FY23 Health & Human Services Virtual Budget Briefing Q & A

  1. Can you please confirm that the proposal to freeze the motor fuel tax does not impact the human services allocation under Rebuild Illinois - which I believe was funded by racino/casino revenue, correct?
    • Yes. There is a proposal to suspend the scheduled increase in the gas tax, however the proposal will not impact the human services capital section of Rebuild Illinois.
  2. Does the Governor support HB 4238?
    • The Governor supports the goals of the bill and maximizing access to mental health care. He is looking forward to working with the sponsor of the bill
  3. Can you discuss more about the scope of the Chief Behavioral Health Officer? How will the needs of children and adolescents be addressed?
    • The CBHO will oversee and coordinate interagency work to transform how Illinois supports mental, emotional, and overall behavioral health and wellness for everyone - especially those most in need. Working with State agencies, such as the Department of Healthcare and Family Services, the Department of Human Services, as well as other state agencies - the CBHO will assess the current system, engage expert stakeholders, and research best practices to develop an improved behavioral health infrastructure and array of services to improve behavioral health outcomes for Illinoisans. This work will necessarily include the needs of children and adolescents and will include coordination with relevant agencies, stakeholders, and providers to ensure an efficient and seamless continuum of care.
  4. What is the planned process for selecting the Chief Behavioral Officer and what exactly will their role be?
    • The scope of work for the CBHO is outlined in question #3. As currently contemplated, the CBHO will be appointed by the Governor with the advice and consent of the Senate and the position will be housed at the Department of Human Services. The Governor's Office will select someone with deep experience and expertise in government and community-based behavioral health systems
  5. What does Governor Pritzker's proposed budget do to continue and expand ongoing efforts prevent evictions and address issues faced by people at risk of or experiencing homelessness, especially as it relates to the continued pandemic conditions. I am interested in both General Revenue Funds (GRF), funds from the American Rescue Plan Act and other sources.
    • The Governor's proposed budget maintains appropriations to support ongoing Emergency Rental Assistance programs into FY23. In FY23, IDHS will use the requested GRF investment to provide legal assistance to individuals at risk of eviction. At IDHS, several homeless prevention and diversion programs exist and are funded, including: $11M for Homeless Prevention; $10.3M for Emergency & Transitional Housing Funds; $10M for Eviction Prevention/Mitigation; $60M in (HUD-funded) Emergency Solutions Grants; $8.3M for Homeless Youth Services; and $47.7M for Supportive Housing Services. The Supportive Housing Services Program funds services for persons living in Permanent Supportive Housing; service delivery includes case management, advocacy, counseling, job training and transportation.
    • DCFS has the Fostering Youth to Independence Initiative, providing housing subsidies to youth aging out of care and Family Unification Program Vouchers, providing a voucher to families with child welfare involvement.
    • IDPH has the Ryan White and Housing for Persons Living with AIDS programs, providing support services, short-term rental assistance, tenant-based rental assistance, and mortgage and utility assistance.
    • IHDA continues to have funding for acquisition, new construction, or rehabilitation for permanent supportive housing in the annual tax credit application round; creating an estimated 121 units of PSH targeted to persons experiencing homelessness
  6. Is there funding to support Eviction Help Illinois, a network of legal aid and mediation services, in the Eviction Mitigation Services line? If yes, has a dollar amount been allocated for this work?
    • The State plans to continue investments in legal and court-based services into FY23. The amount of funds will be dependent on utilization of rental assistance funds in FY22
  7. When does the introduced budget assume Medicaid redeterminations will start again and what will the process be to restart those?
    • Within 60 days of the end of the federal emergency declaration, states will have 12 months to process redeterminations. IDHS plans to stagger the redeterminations evenly over the 12 months. The FY23 introduced budget supports staffing levels to perform Medicaid redeterminations
  8. On behalf of Protect Our Care IL, I was wondering if our request for Navigator Funding was included in any of the agency (HFS, DHS or IDPH) budgets?
    • The FY23 introduced budget does not include funding to support a navigator program
  9. Appreciate details specific to HIV and other STI funding lines, specifics on Medicaid, housing and support services, mental health, and substance use funding.
    • HIV AIDS funding is $148.5M in total funding, of which $120M is federal funding. IDPH recently received a five-year $21.7M federal award for STI activities to build infrastructure to support the Disease Intervention Specialist (DIS) workforce in aiding and conducting contact tracing, counseling and partner services, trainings, and field investigations, STI prevention, and addressing other infectious diseases in the state.
    • For specifics on the IDHS funding related to housing and support services, mental health and substance use funding, please see Operating Division Detail Pages at https://www.dhs.state.il.us/page.aspx?item=140574
  10. If possible, we're hoping the briefing could include some details on what's proposed for these early childhood programs, including which federal funding sources might be involved:
    • The Child Care Assistance Program,
    • Healthy Families Illinois and Parents Too Soon, and
    • Early Intervention services.
