Morrison appointed to disability income insurance, parity for behavioral health conditions task force

SPRINGFIELD – A lifelong advocate of giving people with behavioral health conditions the same opportunities as others, State Senator Julie Morrison (D-Lake Forest) was appointed to the Task Force on Disability Income Insurance and Parity for Behavioral Health Conditions.

“People who struggle with mental and behavioral health conditions deserve equal treatment,” Morrison said. “It is vital to find solutions to ensure people with such conditions receive the care and coverage they need.”

Morrison was appointed to the committee this week by Senate President Don Harmon (D-Oak Park). She will join other elected officials, as well as experts in the behavioral health field and consumers of disability income insurance who have experienced a behavioral health condition to review existing plans and policies for individual and group short-term and long-term disability income insurance.

Following a year of research and conversation, Morrison and the group will provide recommendations on the cost effectiveness of requiring individual and group disability income insurance to cover behavioral health conditions.

“Working together, the task force will be able to find concrete solutions to better serve the thousands of men and women who struggle each day with little to no support,” Morrison said. “I am thankful to the president for his trust in me to represent the Senate majority.”

Morrison prioritizes spouses of long-term care facility patients in new legislation

SPRINGFIELD – Spouses of people in Medicaid-funded long-term care facilities could soon be able to keep more of their own personal savings thanks to a measure sponsored by State Senator Julie Morrison (D-Lake Forest).

“Far too often, spouses of older adults in long-term care facilities are forced to pay high out-of-pocket rates for their own medical needs to ensure their loved one can keep their care,” Morrison said. “By aligning Illinois’ allowance for community spouses with the rest of the country, we are signaling to older adults that we care for them and wish to give them the ability to care for themselves and their spouse with no added stress.”

Morrison’s measure will put Illinois in line with nearly every other state in the nation by increasing the allowance for the community spouse resource allowance for older adults whose spouses are in nursing homes and receiving Medicaid benefits. The allowance is the amount of resources a spouse can keep of the couple’s resources without affecting their husband or wife’s long-term care facility nursing home application.

In 2012, Illinois froze its rates for spouses of individuals who receive Medicaid-funded, long-term care at $2,739 per month, so those spouses are not receiving an annual bump in their benefits. However, in many other states across the country, the amount is set at $3,259.

“What we are asking is for Illinois to bring itself to the standard where we are complying with the federal rate. Illinois is in the extreme minority in this situation,” said Steve Andersson, who represented AARP during the committee. “We should allow these folks who are facing the unfortunate reality that their spouse is in a nursing home to be able to keep more of their own money.”                               

Senate Bill 2962 passed the Senate Health Committee Tuesday. It now heads to the Senate for further consideration.

Morrison heartbroken by line of duty death of DCFS employee

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Julie Morrison (D-Lake Forest) released the following statement regarding the tragic loss of life of Deidre Silas, a Department of Children and Family Services’ employee. Silas was stabbed to death in Thayer Tuesday afternoon while performing a home visit.

“I am heartbroken to learn of the tragic death of Deidre Silas, a dedicated DCFS employee. Her top priority was helping some of the most vulnerable, at-risk children in our state. My thoughts and prayers go out to the family, friends and colleagues of Deidre.

“This is not the first employee death we have seen at DCFS in recent years. I, alongside other legislators, will immediately call upon Director Smith to review the agency’s policies to ensure no other life of someone called to protect our children is brutally lost.”

Morrison expands crisis intervention services to vulnerable youth under new law

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Julie Morrison (D-Lake Forest) championed a law signed Friday to divert the state’s vulnerable youth from juvenile justice systems or the Department of Children and Family Services’ care, while working to keep families together. 

“Providing immediate on-site crisis intervention for vulnerable youth can be the difference between a spending their young life in a loving home or in the juvenile justice system,” Morrison. “This is an already successful program that we can take further advantage of to ensure children get the help and support they need.”

The law allows child welfare agencies under the Comprehensive Community-Based Youth Service Program to be licensed as host homes. When an issue with a child occurs, they can be temporarily removed from their household to receive the intervention they need. Giving vulnerable youth ages 11-17 the opportunity to get temporary assistance leads them to reunification with their families rather than being placed in the care of DCFS or becoming part of the juvenile justice system.

Comprehensive Community-Based Youth Service Programs – or CCYBS – designate community-based services to provide immediate crisis intervention programs to children who are homeless without parents, beyond control of their parents, have run away from home, have been locked out of their homes or are at risk of involvement with the child welfare or juvenile justice system.

CCYBS’ offer resources to ensure the safety of children, provide placement services and work with families on reunification – among other services – that can help get at-risk youth on the right track.

“Our top priority is ensuring we keep children in healthy, safe environments that will allow them to grow and prosper,” Morrison said. “By providing support, assistance and education to teens and their parents alike, we are helping them build positive family dynamics.”

House Bill 692 was signed into law Friday and takes effect Jan. 1, 2023.