Treatment Abuse, Behavior Modification, Thought Reform > News Items

Abuse in Group Homes for the Developmentally Disabled

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Ursus:
Comments left for the above article, "At State-Run Homes, Abuse and Impunity" (by Danny Hakim; March 12, 2011; The New York Times), #s 76-100:


76. a teacher · ny,ny · March 13th, 2011 12:20 pm
The offenses described require criminal prosecution, not simply dismissal or reprimand. If they happened on the street they would be considered criminal offenss.77. Thomas Maguire · Bronx, NY · March 13th, 2011 12:20 pm
Please investigate violent juvenile gang members being transferred from closing prison facilities by NY State (anxious to close the door on what is happening in juvenile detention) into facilities for the developmentally disabled. These unrehabilitated vipers set up private fiefdoms, holding both disabled residents AND employees in a state of terror. This came to my attention when a particular house had a peculiar lack of front teeth in most of the residents.
New York State is paying our privatized facilities a premium to take these young thugs. Economic pressures keep everyone looking the other way. Now they do need mental health treatment but they need it within the prison system as the DD community is already so vulnerable and devoid of oversight.
Unions are NOT dictating law enforcement. They are being used as an excuse by those unfit to administer facilities of this type who do not want to interrupt the flow of CASH from the state and federal government. Just follow the MONEY not dittohead rhetoric.78. tomfromharlem · NY, NY · March 13th, 2011 12:20 pm
Congratulations NYT. Is this the spearhead of new policy? Last week "hydro-fracing" and this week an expose on "group homes." Keep up your great work, and the reminder to all of us what "freedom of the press" is really for!79. Ted Morgan · Baton Rouge · March 13th, 2011 12:20 pm
Abuse of the most vulnerable in our lives defines much anxiety and fear we have as we age. This is a failure of government at a basic level. I know from visiting group homes for cognitively impaired people how difficult the work it. That is all the more reason we must insure it is done well and humanely.80. Mark · Dallas, Texas · March 13th, 2011 12:20 pm
Where do you find a list of homes where the abuse occurred. We are still very much in contact with someone for whom we were the advocates on record for a long time as the person had no family.81. Ted Morgan · Baton Rouge · March 13th, 2011 12:20 pm
We fear growing too old or infirm to oversee how our family and friends are treated in such facilities.82. Abramovich · Brooklyn , NY · March 13th, 2011 12:20 pm
How is this even possible?
Could public employees' unions have anything to do with it? Just askin'.83. cjb · Albany, NY · March 13th, 2011 12:20 pm
Your description of Mr. Monsour's experience as a whistle blower is the most telling as to the root cause of the problem. State employees - indeed employees of all large bureaucratically organized institutions - are routinely punished for trying to do the right thing. Any employee who raises questions of policy or points out shortcomings of an agency's practices will either be pressured into silence or dismissed. Those charged with protecting whistle blowers - the inspector generals and the attorney general - are actively complicit in their repression. Andrew Cuomo's actions in Mr. Monsour's case: referring his complaints to the very people he was complaining about - were despicable but predictable. This is how the system works.

To change this and to bring genuine transparency to state government a Public Employee's Free Speech Act is absolutely necessary. Currently, any public employee can be disciplined - legitimately - for speaking out publicly about issued related to his/her job. This has been enshrined by the US Supreme Court in what has come be be known as the Garcetti Rule. The first step in opening up NYS government to public view is to eliminate the Garcetti Rule for state employees.

Systemic abuse by public agencies can only occur if managers are confident that they can ensure the silence of their subordinates. The current system is designed to, and very effectively does, accomplish this. We must un-gag public employees before we will ever have transparency in state government.84. M.Ogorek · Maplewood, NJ · March 13th, 2011 12:20 pm
My brother's care at a group home in Lockport, NY was exemplary. He was, for seven years, part of a family of similarly disabled residents and was looked after by a caring and professional staff of long-term full time employees. Recent cuts in state aid have resulted in fewer full time staff, a "revolving door" of part time employees and decreased Medicaid Service coordination. Useful information on this issue is found at: http://www.voiceforthevulnerable.org/

I know that my brother received the best available care because his family was there looking out for him. Every week we would visit him at his home, every team meeting we would telephone conference. It was a privilege to see the wonderful relationships develop between him and his "buddies" on staff and in the home.

We must endeavor to ensure that those who have no active or interested families at least have professional, compassionate care given by qualified and consistent caretakers. These "consumers" are human beings, the least of our brethren. They deserve the best care we can give.[/list]
85. Sharon · Schenectady NY · March 13th, 2011 12:20 pm
How much do you want to bet that a year from now it is business as usual? They are too busy in Albany lining their pockets at the taxpayers expense to worry about this issue. And the people who work in these homes are more likely to vote that the people who live in them - so who gets more consideration? CSEA is a terrible union (I belong to it, I should know). It fights the state to keep open institutions that are EMPTY rather than save money for the taxpayers (which include its members) so that these employees continue to get paid to do nothing and pay their union dues. Anyone in Schenectady who can read knows that the union was complicit in a scheme at the school district that is going to cost millions to settle lawsuits and has already cost plenty for the criminal prosecution of the head of a local. There are always going to be workers who are falsely accused and that's why we have a union - to make sure that we get a proper defense in suxh instances. But the people who work for the union make way too much money to appreciate what it is like to make less that 30 thousand dollars a year and have a supervisor who is incompetent and has it is for you. One solution might be to have such homes assessed constantly by different people (to avoid having one person do it who does a bad job). Perhaps an outside/non-governmental group could be brought in. The culture of many governmental agencies tends to be far too much to be about team playing rather than doing the right thing.86. Marilyn J · Clinton Corners NY · March 13th, 2011 12:20 pm
Group homes run by Agencies in NYC require professional visits and care planning meetings which improve accountability. There are many examples of excellent staff who may not have much education, but who care deeply about the residents and have long term involvement with them. There is an easy way to report issues and the "Evil Union" model does not stop agencies from investigating and dismissing incompetent workers IF MANAGEMENT DOES THEIR JOB CORRECTLY. It is should be a misconception that unions WANT to hold on to incompetent and negligent members in schools, health care or in jobs where we protect the defenseless in our society.87. kb · Boston, MA · March 13th, 2011 12:20 pm
It is very expeditious and convenient to blame the government for abuses, as Lisa #2 and other do. It is very convenient for mayors, corporate folks, and others to blame teachers for every ill in the public education system. But privatization as the cure? Really? Because Wall Street and corporations are doing such an amazing job, right?

The real problem, as others have pointed out, is that America is behaving as if it has no heart. Each [man] for himself. Blame everyone but those in charge. Turn your head when you see rampant abuse of power. And above all, don't give a second thought to those who are different. That's their problem. A country in which the majority considers itself "Christian," yet disabuses itself of the qualities and behavior espoused by the person upon which the religion is built. Constantly amazing.

The idea that the authorities aren't marching into those homes THIS INSTANT to stop the suffering of these people is unfathomable to me. Shame on us all.[/list]
88. John Davey · Foxboro, MA · March 13th, 2011 12:20 pm
Too bad Scott Walker is not the governor of NY89. kb · Boston, MA · March 13th, 2011 12:20 pm
It is very expeditious and convenient to blame the government for abuses, as Lisa #2 and other do. It is very convenient for mayors, corporate folks, and others to blame teachers for every ill in the public education system. But privatization as the cure? Really? Because Wall Street and corporations are doing such an amazing job, right?

