The Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) has announced significant operational changes and layoffs at the Choate Mental Health and Developmental Center in Anna, Southern Illinois. This decision comes after years of documented issues at the facility, including resident abuse and neglect.
The planned changes include the elimination of the facility’s entire general residential program for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, as well as the phase-down of 75 civil mental health beds. These reductions are expected to result in the layoffs of approximately 250 of the facility’s more than 500 employees.
Planned operational changes and layoffs
The IDHS plans to cease operations for the intellectual and developmental disabilities general units by Sept. 30. Additionally, the department will phase down 75 civil mental health beds at Choate while adding beds to the Madden Mental Health Center in Chicago. This phase-down is expected to be completed by March 2027.
In a letter to Choate staff, IDHS acknowledged that layoffs will occur but stated that they will work with labor partners to support affected employees. Choate currently serves 58 patients and employs roughly 524 people across its campus, with 468 of those employees represented by AFSCME Council 31.
The community and political response
The announcement has sparked strong reactions from both the union representing Choate staff and local politicians. AFSCME Council 31 Executive Director Roberta Lynch criticized the decision, stating that it will weaken services for the most vulnerable mentally ill individuals and upend the lives of hundreds of Choate employees and their families.
Lynch also expressed disappointment that the administration had not consulted with the union to develop a more rational plan. She revealed that the union had been assured during the recent legislative session that the proposed fiscal year 2027 budget would not include layoffs.
Local politicians, including State Sen. Terri BryantSen. Paul Jacobs and Rep. Scott Doody have also condemned the decision, calling it a devastating blow to southern Illinois that will cost the region hundreds of jobs and uproot vulnerable patients.
A history of controversy and reform
The IDHS decision to reduce operations at Choate comes after decades of documented issues at the facility. A 2026 investigation by Capitol News Illinois and ProPublica found that residents had been subjected to abuse, neglect, and dangerous conditions for roughly a decade.
In response to these issues, Gov. JB Pritzker announced a three-year transformation plan in that aimed to move about 123 residents into community placements, family homes, or other state-operated facilities. The state also promised stronger oversight, additional training, and a partnership with the SIU School of Medicine.
Despite these efforts, incidents of abuse continued to occur. In a security camera recorded an employee throwing a resident to the floor and punching him. The incident went unreported for 11 days and was only discovered after an anonymous letter prompted investigators to review the footage.
The general developmental disabilities population at Choate has since fallen from 199 residents at the beginning of the transformation to just 16. IDHS now characterizes the elimination of those units and the phaseout of Choate’s civil mental health beds as the completion of that plan, although the layoffs mark a departure from the state’s original assurance that the restructuring would not cost employees their jobs.
