HR0510 LRB099 12412 GRL 35685 r
1		HOUSE RESOLUTION
2		WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3		Representatives are pleased to congratulate Deborah McCarrel,
4		Senior Policy Advisor for the Division of Medical Programs of
5		the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services, on
6		the occasion of her retirement; and
7		WHEREAS, Deborah McCarrel will retire on May 31, 2015 after
8		a long and distinguished career in social work and public
9		service; over the course of her 30-year career, she has served
10		in a variety of capacities across numerous State agencies,
11		transforming State programs and dedicating her talents to the
12		children and families of Illinois; and
13		WHEREAS, Deborah McCarrel received a Bachelor's Degree in
14		Social Work from the University of Illinois at Springfield in
15		2001 and a Master of Social Work degree from the University of
16		Illinois at Urbana in 2003; and
17		WHEREAS, Deborah McCarrel began her career with the
18		Department of Transportation in Traffic Safety, serving there
19		from 1978 to 1980; she went on to serve in the Public Inquiry
20		Office at the Department of Public Aid from 1988 to 1990 and
21		the Division of Developmental Disabilities at the Department of
22		Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities from 1989 to 1994

HR0510 - 2 - LRB099 12412 GRL 35685 r
1		before managing the Statewide Food Stamp Employment and
2		Training Development Program at the Department of Public Aid
3		from 1994 to 1996; and
4		WHEREAS, Deborah McCarrel served in a number of
5		increasingly responsible and influential positions within the
6		Department of Children and Family Services from 1996 to 2006;
7		in the Office of Legislative Affairs, she was responsible for
8		the development and analysis of legislative proposals
9		impacting the Department; within the Director's Office, she
10		developed and managed the Advocacy Office for Children and
11		Families, served as the Department's liaison to the Office of
12		the Inspector General, represented the Department to a wide
13		variety of stakeholders, and developed and directed agency
14		programs to assure continuous quality of services to children;
15		in the Division of Clinical Services, she supervised the Child
16		Welfare Employee Licensure unit, managing the licensure
17		process for 7,500 direct service workers, and was responsible
18		for the design, implementation, and analysis of programs in
19		response to federal and State policy mandates; and
20		WHEREAS, From 2006 to 2011, Deborah McCarrel worked with
21		the Department of Human Services; during her tenure, she served
22		as the Program Manager for the Illinois AmeriCorps State
23		programs, successfully rebuilding the Illinois Commission
24		infrastructure, increasing federal funding, and expanding

HR0510 - 3 - LRB099 12412 GRL 35685 r
1		volunteer programs in the State; she also served as the Program
2		Administrator for the Comprehensive Community Based Youth
3		Services Program, a statewide system of community-based
4		programs focused on diverting youth from the juvenile justice
5		and child welfare systems; and
6		WHEREAS, Deborah McCarrel was selected to serve as Manager
7		for the Policy and Program Development Section of the Bureau of
8		Comprehensive Health Services in the Division of Medical
9		Programs at the Department of Healthcare and Family Services in
10		2011, where she implemented program and operational policies
11		and procedures for the Illinois Medicaid Program and managed
12		the State Chronic Renal Dialysis Program, the Home and
13		Community Based Waiver Program for Medically Fragile
14		Technology Dependent Children, the Acquired Brain Injury
15		Program for Youth, and the Non-Emergency Transportation Prior
16		Approval Program; and
17		WHEREAS, In 2012, Deborah McCarrel became the Chief for the
18		Bureau of Operations at the Department of Children and Family
19		Services, serving as a Senior Member of the Director's
20		Executive Staff; she established statewide and regional goals
21		and objectives and evaluated outcomes and was responsible for
22		formulating and overseeing the implementation of statewide
23		policies and procedures involving child welfare placement,
24		adoptions, and resources and for monitoring program compliance

HR0510 - 4 - LRB099 12412 GRL 35685 r
1		with federal and State rules; and
2		WHEREAS, In May of 2014, Deborah McCarrel was selected to
3		serve as a Senior Policy Advisor for the Division of Medical
4		Programs of the Department of Healthcare and Family Services;
5		as Senior Policy Advisor, under the authority of the Governor's
6		Office, she led a multi-agency team in the statewide effort to
7		reform the children's behavioral health system, overseeing the
8		workgroup process of the Children's Services Subcommittee of
9		the Governor's Office of Health Innovation and Transformation,
10		coordinating the input of over 250 stakeholders from multiple
11		child-serving agencies, advocacy organizations, trade
12		organizations, provider groups, families, and consumers, and
13		establishing consensus on 48 recommendations in support of
14		Systems of Care and children's behavioral health reform; and
15		WHEREAS, Deborah McCarrel has also served as Adjunct
16		Professor for the School of Social Work and the Center for
17		State Policy and Leadership at the University of Illinois
18		Springfield since 2005, inspiring, mentoring, and teaching
19		future social workers; and
20		WHEREAS, Deborah McCarrel's dedication to her profession
21		and willingness to serve makes her an exemplary model for the
22		people of the State of Illinois and a stalwart champion for
23		children and families; therefore, be it

HR0510 - 5 - LRB099 12412 GRL 35685 r
1		RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
2		NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we
3		congratulate Deborah McCarrel on the occasion of her retirement
4		and wish her continued success and happiness in the future; and
5		be it further
6		RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
7		presented to Deborah McCarrel as a symbol of our esteem and
8		respect.