Illinois § 5

§ 5.

Findings. The General Assembly makes the following findings: (1) The short-term, long-term, and multi-generational impacts of trauma are well-documented and include increased risk for reduced life expectancy, cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, smoking, substance abuse, depression, unplanned pregnancies, low birth weight, and suicide attempts as well as workplace absenteeism, unemployment, lower educational achievement, and lower wages. (2) Trauma-informed and healing-centered principles, policies, and practices can prevent and mitigate the adverse health and social outcomes associated with trauma. (3) Equitable strategies and a multisector approach are needed to ensure that all residents at every stage of life have the supports at home and in their communities that build well-being, buffer against negative experiences, foster healing, and make it possible to thrive. (4) The State of Illinois is a national leader in supporting trauma-informed strategies and is committed to becoming a trauma-informed and healing-centered State. (5) The State of Illinois has previously recognized the impact of trauma on its residents' health and well-being, including through Trauma-Informed Awareness resolutions in 2019, 2021, and 2022, the creation of the Whole Child Task Force in 2021, and the Children's Mental Health Transformation Initiative established in 2022. (6) The State of Illinois has public entities, such as the State Board of Education, the Department of Human Services, the Department of Juvenile Justice, the Department of Public Health, and the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority, non-governmental entities, such as the Illinois Childhood Trauma Coalition and the Illinois ACEs Response Collaborative, and public-private entities, such as the Illinois Children's Mental Health Partnership, leading efforts related to being trauma-informed and healing-centered. (7) Better coordination and alignment of existing trauma-informed and healing-centered activities among public and non-governmental agencies will lead to more effective, equitable, and consistently high-quality implementation of services and supports to Illinois residents. (8) Designing a sustainable structure to support and measure trauma-informed, healing-centered activities is essential to long-term transformation and should take into consideration the importance of providing ongoing training and support to the multisector, multidisciplinary workforce, as well as ongoing research to inform the development and implementation of trauma-informed, healing-centered policies, practices, and programs. (Source: P.A. 103-545, eff. 1-1-24.)