ANNA, Ill. — The Illinois Department of Human Services on Thursday said it will eliminate the general residential program for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities at the Choate Mental Health and Developmental Center, reduce civil mental health beds and lay off hundreds of employees as part of a three‑year repurposing effort.
State cites multi‑year plan, moves capacity north
The agency said the changes are the result of the “success” of a three‑year plan to repurpose Choate in partnership with the Southern Illinois University School of Medicine. As described in an internal letter to staff, the department intends to stop operations for the intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) general units by Sept. 30, and to “phase down” 75 civil mental health beds at Choate by March 2027, while increasing bed capacity at the Madden Mental Health Center in Chicago.
“We will work with our labor partners to support employees. This includes working closely with directly impacted staff who may be subject to the contractual layoff process.”
The letter did not list a precise layoff tally attributable to each step, but the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees — which represents most Choate employees — said the department intends to lay off about 250 of the facility’s more than 500 staff over the coming months.
Scale and current operations
Choate currently serves 58 patients, including 16 in the IDD unit, and employs roughly 524 people across the campus. Of those employees, 468 are represented by AFSCME Council 31. The union responded to the announcement saying the department should have consulted with labor to create a plan it called fairer to employees and to the people in the facility’s care.
- Choate patients: 58
- Patients in IDD unit: 16
- Estimated layoffs (per AFSCME): ~250
- Total employees: ~524
- Union-represented employees: 468
The department framed the reductions as a reallocation of resources to reflect demand. In its letter, IDHS said the phase‑down of beds at Choate was because the “need for mental health beds is greater in northern Illinois,” and that some services would be shifted to other state facilities.
Union, staff and patient concerns
AFSCME Council 31 published a statement criticizing IDHS for not working with the union on the plan’s development and arguing the decision will be disruptive to both staff and the people receiving care. The union’s public response invoked concerns about fairness in the decision‑making process and protections for employees who will be affected by layoffs under contractual procedures.
While the department said it will coordinate with labor partners to support impacted staff, the announcement raises questions about continuity of care for residents, staff redeployment and the local economic impact in a community that relies on the facility for jobs. The department did not provide details on transfers or placements for patients who live in the units slated to close.
What happens next
IDHS set a timeline that requires the closure of IDD general units by the end of September and completion of the civil bed phase‑down by March 2027. Officials said some beds would be added elsewhere, notably at the Madden center in Chicago, but did not outline a detailed patient transition plan in the letter made public to staff.
| Item | Number / Date |
|---|---|
| Choate total employees | ~524 |
| Union-represented employees | 468 |
| Planned layoffs (AFSCME estimate) | ~250 |
| Current patients | 58 |
| Patients in IDD unit | 16 |
| IDD unit closure date | Sept. 30 |
| Civil bed phase‑down complete | March 2027 |
Advocates and union leaders will likely press for specifics on patient placements and worker protections as the timeline advances. The department said it will engage with labor and implement contractual layoff procedures, but many details remain to be worked out publicly.
The decision highlights the tension states face as they reconfigure institutional behavioral health capacity: balancing regional demand, workforce impacts and obligations to people with long‑term care needs.
