May 22, 2023
Dear Choate Staff,
In March, we shared information about a transformation initiative designed to benefit Choate residents, patients, families, staff, the Southern Illinois community, and the State of Illinois. This three-year effort will require deliberate and thoughtful planning to ensure maximum support for those we serve, to meet workforce needs, and to respect hardworking IDHS public servants. As our initiative moves forward, we will continue to share regular updates with you.We have convened a transformation team to lead priority areas of work in the following areas:
Resident safety
In March 2023, Ryan Thomas was appointed as Chief Resident Safety Officer for the Division of Developmental Disabilities. She has outlined a new, robust Resident Safety Plan to improve and ensure long-term quality and safety infrastructure in the State-Operated Developmental Centers (SODCs). The Plan aims to identify safety concerns and priorities for the resident safety program, prioritize resident safety, and improve incident reporting infrastructure. We will keep you informed as we announce new activities for quality and safety initiatives, and we welcome your feedback and input. In the months ahead we will:
- Launch a culture of safety survey: The goal of this survey is to hear directly from you. This survey will help us all understand what currently helps to support and promote resident safety and identify areas where we can improve, going forward, across our system, facilities, and units.
- Plan and convene a safety summit: The summit aims to bring together staff, along with stakeholders and advocates, to review survey results, to use a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats) framework to guide our planning, and to brainstorm solutions that will inform the safety action plan and the framework for the safety program.
Strategies to improve community-based living
To strengthen home- and community-based support options in Illinois, our transformation team has hosted small group listening sessions with large providers, small providers, agencies serving other states, independent service coordination agencies, and trade and advocacy groups to hear their perspective on opportunities to build community capacity. We have collected and mapped current home- and community-based services (e.g., intermittent, host family and 24-hour CILAs, ICF/DD, affordable housing units, and community day programs). This mapping project reinforces the listening sessions, highlighting key services needed to ensure that people who want to live in communities across Illinois can thrive in these settings.
In the months ahead, we will identify and expand key programs, services, policies, and processes to build home- and community-based community capacity. We will gather additional feedback on specific solutions, and we will refine and evaluate short, middle, and long-term strategies to grow quality community-based service options that can support people's diverse needs. We will use the service mapping tool to further inform and analyze the opportunities for growth. Once strategies are identified, we will identify the process for expanding community capacity, addressing necessary legislative, policy, and rule changes that may be required.
Resident transitions
IDHS is committed to careful and thoughtful transitions for the 122 residents of the civil units at Choate. All possible living arrangements are being considered for and discussed with Choate residents and their families and guardians, including other SODCs, smaller ICF settings, CILAs, and home-based services.
In addition to the strategies to strengthen home- and community-based support options in Illinois, IDHS is preparing other SODCs with resources to welcome new residents. To ensure that there are sufficient beds at other SODCs, IDHS is readying space at Shapiro and Murray, and continuing to fill vacancies to ensure we have staff ready to serve residents. IDHS established a Family & Resident Liaison Team that includes many staff from Choate. The team meets weekly to discuss topics related to resident transitions, including communication, support, barriers, and education for residents, families, and guardians. Team members have called every impacted family/guardian to ensure that the initial communication was received, to answer initial questions, and to identify preferences from residents, families, and guardians about residents' future living arrangements. I would like to thank all members of the team for their work to center resident choice, well-being, and dignity every step of the way.
As is always the case, each resident's Interdisciplinary Team (IDT) will support individual transitions by talking with the resident and their family/guardian to determine what is best. The IDT supports the resident and their family/guardian with linkage for supports and IDT meetings to review and document preferences.
Repurposing Choate campus
As you know, we have a partnership with SIU School of Medicine to assess strategic needs and to make recommendations regarding the future uses of the Choate campus. SIU will submit its recommendation to IDHS on June 30.
We look forward to ongoing partnership with you as we navigate these changes. We hope to hear your ideas, questions, and concerns. Please contact Bryant Davis at 618-697-7487, regarding the day-to-day operations of the facility.
Sincerely,
Grace B. Hou
Secretary
