(The Center Square) – A legislative hearing Thursday addressed the financial and administrative obstacles facing substance use disorder treatment providers in Illinois.
The Illinois Senate and House Mental Health and Addiction Joint Committee has been holding a series of hearings to discuss various aspects of funding and treatment.
State Rep. Lindsey LaPointe, D-Chicago, said it may be time for Illinois government to get out of the way so that treatment providers can do their jobs more easily.
“When we talk about the administrative burden, I like to use the term red tape because it is something the public can better identify with,” said LaPointe. “What are those burdens, why do they exist, what purpose do they serve?”
With a forecast of a lean state budget in the next fiscal year, Illinois lawmakers are hearing from interested parties on the treatment of mental health and substance abuse and the future of funding.
Despite warnings of financial cutbacks due to an anticipated budget deficit, state Rep. Camille Lilly, D-Chicago, is talking about expanding substance abuse treatment programs.
“I’d like to know a little bit more of what expansion looks like, so that everybody has access to these services,” said Lilly.
Adriana Trino from the Latino Treatment Center said expansion isn’t going to happen anytime soon.
“It’s hard to expand when you can’t even retain your counselors,” said Trino. “Like I said, $35,000 to $40,000 for a bilingual, Masters level counselor is rough.”
Other hearings dealt with issues such as high workforce turnover, Medicaid reimbursement rates and budget limitations.
It is estimated that over $770 million of opioid settlement money will go to the Remediation Fund, which will be used for substance abuse programs.