Social Services Advisory Council Agenda and Minutes - 05/14/24

Social Services Advisory Council Meeting

May 14, 2024

1:00 PM

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Welcome
Public Participation *
Approval of Meeting Minutes: February 13, 2024
Membership
- Introduction of New SSAC Members
- Request for Additional SSAC Members
Presentation - Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHC's)
Presentation - ARPA Funding Winddown and Budget
Presentation and Discussion - New Department of Early Childhood
Presentation - Legislative Updates
Adjournment

* If you would like to submit a public comment, please email your comment to Clare.Fisher@illinois.gov by 8:00 AM on Tuesday, May 14, 2024.

Minutes

Welcome
1. Chair Hamilton welcomed the Council.
2. Chair Hamilton introduced Secretary Dulce Quintero.
3. Secretary Quintero gave brief remarks on recent updates at DHS:
  1. House and Senate Budget Appropriation Hearings
  2. As Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) celebrates their 50th year, Governor JB Pritzker proclaimed April 2024 to be WIC Month in the State of Illinois! WIC staff kicked off the festivities by attending the National WIC Association Education & Training Conference in Chicago
  3. End of Year Showcase and Prom at ICRE - Roosevelt
4. The Black Homelessness Report, produced by UIC in partnership with the Office to End and Prevention Homelessness, was released. The report comes with an action plan to address the inequities and increase pathways to affordable housing for all.
5. IDHS was proud to travel the state with Governor Pritzker to visit with Smart Start Illinois providers & families. From Villa Park, to Champaign, Moline, and Rockford, we heard about how Smart Start is ensuring Illinois is the best place to raise a family, and the best place to work in the field of early childhood.
6. The Illinois Office to Prevent and End Homelessness and their partners opened "Evicted", an exhibit that aims to remove the stereotypes and stigmas around eviction. Evicted is inspired by the Pulitzer Prize-winning book Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City, authored by Matthew Desmond.
7. Addressed measles outbreak in new arrival shelters, standing up a quarantine hotel and vaccinating hundreds of new arrivals.
8. Hired staff at the border in Texas to promote connection and communication as we continue to think long-term about best supporting New Arrivals.
9. In March, DMH successfully operationalized a pilot program providing mental health services in the Kankakee County Jail to consumers in need of inpatient forensic treatment. In partnership with the Kankakee County Sheriff's Office and Iroquois Mental Health Center, DMH works with sheriffs' offices across Illinois to identify forensic consumers with a high level of need, or in counties where jail-based mental health services are not available. While these consumers await placement in one of our State-operated psychiatric hospitals, they are transferred to Kankakee County to receive mental health services.
10. Secretary Quintero introduced Kirstin Chernawsky, who recently started as Assistant Secretary of Programs.
11. Director of the Division of Mental Health (DMH), David Albert shared updated on DMH.
12. Forbes recently ranked Illinois as the third best state for access to behavioral health care.
Public Participation * (Approx. Start Time of 1:15PM)
1. Chair Hamilton asks Clare Fisher if any public participation was received. None was received.
Approval of Meeting Minutes: February 13, 2024 (Approx Start Time of 1:20PM)
1. Vice Chair Hampton combines roll call with approval of the meeting minutes.
  1. Adenekan, Dayo - approved
  2. Camper, Mary - approved
  3. French, AJ - approved
  4. Gasner, Ireta - approved
  5. Hall, Andrea - approved
  6. Hamilton, Christa - approved
  7. Hampton, Angie - approved
  8. Harris, Barbara - approved
  9. Kelly, Niya - approved
  10. Lustig, Dan - approved
  11. Martin, Jodi - approved
  12. Mote, Bela - approved
  13. Negron, Maralea - approved
  14. Ortiz, Dulce - approved
  15. Paredes, Jose Marco - approved
  16. Reyes, Frances - not present
  17. Sanders, Mark - approved
  18. Shalabi, Itedal - not present
  19. Simmons, Loren - approved
  20. Tiania, Sandy - approved
  21. Woods, Tony - not present
  22. Wright, Lauren - approved
Membership (Approx. Start Time of 1:30PM)
1. Introduction of New SSAC Members
  1. Chair Hamilton welcomed the new SSAC Members and asked them to introduce themselves.
    1. Andrea Hall from MYSI introduced herself.
    2. Mark Sanders from City of Chicago introduced himself.
2. Request for Additional SSAC Members
  1. Clare Fisher made an announcement to request recommendations for SSAC members.
Presentation - Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHC's) (Approx. Start Time of 1:40PM)
1. Presentation by Carrie Muehlbauer, OMI
  1. AJ French: Of designated community organizations, how many community-based peer centers have been subcontracted as a designated community organization?
    1. Carrie Muehlbauer: Interesting question, I don't have that number off the top of my head, but I can follow up.
  2. Christa Hamilton: CCBHCs need to have 9 core functions, but can outsource it if needed.
    1. Carrie: Yes, some services can be contracted out. Supportive housing is often contracted out. CCBHC has to provide at least 51% of services.
  3. Christa Hamilton: Is the only funding through Medicaid?
    1. Carrie: There is grant funding from SAMSHA, but hopefully soon this would be integrated into the Illinois State Medicaid program.
Presentation - ARPA Funding Winddown and Budget (Approx. Start Time of 2:00PM)
1. Presentation by Tiffany Blair, DHS Budget Director, and Joseph Wellbaum, Deputy Chief Financial Officer
  1. Dulce Ortiz: DG Manar said there are some revenue proposals that need to be approved, and he may need to go back to agencies to ask for cuts. Do you have a plan for that?
    1. Tiffany: We have heard the same. We would have to find areas to reduce the Governor's proposed budget in order to accommodate revenue proposals. We are working closely with GOMB and are aware of the issue, nothing to share yet at this time. We hope that there are no reductions to the budget for human services. The DHS budget office can share their presentation and other materials on the FY25 budget with the Council.
  2. Chair Hamilton: When can we expect to see changes for the upcoming fiscal year as it related to ARPA?
  3. Tiffany: We can share a summary document of changes. Program areas should keep people up to date as well.
Presentation and Discussion - New Department of Early Childhood (Approx. Start Time of 2:20PM)
1. Presentation by Ann Whalen, Early Childhood Transition Director
  1. Mark Sanders: Do you anticipate any job losses with the creation of the new Department?
    1. Ann: As part of the FY25 budget request, there was a $13M request just for the new agency, and it would be adding 30 additional full time employees. When programs and services transition in FY26, staff from DHS and DCFS would transfer to the new agency, we don't anticipate any job losses. ISBE has a different structure, so those individuals will have a pathway to the new agency if they choose, or they can stay at ISBE.
  2. Angie Hampton: DHS will not be assuming the role of licensing daycare providers?
    1. Ann: No, DCFS will continue that function over the next two years, and started July 1, 2026, the new Department of Early Childhood will take over that new function. And that is the only licensing function that they will be taking over.
Presentation - Legislative Updates (Approx. Start Time of 2:40PM)
1. Presentation by Taneka Jennings, Deputy Legislative Director. Taneka shared members of the legislative team at DHS and provided updates on current DHS legislative initiatives.
Adjournment (3:00PM)
1. Chair Hamilton adjourned the meeting.