(a) The Behavioral Health Administrative Burden Task Force is established within the Office of the Chief Behavioral Health Officer, in partnership with the Department of Human Services Division of Mental Health and Division of Substance Use Prevention and Recovery, the Department of Healthcare and Family Services, the Department of Children and Family Services, and the Department of Public Health. (b) The Task Force shall review policies and regulations affecting the behavioral health industry to identify inefficiencies, duplicate or unnecessary requirements, unduly burdensome restrictions, and other administrative barriers that prevent behavioral health professionals from providing services. (c) The Task Force shall analyze the impact of administrative burdens on the delivery of quality care and access to behavioral health services by: (1) collecting data on the administrative tasks, paperwork, and reporting requirements currently imposed on behavioral health professionals in Illinois; (2) engaging with behavioral health professionals, including providers of all relevant license and certification types, to gather input on specific administrative challenges they face; (3) seeking input from clients and service recipients to understand the impact of administrative requirements on their care; and (4) conducting a comparative analysis of documentation requirements with other geographic jurisdictions. (d) The Task Force shall collaborate with relevant State agencies to identify areas where administrative processes can be standardized and harmonized by: (1) researching best practices and successful administrative burden reduction models from other states or jurisdictions; (2) unifying administrative requirements, such as screening, assessment, treatment planning, and personnel requirements, including background checks, where possible among state bodies; and (3) identifying and seeking to replicate reform efforts that have been successful in other jurisdictions. (e) The Task Force shall identify innovative technologies and tools that can help automate and streamline administrative tasks and explore the potential for interagency data sharing and integration to reduce redundant reporting by: (1) researching best practices around shared data platforms to improve the delivery of behavioral health services and ensure that such platforms do not result in a duplication of data entry, including coverage of any relevant software costs to avoid duplication; (2) facilitating the secure exchange of client information, treatment plans, and service coordination among health care providers, behavioral health facilities, State-level regulatory bodies, and other relevant entities; (3) reducing administrative burdens and duplicative data entry for service providers; (4) ensuring compliance with federal and state privacy regulations, including the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, 42 CFR Part 2, and other relevant laws and regulations; and (5) improving access to timely client care, with an emphasis on clients receiving services under the Medical Assistance Program. (f) The Task Force shall eliminate documentation redundancy and coordinate the sharing of information among State agencies by: (1) standardizing forms at the State-level to simplify access, reduce administrative burden, ensure consistency, and unify requirements across all behavioral health provider types where possible; (2) identifying areas where standardized language would be allowable so that staff can focus on individualizing relevant components of documentation; (3) reducing and standardizing, when possible, the information required for assessments and treatment plan goals and consolidate documentation required in these areas for mental health and substance use clients; (4) evaluating, reducing, and streamlining information collected for the registration process, including the process for uploading information and resolving errors; (5) reducing the number of data fields that must be repeated across forms; and (6) streamlining State-level reporting requirements for federal and State grants and remove unnecessary reporting requirements for provider grants funded with state or federal dollars where possible. (g) The Task Force shall develop recommendations for legislative or regulatory changes that can reduce administrative burdens while maintaining client safety and quality of care by: (1) advocating for parity across settings and regulatory entities, including among community, private practice, and State-operated settings; (2) identifying opportunities for reporting efficiencies or technology solutions to share data across reports; (3) evaluating and considering opportunities to simplify funding and seek legislative reform to align requirements across funding streams and regulatory entities; and (4) recommending procedures for more flexibility with deadlines where justified. (h) The Task Force shall participate in statewide efforts to integrate mental health and substance use disorder administrative functions. paperwork, and reporting requirements currently imposed on behavioral health professionals in Illinois; including providers of all relevant license and certification types, to gather input on specific administrative challenges they face; to understand the impact of administrative requirements on their care; and documentation requirements with other geographic jurisdictions. administrative burden reduction models from other states or jurisdictions; screening, assessment, treatment planning, and personnel requirements, including background checks, where possible among state bodies; and efforts that have been successful in other jurisdictions. platforms to improve the delivery of behavioral health services and ensure that such platforms do not result in a duplication of data entry, including coverage of any relevant software costs to avoid duplication; information, treatment plans, and service coordination among health care providers, behavioral health facilities, State-level regulatory bodies, and other relevant entities; data entry for service providers; privacy regulations, including the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, 42 CFR Part 2, and other relevant laws and regulations; and emphasis on clients receiving services under the Medical Assistance Program. simplify access, reduce administrative burden, ensure consistency, and unify requirements across all behavioral health provider types where possible; would be allowable so that staff can focus on individualizing relevant components of documentation; information required for assessments and treatment plan goals and consolidate documentation required in these areas for mental health and substance use clients; information collected for the registration process, including the process for uploading information and resolving errors; repeated across forms; and for federal and State grants and remove unnecessary reporting requirements for provider grants funded with state or federal dollars where possible. regulatory entities, including among community, private practice, and State-operated settings; efficiencies or technology solutions to share data across reports; simplify funding and seek legislative reform to align requirements across funding streams and regulatory entities; and deadlines where justified.
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