Ludeman Developmental Center Profile
See SODC Transition Report for latest census information.
Individual Profile - Updated 10/01/2024
Measure |
Value |
Current Census |
324 |
Average age of persons served (19 - 92 current age range) |
53 |
Severe and Profound I/DD range |
76% |
Mild and Moderate I/DD range |
25% |
Have a behavior intervention program |
83% |
Receive psychotropic medication |
58% |
Location: Park Forest - Southern Cook County
By the Numbers:
- 52 years of operation - opened in 1972, during the administration of Gov. Dan Walker
- Current Census: 324
- $66,149,600.00 budget in FY22
- 3 Units on Campus:
- Unit 1 (135 beds), Unit 2 (118 beds), Unit 3 (130 beds)
- 830 Budgeted Staff; 761 Active Employees; 69 Staff on Leaves
- 729 Staff represented by AFSCME
- 52 Staff represented by Illinois Nurses Association
- 13 Staff represented by Illinois Teamsters
- 7 Staff represented by Illinois Federation of Public Employees
- 13 Trades Staff
- 16 Merit Comp Staff
- 60-Acre Campus
- Area(s) Served: Region 10, which includes the city of Chicago, several near-west and south suburban communities in Cook County, as well as Kankakee, and Will Counties.
- Population Served: Adults 18 and over with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities
More Background:
The concept of a facility such as the Ludeman Center began around 1967 under Gov. Otto Kerner. The premise was to have smaller state facility where profoundly intellectually disabled children would live in home-like settings. In 1972, Ludeman Center was the first such facility built in Illinois. The facility was named after Elisabeth E. Ludeman who was the first Founder and President of the Illinois Association of Retarded Citizens, as it was termed at that time. Her son James, resided in a specialized living center in Addison, Illinois. Elisabeth Ludeman was a pioneer and ardent worker in the organization of parents' movements for the cause of children with Intellectual Disabilities in Illinois and throughout the nation.
The Ludeman Center began transitioning to an adult facility in 1979. Currently, the Elisabeth Ludeman Center houses adults with Intellectual Disabilities. The Center is comprised of 3 Residential Units with a total of 40 residential homes on 60 acres of land. Each home has a kitchen, dining /living room area, utility room which contains a washer and dryer, two full and one-half bathrooms and five bedrooms. In addition, each Residential Unit has a centrally located Neighborhood House which has offices for the Unit Director, Social Worker, Unit Physician, Nursing Personnel, Qualified Intellectual Disabilities Professionals (QIDPs), Residential Services Supervisors and Clerical personnel. The Center also has a state-of-the-art kitchen which provides approximately 1,200 meals per day for the people residing at the center.
Today, the Elisabeth Ludeman Center holds the same value and philosophy as it's forefathers, "to create an environment which will simulate as closely as possible, a home-like atmosphere." The Ludeman Center supports the shared mission, vision, and values of all Illinois State Operated Developmental Centers to assist individuals in attaining independence in a safe and supportive environment by offering a person-centered approach that strives to provide high quality services and supports, individual and family involvement, dignity, and respect for all.