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The intolerable mess at Choate

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* Beth Hunsdorfer of Capitol News Illinois and Molly Parker of Lee Enterprises Midwest have some ProPublica Illinois stories up today about Choate Mental Health and Developmental Center. First, a bit of background on the center…

People from across Illinois come to live at the 270-bed facility on the outskirts of the small town of Anna, Illinois. It serves people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, mental illnesses or a combination of disorders. Patients can enter voluntarily or be placed there by a guardian, or a judge may order them to Choate for treatment after finding they’re at risk of harming themselves or others. Many end up living at Choate for years.

Nearly 15% of Choate residents with developmental disabilities have diagnoses in the severe or profound range; about 10% are nonverbal.

“In essence, many of these individuals can be ‘the perfect victim’ for a crime because it is easy to cast doubt on someone who has mental challenges or can’t give a statement due to their mental health status,” said Tyler Tripp, the state’s attorney in Union County.

Choate houses the state’s only forensic unit for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities who have been accused of a crime and found either unfit to stand trial or not guilty by reason of insanity. That’s the unit where Reichard, who had been arrested for attacks on his family, police and medical personnel, initially lived; he was moved to the less restrictive “step-down” unit in 2014. Though Choate includes a small psychiatric unit, a review of records shows that most of the alleged mistreatment has involved patients with developmental and intellectual disabilities.

* Much of the story contains graphic descriptions of beatings by employees. But here are some numbers…

Using court records and Illinois State Police case files, reporters found that at least 26 Choate employees were arrested on felony charges over roughly the same time period, including four who were connected to the Reichard case. Employees have since been accused of whipping, choking, punching and raping residents.

Among the more recent arrestees are four employees who were accused of choking and beating another Choate patient in 2020, leading to felony battery charges. Two have pleaded guilty to misdemeanor battery charges in exchange for probation sentences and two cases are still pending.

In 2020, an employee was charged with felony battery, for allegedly taking off his belt and using it to repeatedly whip a resident. Then, earlier this year, an employee was charged with criminal sexual assault of an intellectually disabled person who lived at the facility. And in another 2022 case, an employee was charged for allegedly grabbing a nonverbal patient with the mental capacity of a 15-month-old by the neck and punching him in the back of the head as a security officer watched, according to court records. These three cases are still pending.

Over the years, advocates have called for the facility to be closed. “It’s a purely political decision to keep Choate open,” said civil rights attorney Thomas Kennedy, who has provided legal services to Choate patients on and off for decades. “It’s not about helping people. It’s not about habilitating or rehabilitating people. It’s about keeping jobs in the community. Period. They have failed miserably at any other mission.”

* And then there’s this…

IDHS’ inspector general recommended the installation of cameras in the course of 21 investigations into abuse and neglect allegations at Choate between fiscal years 2015 and 2021, according to a review of internal records by the news organizations. Each time, Choate officials responded to the inspector general that it was “not an option due to budget concerns.”

This summer, advocates and insiders praised Hou’s announcement that IDHS would finally install cameras.

But in response to reporters’ questions, Kollias, the agency spokesperson, clarified that the cameras would go outside the facility.

One former investigator with the inspector general’s office, when told of the plan to put cameras outside, called it “a waste of money and time.” Almost all abuse and neglect allegations stem from incidents that occur inside.

Unbelievable. What the actual heck?

…Adding… I’m told this letter sent to stakeholders yesterday by IDHS Director Grace Hou indicates that the department is moving away from its decision to keep the cameras outside…

Adding approximately 10 surveillance cameras to public areas (in process).

UPDATE: A contract for camera purchase, plus related equipment and installation is being finalized. The vendor has assessed wiring needs for installation on campus. Work is underway to install cameras in public locations where there is a low, or no reasonable expectation for privacy. Guardians who wish to install cameras in their loved ones’ rooms may also do so– and have done so in several facilities.

posted by Rich Miller
Friday, Sep 2, 22 @ 10:02 am

Comments

Sickening. And shame on DHS for such lax oversight. What good will cameras outside the building do?

