Public Accountability Report

The mission of the Department of Human Services (DHS) is to assist our customers in achieving maximum self-sufficiency, independence, and health through the provision of seamless, integrated services for individuals, families, and communities. DHS improves the quality of life of thousands of Illinois families by providing an array of comprehensive, coordinated services through programs for persons with developmental disabilities, mental illness, and substance use problems; employment, training, and independent living programs for persons with disabilities; and financial support, employment and training programs, community health and prevention programs, child care, and other family services for low-income families. DHS serves Illinois families through the following main programs:

Family and Community Services (FCS). This division emphasizes a structure that provides services along a social service continuum from birth to death and represents a comprehensive approach to meeting the basic needs of DHS customers, including access to food (i.e., SNAP and food bank/pantry); nutrition education; prenatal and infant services; housing assistance; domestic violence referrals; immigrant and refugee services; youth services; income assistance (i.e., TANF); employment and training; and other supportive services. FCS staff also helps clients find services provided by other DHS divisions, state agencies, and local communities.

Division of Early Childhood (DEC). DEC’s North Star aspiration is that it equips pregnant persons, young children, and families with the supports they need to achieve their full potential by providing whole child development through child care, home visiting, and early intervention programs and services. In fiscal year 2024, the division allocated more than $3.7 billion in state and federal funds, investing in our frontline early childhood providers, while providing critical support to working families throughout Illinois. These funds helped drive more than 40,000 early intervention referrals, supported nearly 4,000 children and families with home visiting, and helped as many as 138,000 children access affordable child care monthly, while supporting 18,000 center and family child-care providers.

Division of Rehabilitation Services (DRS). DRS is the state's lead agency serving individuals with disabilities. DRS works in partnership with people with disabilities and their families to assist them in making informed choices to achieve full community participation through employment, education, and independent living opportunities. DRS delivers services directly through our local offices and in partnership with a network of over 300 community service providers, reaching every part of Illinois. DHS services touch the lives of one out of five Illinois citizens each year.

Division of Developmental Disabilities Services (DDD). DDD ensures an extensive array of services and supports for individuals with developmental disabilities, enabling them to obtain competitive employment, make decisions, contribute to the community, obtain and maintain health and safety, and have relationships with family and friends. The developmental disability service system is comprised of more than 300 community service providers and approximately 195 private Intermediate Care Facilities; the division operates seven state-operated developmental centers (SODCs). In fiscal year 2024, the division enrolled 184 people with developmental disabilities who were determined to be in crisis (homeless, abused, or neglected) into a Home and Community Based (HCBS) waiver; another 1,342 people were selected from the PUNS and given the opportunity to apply for an HCBS service. To meet the increased need for community-based services, the division continues to invest and expand high-quality services and support. The supports and services provided by DDD enable persons enrolled in HCBS waivers to remain in their own homes or in community-based settings and avoid more restrictive residential settings and institutionalization. The DDD seeks to expand the capacity of qualified community provider agencies and to strengthen the community system. The DDD was part of a diverse group of advocates, state employees, and community members who worked toward the Dignity in Pay Act. This Act empowers the State of Illinois to lead a gradual five-year plan that will expand employment options for people with disabilities while phasing out 14(c) subminimum wage authorizations. This legislation moves Illinois closer to becoming the 19th state to phase out 14(c) subminimum wage for workers with disabilities. In addition, the division operates eight short-term stabilization homes to provide temporary stabilization services to individuals with developmental disabilities who are experiencing extraordinary behavioral issues preventing their continued stay in their community-based setting. In 2024, out of a recognized need for increased female supports, a second female home was dedicated to the program, allowing female supports to be provided by each of the respective agencies. The DDD continues to monitor the ongoing compliance of the federal CMS Settings and Person-Centered Planning Requirements to assure people receiving services have access to community living that meets their needs and is of their choosing.

Division of Mental Health Services (DMH). DMH provides inpatient mental health services through its operation of seven accredited state hospitals and one treatment detention facility. DMH provides funding to 200+ community mental health centers (CMHCs) and community hospitals to provide community-based mental health care across the state. CMHC staff include credentialed mental health professionals, such as licensed physicians, board-certified psychiatrists, licensed clinical psychologists, licensed clinical social workers, licensed counselors, registered nurses, and certified recovery support specialists. All services are targeted toward identifying and providing treatment to individuals who are diagnosed with mental illnesses/emotional disorders and co-occurring mental illnesses and substance use disorders (SUD) with the goal of supporting an individual's recovery. DMH’s mission is to ensure equitable access to a full continuum of preventive, supportive, and recovery-focused resources that promote mental wellness for all people in Illinois.

Division of Substance Use Prevention and Recovery (SUPR). As the single state authority for SUD, the mission of SUPR is to provide a recovery-oriented system of care along the continuum of prevention, intervention, treatment, and recovery support in which individuals with SUD and gambling disorders, those in recovery, and those at risk are valued and treated with dignity and in which stigma and accompanying attitudes, discrimination, and other barriers to recovery are eliminated. SUPR is charged with designing, coordinating, funding, and licensing a comprehensive and coordinated community-based culturally and gender-appropriate array of services throughout the state.