Posted by Dan Mihalopoulos at 12:05 a.m.

Mayor Richard Daley’s administration will announce plans Wednesday to close as many as five of the city’s 12 mental health centers on Feb. 1, citing a decline in state funding.

The 12 centers serve about 6,500 patients, and all will be given the option of going to the centers that will remain open, said Dr. Terry Mason, the mayor’s health commissioner.

Staffing at the centers already had dropped to 114 employees from 260 due to layoffs and retirements, Mason said.

"We are trying to balance them across the remaining facilities as best as we can," he said.

Public health advocates blasted the decision.

"A lot of people are going to be left in the cold," said Badonna Reingold, a retired city social worker and activists with the Community Mental Health Board of Chicago. "If the city can support the [2016 Olympic bid], they can come up with some money for the most vulnerable people."

Mason will announce the cutbacks at city's Board of Health meeting Wednesday morning. Budget constraints made the closings inevitable, he said.

Mason called on new President Barack Obama to help his hometown deal with its budget crunch.

"I'm hoping we'll get some help out of Washington now that we have a new administration," Mason said.

Here's the list of centers City Hall plans to shutter, according to Mason:

*Back of the Yards, 4313 S. Ashland Ave.

*Beverly/Morgan Park, 1987 W. 111th St.

*Greater Grand/Mid-South, 4314 S. Cottage Grove Ave.

*Woodlawn, 6337 S. Woodlawn Ave.

The North River center, at 5801 N. Pulaski Road, also could close, Mason said.