Comment by Nick Name Friday, Sep 2, 22 @ 10:34 am
This situation is dire, and occurs too in small group homes (CILAs) in Illinois. The OIG frequently will find an abuse situation unsubstantiated because the individual is unable to explain what happened, as they are nonverbal. Families find their individual in these CILAs covered in bruises, broken bones, and covered in feces, and when the agency is turned into the OIG nothing happens. Often these CILAs when repremanded by DHS will just reopen under another name. The situation, so sadly, exists in small faciites, as well as a large facility such as Choate. There just needs to be a higher regard for the lives of those with disabilities. Cameras will help, and good group home providers have them in place, as do some families with individual in large centers. DHS just turns a blind eye to so much abuse and neglect across the system….small or large.

Comment by Grateful Gail Friday, Sep 2, 22 @ 10:36 am
I’m sickened, goodness, this is horror, real horror.

Comment by Oswego Willy Friday, Sep 2, 22 @ 10:37 am
Amazing. Get charged with a felony for beating the **** out of a disabled person you are supposed to be taking care of, and the state will “punish” you by slotting you into a $50k/year lawnmowing or dishwashing job.
I’d be shocked if the same wasn’t happening at Shapiro.

Comment by Larry Bowa Jr. Friday, Sep 2, 22 @ 10:52 am
Anna is Illinois’s most notorious sundown town so the pattern of abusing an outgroup, and adopting a siege mentality against meddling outsiders while laughing about it among themselves, might not be as ingrained at Shapiro. But yeah, send someone to check.

Comment by 48th Ward Heel Friday, Sep 2, 22 @ 10:57 am
I worked for a community group that installed cameras in all buildings over 20 years ago. Nothing in bedrooms or bathrooms. Solved many problems but made reviewing an incident much easier by seeing whatever occurred as well as hearing the various statements. OIG knew we had cameras and asked to see video when ever accusations were made. Everyone who came to the properties knew the camers were there. Used for positive feedback and quick checks around buildings. Cameras are cheap compared to other costs and would do it again in a heartbeat.

Comment by Zatoichi Friday, Sep 2, 22 @ 11:12 am
“Yet neither he nor the other three Choate employees convicted in the Reichard case have been fired. Ellis and Butler were almost immediately placed on leave, as was Bittle when the charges were filed. After pleading guilty, the three returned to work at Choate, mowing lawns, cooking or doing laundry. About three years ago, their status returned to administrative leave. They no longer do any work at Choate, but they still receive a state paycheck today. Since the incident, taxpayers have paid the trio more than $1 million combined. Their annual salaries range between $50,000 and $54,000, IDHS records show.”

Comment by Needs Deleted Friday, Sep 2, 22 @ 11:14 am
===Choate houses the state’s only forensic unit for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities who have been accused of a crime and found either unfit to stand trial or not guilty by reason of insanity===
===”The state’s only”===
The state hospital in Elgin also houses people found to be “criminally insane”.

Comment by DuPage Friday, Sep 2, 22 @ 11:45 am
I remember Molly Parker. Good to see something from her again. Her work is always outstanding.

Comment by Lake Springfield Friday, Sep 2, 22 @ 11:50 am
It’s all about the quality of employees. Too many are not suited for this kind of work. Unfortunately, as unionized State employees, it’s hard to discipline them, much less fire them. Cameras are a start, but they can’t cover everything.

Comment by Sir Reel Friday, Sep 2, 22 @ 11:54 am
DuPage- the distinction is that the Choate forensic unit is for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. I’m pretty sure that does not apply to the Elgin facility.

Comment by Friendly Bob Adams Friday, Sep 2, 22 @ 11:56 am
“They no longer do any work at Choate, but they still receive a state paycheck today.”

Read this post and then read the post about the Worker’s Rights Amendment.

