b) Consideration shall also be given to the interests and the needs of the recipient and the capacity of the facility to address those needs.

1. 1) Out-of-region placement of recipients is permissible and requires written approval between the designated regional staff of the regions involved. Approval will be based on criteria in Section 125.160(f)(1).
2. 2) The Department shall not place discharged recipients in facilities located outside of the State of Illinois unless appropriate facilities are not available within the State, or if placement in a contiguous state results in locating a recipient in a facility closer to home or family.
3. 3) When it becomes necessary for arrangements to be made for placement in a state other than Illinois, the designated DLA staff shall notify the appropriate regional administrator who approves of the transfer based on criteria in Section 125.160(f)(1), and who shall notify the Department's Interstate Services Branch.

4. 4) The Department is responsible for providing follow-up services to all recipients placed residentially in out-of-state facilities and shall indicate the regional DLA plan how follow-up services will be provided. A recipient cannot be placed in an out-of-state facility if it is not licensed by the state in which the facility is located. Subsequent to placement, if an appropriate facility within the State becomes available at a distance equal to or closer to the recipient's home or family, the recipient shall be returned and placed at this facility.

   AGENCY NOTE: Three months after an out-of-state placement has been made, the Department must send copies of visitation reports to the recipient's parent(s), guardian or nearest responsible relative (see Section 15.1 of the Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Administrative Act [20 ILCS 1705/15.1]).