The Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) recently announced plans to significantly reduce operations and staffing at the Choate Mental Health and Developmental Center in Anna.
Under the plan, Choate’s general residential units serving individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities will cease operations by September 30, 2026. IDHS will also phase out all 75 civil mental health beds at the facility, stating in a letter to Choate staff that “the need for mental health beds is greater in Northern Illinois.” The reduction is expected to be completed by March 2027, with civil mental health capacity instead being added at Madden Mental Health Center in Chicago.
The announcement comes less than two months after the Pritzker Administration revealed that Logan Correctional Center in Lincoln will eventually close and be replaced by a new women’s correctional facility in the Chicago suburbs. Construction of the replacement facility is expected to take approximately five years.
State Senator Jacobs issued the following statement after the announcement:
“This decision will take valuable jobs away from Southern Illinois and create real uncertainty for vulnerable individuals, their families and the employees who have dedicated their careers to caring for them.
“While the state does not intend to fully close Choate and plans to keep the forensic unit open, the loss of dozens of jobs and the relocation of dozens of patients will still have a devastating impact on this community. These are good-paying jobs that support local families, small businesses and the broader Southern Illinois economy.
“I am disappointed that the state is once again making a decision that leaves Southern Illinois workers and families to deal with the consequences.”