SUPR Staffing Update:
Nina Ricketts has joined the SUPR team as the GATA Liaison in the Bureau of Business and Fiscal Operations.
Cheryl Newsome has joined the SUPR team as the Integrated Recovery Support Services Administrator in the Bureau of Planning, Performance Assessment and Federal Programs.
Amanda Lake Cisemesia has joined the SUPR team as the Substance Use Disorder Senior Policy Advisor in the Director's office.
Please join us in welcoming each member of the SUPR family into their new roles!
988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline:
Recent data from the CDC shows that there were 1,362 deaths by suicide in Illinois in 2020. 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline has been designated as the new three digit dialing code that will route callers to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline and is now active across the United States.
When people call, text, or chat 988, they will be connected to trained counselors that are part of the existing Lifeline network. These trained counselors will listen, understand how their problems are affecting them, provide support, and connect them to resources if necessary.
Governor Pritzker Signs Executive Order:
On July 29, 2022, Governor JB Pritzker, working in partnership with Attorney General Kwame Raoul, signed an executive order (EO) to ensure that the $760 million (over 18 years) from the national Opioid Settlement Agreement with Johnson & Johnson and the "Big 3" distributors (McKesson, AmerisourceBergen, and Cardinal Health) is distributed equitably and funds critical recovery and treatment programs in the counties and municipalities with the most urgent need. The EO established an Advisory Board, chaired by the State's Chief Behavioral Health Officer, and made up of State and local appointees, that will provide funding recommendations to the Governor's Opioid Prevention and Recovery Steering Committee.
The EO also establishes the Office of the Opioid Settlement Administration (OOSA) housed within the Division of Substance Use Prevention and Recovery (SUPR) and a Statewide Opioid Settlement Administrator (SOSA), also to be housed within SUPR. The Illinois opioid settlement funds will be used to support the prevention and recovery from opioid use disorder. This includes various services and programs, including but not limited to Medication Assisted Recovery, Treatment for Incarcerated People, and Harm Reduction Programs. IDHS/SUPR will do everything in its power to ensure that effort to eliminate overdoses across the state succeed, that the voices of people with lived experience are heard and continue to strengthen its partnership with those fighting this devastating public health crisis.
Upcoming Trainings:
Join IDHS/SUPR for a year full of exciting training opportunities lead by the Illinois Council on Problem Gambling (ICPG), in collaboration with the Oklahoma Association on Problem Gambling and Gaming and the Evergreen Council on Problem Gambling.
Don't miss out! Register today by visiting Illinois Council on Problem Gambling.
In conjunction with the ICPG, IDHS/SUPR will be offering a seven-session series on problem gambling designed for Recovery Home providers and members! This series, like all gambling trainings, is free to attendees and all recovery providers/organizations are welcome to attend.
Recovery Home Series- Part 1
Date: August 16, 2022, from 1pm-2:30pm (CST)
Register: Recovery Home Series- Part 1
Adult Redeploy Illinois:
Adult Redeploy Illinois (ARI) is a performance incentive funding program at the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority that empowers local jurisdictions to divert people from prison into programs that target high-risk, high-need individuals. This summer, ARI seeks to expand to new sites and will release a funding opportunity for planning and implementation grants ranging from $5,000 up to $1,000,000 and running from October 2022 to June 2023.
Subscribe to the CJ Dispatch to learn about this and other ICJIA funding opportunities as soon as they become available. For more information about ARI, please visit the ARI website.
International Overdose Awareness Day:
SUPR is promoting and asks that all IL substance use disorder prevention, intervention, treatment, and recovery organizations develop/participate in local International Overdose Awareness Day (IOAD) and National Recovery Month (September) events.
Provisional data from 2021 indicates that IL has lost more than 3,000 residents to overdose. Their deaths are felt by their loved ones and their communities. People who have died of an overdose were parents, children, siblings, significant others, and friends. Their lives should be remembered and not hidden due to stigma.
National Recovery Month is held every September to celebrate recovery in all its forms! Since 2020, Faces & Voices of Recovery has hosted the Recovery Month website, managed social media outreach, developed, and disseminated promotional materials, and maintained the central location for all Recovery Month events. Visit Faces and Voices of Recovery to add your events. Let's show the nation what recovery means to IL!
Public Awareness Campaigns:
The Bureau of Prevention Services supports the development of public awareness campaigns to inform the residents of Illinois of several issues. We work closely with Prevention First and their subcontractor on the development and dissemination of the following campaign to raise public awareness of these issues impacting IL residents.
Let's Talk Cannabis IL is our public awareness campaign focused on cannabis/marijuana/weed. Let's Talk Cannabis IL is a platform that has accurate, researched information about Illinois' legal use of cannabis law, the decision to use cannabis, and specific health information for targeted groups. Several FAQ sheets can be downloaded and shared, providing specific information for pregnant and breastfeeding women, parents, and adults 21+, including health and legal information. This campaign can also be found on Facebook - Let's Talk Cannabis IL | Instagram - Let's Talk Cannabis IL | YouTube - Let's Talk Cannabis IL.
Importance of Timely Billing:
There are multiple reasons that IDHS/SUPR is asking providers for their assistance in submitting all payment vouchers timely. The first reason being that it is a contractual requirement. In Section 4.8 of the Uniform Grant Agreement:
Timely Billing Required. Grantee must submit any payment request to Grantor within fifteen (15) days of the end of the month based on the previous month's expenditures using the approved form. Failure to submit such payment request timely will render the amounts billed an unallowable cost with Grantor cannot reimburse.
Late submission of payment vouchers negatively affects the ability of the Division to forecast remaining expenditure requirements and overall grant execution rates. This is very important to ensure that we can use our resources efficiently. Receiving late vouchers increases the number of payments being processed at the end of a fiscal year. This can lead to vouchers not being paid during the lapse period and requiring providers to seek resolution through the Court of Claims.
Going forward, SUPR will send reminders to providers who have not submitted payment vouchers timely. Additionally, SUPR will require providers to submit corrective action plans to demonstrate how they will ensure timely submissions in the future if the issue persists.
If issues still arise, SUPR will process the provider for inclusion on the Stop Payment List. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact your Grant Manager for assistance. Thank you for your attention to this important reminder.
COVID-19 Exceptions:
A gentle reminder that COVID-19 exceptions are still in effect and have no expiration date currently. Services delivered through Telehealth are still acceptable.
Please review the Provider Notice from the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services (HFS) dated March 20, 2020, "Telehealth Services Expansion Prompted by COVID-19"IDHS/SUPR has also sent several communications regarding the COVID-19 Exception that you can review.
Recovery Residences Registry
The IDHS/SUPR Recovery Residence Registry has been moved to the Illinois Helpline for Opioids and Other Substances to simplify public inquiries for Recovery Residence. Information in the registry helps IDHS/SUPR better understand recovery residences' capacity and support for Medication Assisted Recovery. If you partner with a residence that is not listed, please invite them to register and/or contact Kimberly.Sriner@illinois.gov to list the organization. Search the Recovery Residences Registry at any time
Overdose Response Funding Updates:
SUPR publishes a quarterly report summarizing funded projects in response to the overdose crisis. We invite you to review the Overdose Response Funding Report at your convenience.
Smart Alerts and Other Communications:
DHS Coronavirus
SAMHSA COVID-19: The health, safety, and well-being of all those we serve are amongst our highest priorities. Please visit the State of Illinois Coronavirus page.
Summary of SUPR Resources During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Smart Alerts
SUPR COVID-19 Communications
