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PARTNER NEWS
Governor's Budget Address
Governor Pritzker's annual Budget and State of the State Address will be held on February 19, 2025 at 12:00 PM. DHS and HFS along with other Health and Human Service Departments will hold a budget briefing after the Governors Address at 2 PM.
Deputy Governor Grace Hou and First Assistant Deputy Governor Ryan Croke, along with the leaders of the Departments of Human Services (IDHS), Healthcare and Family Services (HFS), Public Health (IDPH), Aging (IDoA), Children and Family Services (DCFS), and Veterans Affairs (IDVA) will provide a brief overview of the FY26 proposed budget - immediately followed by a Q&A session.
FY26 Health and Human Services Budget Briefing Link:
https://multimedia.illinois.gov/FY26-HHS-Budget-Briefing-live.html
State of Illinois Executive Order 2025-01
TO REORGANIZE THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES AND CONSOLIDATE THE DIVISIONS OF MENTAL HEALTH AND SUBSTANCE USE PREVENTION AND RECOVERY, CREATING THE NEW DIVISION OF BEHAVIORAL HEALTH AND RECOVERY
WHEREAS, Article V, Section 11 of the Illinois Constitution authorizes the Governor to reassign functions or reorganize executive agencies that are directly responsible to him by means of executive order;
WHEREAS, Section 3.2 of the Executive Reorganization Implementation Act, 15 ILCS 15/3.2, provides that “Reorganization” includes ‘the consolidation or coordination of any part of any agency or the functions thereof with any other part of the same agency or the functions thereof;’
WHEREAS, the Department of Human Services’ (Department) Division of Mental Health (DMH) and the Department’s Division of Substance Use Prevention and Recovery (SUPR) are divisions within an executive agency directly responsible to the Governor and exercise the rights, powers, duties, and responsibilities derived from 20 ILCS 1305 et seq.;
READ FULL EXECUTIVE ORDER
IDHS Division of Developmental Disabilities
DDD has announced the FY26 Notice of Funding Opportunities (NOFOs) are now available. Agencies interested in applying for these grant programs have until 5:00 pm CST on March 21, 2025, to submit their completed application packet. DDD anticipates awarding the grants on May 16, 2025. Subject to appropriation, the grant period for these awards will be July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2028.
The FY26 grants posted for NOFO include:
- Dignity in Pay Grant: Supports the Dignity in Pay Program, addressing the underrepresentation of individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (I/DD) in competitive integrated employment.
- Family Advocate Program: Provides family-to-family support for individuals with I/DD and their families selected for services through the IDHS/DDD PUNS List.
- Latino Outreach Program: Offers outreach, engagement, support, resources, and referrals to Latino/Hispanic individuals with I/DD and their families who are not enrolled in and/or receiving any Home and Community Based Waiver funded services (HCBS).
DMH Virtual Recovery and Wellbeing Series
The Division of Mental Health has announced its 2025 Recovery and Wellbeing Series, and this year's focus is Bridges to Recovery. Calls will be held every Wednesday from 10:00 - 11:00 AM.
- February 26, 2025 - Transitioning Back into the Community
- March 26, 2025 - Generational Gaps: Bridges to Others Across the Lifespan
- September 24, 2025 - Harm Reduction: Bridging from Stigma to Freedom
- October 22, 2025 - Bridges to Healthy Relationships
- November 16, 2025 - Spanning the Crisis Continuum: Bridging the Gap
Link for more info: https://mcusercontent.com/15d101d41410cd92311f0d374/files/6db52f4b-f903-0749-4918-9c401769a954/2025_Flyer_for_Recovery_Well_Being_Series.pdf
Illinois Student Assistance Commission Announces Community Behavioral Health Care Professional Loan Repayment Program for FY25
The Community Behavioral Health Care Professional Loan Repayment Program provides loan repayment assistance to qualified mental health and substance use professionals. The program was designed as incentive for recruitment and retention of those who practice in underserved or rural areas. It seeks to help address the shortage of Illinois community-based behavioral workers that causes disparities in access to critical mental health and substance use services. The amount of the annual award to qualified applicants to repay their student loan debt is based on their position and may be received for up to four years. Link for more info: https://www.isac.org/students/after-college/forgiveness-programs/community-behavioral-health-care-professional-loan-repayment-program.html
Illinois Association for Behavioral Health
The Illinois Association for Behavioral Health (IABH) is actively working to address the funding gap in Substance Use Prevention and Recovery (SUPR) contracts resulting from last year's contract right-sizing. IABH is developing a proposal to utilize opioid settlement funds to cover services not included in existing contracts or Medicaid, aiming to avoid supplanting current funding.
