Abuse Reporting

Section 270 Section 270.230  Abuse Reporting a) If any mandated reporter has reason to believe that an eligible adult, who because of disability or other condition or impairment is unable to seek assistance for himself or herself, has, within the previous 12 months, been subjected to abuse, abandonment, neglect, or financial exploitation, the mandated reporter shall, within 24 hours after developing such belief, report this suspicion to an agency designated to receive such reports under the Act or to the Department. [320 ILCS 20/4(a-5)] b) Whenever a mandated reporter is required to report under the Act in his or her capacity as a member of the staff of a medical or other public or private institution, facility, or agency, he or she shall make a report to an agency designated to receive such reports under the Act or to the Department in accordance with the provisions of the Act and may also notify the person in charge of the institution, facility, or agency or his or her designated agent that the report has been made. [320 ILCS 20/4(a-5)] c) Under no circumstances shall any person in charge of such institution, facility, or agency, or his or her designated agent to whom the notification has been made, exercise any control, restraint, modification, or other change in the report or the forwarding of the report to an agency designated to receive such reports under the Act or to the Department.  The privileged quality of communication between any professional person required to report and his or her patient or client shall not apply to situations involving abused, abandoned, neglected, or financially exploited eligible adults and shall not constitute grounds for failure to report as required by the Act. [320 ILCS 20/4(a-5)] d)         The identity of a person making a report pursuant to the provisions of the Act is confidential and may only by disclosed with their written consent or by a court order.  (See 320 ILCS 20/4 (c)) e) Any mandated reporter who makes a report or any person who investigates a report under the Act shall testify fully in any judicial or administrative proceeding resulting from such report, as to any evidence of abuse, abandonment, neglect, or financial exploitation or the cause thereof.  No evidence shall be excluded by reason of any common law or statutory privilege relating to communications between the alleged abuser or the eligible adult subject of the report under the Act and the person making or investigating the report. [320 ILCS 20/4.2]