The real problem, as others have pointed out, is that America is behaving as if it has no heart. Each [man] for himself. Blame everyone but those in charge. Turn your head when you see rampant abuse of power. And above all, don't give a second thought to those who are different. That's their problem. A country in which the majority considers itself "Christian," yet disabuses itself of the qualities and behavior espoused by the person upon which the religion is built. Constantly amazing.

The idea that the authorities aren't marching into those homes THIS INSTANT to stop the suffering of these people is unfathomable to me. Shame on us all.

And cb#38: You're okay with the record profits insurance companies are making? You're okay with skyrocketing premiums, lack of access to health care while insurance company executives are pocketing millions upon millions of dollars?

I never cease to be amazed at the willingness of my fellow Americans to enrich the already outrageously rich at their own expense. And sure, corporations are going to prevent abuse of any kind. Uh huh. Riggghhhhhttt...[/list]
90. Liberty Lover · NYC · March 13th, 2011 12:20 pm
Firstly, although your story was excellent and well-researched, it's really not news. Conditions in state-run facilities of any sort -- group homes, reformatories, prisons, drug treatment centers, whatever -- tend to be deplorable.

The reason is simple: They're run by the government, with all of the incompetence, stupidity, inefficiency, and unaccountability typical of government agencies. The government is swift to descend upon private businesses and agencies in response to even the most trivial of accusations, but routinely exempts itself from the rules by which it insists the rest of us conduct our lives.

And so we find our tax dollars paying the paychecks and pensions of known sadists and sexual abusers for decades on end, while the vulnerable people in their care suffer unspeakably, and those charged with running the system play the blame game. That's what you get from government. It will never change.

Secondly, this is just the latest example of why public employees should not be allowed to unionize. he civil service laws that protect them, coupled with the appalling incompetence and apathy of those who supervise them and investigate allegations of wrongdoing, provide more protection than they deserve. They don't need unions, and in most cases, don't deserve them. That these unions consider it part of their job to protect known perverts and sadists just goes to show you what kind of mindset prevails in the world of civil service.

-LL91. Sarah D. · Montague, MA · March 13th, 2011 12:21 pm
I can't even bear to read the full the article.

I notice that one comment above blames it on the government, but the exact same problems arise in private nursing homes and institutions, where they also don't feel the need to report to the law, nor to protect the people in their care. The Catholic Church, ditto. Unions, ditto. Probably other churches and institutions as well. Wherever there's a vulnerable population, they're generally at the mercy of sheer luck in terms of how well-cared for they are.

As a society, we don't value caring for people. The day-to-day work is largely considered unskilled, so we get people who either haven't had an opportunity to develop their skills and widen their knowledge base, or who couldn't be bothered. A lot of the chores are unrewarding, and my observation (based only on incidental experiences) is that there's not enough support for staff when they run into frustrations.

When my father was in his last few months living in a nursing home, my mother was also falling into Alzheimer's, although it hadn't been diagnosed yet. She became unpredictable. She could be very unpleasant with my father when she visited him and too rough when she tried to help him. A staff member who observed this scolded her about it one day and tried to intervene. He was disciplined for doing this. I wish I'd thanked him.92. Mary Bullock · Staten Island NY · March 13th, 2011 12:22 pm
This is the kind of thing those opposed to public employee unions savor. It's up there with "last in first out" as abusive of the entire system, the taxpayers, and most of all their clients. If unions expect the public to support them, they have to start playing fair.93. orora · Dutchess County, NY · March 13th, 2011 12:22 pm
Diana Jones Ritter, commissioner of OPWDD before the just-fired Max Chmurra, resigned from that position in July 2010 to become the cost-cutting czar of NY's MTA - after reigning over an agency that spent $4600 per person per day - more than 4 times as much as the cost of any other institution in the country for caring for the developmentally disabled!!! (See articles in the Poughkeepsie Journal for thorough, well-written descriptions of the state's rampant wasteful spending and other abuses at OPWDD: http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com... http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com...)
What is the state of New York doing? Rewarding the most incompetent administrators who spend our tax dollars like drunken sailors and allow monsters to abuse the most defenseless people among us. No... not just allow... PAY the monsters to abuse the defenseless.

And every person reading this article must have the same chilling thought: this must be just the tip of the iceberg. Imagine what is going on in the group homes and institutions that hasn't been witnessed and reported![/list]
94. louisrichards · Rochester, NY · March 13th, 2011 12:22 pm
This is OLD news; such abuse has been happening for decades! One can only conclude that the abusers in the former, large, state-run institutions merely found new jobs in the current halfway homes ...

The more it changes the more it stays the same!95. G. Morris · NY and NJ · March 13th, 2011 12:22 pm
Many elderly are abused by their own families at home as in the case of Mickey Rooney.

Children have been abused by the people that were in charge of protecting them: priests, counselors, etc. since the beginning of time.

One in four girls and one in six boys in the general population have been sexually abused by the time they reach 18. This is not done for the most part by public employees but by foster parents, relatives, etc.

Our society continually fails at protecting the most vulnerable amongst us and decries oversight as socialism.

Our society needs to pray for itself as I see no end in sight.96. HS · Rochester NY · March 13th, 2011 12:22 pm
Excellent article. But nowhere does it define a "group home". Is it state owned, leased or is there some other definition. If privately owned who is responsible for overseeing the structural maintenance, basic amenities such as heat and electricity and pests. How does private ownership interact with the state rules etc? The quality of the environment is an indispensable factor in the treatment the residents are given. And how does this tie in to the 2010 federal appeals court ruling to create 1500 units of supportive housing over the next few years.97. L.C. · nyc · March 13th, 2011 12:22 pm
How mamy things can we name that are run by the city or state that are 'well run'? From the MTA, to Child Protective Service, to the DMV to our courthourses, for some reason these always attract the lowest common denominator of worker...lazy, ignorant, apathetic, and looking for the biggest handout while doing the least amount of work as possible, with little to no oversight, gross ineptitude by management, corruption, nepotism, filling racial quotas etc. It's a recipe for disaster.98. Sharon S · Cortland NY · March 13th, 2011 12:22 pm
As a retired human services professional, I can attest that NYS does not have the resources- or the will- to adequately police these homes. Staff for oversight had been decimated and it is easier to find no problems, or pretend that corrective action plans have successfully implemented. You can beat yourself senseless trying to get results.99. HL · Saratoga Springs, NY · March 13th, 2011 12:22 pm
For all those posting concerning Gov Cuomo's involvement in cleaning up these abuses, did they miss the point in the NYT's article about what happened when Mr Monsour brought his allegations to the AG's office, where Mr Cuomo was NYS AG?100. Alicia R · Elmira, NY · March 13th, 2011 12:22 pm
This article made me sick...literally! I have worked in the field with individuals with developmental disabilities and mental health diagnoses off and on for nearly 14 years. It is disgusting to me to hear that just because someone works for the state, they are not terminated IMMEDIATELY for these instances of abuse! My experience has been with privately run non-profit agencies who will fire an employee at the drop of a dime for even an unfounded allegation of neglect or abuse simply because they will not take the chance of the individuals they serve being mistreated in any way.

As for the individuals being "difficult to control," it is not about controlling them. They need and want the same things that every other person in this world wants and needs, eventhough they may not be able to express it in a way that most people will understand. We, as a society, need to treat them with the same human dignity we want for ourselves. We need to encourage them to grow and advance instead of causing their decline. We MUST acknowledge their DIFFERENT ABILITIES and what they are capable of rather than dwelling on their disability and what they are not capable of. And for the love of God (or whomever/whatever you worship), we MUST blow the wistle on anyone who we witness mistreating these AMAZINGLY WONDERFUL individuals who will melt your heart if you give them the chance!