  11. If possible, we similarly would be interested in the FY23 particulars of the Teen REACH program and Redeploy Illinois-Youth/Juvenile, as well
    • Child care funding in the FY23 budget request is level with FY22. It includes $410.6M GRF and almost $3B in appropriation authority from the Employment & Training fund to continue to invest the federal ARPA funds for the Child Care system.
    • The CCAP program is supported by federal funding sources, including CCDBG mandatory, CCDBG discretionary, CRRSA, and ARPA.
    • Healthy Families and Parents Too Soon GRF funding is level with FY22, but the ARPA funding of $12M will be reappropriated to support expansion of services in FY23 and FY24. Federal funds for Home Visiting include MIECHV, ARPA, and ARPA state and local funds
    • Early Intervention GRF funding is level with FY22. The proposed budget fully funds the estimated program liability. Federal funds for EI include IDEA Part C, ARPA, and Medicaid match.
    • Teen REACH GRF funding includes funds to annualize the FY22 mid-year 2% COLA and funding for a FY23 mid-year 2% COLA. In addition, the ARPA funds are being reappropriated to continue to support the program expansion in FY23 and FY24. Note that the IDHS Office of Firearm Violence Prevention also is managing a $100M Youth Development grant that is similar to Teen Reach, for 37 eligible areas across the state, that have experienced the most concentrated firearm violence statewide.
    • The Redeploy Illinois funding in the budget request is level with the FY22 funding.
  12. Does the CCAP budget include funding to move toward the Governor's Funding Commission recommendations on compensating childcare workers? If so, what structures does the Department anticipate having in place to ensure maximum impact in the money passing through to workers?
    • The Governor's FY23 budget request includes funding to support a 3.5% increase in rates effective 7/1/22 and an additional 4.5% on 12/1/22
  13. We appreciate your increased funding in Developmental Disabilities and Homeless Services. However, funding in Behavioral and Mental Health has lagged behind and is much needed. Does your 2023 budget address this?
    • While the GRF appropriation levels for community behavioral and mental health services are relatively level to FY22, the Department is increasing services with ARPA funds and State Cannabis Tax revenues. The ARPA Substance Use Prevention and Recovery funds will be used to improve access to Medication Assisted Recovery through Mobile-Based interventions, expanding recovery housing for individuals with chronic substance use disorder, enhancing clinical practices to address the Opioid epidemic, the COVID-19 pandemic, and social and racial disparities. The Mental Health ARPA funds will be used to support the crisis care services needed as part of the nationwide 988 rollout. In addition to ARPA funds, Cannabis Tax revenues will support providing increases in naloxone treatment funds, behavioral health staff loan repayment programs, a behavioral health workforce education center, and support for 988-related services
  14. What is the plan to provide adequate staff at FCRCs? How many staff are needed and how many will be recruited and hired? How many bi-lingual, and what additional languages will be added to the current staff count and management staff at FCRCs? How much in Federal ARPA Funds has IDHS requested to use for IDHS SNAP Administration $ to support hires for the FCRCs in FY22-23?
    • IDHS plans to fill all existing vacancies in the Division of Family and Community Services. The impacts of COVID have impacted the hiring process, but IDHS anticipates accelerated hiring will occur through the remainder of FY22 and into FY23. IDHS will continue to identify and hire bilingual staff throughout FCRCs to best serve the public
    • The majority of the COVID SNAP Administrative grant funds have supported, and will continue to be used to support, infrastructure improvements, including upgrades in IT and improvements to the IES system to better serve IDHS clients.
  15. Will additional funding be allocated for Substance Use and Mental Health disorder?
    • While the GRF appropriation levels for community behavioral and mental health services are relatively level to FY22, the Department is increasing services with ARPA funds and the State Cannabis Tax revenues. The ARPA Substance Use Prevention and Recovery funds will be used to improve access to Medication Assisted Recovery through Mobile-Based interventions, expanding recovery housing for individuals with chronic substance use disorder, enhancing clinical practices to address the Opioid epidemic, the COVID-19 pandemic and social and racial disparities. The Mental Health ARPA funds will be used to support the crisis care services needed as part of the nationwide 988 rollout. In addition to ARPA funds, Cannabis Tax revenues will support providing increases in naloxone treatment funds, behavioral health staff loan repayment programs, a behavioral health workforce education center, and support for 988-related services.
  16. Can we get more details about the funding related to early childhood programs and services especially as it relates to workforce compensation?
    • The Governor's FY23 budget request includes funding to support a 3.5% increase in rates effective 7/1/22 and an additional 4.5% on 12/1/22.
