The Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) announced on Oct. 15 that it will keep 25 minimum‑security mental‑health beds open at the Choate Developmental Center in Anna, while phasing out the remaining 50 beds by July 2027. The move preserves critical care for residents and aligns with the state’s broader plan to expand community‑based services.
Expanded capacity and new jobs
In addition to retaining the 25 beds, IDHS plans to reopen roughly 200 psychiatric beds at three other state‑run hospitals: 100 beds at Alton, 56 at Chester, and 44 at Hines’ Madden Mental Health Center. The expansion will bring 410 new human‑services jobs to southern Illinois, including 87 positions at Choate itself.
According to an IDHS spokesperson, the agency is committed to the safety and well‑being of people with mental illness and intellectual and developmental disabilities, especially those in direct state care. The department emphasized that the new roles will be offered to qualifying employees affected by the Choate downsizing.
Impact on staff and patients
Choate currently houses 52 patients across three mental‑health programs. The facility’s general intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) wing will be decommissioned, but its 40 forensic I/DD beds—reserved for individuals placed by the courts—will remain open. The department will relocate the 11 individuals in the general I/DD program to community‑based or other state‑operated residential settings.
While the state will lose about 250 positions at Choate, the promised 410 new jobs are intended to offset those losses. IDHS says staff who lose their current roles will be offered placement within the system.
Reactions and legal challenges
Republican state Senators Terri Bryant (Murphysboro) and Paul Jacobs (Pomona) praised the decision to retain 25 beds but called it “wholly inadequate” for meeting regional mental‑health needs. Labor unions and advocacy groups have filed lawsuits alleging the state violated the Health Facilities Planning Act, the Illinois State Facilities Closure Act, and the Mental Health Inpatient Facility Access Act.
The lawsuits claim the state back‑tracked on earlier assurances that the current fiscal‑year budget did not contemplate layoffs. IDHS denied any wrongdoing, stating the decision was driven by regional needs and unforeseen infrastructure requirements, not by the pending board review.
Background
Governor J.B. Pritzker’s administration first announced plans to downsize Choate in March 2023, citing longstanding facility issues and a need to reallocate resources to areas with greater mental‑health demand. A 2023 investigative report documented past abuse at Choate, prompting calls for reform. The latest adjustment reflects a balance between preserving essential services and expanding capacity elsewhere in the state.
Illinois officials continue to monitor the transition, with IDHS promising regular updates as the new beds open and staffing changes take effect.
Original reporting: Capitol City Now (WTAX 1240 Springfield) — read the source article.