We can not allow this to become another instance such as the story of Kitty Genovese, where people stood by and witnessed a horrific crime yet did nothing about it. Stand up for those who are unable to stand up for themselves! Don't be afraid to make your voice heard regardless of what others think, espeically when it involves the abuse and mistreatment of human beings!

© 2011 The New York Times Company

Ursus:
Comments left for the above article, "At State-Run Homes, Abuse and Impunity" (by Danny Hakim; March 12, 2011; The New York Times), #s 101-125:


101. Agnes · New Jersey · March 13th, 2011 12:22 pm
A very needed article and reporting of "sick" abuse. These people should be put away, they are sick, and should NOT be returned to work! That said, I have a couple of other things to say about the current atmosphere of our human condition.

Regarding the horrific bus accident. I'm not focusing on any one company when I make the following statements, but since my husband and I are frequent travelers on I 95, we have noticed that many tour buses drive at VERY high speeds, far too fast to appropriately manage control, or, an emergency stop, they use the left lane to pass when they should never be in that fast moving lane, and more than once we have been cut off by a tour bus that cuts in, and out, of lanes, without properly accessing the passing space needed to clear the car behind them, and many are continually driving over the line. As I said, this has involved not just one company, but a slew of various logos which I can't even recall. Thus- there has to be some better standards for work hours/rest time in between jobs, and rules of the road dictated especially for persons who are responsible for the welfare of others!

Lastly, instead of always making the average working man change things in their lives to suit the greater, how about the big companies making more concessions to stop the overuse of energy, when that's DONE, then we can all change our light bulbs.102. morekare · California · March 13th, 2011 12:22 pm
I was an inspector for the State of California Dept of Health Services which was responsible for paying the many State licensed facilities. When I began working for the State it had just implemented the surprise "On-site" inspection program. The facilities until then were paid without on-site supervision by the State. What a smelly and ugly mess. The patients had flies swarming all over their food, beds, bodies, etc. The odors of feces and urine permeated the air for several yards surrounding the facilities. The "On-site" Inspection Program was a God-send for these patients. I never did so much writing of "Violations" in my life as when I was assigned to inspect these facilities. We closed many facilities because I would write-up the facilities for violations and then followed-up to be sure the facilities had payments denied for lack of appropriate medical care of our Medicaid patients. After I retired, the on-site program was no longer funded by the State. I imagine the care of Medicaid patients has reverted back to its previous sorry state.103. S. Coleman Walker · Sharon, PA · March 13th, 2011 12:22 pm
Gee, maybe the "qui tam" contingency lawyer brigade can swing into action?104. smg · us · March 13th, 2011 12:22 pm
That there are so few comments on this article says it all. Humans are no "better" than any other species. The weak among us are vulnerable to being preyed upon by the strong, or left to fend for themselves. They are expendable, shunned, hated and feared. Whatever happens to them is their problem, and what difference does it make anyway? Our intelligence and creativity used to solve problems, and our compassion for others, simply does not extend to this population.105. Amy Ahlert · Philipse Manor, N.Y. · March 13th, 2011 12:22 pm
".......... Are there no workhouses? Are there no prisons?" This article about the abuse is Dickensian in its description of the terror of those who must succumb to the horrific treatment of the "caretakers" who are members of protective unions. After reading this, all I could think of was that quote from "A Christmas Carol", when upon seeing the poor and mentally deficient people on the streets of London, Scrooge uttered the now famous line.
Only thing is...........that was antiquated FICTION. This is real.And utterly and totally unacceptable.106. Dee · Rochester, NY · March 13th, 2011 12:22 pm
The first order of business should be discharging any convicted abuser (Misdemeanor, ha)& stripping them of any benefits due most especially their pensions! The second should be taking review out of "internal" hands and turning it over to law enforcement who have the skills to investigate & analyze reports of abuse - any kind of abuse. I don't have a disabled child but I have family & friends who do...even if I did not, I would still find this abhorrent. Please Governor Cuomo, don't let this issue fade into oblivion - it is too important!107. Talbot · New York · March 13th, 2011 12:22 pm
Maybe Mr. Monsour could be teamed up with Mr. Sundram. Both men deserve medals. i wonder how many other people who fight against the repulsive abuse outlined in this story eventually leave because they are "not team players." We need fewer team players across the board, and more courageous and honorable people at every level, in every part of American life.

The actions of the union provide a crystal clear reason why, despite the important and good work they do, they are often viewed with hostility. There has to be some way around this kind of mess short of getting rid of unions all together for these workers.108. Annette · NYC · March 13th, 2011 12:22 pm
This is disgusting and shameful, and a fear my family always had regarding the care of my (now deceased) severely Down syndrome uncle, who was unable to speak. These less-than-human abusers deserve the same treatment they inflicted upon the severely disabled.109. gussieone · asheville, nc · March 13th, 2011 12:22 pm
This article and the accompanying comments are discouraging. As a senior advocate, as someone who was medical neglect disabled by a spouse, as the outside caretaker for a parent for over a decade who resided in a "lovely" retirement community which became a 4th rate facility when it was taken "public" I say only "WAKE UP".
If you know someone, related or not, in a residential home -- show up with no announcement after the administrative staff have left for the day (by 5:00 PM most often). Stay for an entire night and another day. Pay attention and file a report with the state on what you've observed. Ask yourself how you would feel being a resident there based on our personal knowledge.
One can attribute abuse to institutions, yet institutions are not the problem behind abuse. Lack of oversight by all of us is the problem. One day and one night by each of us once a month with a follow up report naming names, times, and incidents that don't "feel good" would turn this around in two years.110. FrankC · Boston, MA · March 13th, 2011 12:22 pm
I worked at a group home for people with mental illness and substance abuse out of college and while many things were substandard I can say without reservation that staff were compassionate and fairly well-trained.

The issue is training and accountability. Every staff member needs specialized, regular training and supervisors need to have a deeper and demonstrated knowledge of the population in addition to having managerial skills. Yes these jobs may not be highly desirable or selective but every person hired should be able to articulate a sincere desire to help and care for those who are vulnerable. While compassion/empathy/concern are "soft" and objectively hard to measure they are good indicators that an employee will not mistreat a "customer" (terrible term by the way).

My guess is that these homes still operate on paper filing and documentation systems for progress notes and incident reports. This needs to change too.

Reported incidents must be prioritized and any physical/sexual abuse allegations should be met with a temporary suspension or administrative leave. Because you are dealing with a extremely vulnerable population, a person's inability to express him/herself should not be primary factor in not addressing or investigating case. An agency like this can use a "more likely than not" standard, and the OPDD can make it clear upon hiring that dismissal will result if an allegation can rest strongly on a witness account or other report. It is ok to have a different threshold for determining wrongdoing that the legal system or other place of employment. If the workers union needs to make more concessions, get some damn good lawyers to bargain for the agency/state.

Also, not to be completely "ageist" but recruit and hire young people. They are not as callous, burned out or indifferent as people who have been in the system for a long time.111. RC · Minnesota · March 13th, 2011 12:22 pm
Comment #2 Lisa makes a good point. There is no accountability for most government programs, which are characterized by waste, fraud, and corruption. Our prison system is another and much better example.112. Ange · Vermont · March 13th, 2011 12:22 pm
AVA#10 - I wonder if you have knowledge of the Ryan Report, which exposed the abuse, sexual and physical, that was commonplace in Ireland in the institutions run by the Catholic Church. You might want to investigate the abuses in Canada (The Boys of St. Vincent's and others) and Australia as well. Read about Bindoon in Australia and the crimes of the Irish Christian Brothers. The Magdalene Laundries were real, and existed until the 70's. These crimes were world wide and involved more than abuse by priests 40 years ago.

