Treatment Abuse, Behavior Modification, Thought Reform > News Items

RTC teen dies: 8-13-10

<< < (5/5)

Ursus:
Comments left for the above article, "Questions raised over teen's death at facility" (by Terri Langford; Aug. 21, 2010; Houston Chronicle):


Rose1958 wrote: 8/20/2010 10:48:40 PM
The problem with most of the staff at these facilities is that they are low paid and often minimally educated on how to properly deal with these persons. One day they are working at McDonald's the next they are working in a rehab facility for trouble children. I work within the system, I know. Trust me they know how to put the dog and pony shoes on for state inspectors but go there unannounced and see what is found.
God bless Miss Nibbs.. rest in peace now.Jeff_n_HOU wrote: 8/21/2010 12:52:15 AM
First aid training would help them to identify the signs of, and start treatment of, heat exhaustion. A staph infection on the other hand would need a doctor's attention.GFBrown2 wrote: 8/21/2010 12:53:06 AM
This is just sad and when you compare this story to the one about state legislators double-dipping on their per diem, it just makes you sick.Rick Perry and his friends have all the tax money they want to live High on the Hog, but there is never enough money to take care of these helpless children and adults.
These things will continue to happen until we FORCE our public officials to do the right thing.sped6348 wrote: 8/21/2010 1:31:43 AM
"....at least seven employees at the Five Oaks Achievement Center, a residential treatment facility 72 miles west of Houston, were lacking in first aid and CPR certification."
=============
This is simply poor hiring and management procedures. If the prospective employee does not have the necessary health certifications and you want to hire them, have them agree to secure the certifications as a condition of employment then follow up on it to be sure the certificates are acquired. It is done frequently!!!truthliberates2 wrote: 8/21/2010 3:11:31 AM
These types of foster care facilities are a haven for child abusers. No regulation and no one cares.mmmckinn wrote: 8/21/2010 4:22:07 AM
Staff is not the first line of the problem. The family that failed this child, forcing her into Foster care is the first line.pumpcan wrote: 8/21/2010 4:44:22 AM
But it's the government and the government is the final word in how to care for children, how much money you're supposed to give to others and what political, moral and economic opinions you're supposed to have. There's no way they did something wrong.dumbfounded wrote: 8/21/2010 7:31:19 AM
I can't believe everyone misses the fact that a 17 year old young adult can't take a walk outside without falling out?People are so out of shape these days.BigTex79 wrote: 8/21/2010 7:57:50 AM
Poorly paid staffers, poorly managed facilities, and poorly funded programs by our legislature- I mean we pay more attention to how much the state is paying rent for the governor's residence than how much we spend on troubled youth- can you really expect any better results?
Our state can spend $3 billion on cancer research- research the feds should pay for (Thanks a lot, legislature (one legislator, in particular!) and the bond lawyers!) but cannot spend adequate funds on trouble youth? We have DEFINITELY got our priorities wrong!msminnie wrote: 8/21/2010 8:12:31 AM
And I have made countless attempts to become a foster/adoptive parent. I'm employed and college-educated. Guess I'm not as good as the folks at such facilities as I'm single, black and live in a 1 BR apartment. And yes, I know that a lot of these kids at the RTCs have severe physical/mental issues, but there are plenty that just need some emotional stability and a lot of love.falconer wrote: 8/21/2010 8:12:46 AM
that is too bad that these kids are failed again and again. first by their parents and then by foster parents and to top it off by these type of places that are supported by the government and where they should be taken proper care of but instead are neglected and abused in some sort of way.3v3y wrote: 8/21/2010 8:28:19 AM
1. Staff needs to know the signs of heat exhaustion.
2. Staff need to know and understand any pre-existing medical conditions, allergies, and the medications that residents may be taking. Remember these are emotionally troubled kids, who may be on meds for ADD, depression, or any number of other psychological/psychiatric issues. These medications often have side effects including respiratory distress, heart palpitations, intolerance of heat/exertion, shortness of breath, blood pressure spikes, etc.
3. A staph infection can result from many things, some of which could have been prevented by proper cleaning and care of the wound from the time it was acquired. Keeping an eye on such an injury, the staff should have realized quickly that it was not healing and required professional care.
4. Most people commenting here (and I would bet most of the staff caring for these kids), do not make their beds before having a pee in the morning.
5. Being knocked around from foster care to facility and back and forth since the age of 6---hard to see how anything good comes from that scenario.
These places need to be run by trained professionals who have accountability--not minimum wage lackeys who are as disturbed as the kids.catspaw wrote: 8/21/2010 8:50:25 AM
The CPS and foster care system is broken from the bottom up and needs to be looked at with a legal and moral eye by people who value children and the future.
Texas ranks near the bottom of states in child services from education to CPS. The USA is one of two world nations that still thinks children are property not people. This is proof of the American way. The problem is the system.mojito wrote: 8/21/2010 8:55:35 AM
