A 110-year history of providing residential care to persons with mental retardation ended Tuesday when the final eight residents of Winfield State Hospital and Training Center (WSH&TC) left for new homes in the Winfield community.

The final community placements brought to an end a smooth closure process begun after the institution was selected to close in October, 1995. At it's peak in 1952, WSH&TC served 1,494 residents. As late as July, 1964, the census was 1,181. On June 30, 1982, the census was 522 and since that date there was a continual decline. When closure was announced, the resident census was 250.

We've had an extremely challenging responsibility, and I think we've handled it real well, said WSH&TC Superintendent Bill Brooks about the closure process.

Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services Secretary Rochelle Chronister agreed.

AClosure has been a process that required a lot of hard work and dedication to insure residents received the best possible care, she said. AThe superintendent and all staff at Winfield State Hospital kept the focus on the residents, which is what made the process work.

The final eight residents moved to homes just completed by Creative Community Living (CCL) in Winfield. On Monday, seven school-age children and another young woman left WSH&TC for another newly-constructed CCL home in Winfield.

Linda Bailey, director of nursing at WSH&TC, said it was an emotional moment when the bus pulled out to take the children to school and then to a new home at CCL.

AIt was very difficult for staff who took care of the children for many years, she said.  AThere were many tears shed after the children got on the bus.

Bailey said CCL and WSH&TC staff have been working together on the transition. A number of nurses and direct line staff have been hired to work at CCL.

AOur staff will be there to support residents during the transition, she said.

Superintendent Brooks said two plans -- one a 1996 operations plan developed by SRS for the placement of hospital residents who chose community placement and closure of WSH&TC and the other the Community Integration Project's (CIP) Guiding Principals for Community Placement published in 1991 -- were key to successful closure.

The CIP process brings together everyone who knows and cares about the individual considering community living to work together on placement plans. When the CIP process began in Kansas, almost 1,000 people lived in three state DD hospitals. Today, 428 people live in the two remaining MR hospitals, Kansas Neurological Institute in Topeka and Parsons State Hospital, and over 100 of them have requested community placement.

Superintendent Brooks has provided Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Commissioner Connie Hubbell with a letter of resignation. He will retire in March after 40 years of state service. Brooks began as a laundry truck driver, and has been vocational rehabilitation supervisor, unit director, special assistant to the superintendent, acting superintendent, and, since January, 1995, superintendent. Brooks said he will be available for consulting work, especially considering the possibility that Kansas will evaluate closing another state hospital for persons with mental retardation in the future.

Hubbell sent a letter of commendation to the superintendent and staff at WSH&TC expressing her appreciation for their work during the closure process.

The consistency and stability which has been evident during this time is a result of your efforts and it reflects your commitment to both the people served by the hospital and the community, the commissioner wrote. Your work has provided the guidance and direction which is critical to the task of closing an institution. I extend my appreciation for your efforts and recognize your accomplishments.

An employee recognition day is being planned at the hospital; a certificate of appreciation to Brooks from Secretary Chronister will be presented at that time.

When the closure announcement was made, WSH&TC had 711 employees. Through a series of strategically planned layoffs, the current number of employees is 98. On January 30, an additional 68 employees will be laid off. Most of the 30 remaining employees will stay on board until March 6 for closure of the business office, and disposition of records and equipment.

During closure, Brooks said the support provided by SRS Personnel Services and the State Department of Personnel Services was key.

It was as if we were not in isolation; the whole state of Kansas absorbed the emotional impact of closure, he said.

Brooks said throughout the closing process, he has tried to be a good listener.

I didn't want employees to think there was any kind of hidden agenda, he said. I gave them information when I got it. I opened my office to rumor control.

Many employees did need to express their feelings in a non-threatening environment, he added. I tried to be a good listener.

Page Last Updated: May 29, 2001