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Elizabeth M. Whitehorn, Director

Colbert v Quinn

The State of Illinois, including all defendants support the principles of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Olmstead v. L.C. that persons should reside in the most integrated and least restrictive environments and be provided with the services and supports to thrive in the community. The implementation of the Colbert Consent Decree is viewed as one component of a multi-strategic approach to balancing the long-term care system in Illinois. The Colbert Decree and parallel consent decrees in the Williams vs. Quinn suit targeting persons who reside in Institutions for Persons with Mental Disease (IMDs), and the Ligas vs. Hamos suit targeting persons who reside in Intermediate Care Facilities for the Developmentally Disabled (ICF-DD), advance the efforts of balancing the long-term care system in the State of Illinois. These are in addition to the Office of the Governor’s leadership related to the closure of state operated facilities, where residents will also be offered opportunities to explore alternatives to institutional care and be encouraged to live in the most integrated setting appropriate to their needs.

The department hopes you will take the time to review the materials on this website to see if this program may be right for you or for someone you know. You can contact us by e-mail. We have also provided an online referral form on the HFS Website. We look forward to hearing from you!

  • Consent Decree - On behalf of a class of Illinois residents with disabilities living in nursing facilities in Cook County, Illinois, a lawsuit, Colbert versus Quinn was filed on August 22, 2007. The suit was settled on December 20, 2012, at which time the Consent Decree was issued and set-forth a series of benchmarks.

  • Implementation Plan - The Department of Healthcare and Family Services (HFS), serving as lead agency for the implementation of Colbert v. Quinn, has drafted an Implementation Plan, as required by the Consent Decree. The Implementation Plan can be accessed through the following link. The Defendants and Plaintiffs filed an Implementation Plan as required by the Consent Decree on November 8, 2012. The Implementation Plan can be accessed through the following link.

Colber v. Quinn Outreach Video

  • Cobert Outreach Video (mp4) (on YouTube) We hope you take the time to watch this short video that explains how the Colbert Consent Decree works.

Fact Sheet

Provider Notice

Evaluation for Cook County Nursing Home Residents

To submit a referral for an evaluation of Cook County Nursing Home residents under the Colbert Consent Decree please visit the MFP Referral Web page.