Bill > HB3999

This bill creates a County Co-Responder Pilot Program that allows county sheriff's offices to establish specialized units combining law enforcement with social work services, subject to funding availability. The program will focus primarily on victim assistance, with social workers responsible for conducting follow-up visits for individuals who might benefit from mental or behavioral health services. These units will employ licensed social workers tasked with a wide range of responsibilities, including identifying victims through police reports, providing crisis counseling, safety planning, court advocacy, and helping victims access community resources. The social workers will work with both adult and juvenile investigations, offering services such as helping domestic violence victims find safe housing, assisting families with habitual runaways, and providing guidance to juveniles who have been arrested. The bill mandates specialized crisis intervention training for unit employees and emphasizes protecting the confidentiality of communications between social workers and clients. The program is designed as a pilot initiative, with the division set to be automatically repealed on January 1, 2029, allowing for evaluation of its effectiveness. The goal is to create a more holistic, supportive approach to addressing community needs by integrating social services with traditional law enforcement responses.

https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/BillStatus.asp?DocNum=3999&GAID=18&DocTypeID=HB&SessionID=114&GA=104