The planned phaseout of civil mental health services at Choate Mental Health and Developmental Center in Anna has been pushed back three months, according to State Sen. Terri Bryant.
Bryant says the timeline has been moved from March to June 2027 as arrangements are made with local hospitals and the state works through approval requirements for increasing bed capacity at other facilities.
Under the plan previously announced by the Illinois Department of Human Services, Choate’s 75 civil mental health beds are to be eliminated. IDHS has said the need for those beds is greater in northern Illinois, with additional capacity planned elsewhere. Choate’s 40-bed forensic developmental disabilities unit will remain open.
The downsizing has faced opposition from employees, labor representatives and Southern Illinois officials. AFSCME Council 31 filed a lawsuit in Union County Circuit Court last week seeking to halt portions of the plan. The union alleges the state failed to comply with Illinois laws governing facility changes and reductions in services. Those allegations have not yet been decided by the court.
The newly reported June 2027 deadline comes from Bryant and has not yet been independently confirmed by IDHS. The department’s previously announced timetable called for the 75 civil mental health beds to be phased out by March 2027.