BEACON Contract and statement of work
| Submitted | Nov. 15, 2024 |
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Communications
From: Todd Feathers
To Whom It May Concern:
Pursuant to the Illinois Freedom of Information Act., I hereby request the following records:
1) All contracts and statements of work between IDHS and Google regarding the Behavioral Health Care and Ongoing Navigation (BEACON) portal. This partnership has been publicly disclosed by the state: https://www.illinois.gov/news/press-release.29565.html
2) Technical design documents describing the process by which BEACON matches youth to potential resources.
If you have any questions about this request, please do not hesitate to ask. If you would like to set up a time to discuss this request over the phone, please email me at tips@toddfeathers.com.
I am requesting these records as a journalist in order to write articles in the public interest about the operations of a government agency and not for any commercial purpose.
In the event that you determine certain records or portions of records are exempt from disclosure, I ask that you provide a detailed explanation of the records or portions of records being withheld and the statutory exemptions under which they are being withheld.
The requested documents will be made available to the general public, and this request is not being made for commercial purposes.
In the event that there are fees, I would be grateful if you would inform me of the total charges in advance of fulfilling my request. I would prefer the request filled electronically, by e-mail attachment if available or CD-ROM if not.
Thank you in advance for your anticipated cooperation in this matter. I look forward to receiving your response to this request within 5 business days, as the statute requires.
Sincerely,
Todd Feathers
From: Department of Human Services
Dear Todd Feathers,
The Illinois Department of Human Services received your request for records pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) on November 15, 2024. Your request seeks the following:
1) All contracts and statements of work between IDHS and Google regarding the Behavioral Health Care and Ongoing Navigation (BEACON) portal. This partnership has been publicly disclosed by the state: https://www.illinois.gov/news/press-release.29565.html
2) Technical design documents describing the process by which BEACON matches youth to potential resources.
Under the Freedom of Information Act, a public body may extend the time to respond to a FOIA request by up to five business days. 5 ILCS 140/3(e). As such, the Department is extending the time to respond to your request by five business days on one or more of the following bases:
• The requested records are stored in whole or in part at other locations than the office having charge of the requested records;
• The request requires the collection of a substantial number of specified records;
• The requested records have not been located in the course of a routine search and additional efforts are being made to locate them;
• The requested records require examination and evaluation by personnel having the necessary competence and discretion to determine if they are exempt from disclosure or should be revealed only with appropriate deletions; and
• The request for records cannot be complied with by the public body within the time limits prescribed by FOIA without unduly burdening or interfering with the operation of the public body.
The Department will respond to your request on or before December 3, 2024. Thank you for your continued patience and interest in the Illinois Department of Human Services.
Sincerely,
FOIA Officer
From: Department of Human Services
Dear Todd Feathers,
The Illinois Department of Human Services continues to review records and process your request. As a result, the Department requests an additional five business day extension which is permissible under Section 3(e) of FOIA. 5 ILCS 140/3(e). Under the new deadline, the Department will respond to your request on or before December 10, 2024. If you do not agree to this extension, please contact me at your earliest convenience.
Thank you for your continued patience.
Sincerely,
FOIA Officer
Patricia M. Brown (she/her/hers)
Deputy General Counsel
Illinois Department of Human Services
69 West Washington Street
Chicago, IL 60602
312-796-1833 (Cell)
Patricia.M.Brown@illinois.gov<mailto:Patricia.M.Brown@illinois.gov>
State of Illinois - CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: The information contained in this communication is confidential, may be attorney-client privileged or attorney work product, may constitute inside information or internal deliberative staff communication, and is intended only for the use of the addressee. Unauthorized use, disclosure or copying of this communication or any part thereof is strictly prohibited and may be unlawful. If you have received this communication in error, please notify the sender immediately by return e-mail and destroy this communication and all copies thereof, including all attachments. Receipt by an unintended recipient does not waive attorney-client privilege, attorney work product privilege, or any other exemption from disclosure.
From: Department of Human Services
Dear Todd Feathers,
The Illinois Department of Human Services received your request, for records pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) on November 15, 2024, for the following:
1) All contracts and statements of work between IDHS and Google regarding the Behavioral Health Care and Ongoing Navigation (BEACON) portal. This partnership has been publicly disclosed by the state: https://www.illinois.gov/news/press-release.29565.html
2) Technical design documents describing the process by which BEACON matches youth to potential resources.
Attached are the documents that respond to your requested items. Please note regarding Item #2 the document labeled First document is the actual "technical design document" that outlines all the features and functionality of BEACON, including the process of matching users to SPIDER resources. The spreadsheet is the "master eligibility algorithm" that determines which State-funded services are offered to users. "Master Eligibility Algorithm" is based on the Appendix E of the Blueprint for Transformation (https://gov.illinois.gov/content/dam/soi/en/web/gov/documents/childrens-health-web.pdf) publicly released in 2023.
To the extent you consider this response to be an improper denial of your FOIA request, you have a right to seek review by writing to the Public Access Counselor (PAC) at the following address:
Public Access Counselor
Office of the Attorney General
500 South 2nd Street
Springfield, Illinois 62706
Fax: 217-782-1396
E-Mail: Public.Access@ilag.gov
If you choose to file a Request for Review with the PAC, you must do so within 60 calendar days of the date of this letter. 5 ILCS 140/9.5(a). Please note that you must include a copy of your original FOIA request and this response when filing a Request for Review with the PAC. You also have the right to seek judicial review of this response. 5 ILCS 140/11.
Thank you for your interest in the Illinois Department of Human Services.
Sincerely,
FOIA Officer
State of Illinois - CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: The information contained in this communication is confidential, may be attorney-client privileged or attorney work product, may constitute inside information or internal deliberative staff communication, and is intended only for the use of the addressee. Unauthorized use, disclosure or copying of this communication or any part thereof is strictly prohibited and may be unlawful. If you have received this communication in error, please notify the sender immediately by return e-mail and destroy this communication and all copies thereof, including all attachments. Receipt by an unintended recipient does not waive attorney-client privilege, attorney work product privilege, or any other exemption from disclosure.
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2d. Master Eligibility Logic (1)
