NY: State-Run Homes, Abuse and Impunity

[Guest guest]

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/13/nyregion/13homes.html?_r=1 & hp

Abused and Used At State-Run Homes, Abuse and Impunity

By DANNY HAKIM - Published: March 12, 2011

[Guest guest]

Beware: Florida also insisting on scattered dispersed housing for people with MR and autism. Look at the dangers of isolating our children in such a system. In Florida, these residentials arrangements are called group homes and supported living arrangements.

I have recently returned from NY looking at their "community" based housing for possibility for my daugher.

The problems of isolation, abuse and neglect comes in large part from the fact that these "Individual Residential Alternatives" are scattered and this kind of isolation invites abuse. What is needed is more eyes and ears for our children.........which means more community living around caring individuals and friends. What is not needed is more distances between them. Now that the Times newspaper has broken this story, some enlightened advocates are rethinking their dangerous mindless insistence that people must be separated from others. From this article describing horrible incidents points out, from NY Times:

Because the more than 2,000 state-run group homes are scattered in communities statewide, little supervision is provided on-site, and it is often up to staff members to turn in their colleagues when one misbehaves. Typically, four to eight developmentally disabled residents live together in what are known as Individual Residential Alternatives; they are sometimes cared for by as few as two employees.

Mr. Monsour believes a large part of the problem is that supervisors do not spend enough time in homes beyond weekday work hours, underscoring the challenge in managing such a sprawling network of residences.

Sent: Mon, March 14, 2011 2:31:38 PMSubject: NY: State-Run Homes, Abuse and Impunity

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/13/nyregion/13homes.html?_r=1 & hp

Abused and Used At State-Run Homes, Abuse and Impunity

By DANNY HAKIM - Published: March 12, 2011

[Guest guest]

Sad. This is a good example of why we need privately run supportive communities

where family/friends have open access visitation of theit family member or

friend who are residents, and where they could be regulated like any aclf,

hospital, pre-school, etc. If they are allowed to restrict the resident

population to only those with a properly diagnosed disability it would also

protect the residents from predators. State run homes seem to have a history of

abuse. Possibly because they are short on staff, pay their employees very little

salaries, and don't do proper background checks, and cannot restrict the

resident population. Also it is apparent that states are reluctant to properly

regulate facilities they own. They also must accept some people to live in

state facilities that have criminal backgrounds, whereas a private facility

doesn't have to do that.

Glenda

>

>

>

>

>

> http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/13/nyregion/13homes.html?_r=1 & hp

>

> Abused and Used At State-Run Homes, Abuse and Impunity

> By DANNY HAKIM - Published: March 12, 2011

>

[Guest guest]

According to US Code 42 (the DD Act) if a facility recieves any Federal Funds

they have to provide visitation without notice for parents and guardians.

http://codes.lp.findlaw.com/uscode/42/144/I/A/15009

(v) provision for close relatives or guardians of such

individuals to visit the individuals without prior notice.

This Bill was passed to address the outrageous treatmnent of patients at the

Willowbrook State School for the disabled in New York in the early 1970's.

Steve

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> > http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/13/nyregion/13homes.html?_r=1 & hp

> >

> > Abused and Used At State-Run Homes, Abuse and Impunity

> > By DANNY HAKIM - Published: March 12, 2011

> >

>