Yes, I am outraged by the treatment of those in old age homes, and homes for the mentally ill. I agree there are thousands of instances of abuse by those in charge with few consequences. I applaud the NYT for exposing the criminal treatment of those vulnerable individuals who must depend on others for their care. Please NYT, continue to monitor and report what is actually being done to correct these abuses. Our elected officials have made lots of promises, but will they actually follow up on those promised corrective measures? Those who cannot care for themselves deserve to be protected from the crimes and criminals described in this article.113. The Shekster · New York, NY · March 13th, 2011 12:22 pm
This story left me scared and angry. Scared for all those disabled who have to bear this kind of treatment when all they're looking for is help and guidance. To be treated like a human being when they can't do it themselves. Angry because it's yet another abusive, irresponsible, blind union (Civil Service Employees Association), that refuse to admit fault and continues to shield it's members. This reminds me of the "Rubber Room" where hundreds of abusive/unqualified teachers sat and read the paper everyday while collecting their full salaries. I'm sure there are countless more examples. The unions are full of them (ask any member to brag about it)

I congratulate all those involved with getting this out to the public. It is through your hard work and dedication with stories like this that will bring much needed change in a system gone terribly wrong and corrupt. May I also congratulate all those involved for choosing a profession- journalism, instead of greedy Wall Street or marketing America's junk food.114. connor · nyc · March 13th, 2011 12:22 pm
This is really terrible and unfortunate, but I'm not surprised. America views this population as ugly
and useless in our society. The position of caretaker, even with the best of training, is obtained as
a last resource. Sad to say, the best this population offers is a job with good benefits due to its union.
I hope some change will come from this exposure, but I don't expect to see any miracles.115. ACDavis · Nassau NY · March 13th, 2011 12:22 pm
The unions do not hold all the power in these situations. The role of agency management is critical in documentation and pursuit of discipline for state employee wrongdoing. The article describes an administrative culture that is appallingly incompetent at best or corrupt at worst. The people of this state deserve much better.116. nadja15 · Mesilla, NM · March 13th, 2011 12:22 pm
This cannot be blamed on any one factor, but rather on the cumulative effect of low educational levels (and aspirations) for the U.S. population in general, prolonged economic collapse and the attendant fear and anger that they bring to low echelon people, and to the more generalized lack of sensitivity and patience in all of us, partly stimulated by our increasing need to feel like (and relate to) machines. It is not a new problem, by the way, as there are both fictional and factual documents about this kind of abuse in this country, dating from pre-WWII. And, of course, many "boomers" will have treatment like this to look forward to as they age and become more physically and economically dependent in the coming age of cannibals.
Why not have all the child killers and abusers (both secular and religious--this should be equal opportunity) put in a home where the current batch of sick abusers from the New York State system can work on them? Oh, yes, and have it all funded by the bailed-out corporations.117. jctrainor · Binghamton, NY · March 13th, 2011 12:47 pm
Having worked in residential care settings for at-risk adolescents for many years I am far to familiar with the kind of abuse that can result from placing under trained staff in charge of a vulnerable population. In the small and restrictive settings, which be as isolating as a prison cell for someone with serious physical or cognitive abilities, the line staff can assume a sense of almost god like authority over the lives and welfare of the consumers they have been entrusted to care for. While there are definitely a considerable number of people who work in these homes who have no business being there in the first place, the supervision and management of these placements shares just as much of the blame. When a young or inexperienced aid is put in charge of a group of consumers with significant mental, physical, and emotional disabilities without sufficient support or training they can become easily overwhelmed and respond out of frustration and experience a growing desire to control the home rather than supporting the residents (a situation that I have experienced myself). The management of these placements is too often based on a desire for "coverage" first with quality of care as, at best, a secondary concern. Furthermore effective supervision should include reporting these abuses to law enforcement or adult protective services on prompt basis. To ensure accountability in this system that is the only way to guard against the CYA culture in these settings.118. Just Donna · Cincinnati, Ohio · March 13th, 2011 12:47 pm
Very well said, "M.Cherau" in Vignolles, France, and "as" in New York...

Instead of crimes being committed against them in institutions tucked away from society, the crimes are being perpetrated right from under our noses, in our own neighborhoods. Maybe it's not where we put them, maybe it's with whom we put them.119. Arnold Cabasso · Fair Lawn, NJ · March 13th, 2011 12:47 pm
I am a psychologist and I worked for many years with developmentally disabled individuals at three state agencies and four private ones, all in New York. The employees are generally the same at both; they want to do a good job and care about the consumers. However, the biggest difference is that when an employee is doing a poor job and needs to be removed it happens immediately at a private agency, and well, not at all at state agencies. The reason is an arbitration system weighted towards the employee.
Along with several other staff I testified against two women who had illegally used seclusion against a number of consumers. During the hearing I overheard the arbitrator say that about one of he women "she ran a tight ship." I replied "like Mussolini ran a tight country." Both women were allowed to continue working.120. Melissa · New York, NY · March 13th, 2011 12:47 pm
Seems like the solution is to stop funding these places and provide the families of disabled people or disabled people themselves with vouchers so they can chose where they live. There are many other options, but sadly they are not given the choice. Relatives of mine have both lived in and worked at Camphill communities and we have had a very positive experience. In fact, Camphill communities are so nice that it's easy for them to hire the relatives of the disabled in care. This can really contribute to well-being as of course relatives generally care more than random state-hired strangers.121. richard · denver · March 13th, 2011 12:47 pm
Just another example of that wonderful "governmental " solution to all of our problems. Big Daddy is very good at promising solutions , taking tax money, but not very good at "regulation" in carrying out morally decent results. Government is NOT the solution!122. Stuffster · NY · March 13th, 2011 12:47 pm
Green Man (#20) -- background checks and fingerprinting are S.O.P. for employment at that agency. There's no way, however, to check reliably for good character, stress tolerance, or basic intelligence. While some higher-functioning individuals may make allegations in order to 'get back at' some staff, the lower-functioning residents have no such ability & rely on other staff, supervisors, and family advocates to speak for them.123. Kati · Seattle, WA · March 13th, 2011 12:47 pm
Only 39 comments! I expected (and we need) at least a thousand.

Danny Hakim, thank you for investigating and bringing this horrible situation to light.124. eliza1600 · NY,NY · March 13th, 2011 12:50 pm
Thanks for shining the spotlight on a very serious problem.
The reality is, what is reported here is less than the tip of the iceberg.
Most of the abuse and neglect of all vulnerable consumers/ patients never gets reported, and there is a widespread culture of denial and deceit. This extends beyond those with intellectual and physical deficits, and includes many needing community health care.
The blame rests squarely with the agencies responsible for oversight,and those at the top doing nothing to protect the vulnerable. This includes Governor Cuomo and the Attorney General's office, who failed to act when incidents of abuse, neglect and fraud were reported. Having reported multiple incidents of abuse and violations of laws to both the AGs office and the NY State DOH,one learns that not only could they care less, but those of us advocating for the most vulnerable are targeted and retaliated against.
The scary thing is, the lack of adherence to standards of care and outright abuse of vulnerable people has become so commonplace, too many are desensitized to the plight of these people. Because nothing has been done for years,even the most determined and influential of clients and their advocates dare not speak up. Many can attest to filing complaints, only to be met with more severe abuse and neglect.
Cleaning house of the top managers is a start. CSEA has been complicit with this horrendous situation for years, and they need to be fined and held accountable.
Then accountability needs to be instilled in those providing oversight. Those who have engaged in cover-ups,looked away, or failed to act and protect, including physicians, need to be fired and brought up on charges.125. LG · Brooklyn, NY · March 13th, 2011 12:50 pm
Very few posters remember the infamous Willowbrook facility on Staten Island.