You get what you pay for state of texas ! Better pay for state employees will equal better qualified social workers, cps workers, and on down the line ! Wake people because its going to get worse ! Blah Blah Blah ! Do something instead of just commenting on this rag ! Call your state legislators, call Bill White's office, call Rick Perry's office and make some noise ! This state pays bare minimums to its social workers and the children are the ones who will suffer !Phoenix.Is.Rising wrote: 8/21/2010 9:02:04 AM
GFBrown2 wrote:
This is just sad and when you compare this story to the one about state legislators double-dipping on their per diem, it just makes you sick.Rick Perry and his friends have all the tax money they want to live High on the Hog, but there is never enough money to take care of these helpless children and adults.
These things will continue to happen until we FORCE our public officials to do the right thing.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Stopping the illegal drug business ahould be FIRST on the list! Do you have ANY idea how many of these children were born with drugs in their system? If the drug traffic was stopped, more children would be born without these problems that led to being placed in these facilities.BrendaLopez wrote: 8/21/2010 9:16:52 AM
Texas ranks number 50 in mental health care. That is sad right there and that is part of the problem. The other part of the problem is that we need to realize that this is a newspaper looking for the story. There is another side. These may have been caring adults that had the children's best interest at heart and it was nothing more than a terrible tragedy. Just because they are the "newspaper" doesn't mean they get their facts straight. In fact, most of the time they do not from my experience! Especially the liberal Chronicle!Sarah1 wrote: 8/21/2010 11:01:19 AM
msminnie wrote:
And I have made countless attempts to become a foster/adoptive parent. I'm employed and college-educated. Guess I'm not as good as the folks at such facilities as I'm single, black and live in a 1 BR apartment. And yes, I know that a lot of these kids at the RTCs have severe physical/mental issues, but there are plenty that just need some emotional stability and a lot of love.
Ms. Minnie, the second part of your post is correct. The first part gives me problems. First off, being single and black is really not an issue at all. The issue that gets most people rejected as foster parents is the lack of space (move to a 2+ br apt.) or a recent criminal background. Take care of those 2 issues and I'm sure you'll be successful.Topogejo2 wrote: 8/21/2010 11:52:22 AM
This is always so sad for the children. They are removed from bad situations only to be placed in many that are worse. Who will save the children and who will love them? Michelle Obama is so worried about them eating right and getting toys from McDonald's. How about worrying about them eating at all or having a safe place to lay their head? Our Government is so fake in it's off the track caring for the us. CPS is overwhelmed (always), no funding, lack of training and our kids are always the victims. The same goes for the other spectrum of our precious old folks. The Nursing Homes charge exorbitant prices and pay the employees so little that the elderly are subjected to a miserable life in 90% of the homes. Does our country do anything about the conditions on those homes? HELL NO! These folks paid into SS their whole lives and this is the end? So when I see Congress truly understand the working class life that they are so determined to tax us to death then and only then will I have faith in our leaders.dumbfounded wrote: 8/21/2010 12:12:05 PM
why does everyone think the government (THAT'S US) should take care of these kids.They have parents that need to be held responsible.I heard they want women who want an abortion to get a psychological exam.I think people that want kids should have to do the same,i mean c'mon folks.mystique wrote: 8/21/2010 1:06:15 PM
mmmckinn wrote:
Staff is not the first line of the problem. The family that failed this child, forcing her into Foster care is the first line.
-
Perhaps but we don't know the circumstances surrounding the reason why the child is in foster care. At 4 y/o, my neice had lost both of her parents.
Fortunately I was able to raise her. Not all families have someone who will or can take in a child.mystique wrote: 8/21/2010 1:14:04 PM
dumbfounded wrote:
I can't believe everyone misses the fact that a 17 year old young adult can't take a walk outside without falling out?People are so out of shape these days.
-
No we didn't miss the fact. You might find it dumbfounding to know, heat exhaustion or heat stroke can happen to people in the best of shape. It is all about the body overheating and lacking hydration.displaynamehere wrote: 8/21/2010 4:08:39 PM
My child has emotional and behavioral problems. He goes to a specialized campus that attempts to deal with his problems. At least 80% of the other students on his campus live in RTCs. These children are VERY HIGH MAINTENANCE!! Aside from RTC staff being underpaid, the biggest problem is no one wants to do their job. Who wants to go to work knowing there is a high chance that some kid may take a swing at you, cuss you out for no legitimate reason, throw something at you, and basically abuse you in some way? That is what happens. I think most ppl forget those things when they read this story. I AM IN NO WAY CONDONING WHAT HAPPENED TO THIS GIRL. I am only trying to point out WHY the staff at some RTCs might be substandard. I think it is b/c no one else wants the job anyway. Telling politicians to fix it is somewhat passing the buck in my opinion. Maybe more ppl should volunteer in some way to help out with these kids. Help out at an RTC, help the neighbor with the "bad" kid. But usually it is much easier to pick apart what is being done wrong instead of trying to help fix it. Just my biased 2 cents...

Copyright © 2010 The Houston Chronicle

Navigation

[0] Message Index

[*] Previous page