State Representative Charlie Meier is calling for the resignation of Illinois Department of Human Services Secretary Dulce Quintero. His call comes following what he calls a year of tumult at DHS, including “a horrific audit that outlined poor recordkeeping, abuse, and neglect” and the abrupt announcement that DHS would be drastically scaling back services at Choate Mental Health and Rehabilitation Center in Anna.
Meier noted the lack of accountability and oversight at all levels with DHS. He cited several examples including people deemed unfit to stand trial sit in Illinois jails for months waiting for DHS to place them in a facility and abuse and neglect continuing to run rampant through Community Integrated Living Arrangements or CILA’s.
Meier says Governor Pritzker and Director Quintero have ignored the taxpayer funded study from SIU that outlined how Choate could continue to provide services for the state’s vulnerable residents.
Meier noted past practices of closures have “treated humans more like livestock than people, rounding them up and throwing them in buses at all hours of the night with no thoughts of how the move will impact the individuals or their families.” He notes the agency even goes as far as to tell families that the only way their loved ones can receive services is to give up guardianship of them to the state. Meier accuses the director of approving promotions for employees under DHS control despite their direct oversight of abuse in other CILAs and State Operated Developmental Centers.
Meier serves on the Illinois Legislative Audit Commission and is a member of the House Human Services committee.