Let me quote from Wikipedia, "By 1965, Willowbrook housed over 6,000 mentally disabled children, despite having a maximum capacity of 4,000. Senator Robert Kennedy toured the institution in 1965 and proclaimed that individuals in the overcrowded facility were "living in filth and dirt, their clothing in rags, in rooms less comfortable and cheerful than the cages in which we put animals in a zoo" and offered a series of recommendations for improving conditions."

1.) The article omits focus on the vast number of "group homes" that are well run.

2.) A large number of "group homes" were purchased or leased by the State and completely rehabilitated, renovated and remodeled into high-quality living facilities. No mention of this in the article.

3.) A large number of the group homes are not directly run by the State, but by not-for-profit organizations and religious orders.

4.) There are large lobbying groups of parents, relatives and advocates
that work to secure State funding and improvements in the system. No mention of this in the article.

5.) The libertarians, conservatives and radical right wing extremists are happy to denounce all government programs; trade unions, Democrats as the cause for the suffering described in the article.

6.) Governor Andrew Cuomo will undoubtedly call for an investigation, and as noted in the article, has recruited new and effective leadership to address pressing issues described.

President Ronald Reagan didn't close Willowbrook; there is no comparability between low level staff dysfunction in "group homes" and the new federal Health Care reforms; Democrats don't want "these same people" to run a health care system.

© 2011 The New York Times Company

Ursus:
Comments left for the above article, "At State-Run Homes, Abuse and Impunity" (by Danny Hakim; March 12, 2011; The New York Times), #s 126-150:


126. Belinda Gomez · Pasadena · March 13th, 2011 12:50 pm
Tax dollars at work, civil service unions.127. Anon · New York · March 13th, 2011 12:50 pm
If this series wants to address how abuse/neglect in group homes can be prevented, it will need to address aspects of group-home living that are currently considered luxuries. Staff need informed behavioral training (ABA for autism, e.g.) so they have respectful and effective ways to respond to frustrating behaviors. There need to be enough staff to take residents to activities in which they interact with the community at large - employees need to look forward to their jobs and residents need to be part of the general public. The standard of care needs to be improvement; otherwise, the result will be regression or abuse. Group homes need to provide occasions for all residents and family members to know each other. And most importantly, there need to be more beds than people, not the years-long waiting lists that exist today. When there's a scarcity of available placements, family members can't choose alternative care, there's no competition among agencies for consumers, and there's no measure of accountability.

A column in today's paper extols Governor Cuomo's budget. Look closely at what that budget does to funding for Medicaid-based residential care and services for disabled people and you'll see that all of the pre-existing conditions for abuse will only grow under it.128. DaveD · Wisconsin · March 13th, 2011 12:50 pm
Union employees, doubtless. But are you certain these "homes" aren't being run by the Catholic church? Sure sounds like that organization's M.O.129. Rocco · Albany, NY · March 13th, 2011 12:50 pm
Do you think it is much different than what goes on in nursing homes? The problem employee typically moves on to a different nursing home because no one is willing to give a poor evaluation or reference.
And I really don't believe that is it is much different in group homes that are operated by voluntary agencies. Consider yourself blessed if you don't need long-term care in this country....130. Susan · North Carolina · March 13th, 2011 1:14 pm
I worked for 12 years in the area of patient/client advocacy. I have taken reports and filed complaints of patient abuse/neglect in state mental hospitals, foster care facilities, and nursing homes. One thing is clear: the state agency responsible for monitering abuse, and adjudicating complaints, operates with the primary goal of ensuring that the facilities never have to be closed down for lack of staff. Almost all of the patients in these facilities are wards of the state and it is the state that must ensure that there is somewhere, someplace (no matter how poorly staffed, dirty or otherwise inadequate) to put them. Often that means that inspection reports are falsified, and that unqualified, disinterested, or even criminal staff are allowed to remain on the job. Since few of these patients have family involved in their care, the state is never sued for the harm done by their failure to properly screen, supervise, or train the caretakers. There is really no compelling reason for the state agency to be active in protecting the rights of the disabled or ensuring they receive decent care and services.131. Louis · CA · March 13th, 2011 1:14 pm
NAACP what's the point of your existence, if you do nothing?
From the article:
"'Why don't you get a Brillo pad and scrape the black off you?'"

Family destroying conditions also exist in family, criminal, and housing court systems where minorities rely on Court Appointed attorneys whose sole existence is to make the proceedings run as quickly as possible.132. emm305 · SC · March 13th, 2011 1:15 pm
"A spokesman, Herm Hill, said that the vast majority of the agency’s employees were conscientious, and that its hands were often tied because of the disciplinary and arbitration rules involving the workers’ union. "

Mr. Hill, you wouldn't have to worry about a union if you reported suspected crimes to law enforcement. Jeez.

This should be a warning to parents who give birth to severely disabled children. Your child will probably outlive you. THIS is what you can expect to happen if you decide to NOT let nature take its course and, instead, allow extraordinary medical interventions to keep alive a child that will never be able to even try to protect his or herself.

I know this sounds cold and hard, but you have to face the fact that this will likely be your child's fate.

