of Human Services in collaboration with the Department of Healthcare and Family Services to identify a method to establish pilots for Health Homes, Systems of Care, and Essential Community Behavioral Health Care Providers to address the racial, ethnic, and rural behavioral health disparities, underserved populations, and underserved areas or professional shortage designated areas; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we encourage the administration to include in Department of Human Services data collation a standardize collection and analysis of data on the impact on racial, ethnic, and rural health care disparities, underserved populations, and underserved or professional shortage designated areas; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we encourage the administration to create an Illinois Behavioral Health Innovation Prize; the Illinois Behavioral Innovation Prize would provide public recognition for a new intervention or program that successfully reduces or eliminates behavioral healthcare disparities; the goal of the prize is to broaden the scope of community participation and discover new solutions that can be copied and employed throughout the State; and be it further

RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be delivered to Governor Pat Quinn and the Secretary of Human Services.