DHS-DSP PILOT PROGRAM, the official text

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1   AN ACT concerning State government.

2   Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,

3 represented in the General Assembly:

4   Section 5. The Mental Health and Developmental

5 Disabilities Administrative Act is amended by changing Section

6 4.4 as follows:

7   (20 ILCS 1705/4.4)

8   Sec. 4.4. Direct support professional credential pilot

9 program.

10  (a) In this Section, "direct support professional person

11 credential" means a document issued to an individual by a

12 recognized accrediting body attesting that the individual has

13 met the professional requirements of the credentialing program

14 by the Division of Developmental Disabilities of the

15 Department of Human Services.

16  (b) The Division or a Division partner shall initiate a

17 program to continue to gain the expertise and knowledge of the

18 developmental disabilities workforce and of the developmental

19 disabilities workforce recruitment and retention needs

20 throughout the developmental disabilities field. The Division

21 shall implement a direct support professional credential pilot

22 program to assist and attract persons into the field of direct

23 support, advance direct support as a career, and
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1 professionalize the field to promote workforce recruitment and

2 retention efforts, advanced skills and competencies, and

3 further ensure the health, safety, and well-being of persons

4 being served.

5   (c) The direct support professional credential pilot

6 program is created within the Division to assist persons in

7 the field of developmental disabilities in obtaining a

8 credential in their fields of expertise.

9   (d) The pilot program shall be administered by the

10 Division for 3 years, beginning in Fiscal Year 2028 2025. The

11 pilot program shall include providers licensed and certified

12 by the Division or by the Department of Public Health. The

13 purpose of the pilot program is to assess how the

14 establishment of a State-administered direct support

15 professional credential:

16  (1) promotes recruitment and retention efforts in the

17  developmental disabilities field, notably the direct

18  support professional position;

19  (2) enhances competence in the developmental

20  disabilities field;

21  (3) yields quality supports and services to persons

22  with developmental disabilities; and

23  (4) advances the health and safety requirements set

24  forth by the State.

25  (e) The Division or a Division partner, in administering

26 the pilot program, shall consider, but not be limited to, the
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1 following:

2   (1) best practices learning initiatives, including the

3   University of Minnesota's college of direct support and

4   all Illinois Department of Human Services-approved direct

5   support professional competencies;

6   (2) national direct support professional competencies

7   or credentialing-based standards and trainings;

8   (3) facilitating direct support professional's

9   portfolio development;

10  (4) the role and value of skill mentors; and

11  (5) creating a career ladder.

12  (f) The Division shall produce a report detailing the

13 progress of the pilot program, including, but not limited to:

14  (1) the rate of recruitment and retention for direct

15  support professionals of providers participating in the

16  pilot program compared to the rate for non-participating

17  providers;

18  (2) the number of direct support professional

19  credentialed; and

20  (3) the enhancement of quality supports and services

21  to persons with developmental disabilities.

22 (Source: P.A. 102-830, eff. 1-1-23; 103-998, eff. 8-9-24;

23 revised 6-26-25.)

24  Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon

25 becoming law.