It's no different for an adult who suffers a stroke or traumatic brain injury. If they will never recover, let them go naturally. Don't let them be subjected to years of rape and abuse because YOU can't let go.133. Doris Liebman Appelbaum · Milwaukee · March 13th, 2011 1:16 pm
I lived this scenario. My son was a Willowbrook resident, and I didn't know about any of the abuse till Rivera and Kennedy took it on. My son (who is legally deaf and blind and developmentally disabled) now lives in a group home on Long Island, and I worry often about his caregivers and well being. Since I live hundreds of miles away, it is difficult to maintain reality. Sure, I get reports, and I visit him annually, but .... I am the only person in the family who keeps close contact, but that's not enough when you live in another state.134. D · NYC · March 13th, 2011 1:17 pm
And this is the tip of the iceberg. What about group homes or residential facilitites for the mentally ill (yes, they still exist). As well as residential and long term treatment facilities for those being treated for substance use disorders. I like to believe the vast majority of workers do so with compassion and understanding but when even one or two get away with what you describe in the article it can change the attitude of all involved. It begins with leadership. Working for "burned out" directors and supervisors whose primary interest is a paycheck not a resident leads to this kind of behavior as well. ALL staff needs training in these facilities including janitorial workers, kitchen staff, office staff, drivers, clinical staff and aids. These are not easy jobs but they can be incredibly rewarding with good leadership. Oh, and for Mr Truue who believes the workers discussed are NOT civil servants, please try reading the article again. If this were the private sector my guess is there would be no union defending this disgusting behavior and being rid of those who exhibit such would be easy! I once left a job partly due to the unacceptable behavior of the union. There too, one must follow the money.135. elijah · boston, ma · March 13th, 2011 1:18 pm
This article has a gaping hole in its reporting: how much funding is available to hire qualified people to staff these homes?
The problem here is not a few "bad apples." It is a system in which extremely difficult, stressful work is also very poorly rewarded. As a result, many potentially fine caregivers do not take these jobs, and the ones that do are overworked, overstressed, and feel like they have very little support or back-up. Obviously better oversight is needed, but that is likewise a matter of funding.
This is a story of societal priorities, not of personal flaws--and the current round of budget cuts will make this situation worse, no matter how many fine stories are written and how many statements of concern are made by officials.
As with public schools, money is not in itself a solution, but the absence of money is in itself a problem. You don't get great care or great education (which is obviously a connected issue) on the cheap.136. rayo · NC · March 13th, 2011 1:18 pm
This is why UNIONS need to be curtailed. Our most vulnerable population kids , disbled and sick are at their tender mercy. Just like wall street have unfettered bosses, unions have them too. I was prt of one and stayed at the capitol facing hotel with unin bosses who spent limitless. Who paid: poor union workers. If you guarantee a job whether an astonaut a wall street CEO or a teacher its going to be the same. The unions should have a way to st 100k bus driver salary. Same with NFL and actors guild etc: who pays finally/we the public who buy tickets.137. Christina · Summerland, CA · March 13th, 2011 1:19 pm
The fact of the matter is that the majority of these workers that are hired to look after the needy, disabled and downtrodden among us, are paid slave wages. They do not even make ends meet. It is a tough, demanding and often thankless job that pays minimum wage. Further, there is a very high turn-over rate as, again, the workers simply do not make a living wage, not enough to pay the rent. Personally, I would like to see that every single one in this society who works hard for a living, no matter how humble the field, everybody should at LEAST make a decent living wage. Of course, I do blame it directly on the stingy, greedy and incredibly myopic creeps that run these ghastly corporations; their insatiable appetites for disgusting and piggish gluttony; and I do indeed blame the deregulation of every industry, starting with old Reagan; I blame each politician in each administration, Democrat and Republican, that continued deregulation for the sole benefit of unconscionable corporate interests. When on earth with people say ENOUGH against CORPORATE PERSONHOOD?!?!138. walter Bally · vermont · March 13th, 2011 1:19 pm
Liberals are mean people.139. Michele · Connecticut · March 13th, 2011 1:58 pm
Excellent article. I know people who work/have worked in group homes whose stories thankfully aren't as horrifying as the ones in this piece. They are still terrible, everything from incompetent/unreliable co-workers to theft of clients' money and personal property. Perhaps job requirements for these positions need to be enhanced such as medical training and background checks. Change union policies as well.140. Redliana · Pittsburg, PA · March 13th, 2011 1:58 pm
This article exemplifies why public employee unions are becoming hated. This union should be held financially liable for the actions of their employees after obvious and repeated abuse has occurred. A strong economic incentive to remove the offenders from the state payroll and commence with criminal proceedings would obviate the need to completely dismantle the union.141. H. Hackenbush · NJ · March 13th, 2011 1:59 pm
Just think, soon they'll be even more state and federal cutbacks to institutions such as these, guaranteeing that ever more poorly trained, unqualified employees will be put on the payroll... after all, any half-way smart young student is going to take a pass at loading up thousands of dollars in student debt, all so they can work a thankless, highly demanding job that has little pay and poor benefits.

Well, at least the wealthiest in this country get to keep their tax breaks in place... after all, the richest 1% of people in this country, who own 38% of the entire nation's wealth and overall hold a larger share of national income at any given time in the U.S. since 1928, can't be expected to pay 38% in Federal taxes!
As for these so-called "mentally disabled" people... let them get off their lazy duff and pay their fair share!
Go, Tea Party, GO!142. Anonomous · New York · March 13th, 2011 2:01 pm
having worked for over 20 years with facilities that recieve state funding on behalf of mentally and physically impaired, No- I am not surprised one bit

To this day I can not forget hearing a nurse yell at a patient who was mentally retarted and yes, incredibly sweet say: "come here you little faggot...it's time for your meds" and yes, I did report her to the administrator
I couldn't take it anymore. My family warned me not to report her since there could be repurcussions143. Maddie07 · Florida · March 13th, 2011 2:01 pm
I support unions but also believe they should be held accountable. I think a more in depth investigation about how they handled these incidents is necessary. All parties need to be responsible.

The support of union's to protect and represent is not a blank check. If they want the continued support, they also need to clean up their act.

What have you got to say Civil Service Unions of New York?144. 07666 · NJ · March 13th, 2011 2:40 pm
I work in a non profit agency that provides residential and other services to the autistic people. If the problems are that bad in the state run homes you should see what is done in the private sector. The salaries are worse the quality of the staff is worse. The direct care workers in many cases are not that far ahead of the higher functioning consumers that they care for. Medicad abuse is rampant in the special article 16 and 28 clinics. As an RN who has supervisory responsibilities for the care that is given I am afraid of the direct care staff too.
The end of large institutions has only fragmented the problem.

Read Asylum by Edgar Brontfman, It gives an insight in to how a large community can be beneficial.145. Thomas Maguire · Bronx, NY · March 13th, 2011 2:41 pm
Speaking as a class member I can tell you that as a group, the parents of the developmentally disabled are fried; having attempted, in the family, to do what these institutions cannot seem to. They sit at the top of the advocacy movement, while withstanding an unrelenting stress level that lays waste to everything.

It is human nature that a group like this will attract exploitation against which they are defenseless, being compelled as parents to do what is best.

In-family assistance is preposterously absent or woefully inadequate. It is a commonly applied principal of law, that the family holds the best interest of the child yet far more dollars are available to warehouse your child than are available to keep them in the family home.
Community based care means in our community, not upstate or out of state as is practiced today. Saying it didn't work is endorsing the present result of minimum wage and maximum sequester as the best we could do.

At the same time, I do agree that the large scale hospital style institutions should not have been closed. Maybe all the employees needed to be fired but I still don't understand how you fire the buildings, land and patients in a politically expedient abdication of responsibility for mental health. We need thousands more inpatient beds and we need them in the patient's home community. This is where family care and support exist for the patient as well as family oversight. You can't pay money for that kind of care and if you could it certainly would not be minimum wage.

The mainstreaming and destigmatization of high and moderate function individuals is a civil right that cannot be turned back any more than slavery. The care of low functioning ones, as we would like to be cared for, is revealing of the quality of our society. At the moment, we have some giant steps taken half a century ago followed by a virtual freefall. Universal mainstreaming is the pipe dream of forces looking to reduce cost of a population who we have repeatedly failed during prosperity. We have been paying $2.00 on a $10.00 tab and now they want to make it $1.50.

Society is enriched by contact with the developmentally disabled and the developmentally disabled are enriched by contact with society. They get a life, we get an enhanced level of understanding. It is government's role to promote this relationship without patronage while administering reasonable protections for all concerned.146. athensarea · pennsylvania · March 13th, 2011 2:41 pm
There is no way to oversee or enforce the needed standards on thousands of small group homes. There are not enough licensed professionals to staff them either. We shut down large facilities due to "abuses" but it would seem there is much more of a chance to do a lot better if we re-look at that approach. Every setting could then have sufficient professional staff to assure that decent, humane care was being delivered. Things have changed tremendously in the past thirty years and I can help but think that the a better job could be done now rather than exposing these folks to the luck of the draw. I think we should reconsider the same idea for young children quite frankly, a well run orphanage has GOT to be better than most of the foster situations I see these kids in.147. Rob · Saratoga NY · March 13th, 2011 2:41 pm
I am an employee of the agency and have worked hard to make changes in my region that address these issues. It's a slow process and you have to stick your neck out for what is right. After charging a group of staffers with neglect they ganged up and falsified charges against me. I was later cleared of any wrong doing. They agency needs to require more education for entry level positions, being able to read and write in English is now all that is required! Most of them do that poorly. In my region several of the homes are managed by people with only a
GED. Couple that with the power trip they are on for having that much control over staff and consumers is a formula for disaster.148. lassie · north of Virginia · March 13th, 2011 2:41 pm
The staff in these places are often there because they are unemployable elsewhere and the turnover is so high that it would seem management will take pretty much anyone with a pulse. The pay is shockingly low and the work is extremely difficult, which means that ANYONE who is capable of getting a job elsewhere, will. The unions absolutely need to own up to the serious problems discussed in the article (I expect these unions are also filled with people who couldn't get a job anyplace else - I mean, would YOU choose to work in conditions like these for $7/hour or less?), but anyone who thinks privately-run homes are any better is deluding themselves. I would bet money that private institutions don't even offer health insurance to their workers or play Wal-Mart games with hours so that most workers are prevented from being eligible for benefits.

