DHS Sole Source FY27 Williams Consent Decree Court Monitor

The Illinois Department of Human Services, Division of Behavioral Health & Recovery, is procuring court monitoring services under the Williams v. Pritzker Consent Decree through a sole source procurement method. This contract will be awarded to Kathryn DuPree of Crosswinds Consulting LLC, who was appointed as the independent Court Monitor by federal Judge Lefkow on May 27, 2022, and will continue in that capacity for the contract period of July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027. The primary deliverables and responsibilities include reviewing and evaluating compliance with the Consent Decree, identifying areas of non-compliance, mediating disputes between parties, preparing semi-annual and annual reports to the Court, conducting monthly planning meetings with co-defendants, and managing travel and administrative expenses. The Court Monitor will be compensated at an hourly rate of $300 per hour for direct work, travel, administrative assistance, and consultant support. The estimated contract value for the initial term is $315,000, funded through state appropriated funds. A public hearing regarding the sole source justification is scheduled for April 9, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. via WebEx; however, the hearing will be cancelled if no interested party submits written comments or requests a public hearing by April 4, 2026, at 4:00 p.m., with submissions directed to Dianne Richman at the Chief Procurement Office for General Services (Dianne.Richman@illinois.gov, 217-622-1857).

The sole source procurement designation is justified by the requirement that the Court Monitor be appointed by federal judicial mandate, making alternative vendors unavailable and eliminating the need for competitive bidding. Kathryn DuPree and Crosswinds Consulting LLC are the incumbent contractor, having engaged continuously with the State since October 2017 across nine prior contracts totaling approximately $2.77 million across nine fiscal years, all awarded as sole source or exemption procurements. The State Purchasing Officer, Shea Firebaugh, approved the sole source justification on March 20, 2026. The primary justification for the sole source method is the federal court mandate appointing the specific monitor; the State asserts that failure to approve this sole source could result in needless litigation costs and potential forced allocation of state funds under the direction of a federal monitor if the State remains non-compliant with the Implementation Plan. This procurement is not subject to set-asides for disadvantaged enterprises or other organizational restrictions, as the vendor selection is determined by federal court order rather than competitive procurement procedures.