2
« on: November 27, 2012, 06:04:58 PM »
Mr. Faggots:
Actually a lot of people give a shit. Folks in GA might be giving lots of them due to the fact they have been found negligent. Could mean GA has opened itself up to quite a few lawsuits... Perhaps we'll just let people read over the letter below and see how they'd like to proceed. Oh, and whether or not they "give a shit". Thanks.
GEORGIA ADVOCACY OFFICE
The Protection and Advocacy System for People with Disabilities in Georgia
November 15, 2012
Re: Ridge Creek School, Dahlonega, Georgia
Dear -
Thank you for your inquiry regarding the findings of the Georgia Advocacy Office (GAO) with regard to the facility formerly operated by Ridge Creek School in Dahlonega, Georgia. As you know, Ridge Creek School provided what has been described as a therapeutic school to incorporate both education and counseling in a residential program for children experiencing emotional disturbances. Multiple state human services agencies utilized this program, including the Department of Human Services/Division ofFamily and Children Services (DFCS) and the Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ). Oversight was the responsibility of these agencies, in addition to the licensing responsibility exercised by the Department of Human Services/Office of Residential Child Care (ORCC) and the Department of Education. The school was accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS).
Over the course of several years, ORCC identified multiple and serious deficiencies in performance at the school in the course of investigating complaints and incidents and during annual reviews of the facility. Ridge Creek School was cited by ORCC repeatedly for multiple regulatory violations including insufficient staffing, medications not administered accurately, failure to provide protective care and oversight and failure to report incidents. Often there were multiple and repeated citations for the same deficiency, thereby demonstrating Ridge Creek's failure to identify, correct, and maintain improvements. ORCC failed to follow through to ensure that the documented deficiencies were ultimately remedied and the children confined there were protected from harm.
Many of the children at Ridge Creek were in the custody of DFCS or DJJ and were confined to Ridge Creek under the authority of those agencies. It is unclear to what extent DFCS and DJJ were made aware of the multiple and repeated deficiencies ofthe facility. In some cases, DFCS and DJJ were made aware of incidents at the facility along with the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities. In some cases, investigations were carried out, yet no agency focused on the pattern of ongoing issues that contributed to the unsafe environment which led to abuse and neglect of children who were in the care of Ridge Creek School.
Ridge Creek School also frequently requested assistance from Lumpkin County Police for multiple incidents including property destruction, elopement, fights, sexual assault, and riots. In one instance in January 2011, Lumpkin County Police reported that approximately 11 students were causing damage to the school buildings by breaking out windows, setting off fire extinguishers, making entry into a building without permission, and knocking over office equipment.
Although it is clear that oversight was inadequate, the diffusion of responsibility across agencies also raises significant concerns for the continuing oversight of other residential programs similar to that of Ridge Creek. We will be conducting additional inquiries into similar programs in Georgia to identify ongoing problems and opportunities for improvement. According to information provided by the Georgia Department of Human Services, there are approximately ten other facilities that operate similar programs - residential treatment services with an onsite school operated by the provider - with similar competing oversight agencies, within Georgia.
Problems with Ridge Creek School are emblematic of the multiple oversight agencies that have jurisdiction, and the lack of coordination among the agencies. This lack of coordination has resulted in multiple incidents that posed a threat to the health and safety of children as well as incomplete records and could repeat in other circumstances.
If you have any additional information that would expedite further investigation, please contact us as soon as possible.
Sincerely,
Tobin McDaniel
Director of Investigations
Show Posts