As someone else mentioned, the center of this problem is not the unions but that caregiving is the lowest-status profession in our society. Our economic and political system ignores or despises anyone who needs daily help from others, in particular those who never "get better," like the the elderly and the severely disabled, AND the people who care for them. It is a serious, even dire issue, especially as the population ages.149. myrtiewebb · california · March 13th, 2011 2:41 pm
In WI and CA where I have worked in community programs for the developmentally disabled and in small businesses for home care for the elderly, I have seen and reported vicious abuse and neglect; in each case the agencies and businesses cover up. In most cases, they pay the minimum wage and provide only inadequate baby sitting. Only when I played stupid and hid the fact that I was educated and well trained with a graduate degree did I get hired.
We once believed that the vulnerable of our society deserve our best effort. Alas, no longer.150. Jeff Gentry · Beverly, MA · March 13th, 2011 2:41 pm
I am incredibly grateful for the in-depth reporting on this oft-neglected topic. I work for Triangle, a nonprofit disability service agency in Greater Boston that is developing an intervention called IMPACT:Ability in order to address this epidemic of abuse.

We are convinced that a comprehensive approach to this problem requires an intervention that addresses the systemic problem, while also equipping individuals with disabilities/self-advocates with the skills they need to advocate for their own safety.

For this reason, IMPACT:Ability provides Safety & Self-Advocacy Trainings for individuals with disabilities/self-advocates that provides the skill training required to establish personal boundaries, physically defend oneself from potential or actual perpetration, and report abuse to trustworthy individuals who can help assess and respond to these incidents. Over the past sixteen months we have provided these trainings within schools, nonprofit organizations, and disability advocacy groups.

We are now developing Abuse Prevention Leadership teams at a state agency, a major public school system, and within the architecture of our own organization. These teams will be equipped with the skills required to identify potential perpetrators, create clear systems for abuse reporting as well as effective response, and, most importantly, create an environment in which healthy relationships are the norm.

Since IMPACT:Ability addresses this epidemic at systemic and individual levels, we are hopeful that this intervention will lead to lasting change within our state and will eventually be replicated in states like New York. If you are interested in learning more about this initiative, please do not hesitate to contact me at jgentry@triangle-inc.org.

© 2011 The New York Times Company

Ursus:
Here's another "sidebar," so to speak, associated with the above article, "At State-Run Homes, Abuse and Impunity" (by Danny Hakim; March 12, 2011; The New York Times)...

Not clarified by The Times is whether Mr. Macomber would still be happily employed by New York State, had he not violated the technical terms of his probation the last time around.

View full 39-page collection of documents at the below link, or click here for pdf download.

-------------- • -------------- • --------------

The New York Times
Published: March 12, 2011

USED AND ABUSED
A Case History: Roger Macomber

An edited selection of documents in the case of Roger Macomber, a developmental aid worker in western New York who was transferred several times during his tenure working for the Office for People With Developmental Disabilities. Mr. Macomber was dismissed in 2010 after violating his employment probation. Certain names and details were blacked out before the documents, received through a Freedom of Information Request, were provided to The Times. And several obscenities were deleted before publication on The Times's Web site.


© 2011 The New York Times Company

Ursus:
Comments left for the above article, "At State-Run Homes, Abuse and Impunity" (by Danny Hakim; March 12, 2011; The New York Times), #s 151-175:


151. Vadim99 · Detroit, Mi. · March 13th, 2011 2:41 pm
Very depressing story. Nothing new, of course, similar stories have appeared for decades, and nothing is done. Why? Because we warehouse people we wish to forget about, allow the dregs of society to care for them, and offer little to no oversight of said dregs. Who, by the way, are protected by organized criminals (what we used to call unions - but at least in the US, have long since become utterly corrupt). Will anything change, of course not.152. Nan · New York, NY · March 13th, 2011 2:41 pm
I wonder if there is any circumstance of record (law?) that would cause any state employee cited in this article to lose their pension. Horrid behavior - shame on the system that not only permits, but seems to protect it.153. swh · California · March 13th, 2011 2:41 pm
Another major case against public employee unions. Preservation of the union at all costs and reduced accountability for its members does not further the 'best' interests of us all. We don't need them and we do need accountability for poor performance, let alone criminal performance154. oldmill · ny · March 13th, 2011 2:41 pm
I don't understand why each and every one of these situations are not referred to as a criminal act and reported to the police? Union, administration and state should not be part of the equation for a criinal act. They should be separate in the consequences. Isn't criminal prosecution the consequence for criminal activity? Dependants of the state have the same rights as anyone else!!155. El Disidente · Rochester NY · March 13th, 2011 2:41 pm
I hope that the OPWDD is also thoroughly audited and investigated for the epidemic of fraudulent workers' compensation claims that are filed by the workers in these shelter homes. The volume of these costly and highly questionable 'accidents" - often used to either avoid criminal investigation for client abuses or to retire with a generous disability benefit - is costing the state millions of dollars.156. Jerry O · Yonkers, NY · March 13th, 2011 2:41 pm
I wish that the NY Times reporting included the names of the Arbitrators who give such slaps on the wrist to employees guilty of abusing clients in their care. The standard should be termination. Lateness, absenteeism, minor neglect of duties can be part of progressive discipline where penalties will lead to termination if there is no improvement. Documented abuse should result in termination.

Letting the public know the names of these Arbitrators will go a long way to raising the standards for care in these state-run homes. I am surprised that the NY Times is protecting these Arbitrator by not revealing their identities. They are a key part of this problem.157. AZ joe · Globe AZ · March 13th, 2011 2:41 pm
As a retired RN here in AZ you are required to have a background check by the FBI to work with the elderly or children and the state doesn't have any oversight of the guardians (lawyers) who exploit their wealth till they are broke and then give them to the state medicaid roles. We need to better prepared for our future with legal paper in place and family who know our wishes. As old and disabled you will be seen as a liability to the state not an asset good luck.158. hijos · Ithaca, NY · March 13th, 2011 3:10 pm
This is worse than the Catholic Church. My tax dollars are subsidising this?? Why wasn't the rapist prosecuted?159. ex-state worker · queensbury NY · March 13th, 2011 3:11 pm
As an ex- state worker, if the unions and directors spent more time fixing the "situation" rather than burying it, the system would be better off. When someone does report abuse, they are black-balled and their jobs are a living hell.stupid issues take the lead, and the important ones get tucked away.Some supervisors are the blame for unneccesary "deaths" of these people for lack of ambition and taking matters brought to their attention "seriously".Perhaps the closure of the instition wasn't a good idea.. too many individual homes to keep an eye-on !! good job Jeff monsour !160. Kip Dare · South Glens Falls, New York · March 13th, 2011 3:11 pm
I can't believe Governor Cuomo through Jeffrey Monsour under the bus! He should be ashamed of himself...161. Tom · Vallejo, CA · March 13th, 2011 3:11 pm
The solution is simple
Remove Collective Bargaining162. Ginger · Lafayette, CO. · March 13th, 2011 3:11 pm
So, what r u going 2 do about it Andrew? Can't pass the buck this time, like when u were Att. General. Ps. This is why people hate unions.163. Mouse · PS · March 13th, 2011 3:11 pm
Public sector unions at their best!164. dsard · Cleveland, OH · March 13th, 2011 3:13 pm
My mentally retarded brother was committed to the tender mercies of a Buffalo, NY area group home in 1990, upon the death of our mother. At first, the care was amazing. Everyone had a minimum of an Associate';'s degree in a human services area. The manager of the home had a bachelors in social work. Within a year, my brother had gotten down to a healthy weight, and was much more socialized. He was encouraged to pursue his interests in art and even had a work on display at the Albright Knox.