  17. What will the budget be for domestic violence programs?
    • The Domestic Violence GRF funds are increased to annualize the FY22 2% mid-year COLA and fund the requested FY23 2% mid-year COLA. IDHS has also recently applied for additional federal funds for Domestic Violence for COVID-19 testing, vaccines, and Mobile Health Units.
  18. Is any funding planned to help train mental health providers to increase their competence, humility, and sensitivity serving diverse populations (e.g., racial, and ethnic minorities, LGBTQ+ individuals)?
    • Mental Health grants allow for staff training as an allowable grant expense. Mental Health providers are able to train staff to increase competence, humility, and sensitivity.
  19. Is there a portion of the state budget allocated for 10% set aside for Persons suffering with substance abuse & mental illness?
    • Yes. The federal Mental Health Block grant requires a 10% set aside for the First Episode Psychosis Project. The federal block grants for Mental Health and Substance Abuse Prevention & Treatment require the State to maintain aggregate State expenditures at a level that is not less than the average level of such expenditures maintained by the State for the previous two-year period. The federal block grants cannot be used to supplant State funding of MH or substance use prevention and treatment programs.
  20. I'm not seeing a division detail page for Early Childhood as I see for other divisions?
  21. What was the rationale for reducing the FY22 $25 million GRF line item for eviction mitigation program for outreach, case management and legal assistance to individuals impacted by the COVID-19 Pandemic to $10 million for FY23? How is it proposed that those funds will be allocated? Will funding only be available for part of FY23, e.g., until the end of calendar year 2022?
    • In FY22, IDHS in partnership with IHDA, provided federally funded rental and utility assistance to eligible individuals and families. The $25M GRF line was used to support other costs in administering the program not supported by the available federal funds. In FY23, IDHS will use the remaining GRF investment to provide legal assistance to individuals at risk of eviction.
  22. I'm curious about the very small increase to the Healthy Families line? It does not seem at all sufficient to reflect the COLA other lines received. Is there another reason for that $16k increase in the Healthy Families line?
    • The Healthy Families general revenue appropriation was increased $16,000 to support the staffing cost increase for COLAs and Steps.
  23. Can you clarify the source of Parents Too Soon OSF funding indicated on pg. 108 of the budget?
    • The table, I-B-Operating Appropriations by Program on page 108, allocates the agency administrative costs across all of the agency programs. For the Parents Too Soon program, the Other State Funds amounts represent the allocation of IDHS administrative costs funded by other state funds to support Parents Too Soon.
  24. Does the CCP budget represent funding for rates sufficient to recruit and retain direct care workers, especially home care workers, as both the minimum wage and the cost of living go up?
    • The FY23 Governor's Introduced CCP budget includes an additional $14M for a $0.70/hour rate increase, effective 1/1/23, for in-home providers. This is to assist in combatting wage pressures, especially within the City of Chicago, to accommodate an approximate 3% adjustment to the rate to assist in alleviating the pressure facing providers.
  25. How will the FY23 budget affect the CCP program?
    • The FY23 Governor's Introduced Budget for the CCP includes over $100M in additional funding and will allow the program to continue serving current clients and accommodate growth. Also included in the FY23 proposed budget are funds to accommodate the FMAP additional 10% match so that the Department on Aging can fully utilize the funding made available from enhanced match as part of the American Rescue Plan Act. The additional services include: Assistive Technology, CCU rate increase, EHRS fall detection, and environmental modifications.
  26. Will funds be available for Illinois Townships to provide COVID relief and other local services?
    • Funds for COVID relief and other public health activities are provided to Local Health Departments. Townships should contact their Local Health Departments in order to inquire about availability of these funds.
  27. Funding for local health protection grants for our certified local health departments.
    • Local Health Protection grants are $19,098,500 in the FY23 proposed budget, the same as FY22. The Illinois Department of Public Health is providing additional funding through various federal awards to the local health departments.
  28. Are the youth Apps being developed by DCFS accessible to those with disabilities?
    • The DCFS youth app includes Live Closed Captioning for meetings. The app also supports read-aloud readers and has dictation capabilities. The app supports high contrast themes, use of text telephony (TTY), and Eye Control and Voice Control features.
  29. As a former foster parent and an active mental health advocate, just wanted to suggest that DCFS workers share the CRSS Success Program (DMH funded initiative) with children who are aging out of the system. This is a paid opportunity for students with mental health challenges to receive training and supervised work experience if they are interested in providing recovery support (aka, peer support) as a profession. Will you please follow up with DMH and will your Department please circulate this paid opportunity with children who are aging out of the system? They would be ideal candidates for the CRSS Success Program.
    • Thank you for the suggestion. DCFS will make caseworkers aware of this opportunity, as well as our advocacy hotline and the staff that support aging out youth at transitional living programs.