Our Priorities

2023 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.


CORE PILLARS
Speak with a Collective Voice for the Health and Human Service Sector. We start by listening to our community-based partners. We then amplify and strengthen the collective voice of human services so we can break down silos, compel investment in a stronger sector, and create thriving communities. COLLABORATION	Advocate for Robust Public Investment in Health and Human Services. Our state budget is a moral document; it represents the belief our government must invest in the well-being of all Illinoisans. We press decision-makers to boldly and equitably fund all human services, with the knowledge that a well-supported sector is essential to community health and well-being. Promote the essential value of Human Services in our society. Human services matter to everyone in every community. We strive to be a leader in developing key resources that advance equity, increase awareness of the issues facing the human services sector, and reframe public perception of the impact of these essential services in our communities. ADVOCACYEQUITY	Address the root causes of inequity in our sector. Structural inequities built into society and our sector must be addressed to achieve meaningful systems change. Our advocacy must acknowledge the role of systemic racism within state government, within health and human service workforce and delivery systems, and in the communities our coalition partners serve. CONNECTION
CORE VALUES

Long Term Commitment: We will advocate for continual, increased state funding of human services, year over year. We will push for equitable policies that address the needs of the sector and promote community well-being.

Short Term Targets:

Secure a higher percentage of General Revenue Fund appropriations for human services as compared to FY23 to ensure that we are able to sustain program improvements and innovations that have shown value to our communities;
Influence funding decisions that:
Consider administrative burdens placed on providers;
Address ongoing workforce challenges, including high turnover and vacancy rates;
Prioritize solutions for meeting increased demand for services across the state.
Secure legislative and/or administrative changes to GATA that alleviate administrative burden for providers;
Secure appropriations to fund the Human Service Professional Loan Repayment Program;
Produce research that demonstrates the correlation between workforce challenges and the sector’s capacity to meet the needs of their communities.

2023 LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES:

HUMAN SERVICES PROFESSIONAL LOAN REPAYMENT PROGRAM ACT
AMENDMENT:
Secure appropriations for PA 102-1089 to address the Human Service Workforce Crisis.
The Illinois General Assembly passed SB3925 (PA 102-1089) unanimously, to address the human service workforce crisis that directly impacts communities across Illinois. The Human Services Professional Loan Repayment Program provides loan repayment assistance to qualified human services professionals to recruit and retain them to work in community-based human services organizations. Without appropriations, however, human service providers are unable to effectively reduce the burdens of their workforce and offer these repayment options. We are asking for $15M in appropriations to fund 1,000 repayments for community-based human service professionals.

Fair Pay for Comparable Work:
Advance pay equity for the Human Service Sector in Illinois.
State contracts with community-based human service providers do not reflect everincreasing costs of living or the costs of delivering essential services. These contracts also often reflect vastly lower rates of pay than for state employees performing similar work, creating a disparity in how the state values work differently depending on who performs it. This bill seeks to eliminate the pay disparity that exists between the salaries of human service professionals employed by community-based human service providers and state employees holding similar job titles who perform similar work.

Amend the Grant Accountability and Transparency Act (GATA):
Reduce Administrative Burden for Providers
Health and human service providers face undue administrative burden under GATA. Regulations and requirements are increasing and as a result the cost of doing business continues to grow. This bill will amend GATA to ensure grants do not restrict administrative costs to less than 20%. This bill will also eliminate any caps on fringe benefits in state contracts, which include but are not limited to the costs of leave (vacation, family-related, sick or military) and employee insurance. This will provide flexibility for providers to offer better benefits to improve employee retention.

COLLABORATIONS & PARTNERSHIIPS

Illinois Partners for Human Service works with associations and coalitions across the state to address systemic issues addressing the long term, equitable funding for the Human Service sector and our workforce. Illinois Partners represents the sector at the following tables:

Health and Human Service Coalition
Responsible Budget Coalition
Illinois Paid Family and Medical Leave (Time to Care) Coalition
Illinois Family Caregiver Coalition
State of Illinois Health Improvement Plan Committee (SHIP)
The Chicago Alliance for Collaborative Effort (CACE)
IL Skills for Good Jobs Agenda

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Human services matter to ALL of us.

Our sector ensures that we have the essential elements to build and maintain our physical, emotional, and economic well-being at every phase of life.

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