Then Pataki got in, and along came his "Welfare to work" program. The experienced, educated care-givers at the home were gone, replaced by thugs and hoods. My brother's weight ballooned up again as all they know how to cook seems to be hot dogs and canned soup.

On one visit, the door was opened by a man whose pants were sagging almost to his ankles. I assumed he was a resident and said "Why are you answering the door? Staff is supposed to open the door." Surprise!! He WAS staff! I suggested that he pull his pants up unless he enjoyed having people assume he was a client.

My brother was thrown to the floor and kicked two years ago. The staff person was "reassigned," not fired. So now he's abusing some other helpless person.

My brother's case manager made an impromptu visit to the home on a weekend. She caught the staff in the yard having a keg party while the clients were locked in the house. The case manager filed a report of neglect. SHE was fired.

Overnight staff has been caught kicking the clients out of their beds and sleeping in them while the residents have to roam the house or curl up on a floor.

Last summer, I drove up to Buffalo for a visit and saw one of the residents running up the street. I had to tell staff that they lost someone. Nobody there had even noticed.

I'm told that these people have a union and cannot be fired. Wow! I am a union worker too, but my union isn't THAT strong. I'd have been gone long ago if I were that incompetent.165. Mike · Buffalo, NY · March 13th, 2011 3:14 pm
My significant other has worked in one of these homes for nearly a decade. She has had her shoulder dislocated, her hand crushed by the grip of a larger, mentally handicap man, and was thrown into a wall and knocked out.

Through all her years, she has no allegations of abuse, has risen through the ranks, and treats the members of her home like family, even bringing them home on Christmas. She receives state inspections every year and has a detailed log off all activities.

As always with the Times, you report the extremes of behavior to draw readership and then present it as the norms. From my perspective, I push her to quit every week so she doesn't get injured again. But of course a story on her wouldn't get the outrage that sells papers, and who is concerned about putting issues in proper perspective when you can sit in an ivory tower, delve into an industry for a week or two, and proclaim to be experts on the field?166. ww.Lowen · MA · March 13th, 2011 3:14 pm
It is a shame but sadly nothing new and I really don't know why it has not changed as yet. Must have something to do with oney and or poorly spent money. Maybe it is because these clients don't have voting power.167. walter Bally · vermont · March 13th, 2011 3:14 pm
End union marxism now.168. Rob · Saratoga NY · March 13th, 2011 3:14 pm
I work hard everyday to make positve changes in the lives of the people I care for. It brings tears to my eyes to see this in writing,knowing that the public paints me with the same brush.169. Diana Moses · Arlington · March 13th, 2011 3:15 pm
I don't think we have yet developed "best practices," an understanding of the resources necessary to support them, a method for implementing them, and a system for monitoring their implementation.

The problem reminds me of problems with our health care system -- in both cases, although the results we get from using the system as it is continually give us the feedback that the system is not working, we continue with virtually the same system without significant overhaul, as if just trying harder with the same system will yield the results we want.

I have seen in group homes and other therapeutic settings that staff often get overwhelmed (including as a result of their own inadequately managed fears and maladaptive behaviors), use short-cuts to try to manage the people in their charge (adding to the problems and damaging the people they are trying to help), and need a lot more training, supervision, and support themselves.

If we develop better practices, we still have the issue of how to provide the resources (financial and emotional, for example) to sustain them.

I agree that a first step is to keep the situation in the public eye, even if it isn't clear to me what all the other steps are to addressing these problems. I will say with some frustration that even when family members are present, involved, and able to contribute ideas that might help improve things for all involved, it is very difficult to find a way to be heard and an avenue to bring the ideas to fruition.170. Mary · Colorado · March 13th, 2011 3:15 pm
Take a close look at what is done in the name of "behavior modification" at the Judge Rotenburg School in Massacusetts, where New York sends many of of its most vulnerable children with disabities, at a very high tuition cost, to be tortured and tied down with repeated electric shocks administered by high school graduates if they're lucky and supervised by absentee psychologists, owned by a maniac who makes his money off of his long discredited "theory."171. maureen · Alaska/NY · March 13th, 2011 3:16 pm
Horrible, rampant and needing a Super Hero. It is even worse in prisons. In prisons, no one cares...172. gmw · North Carolina · March 13th, 2011 3:17 pm
I saw this coming forty years ago when the State Institutions closed in the guise of "humane grounds" when everyone knew it was to save money. Does anyone wonder why NY has such a high homeless population? The residents were thrown out of the state facilities and had no where to go. The group home experiment did exactly what I knew it would do; fail. 2000 group homes with an average resident level of 6 is not going to house all those that need a warm bed and all the related comforts of home PLUS the medical and psychological care. The buildings were there, the employee were there and some doctors. Oh yes, the CSEA was there and is the only thing still there! Should public employees need a union? Not in my book. Unions were started because COMPANY bosses treated them unfairly. In today's world there are plenty of laws and safeguards in place to protect the American worker. Especially government workers. What in NOT there are background checks, Physical and Psychological tests before hiring and regular AUDITING of the group homes and their employees by outside auditors, not other state employees. Even without a union, they will protect each other. Privatization with contributions (not unlike public schools) might work better. Set standards for hiring set infractions for firing. Remember working people contribute to the state funds. If NY state does not want to pay the bill for those that are helpless, step up and say so. Don't posture for politics sake on the backs of those that cannot talk back. Instead of fixing what was broken but still fixable, NY State closed the facilities in a axiom of throwing the baby out with the bath water. P.S. I was a resident of NY state for all of seven years of my life. The last 5 1/2 have been in NC. However, as every NY'r knows "you can take the girl out of NY but not NY out of the girl>" I am now 72.173. meden agan · nj · March 13th, 2011 3:18 pm
I know of at least one NJ facility that the state of NY pays to provide NY residents similar appalling & unacceptable conditions. A long time acquaintance who worked there very recently was disgusted at the contrast between the debased lives of the residents of the facility and the obvious wealth of the owners. I suspect that these NY residents dropped in NJ are as good as abandoned. There is no motivation to help them recover and leave--that's just one less paycheck for the owners. I wonder if anyone even knows where they've been sent off to.174. kay · new york · March 13th, 2011 3:18 pm
The lack of skilled doctors and trained help available to the most vulnerable in society has always been a tragedy in this country. We treat our chronically ill like lepers and as Congress strips them of even their paltry medical help, not a peep from the "don't tax me cause I don't care about anyone but me!" millionaire crowd. This country is losing it's moral compass and forgetting what it was that used to make this country great.175. db · ny · March 13th, 2011 3:20 pm
I read this article and hate to admit that I do work for OPWDD. So much goes on that is ignored from client abuse to employee's abusing time! Not worth reporting to supervisor as nothing gets done about it. The only thing I have experienced is that they treat those who do steal time, not come to work, abuse the clients as if they were outstanding employees and they are the ones who seem to get the promotions. I was taught to "turn the other cheek"

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