Today State Representatives Charlie Meier, Dave Severin, and State Senator Terri Bryant held a press conference on Zoom to discuss the Department of Human Services’ continued failure to protect developmentally disabled persons at state-run facilities. Rep. Meier renewed calls for legislative hearings, and for an improvement plan to be implemented by DHS at state-operated developmental centers (SODCs) and community integrated living arrangements (CILAs).
Representative Meier provided the following remarks:
“This has been my battle since 2012. I am here today to share my continued frustration and disappointment with DHS and its chronic failure to keep our most vulnerable residents with developmental disabilities safe in the majority of the state-operated developmental centers throughout Illinois. Unfortunately, the abuse and neglect that is happening does not stop there. It’s been happening in our CILAs “group homes” as well.
We are talking about people with severe disabilities that either can’t communicate, can’t bathe themselves, or can’t feed themselves. These most vulnerable residents living in developmental centers throughout our state can’t protect themselves and I am very sad to learn that more reports that our most vulnerable residents under state care are being punched, slapped, hosed down, thrown about and dragged, and in some cases left to die. We are also talking about disabled individuals who have severe behavior issues whose needs cannot be met in a small community setting.
From the moment I heard there was abuse and neglect happening in these group homes I filed legislation to audit DHS.
In March of 2017, the Illinois House of Representatives approved my legislation (HR34) directing the Auditor General to conduct a performance audit of the Community Integrated Living Arrangements (CILAs) program administered by the Illinois Department of Human Services (DHS). The resolution was introduced in light of the abuse and neglect which took place throughout the state in group homes for the developmentally disabled dating back to 2011.”
Rep. Charlie Meier’s full remarks are available to view here.
State Representative Charlie Meier represents the 109th District which includes portions of Bond, Clinton, Madison, St. Clair, and Washington counties.
For more information, please visit CharlieMeier.net or contact Rep. Meier’s district office at 618-651-0405.