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(5) Behavioral health professionals have gone far too |
long without reasonable reform, causing capable workers to |
become overwhelmed and leave their jobs or the behavioral |
health industry altogether. |
(6) One of the greatest complaints from behavioral |
health professionals is the amount of administrative |
responsibilities that lead to less time with their |
clients. |
(7) Clinician burnout, if not addressed, will make it |
harder for individuals to get care when they need it, |
cause health costs to rise, and worsen health disparities. |
(8) Behavioral health professionals dedicate their |
expertise to addressing mental health and substance use |
challenges and that it is essential to streamline |
administrative processes to enable them to focus more on |
client care and treatment. |
(9) Administrative burdens can contribute to workforce |
challenges in the behavioral health sector. |
(b) The purpose of this Act is to: |
(1) Alleviate the administrative burden placed on |
behavioral health professionals in Illinois and devise an |
efficient system that enhances client-centered services. |
Behavioral health professionals play a critical role in |
promoting mental health and well-being within Illinois |
communities. |
(2) Foster a collaborative and client-centered |
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approach by encouraging communication and coordination |
among behavioral health professionals, regulatory bodies, |
and relevant stakeholders. |
(3) Make a heavy lift more bearable. |
(4) Address paperwork fatigue that leads to burnout. |
(5) Enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of |
behavioral health services by reducing unnecessary |
paperwork, bureaucratic hurdles, and redundant |
administrative requirements that may impede the delivery |
of timely and quality care. |
(6) Attract and retain skilled behavioral health |
professionals and ultimately improve access to mental |
health and substance use services for the residents of |
Illinois. |
(7) Align with the State's commitment to promoting |
mental health and substance use services, reducing |
barriers to care, and ensuring that behavioral health |
professionals can dedicate more time and resources to |
meeting the diverse needs of individuals and communities |
across Illinois. |
(8) Enhance the overall effectiveness of the |
behavioral health sector to improve mental health outcomes |
and levels of well-being for all residents of the State.
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Section 10. The Behavioral Health Administrative Burden |
Task Force. |
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(a) The Behavioral Health Administrative Burden Task Force |
is established within the Office of the Chief Behavioral |
Health Officer, in partnership with the Department of Human |
Services Division of Mental Health and Division of Substance |
Use Prevention and Recovery, the Department of Healthcare and |
Family Services, the Department of Children and Family |
Services, and the Department of Public Health. |
(b) The Task Force shall review policies and regulations |
affecting the behavioral health industry to identify |
inefficiencies, duplicate or unnecessary requirements, unduly |
burdensome restrictions, and other administrative barriers |
that prevent behavioral health professionals from providing |
services. |
(c) The Task Force shall analyze the impact of |
administrative burdens on the delivery of quality care and |
access to behavioral health services by: |
(1) collecting data on the administrative tasks, |
paperwork, and reporting requirements currently imposed on |
behavioral health professionals in Illinois; |
(2) engaging with behavioral health professionals, |
including providers of all relevant license and |
certification types, to gather input on specific |
administrative challenges they face; |
(3) seeking input from clients and service recipients |
to understand the impact of administrative requirements on |
their care; and |
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(4) conducting a comparative analysis of documentation |
requirements with other geographic jurisdictions. |
(d) The Task Force shall collaborate with relevant State |
agencies to identify areas where administrative processes can |
be standardized and harmonized by: |
(1) researching best practices and successful |
administrative burden reduction models from other states |
or jurisdictions; |
(2) unifying administrative requirements, such as |
screening, assessment, treatment planning, and personnel |
requirements, including background checks, where possible |
among state bodies; and |
(3) identifying and seeking to replicate reform |
efforts that have been successful in other jurisdictions. |
(e) The Task Force shall identify innovative technologies |
and tools that can help automate and streamline administrative |
tasks and explore the potential for interagency data sharing |
and integration to reduce redundant reporting by: |
(1) researching best practices around shared data |
platforms to improve the delivery of behavioral health |
services and ensure that such platforms do not result in a |
duplication of data entry, including coverage of any |
relevant software costs to avoid duplication; |
(2) facilitating the secure exchange of client |
information, treatment plans, and service coordination |
among health care providers, behavioral health facilities, |
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State-level regulatory bodies, and other relevant |
entities; |
(3) reducing administrative burdens and duplicative |
data entry for service providers; |
