Illinois Partners Policy and Advocacy Agenda

We are leading efforts to fund health and human services, so all Illinoisans can reach their potential and have access to a sector that is equitable, sustainable, and speaks with a collective voice. 

• Cross-sector Collaboration.  We unify health and human services stakeholders by mobilizing a coalition of more than 850 organizations around the state and leading a collaboration among 20 health and human services associations. We bring the health and human services sector together at statewide and local meetings with public officials to ensure community-based providers have a seat at the table with key decision-makers. We demonstrate human services’ role in confronting systemic racism and factors impacting social determinants of health to wide audiences, including business leaders. 

• Grassroots Advocacy.  We promote best practices, conduct outreach and research, and equip coalition partners with the tools they need to exercise collective power and amplify stakeholder voices to promote systemic change, address systemic racism in our sector, and find structural revenue solutions. We conduct educational events and research projects including virtual statewide and local workshops to activate our coalition partners as advocates for robust health and human services funding, administrative efficiency, and other policy priorities.

• Data-driven Research.  We survey our partners regularly using an intersectional approach to data collection. We publish and distribute reports that give readers the information they need to tackle systemic inequities within the health and human service sector.

1. The Human Service Professional Loan Repayment Program: Illinois Partners and Illinois Collaboration on Youth have jointly filed legislation to create the Human Service Professional Loan Repayment Program.  This program will provide loan repayment assistance to eligible direct service professionals practicing in community-based, human service organizations that contract with or are grant-funded by a state agency.  By focusing this program on professionals working for community-based health and human service providers in Illinois, this bill seeks to improve employee retention, support frontline workers, and create continuity in service delivery.

1. Legislators should support pending legislation that is important to our coalition and centers racial and economic justice;  
2. Support federal legislation that improves paid leave and other workforce provisions that benefit the human services workforce;
3. Permit some capital expenses to be covered by state grants;
4. Ensure timely and predictable payments.

1. Ensure fair pay for comparable work (see Massachusetts example);
2. Require managed care companies to employ standardized and simplified practices statewide;
3. Reduce reliance on Fee-For-Service (FFS) models in favor of outcome-based/capacity grants;
4. Revise credentialing and licensure rules to create more flexibility in hiring practices;
5. Establish a cohesive, consistent, and equitable methodology to determine reimbursement rates and other contractual payments to keep pace with the costs of living and doing business.