Following a formal letter to Governor Pritzker regarding the SUPR contract shortfall, SUPR agreed to reassess contracts. However, the redistribution of funds from underutilized provider contracts may not fully compensate for last year's reductions. SUPR reports that substance use disorder providers are now using their contracts at a higher rate than the amount reduced during right-sizing.
Illinois is set to receive over $1.3 billion in opioid settlement funds by 2038, earmarked for statewide opioid crisis abatement. IABH's proposal seeks to leverage these funds to support critical recovery and treatment programs throughout Illinois, addressing the ongoing needs of providers and communities affected by the opioid epidemic.
NACBHDD
NACBHDD signed on to Coalition for Whole Health Report to Protect Medicaid. Proposed funding cuts and other changes to Medicaid would be devastating for the millions of Americans with mental and/or substance use disorders who depend on the program for access to critical health services.
More info: https://www.lac.org/assets/files/january-23-2025-CWH-report-final.pdf
National Council for Mental Wellbeing
This week, both chambers of Congress marked up their respective budget resolutions, initiating the budget reconciliation process. Key points:
- Senate Budget Resolution:
- Authorizes approximately $84.5 billion in annual spending over 10 years
- Narrowly passed committee vote
- Health care instructions limited to repealing CMS's minimum staffing rule for nursing homes
- Broader health care reforms, including potential Medicaid changes, planned for later this year
- House Budget Resolution:
- Seeks more extensive spending cuts in a single reconciliation bill
- Directs Energy and Commerce Committee to decrease spending by at least $880 billion
- Likely targets Medicaid for significant savings
- Next Steps:
- Both resolutions expected to face full chamber votes soon
- If passed, differences will be reconciled through a conference committee
In other news, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was confirmed as the new Secretary of Health and Human Services. The administration also established the "Make America Healthy Again Commission" to address chronic health conditions and promote transparency in federally funded health research.
Order Halting Funding Freeze Upheld
U.S. District Judge John J. McConnell Jr. ruled on Monday, February 10, that the Trump administration had failed to comply with his January 31 temporary restraining order, which had blocked a proposed freeze on numerous federal grants and programs. Judge McConnell directed the administration to "immediately take every step necessary" to adhere to the order and reinstate the frozen funds.
Following this, on Tuesday, February 11, a federal appeals court denied the Trump administration's emergency request to reinstate the funding freeze. The appellate court found that the administration did not sufficiently demonstrate specific harm that would result from lifting the freeze, nor did they provide adequate legal justification for their appeal. Check out the full story on the appeals court’s decision.
Court Orders Restoration of Federal Health Agency Websites and Data
U.S. District Judge John Bates issued a temporary restraining order on February 11, 2025, compelling federal health agencies to reinstate websites and data that were abruptly removed in late January. This ruling came in response to a lawsuit filed by advocacy groups representing physicians and consumer.
The order mandates that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) restore specific webpages cited in the lawsuit by 11:59 p.m. on February 11. Additionally, the federal government was directed to identify and recover any other resources that healthcare providers rely on for delivering medical services.
The affected websites contained crucial public health information on various topics, including:
- HIV prevention and PrEP medication
- Youth health risks
- Fertility treatments
- The CDC's Social Vulnerability Index
- FDA databases tracking diversity in clinical trials
Check out the full story on the temporary restraining order.
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