McCotter to overhaul investigations of abuse and neglect cases; Governor also names Acting Inspector General

CHICAGO - July 27, 2012. Governor Pat Quinn today announced the appointment of Michael McCotter as Special Investigator of the Office of the Inspector General of the Illinois Department of Human Services (DHS). McCotter, a 40-year law enforcement veteran, will be charged with reforming the investigative operations of the Inspector General's office. Governor Quinn also named Daniel Dyslin as Acting Inspector General for DHS until a permanent replacement is named. Today's actions follow an executive order issued by the governor earlier this month to strengthen protections for adults with disabilities.

 

"Michael McCotter will bring his strong law enforcement experience and dedication to reform to this mission," Governor Quinn said. "His appointment underscores my commitment to ensuring that all people are treated with dignity and respect, and that any abuse and neglect suffered by citizens with disabilities is rooted out quickly and punished appropriately."

 

DHS Secretary Michelle R. B. Saddler will work with McCotter, the governor, members of the General Assembly and stakeholders to explore and institute future reforms that safeguard the lives and rights of people with disabilities.

As Special Investigator, McCotter will review investigative procedures to ensure that abuse and neglect reports are investigated swiftly and that confirmed cases are referred to the appropriate authorities with strong supporting evidence. He will also review the policies of the office to better address and fulfill the office's mission of protecting people with disabilities. McCotter was previously appointed by Governor Quinn as chief public safety officer for the Illinois Department of Corrections and has served in several senior positions at the Chicago Police Department, including chief of patrol, deputy chief of detectives, commander of special events and district commander. He has had professional training with the FBI, United States Secret Service and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, among other law enforcement agencies.

In addition to appointing McCotter, Governor Quinn named Daniel Dyslin as Acting Inspector General for DHS. Dyslin has been serving as a Senior Deputy General Counsel at DHS and has a strong background as an attorney and advocate for people with disabilities.

 

"We will work swiftly to investigate suspected neglect and abuses and work with law enforcement to put a stop to such actions," Saddler said. "Today's action strengthens our efforts to ensure people with disabilities receive the highest quality of care and are treated with the respect and dignity they deserve."

 

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The Scott County has moved the date of its Public Hearing originally scheduled on August 2, 2012, 5:30 p.m. to August 28, 2012 at 5:30 p.m.  This is only a date change.  The time and location remains the same.  Please see the attached media release.

CHICAGO - July 26, 2012. Governor Pat Quinn today took action on the following bill:

Bill No.: HB 3474

An Act Concerning: Public Employee Benefits

Allows the Philip J. Rock Center and School to be a participating employer under the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund.

Action: Signed

Effective Date: Immediately

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Will form basis of a strategic plan for Rural Affairs Council

MOLINE - July 26, 2012. More than half of participants at a series of rural listening posts held across Illinois this year said they expect their quality of life to improve in the next five years and cited job creation, education funding and access to affordable healthcare as the top issues facing their communities, Lt. Governor Simon said today.

These are the major themes in a report written by the Illinois Institute for Rural Affairs at Western Illinois University detailing the feedback Simon gathered from citizens during her rural listening tour in the spring, which took her to Carbondale, Freeport, Gibson City, Mattoon, Peoria and Quincy.

Simon presented the report to the 25-member Rural Affairs Council during a council meeting in Moline today and said the information will form the basis of a strategic plan that will guide the council's work and complement its focus on expanding local food access and strengthening rural emergency medical services.

"I look forward to working with council members to turn this feedback into a plan that ensures state government is meeting the needs of rural citizens," said Simon. "Being from Southern Illinois I appreciate the need for innovative ideas that will boost rural economies."

Over 360 people attended the listening posts and were asked to rank top concerns in the areas of health care, education, infrastructure, business climate, workforce training and quality of life before giving more detailed input during small roundtable discussions.

Despite the overall optimism of listening post attendees, 37 percent thought the quality of life in their community would get worse due to a lack of good paying jobs, and nearly 35 percent voiced concerns about inadequate school funding. Close to half of participants said the ability of local schools to prepare students either for college or for the workforce was the most important education issue.

Participants gave several ideas on how to alleviate these issues including a greater emphasis on vocational and technical training in addition to better collaboration between schools and local businesses. Participants also identified skills such as literacy and math as skills workers need to improve.

Governor Quinn recently signed a bill that Simon helped draft that directs the Illinois State Board of Education to develop model math curricula that will improve college readiness and workforce preparedness. The law is part of Simon's efforts to strengthen the state's community college system and improve college completion rates.

"Too many students arrive at college not prepared for college-level math and too many employers, especially in manufacturing, say workers lack the necessary math skills needed in today's global economy," Simon said. "We aim to reduce remediation and  prepare students for careers by strengthening math instruction in middle school and all four years of high school."

Rising healthcare costs were a top issue for participants as 32 percent of attendees said affordable healthcare was the most important healthcare issue, while another 22 percent cited access and availability of health insurance. Participants said that improved preventative care and healthier lifestyles could help stem rising costs.

Participants also discussed the critical role technology, particularly access to high-speed internet, will play in offering rural areas expanded access to specialists, preventive care and education services and helping control costs through improvements such as electronic medical records.

Improving high-speed internet access was seen by participants as vital to all parts of rural life in Illinois and attendees said it could offer solutions that enable rural residents, businesses and institutions to collaborate, increase efficiency and control costs. But the biggest barrier to expanding internet use was cost, according to 32 percent of attendees.

"We were impressed by the quality of the discussion and the passion that many of the attendees brought to the conversation," said Christopher Merrett, director of the IIRA. "By participating in the Listening Posts, rural residents demonstrated their commitment to their communities and their belief that rural areas are great places to live, work, and do business."

The report directs the Rural Affairs Council to form a work group and use participants' feedback along with data from the IIRA's Rural Life Poll, which formed the foundation of the questions asked at the listening posts, to begin work on a strategic plan.

Rural listening posts were held by Lt. Governor George Ryan across Illinois in 1986 and led to creation of the Governor's Rural Affairs Council the following year. In 1998, 2000 and 2007, the Rural Affairs Council, the IIRA and the Illinois Rural Partners, a non-profit, organized listening posts across Illinois to directly gather input from rural citizens.

The Rural Affairs Council is comprised of citizen members and representatives from various state agencies, institutions and organizations that impact rural Illinois. For more information on the council or to read the listening post report visit www.ltgov.illinois.gov.

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