Comment by Read Between Friday, Sep 2, 22 @ 12:09 pm
Anna and the surrounding area is home to many aggrieved people who despise government yet work for the county, the state or the feds.

The owner of a local insurance agency once told me that over half its book of business were active sportsmen — hunters, fishermen — who draw long-term disability benefits from their government employers

Sustaining this kind of grift requires the local poohbahs to fight any effort to reduce the size of various institutionalized populations. These vulnerable people are the bedrock of the local economy.

Comment by Marine Life Friday, Sep 2, 22 @ 12:27 pm
@“They no longer do any work at Choate, but they still receive a state paycheck today.”

Read this post and then read the post about the Worker’s Rights Amendment.

It seems that it would be possible to give constitutional protection to organize in a union, prosecute on the job criminal behaviors and fire employees who commit crimes against those they are hired to serve…just sayin.

Comment by Froganon Friday, Sep 2, 22 @ 1:11 pm
Same things happen. From time to time at Murray Center in Centralia Illinois and it truly about the jobs nothing else keeping them open

Comment by 13th Friday, Sep 2, 22 @ 1:13 pm
13th……….I must disagree. What is keeping the centers open, besides jobs, is that THERE IS NO WHERE for these individuals to live where they will receive some of the care they need. The small group homes are NOT equipped to care for individuals who are tube fed, have severe medical, and behavior issues, etc. In the states that have closed their large centers many individuals live in the hospital for months, in jails, and on the streets. We don’t need to throw “out the baby with the bath water”. We need to improve all services for those with disabilities….the large homes, the small homes, and the in between. In my career I have worked across the country with disability issues, and this is an issue across the country. There needs to be more oversight, and much higher standards for all.

Comment by Grateful Gail Friday, Sep 2, 22 @ 1:19 pm
The code of silence amoung staff at these centers is long standing.

Comment by We’ll See Friday, Sep 2, 22 @ 1:36 pm
DuPage@11:45- Elgin does not provide forensic services to individuals who are developmentally disabled. Elgin provides forensic services to those individuals with a primary diagnosis of mental illness.

Comment by Slats Friday, Sep 2, 22 @ 1:37 pm
First of all, Molly Parker is a rock star and Southern Illinois is lucky to have somebody like her down there.

Secondly, between DCFS, DOC, and DHS, it seems like every governor needs to have somebody in their office, a deputy governor or whoever, who is responsible for overseeing the actual operations of state agencies, particularly the human service agencies. It’s one thing to have big picture policy thinkers, and create all these policies. But I have seen no evidence that there is anybody responsible for ensuring that policies are carried out, and holding agencies accountable for situations like this.

Also, DHS OIG publishes annual reports (https://www.dhs.state.il.us/page.aspx?item=29972) and according to FY21 report, there were 195 reports at Choate (for the developmental center) and Kiley Developmental Center in Waukegan was the next highest at 97. So regardless of the number of residents, it seems like there’s a problem at Choate.

Finally, the Auditor General releases frequent audits of DHS OIG that highlight some of the issues facing DHS OIG and investigating these incidents.

Comment by MyTwoCents Friday, Sep 2, 22 @ 1:51 pm
DHS budget excuse is a lie for two reasons:
1) it has not been requested and therefore has not been denied by GOMB
2) with such a large budget, they have had unused expenses that could legally be reallocated and used

If the governors office seriously wanted those cameras, then the budget question needs to go to the CFO, Chief of Staff, and Director, with terminations likely. Conversely, if they have a political reason for not wanting internal cameras, then we have a bigger problem.

Comment by Lurker Friday, Sep 2, 22 @ 2:33 pm
I’d ask where on earth the Governor found these people who run his agencies, but he just accepted the people in exempt positions that where there when he got there and didn’t do anything to adjust or change the organizational cultures that lead to the cover ups that enables the culture of corruption.

These issues are the weights that can drag down and crush someone’s national ambitions.

Comment by Candy Dogood Friday, Sep 2, 22 @ 3:23 pm