August 13, 2026
Recently, the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) announced that operations at Choate Mental Health and Developmental Center will be significantly reduced. As the federally mandated, governor designated Protection & Advocacy System for the state of Illinois, Equip for Equality sees this as a positive step forward and remains steadfast in advocating for the rights of individuals with disabilities to live, work, and thrive in integrated community settings.
We have been and will continue to closely monitor the transition of individuals from Choate’s Developmental Disabilities (DD) Unit, which is now down to fifteen people. The closure of this unit represents a natural progression from the Governor’s March 2023 announcement. Every individual who desires community placement deserves timely access to high-quality community options and Equip for Equality will continue to advocate on behalf of these individuals to ensure their goals are realized.
Our December 2024 report (MidPoint-Review-Choate-Transition-Plan.pdf) highlighted that individuals leaving Choate’s DD Unit who wanted to move to the community faced excessive delays in moving or were inappropriately transferred to other large state-run institutions rather than community settings. We must ensure these patterns are not repeated.
IDHS’ announcement also impacts the forensic population at Choate, both on the DD Unit and Mental Health (MH) Unit. For the DD Unit, these individuals are either unfit to stand trial (UST) or not guilty by reason for insanity (NGRI). For the MH Unit, the individuals are NGRI. For individuals on UST status, the court regularly reviews whether the individual can proceed with court proceedings on their misdemeanor or felony charges, and for people on extended UST status whether they are safe to live in a community setting under court supervision. For individuals on NGRI status, the court similarly determines whether the individual is ready for court-supervised conditional release in that they have progressed sufficiently in their treatment to safely rejoin their communities.
Under the current plan, the DD Forensic Unit will remain at the Choate campus. Repurposing efforts at Choate must include developing DD forensic options, including community options, closer to where individuals were charged criminally. The vast majority of individuals on the DD Forensic Unit resided in Northern Illinois before being placed at Choate. Transporting individuals back and forth from Anna and Northern Illinois counties is inefficient, financially burdensome, and needlessly separates people from critical support systems, including family and friends.
The planned closure of Choate’s MH Unit by March 2027 should not result in major disruption to the individuals residing there. The civil beds are meant to be short-term placements, with the result that most of the 17 individuals on civil status should be discharged by March as part of the normal progression of such placements. And, the State has committed to working with private hospitals to ensure that the few needed mental health crisis beds remain available locally. Likewise, most of the 58 individuals on forensic status on the MH units transferred to Choate from other state-operated psychiatric hospitals as a step-down to Choate’s minimum-security unit. As a result, many of these individuals are nearing readiness for court-approved conditional release into outpatient community care. For those who don’t, there are forensic units in Alton and Springfield that can meet their needs.
Still, there are opportunities to improve services for people with mental health needs outside of institutional care. Across Illinois, approximately 70% of state-operated psychiatric hospitals are occupied by individuals on forensic status, many of whom could successfully transition to community outpatient care if adequate infrastructure existed. Rather than relying heavily on institutional placement, the State must direct resources toward establishing robust, quality community outpatient care for forensic populations. The same must be done for people who are struggling in their communities and need additional supports to be successful. Such approaches result in better outcomes and acknowledge human dignity and rights, while ultimately reducing long-term public costs.
We acknowledge that staff transitions are a critical component of institutional changes. However, the State has indicated its intention that all qualified employees will be offered other opportunities within IDHS due to expansions and other needs. While such transitions are difficult, protecting an individual’s fundamental right to live as a fully included member of their community must remain paramount.
Moreover, individuals currently residing at Choate, and their families or guardians, should receive direct, timely communications from facility leadership and the IDHS regarding individualized transition planning.
Equip for Equality will continue to monitor the implementation of these plans closely as additional details are released by the State.
