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| Public Act 102-0352 | ||||
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AN ACT concerning government.
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Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
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represented in the General Assembly:
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Section 5. The First Responders Suicide Prevention Act is | ||||
amended by adding Section 40 as follows: | ||||
(5 ILCS 840/40 new) | ||||
Sec. 40. Task Force recommendations. | ||||
(a) Task Force members shall recommend that agencies and | ||||
organizations guarantee access to mental health and wellness | ||||
services, including, but not limited to, peer support programs | ||||
and providing ongoing education related to the ever-evolving | ||||
concept of mental health wellness. These recommendations could | ||||
be accomplished by: | ||||
(1) Revising agencies' and organizations' employee | ||||
assistance programs (EAPs). | ||||
(2) Urging health care providers to replace outdated | ||||
healthcare plans and include more progressive options | ||||
catering to the needs and disproportionate risks | ||||
shouldered by our first responders. | ||||
(3) Allocating funding or resources for public service | ||||
announcements (PSA) and messaging campaigns aimed at | ||||
raising awareness of available assistance options. | ||||
(4) Encouraging agencies and organizations to attach | ||||
lists of all available resources to training manuals and | ||
continuing education requirements. | ||
(b) Task Force members shall recommend agencies and | ||
organizations sponsor or facilitate first responders with | ||
specialized training in the areas of psychological fitness, | ||
depressive disorders, early detection, and mitigation best | ||
practices. Such trainings could be accomplished by: | ||
(1) Assigning, appointing, or designating one member | ||
of an agency or organization to attend specialized | ||
training(s) sponsored by an accredited agency, | ||
association, or organization recognized in their fields of | ||
study. | ||
(2) Seeking sponsorships or conducting fund-raisers, | ||
to host annual or semiannual on-site visits from qualified | ||
clinicians or physicians to provide early detection | ||
training techniques, or to provide regular access to | ||
mental health professionals. | ||
(3) Requiring a minimum number of hours of disorders | ||
and wellness training be incorporated into reoccurring, | ||
annual or biannual training standards, examinations, and | ||
curriculums, taking into close consideration respective | ||
agency or organization size, frequency and number of all | ||
current federal and state mandatory examinations and | ||
trainings expected respectively. | ||
(4) Not underestimating the crucial importance of a | ||
balanced diet, sleep, mindfulness-based stress reduction | ||
techniques, moderate and vigorous intensity activities, | ||
and recreational hobbies, which have been scientifically | ||
proven to play a major role in brain health and mental | ||
wellness. | ||
(c) Task Force members shall recommend that administrators | ||
and leadership personnel solicit training services from | ||
evidence-based, data driven organizations. Organizations with | ||
personnel trained on the analytical review and interpretation | ||
of specific fields related to the nature of first responders' | ||
exploits, such as PTSD, substance abuse, chronic state of | ||
duress. Task Force members shall further recommend funding for | ||
expansion and messaging campaigns of preliminary | ||
self-diagnosing technologies like the one described above. | ||
These objectives could be met by: | ||
(1) Contacting an accredited agency, association, or | ||
organization recognized in the field or fields of specific | ||
study. Unbeknownst to the majority, many of the agencies | ||
and organizations listed above receive grants and | ||
allocations to assist communities with the very issues | ||
being discussed in this Section. | ||
(2) Normalizing help-seeking behaviors for both first | ||
responders and their families through regular messaging | ||
and peer support outreach, beginning with academy | ||
curricula and continuing education throughout individuals' | ||
careers. | ||
(3) Funding and implementing PSA campaigns that | ||
provide clear and concise calls to action about mental | ||
health and wellness, resiliency, help-seeking, treatment | ||
and recovery. | ||
(4) Promoting and raising awareness of non-for-profit | ||
organizations currently available to assist individuals in | ||
search of care and treatment. Organizations have intuitive | ||
user-friendly sites, most of which have mobile | ||
applications, so first responders can access at a moment's | ||
notice. However, because of limited funds, these | ||
organizations have a challenging time of getting the word | ||
out there about their existence. | ||
(5) Expanding Family and Medical Leave Act protections | ||
for individuals voluntarily seeking preventative | ||
treatment. | ||
(6) Promoting and ensuring complete patient | ||
confidentiality protections. | ||
(d) Task Force members shall recommend that agencies and | ||
organizations incorporate the following training components | ||
into already existing modules and educational curriculums. | ||
Doing so could be done by: | ||
(1) Bolstering academy and school curricula by | ||
requiring depressive disorder training catered to PTSD, | ||
substance abuse, and early detection techniques training, | ||
taking into close consideration respective agency or | ||
organization size, and the frequency and number of all | ||
current federal and state mandatory examinations and | ||
trainings expected respectively. | ||
(2) Continuing to allocate or match federal and state | ||
funds to maintain Mobil Training Units (MTUs). | ||
(3) Incorporating a state certificate for peer support | ||
training into already exiting statewide curriculums and | ||
mandatory examinations, annual State Fire Marshal | ||
examinations, and physical fitness examinations. The | ||
subject matter of the certificate should have an emphasis | ||
on mental health and wellness, as well as familiarization | ||
with topics ranging from clinical social work, clinical | ||
psychology, clinical behaviorist, and clinical psychiatry. | ||
(4) Incorporating and performing statewide mental | ||
health check-ins during the same times as already mandated | ||
trainings. These checks are not to be compared or used as | ||
measures of fitness for duty evaluations or structured | ||
psychological examinations. | ||
(5) Recommending comprehensive and evidence-based | ||
training on the importance of preventative measures on the | ||
topics of sleep, nutrition, mindfulness, and physical | ||
movement. | ||
(6) Law enforcement agencies should provide training | ||
on the Firearm Owner's Identification Card Act, including | ||
seeking relief from the Illinois State Police under | ||
Section 10 of the Firearm Owners Identification Card Act | ||
and a FOID card being a continued condition of employment | ||
under Section 7.2 of the Uniform Peace Officers' | ||
Disciplinary Act.
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