(4) ensuring compliance with federal and state privacy |
regulations, including the Health Insurance Portability |
and Accountability Act, 42 CFR Part 2, and other relevant |
laws and regulations; and |
(5) improving access to timely client care, with an |
emphasis on clients receiving services under the Medical |
Assistance Program. |
(f) The Task Force shall eliminate documentation |
redundancy and coordinate the sharing of information among |
State agencies by: |
(1) standardizing forms at the State-level to simplify |
access, reduce administrative burden, ensure consistency, |
and unify requirements across all behavioral health |
provider types where possible; |
(2) identifying areas where standardized language |
would be allowable so that staff can focus on |
individualizing relevant components of documentation; |
(3) reducing and standardizing, when possible, the |
information required for assessments and treatment plan |
goals and consolidate documentation required in these |
areas for mental health and substance use clients; |
(4) evaluating, reducing, and streamlining information |
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collected for the registration process, including the |
process for uploading information and resolving errors; |
(5) reducing the number of data fields that must be |
repeated across forms; and |
(6) streamlining State-level reporting requirements |
for federal and State grants and remove unnecessary |
reporting requirements for provider grants funded with |
state or federal dollars where possible. |
(g) The Task Force shall develop recommendations for |
legislative or regulatory changes that can reduce |
administrative burdens while maintaining client safety and |
quality of care by: |
(1) advocating for parity across settings and |
regulatory entities, including among community, private |
practice, and State-operated settings; |
(2) identifying opportunities for reporting |
efficiencies or technology solutions to share data across |
reports; |
(3) evaluating and considering opportunities to |
simplify funding and seek legislative reform to align |
requirements across funding streams and regulatory |
entities; and |
(4) recommending procedures for more flexibility with |
deadlines where justified. |
(h) The Task Force shall participate in statewide efforts |
to integrate mental health and substance use disorder |
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administrative functions.
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Section 15. Membership. The Task Force shall be chaired by |
Illinois' Chief Behavioral Health Officer or the Officer's |
designee. The chair of the Task Force may designate a |
nongovernmental entity or entities to provide pro bono |
administrative support to the Task Force. Except as otherwise |
provided in this Section, members of the Task Force shall be |
appointed by the chair. The Task Force shall consist of at |
least 15 members, including, but not limited to, the |
following: |
(1) community mental health and substance use |
providers representing geographical regions across the |
State; |
(2) representatives of statewide associations that |
represent behavioral health providers; |
(3) representatives of advocacy organizations either |
led by or consisting primarily of individuals with lived |
experience; |
(4) a representative from the Division of Mental |
Health in the Department of Human Services; |
(5) a representative from the Division of Substance |
Use Prevention and Recovery in the Department of Human |
Services; |
(6) a representative from the Department of Children |
and Family Services; |
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(7) a representative from the Department of Public |
Health; |
(8) One member of the House of Representatives, |
appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives; |
(9) One member of the House of Representatives, |
appointed by the Minority Leader of the House of |
Representatives; |
(10) One member of the Senate, appointed by the |
President of the Senate; and |
(11) One member of the Senate, appointed by the |
Minority Leader of the Senate.
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Section 20. Meetings. Beginning no later than 6 months |
after the effective date of this Act, the Task Force shall meet |
monthly, or additionally as needed, to conduct its business. |
Members of the Task Force shall serve without compensation but |
may receive reimbursement for necessary expenses.
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Section 25. Administrative burden reduction plan. The Task |
Force shall, within one year after its first meeting, prepare |
an administrative burden reduction plan, which shall include |
short-term and long-term policy recommendations aimed at |
reducing duplicative, unnecessary, or redundant requirements |
placed on behavioral health providers and improving timely |
access to care. The administrative burden reduction plan shall |
be submitted to any relevant State agency whose participation |
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would be necessary to implement any component of the plan and |
shall be made publicly available online. No later than 90 days |
after receipt of the plan, each State agency whose |
participation would be necessary to implement any component of |
the plan shall submit a detailed response to the General |
Assembly about the recommendations in the administrative |
burden reduction plan, including an explanation about the |
feasibility of implementing the recommendations and shall make |
these responses publicly available online.
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