Sen. Heather A. Steans
Filed: 3/8/2011
 
 


 




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1
AMENDMENT TO SENATE BILL 1614




2 AMENDMENT NO. ______. Amend Senate Bill 1614 by replacing 
3everything after the enacting clause with the following:


4 "Section 5. The Mental Health and Developmental 
5Disabilities Administrative Act is amended by adding Section 
64.4 as follows:

7 (20 ILCS 1705/4.4 new)
8 Sec. 4.4. State-operated 6-bed group homes.
9 (a) Findings. The General Assembly finds that the 
10Department of Human Services' Division of Developmental 
11Disabilities is steadily shifting service provision from 
12State-operated developmental centers to smaller 
13community-based settings. Whether that process is due to 
14changes in philosophy on how to best serve individuals with 
15disabilities, changing individual and family choices, or an 
16attempt to capture cost savings from the substantially lower 
 
 
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1wages and benefits paid to the direct care workers in 
2alternative settings, one indisputable outcome of this process 
3is the replacement of a highly experienced and adequately 
4compensated workforce with a poorly compensated and much more 
5transitory workforce. Inadequate compensation is one of the 
6primary causes of the high employee turnover rate in community 
7settings. Numerous studies have shown that a more stable and 
8experienced workforce creates better outcomes for individuals 
9with developmental disabilities. Conversely, very high 
10turnover can contribute to emotional distress and disruption in 
11the lives of individuals. The failure to develop a fairly 
12compensated and stable workforce has been a key obstacle to 
13creating a uniformly high quality system of care in 
14community-based settings. 
15 (b) Pilot program. In order to determine the efficacy of 
16improving quality of care by ensuring a more fairly compensated 
17workforce, and in consultation with stakeholders, including 
18the collective bargaining representative of the majority of 
19employees working in State-operated developmental centers, the 
20Department of Human Services' Division of Developmental 
21Disabilities shall develop a pilot program of State-operated 
22community-based group homes. 
23 (c) Residential accommodations. Each State-operated 
24community-based group home shall provide residential 
25accommodations for up to 6 individuals with developmental 
26disabilities. 
 
 
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1 (d) Staffing. The State-operated community-based group 
2homes shall be staffed by Department employees whose 
3compensation and rights shall be governed by existing 
4collective bargaining agreements.".