GEORGIA - DHS AND DFCS LEADERSHIP - MR. RON SCROGGY - INTERIM DIRECTOR OF DFCS

Department of Human Services (DHS) Commissioner Clyde Reese chose insider Mr. Ron Scroggy Deputy Director of DFCS, as interim/acting Director of the Department of Family and Children Services (DFCS) after removing Rachelle Carnesale;  Mr. Scroggy was already the Deputy Director of DFCS.

Mr. Scroggy has a long history working in or with Residential Treatment Facilities (RTF) for children.   According to Mr. Scroggy's resume,  he was the President and CEO of Inner Harbour until August/September of 2009, which merged with the Tennessee based Youth Villages in the Fall of 2009. http://www.linkedin.com/in/ronscroggy

*http://www.youthvillages.org/what-we-do/residential-programs/inner-harbour-%20campus.aspx

During Mr. Scroggy's tenure, in 2007-2008 Inner Harbour received just over $223,000.
and in 2008-2009 received just over $717,000. from the Georgia Department of Education under "Residential Treatment Facility State Grants."

After leaving Inner Harbour, in the 2009-2010 fiscal year, the facility received slightly over $477,000. from the state RTF grant, and for 2010-2011 it received approximately $464,000. dollars. See: RTF grantees: http://www.gadoe.org/pea_policy.aspx?

Unlike the Ridge Creek School facility (RCS), which was fraudulently listed under ARRA as an RTF to receive stimulus grants (actually used according to the DJJ to pay per diem to RCS), Inner Harbour was actually a licensed RTF receiving state grants and ARRA stimulus funds under Award Number S397A090011.  After Inner Harbour's merging with Youth Villages, it appears they lucked out and doubled down with the stimulus funds, nominal as the funds were.  According to "Recovery. Gov"  the awards summary indicates both facilities, although merged as one, received stimulus funds separately, but under the same vendor ID number 301354921.  Creative.  Whether Inner Harbour /Youth Villages ever received the stimulus funds, or as with Ridge Creek's case (DJJ reported they only used one quarters allocated funds to pay for per diem) remain to be determined.
LINKS:
http://www.recovery.gov/Transparency/RecipientReportedData/Pages/RecipientProjectSummary508.aspx?AwardIDSUR=27331&vendorstart=2#vendorawards

http://www.recovery.gov/Transparency/RecipientReportedData/Pages/RecipientProjectSummary508.aspx?AwardIDSUR=27331&vendorstart=4#vendorawards

http://www.recovery.gov/Transparency/RecipientReportedData/Pages/RecipientProjectSummary508.aspx?AwardIDSUR=27331&vendorstart=1#vendorawards

Amongst industry insiders and marketing, Inner Harbour was given accolades for their achievement with children, but then so was Ridge Creek School, formerly Hidden Lake Academy.  Whom does one trust? The track record at Inner Harbour is debatable and it appears Youth Villages should have stayed in Tennessee, as their merged reports are not stellar either.  Early on and before his departure, Mr. Scroggy stated of the merger:

“This joining of these two great organizations will allow us to do more for children and families,” said Ron Scroggy, Inner Harbour CEO. “This partnership is a great opportunity. First and foremost, we know that this will positively affect the children and families we serve across the southeast. It’s also a win-win for our dedicated staff, as well as our public and private funders.” * See above link.

Since the merger,  the ORCC reports on Inner Harbour and Youth Villages are only available to the public from late 2009 forward, after Mr. Scroggy left the building.   However, many of the ORCC reports for this facility cited repeat violations back to when Mr. Scroggy was the CEO and President of Inner Harbour.  During this time period, it would appear Mr. Scroggy as President and CEO would bear some responsiblity for the violations as they happened on his watch.  However, the DHS and ORCC staff behaviors over the years in dealing with the Ridge Creek facility vioaltions, clearly indicate mandated reporting is not important either for themselves or facility staff.

Growth.  Aspen Education did the same and it didn't work out too well.

Youth Villages and Inner Harbour

ORCC reports are listed under Youth Villages, Inc. - Inner Harbour.  The corporation has several CCI's ( Child Caring Institution licenses), an OTC ( Outdoor Therapeutic Camp [Wilderness] license), and a PRTF ( Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facility license) per the ORCC.  The listed entities under the corporate veil are: Youth Villages, Inc. - Inner Harbour Campus - Ranch (CCI), Youth Villages - Inner Harbour Campus (OTC), Youth Villages-Inner Harbour Campus (PRTF), Youth Villages, Inc.-Angela's House (CCI), and Youth Villages, Inc. - The Douglas Center (CCI).

ORCC REPORT - LINKS:
Youth Villages, Inc. - Inner Harbour "Ranch" -  CCI

http://167.193.144.170:7001/ORSINV/facilitysummaryadd.jsp?varFACID=CCI001123

Youth Villages, Inc. Inner Harbour Campus - OTC
http://167.193.144.170:7001/ORSINV/facilitysummaryadd.jsp?varFACID=OCCP001024

Youth Villages Inc. "The Douglas Center"  - CCI

http://167.193.144.170:7001/ORSINV/facsum.jsp?varFACID=CCI001447

Youth Villages, Inc. "Angela's House" -  CCI

http://167.193.144.170:7001/ORSINV/facilitysummaryadd.jsp?varFACID=CCI001124

Youth Villages, Inc. - Inner Harbour Campus - PRTF
No ORCC reports are available.

Leadership and the new Director of DFCS

Fiscally looking at Inner Harbour, Mr. Scroggy appears to have done well in leadership.

However, it's been said, " the future is our past," and the best prediction of leadership would appear to reflect in our past. Mr. Scroggy is an industry insider within the "Teen Help Industry;" which unfortunately is known for its lack of ethics, although it is financially quite beneficial for all concerned, including the states in which these facilities reside.

After leaving Inner Harbour, Mr. Scroggy went into private consulting, then on to the Department of Family and Children's Services.

Herein lies the problem.  Georgia has a less than stellar reputation with children's services.  From Federal lawsuits, to recommended reforms, DFCS, its DHS, DJJ, and the ORCC have been known to be nepotistic, beyond opaque, and from what we have seen in advocacy, an apparent air of either being inept, corrupt, or both.  An industry insider is the last misadventure in mistakes they need.  This is nothing against Mr. Scroggy, although from reading the ORCC reports on Inner Harbour, Georgia needs a visionary without the same old baggage and mindset. We wish him well and hope the words stationed before "Director" such as "acting" or "interim" do not become "permanent."

It is our hope Georgia will consider leadership qualities in their appointment for the Director of DFCS that are found outside Atlanta's invisible beltway, though not quite as far as Chicago, where they found former DHS Commissioner B.J. Walker;  we all know how well that went.

Mergers are about the bottom line, never about the welfare of the children.   Finding a new director is one "merger" that deserves careful thought, although finding an individual whose character is above reproach will be tough today. Perhaps somone should consider vetting the prospective appointee to be sure no one can construe that there is a conflict of interest.   The mission of  DHS and its DFCS is to protect the children.  It would be a plus to be sure the appointee is on the same side of that 'aisle' and will seek much needed reforms.
Mr. Smith offered this regarding leadership qualities:
http://www.nsba.org/sbot/toolkit/LeadQual.htmly

And that's my take.

"For the Children Left Behind"