 |
| Jose Angel Rodriguez |
"A probable cause affidavit said the Boynton Beach mayor used his position to obstruct an ongoing criminal abuse investigation against him by the Department of Children and Families and the Boynton Beach Police Department...."
Thursday, January 26, 2012
Boynton Beach Mayor Arrested - Politics News Story - WPBF West Palm Beach
Erin Brockovich investigating mysterious disease cluster – USATODAY.com
Erin Brockovich investigating mysterious disease cluster – USATODAY.com
LE ROY, N.Y. – Environmental activist Erin Brockovich has started her own investigation into the mysterious illness that's caused symptoms of facial tics and verbal outbursts among teenag in LeRoy, N.Y., in light of new evidence about a toxic chemical spill more than 40 years ago that caused water and ground contamination.
Brockovich, of Los Angeles, says families of affected teens and other community members asked her to look into the case. She's spent the past week studying federal and state reports about a 1970 train derailment that spilled cyanide and an industrial solvent called trichloroethene (TCE) within three miles of the high school attended by the 12 teen girls who started having these symptoms last fall. As many as five other teens, including one boy and two girls from the Albany area, are reportedly experiencing similar neurological symptoms.
READ MORE: http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/story/2012-01-26/new-york-school-mystery-disease/52804710/1?csp=34news
LE ROY, N.Y. – Environmental activist Erin Brockovich has started her own investigation into the mysterious illness that's caused symptoms of facial tics and verbal outbursts among teenag in LeRoy, N.Y., in light of new evidence about a toxic chemical spill more than 40 years ago that caused water and ground contamination.
Brockovich, of Los Angeles, says families of affected teens and other community members asked her to look into the case. She's spent the past week studying federal and state reports about a 1970 train derailment that spilled cyanide and an industrial solvent called trichloroethene (TCE) within three miles of the high school attended by the 12 teen girls who started having these symptoms last fall. As many as five other teens, including one boy and two girls from the Albany area, are reportedly experiencing similar neurological symptoms.
READ MORE: http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/story/2012-01-26/new-york-school-mystery-disease/52804710/1?csp=34news
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
GOP AN EMBARRASSMENT - PALTRY SHOWING OF DEMOCRATS H.R. 3126 BILL : STOP CHILD ABUSE IN RESIDENTIAL PROGRAMS FOR TEENS ACT OF 2011
THERE IS NOT ONE SINGLE REPUBLICAN SPONSOR AND IN ALL FAIRNESS, A PALTRY SHOWING FROM DEMOCRATS. THERE SHOULD BE NO PARTISANSHIP, NO CORPORATE LOBBY, WHERE THE WELL-BEING OF OUR CHILDREN, OUR FUTURE, ARE CONCERNED. GET IT?
Representative
George Miller
D-CA
Co-Sponsors of H.R. 3126
Rep. Judy Chu [D, CA-32]
Added October 24, 2011
Rep. Raul Grijalva [D, AZ-7]
Added October 24, 2011
Rep. Rush Holt [D, NJ-12]
Added October 13, 2011
Rep. Marcy Kaptur [D, OH-9]
Added October 24, 2011
Rep. Dennis Kucinich [D, OH-10]
Added October 24, 2011
Rep. Barbara Lee [D, CA-9]
Added November 01, 2011
Rep. John Lewis [D, GA-5]
Added October 24, 2011
Rep. David Loebsack [D, IA-2]
Added October 13, 2011
Rep. Carolyn McCarthy [D, NY-4]
Added October 06, 2011
Rep. Grace Napolitano [D, CA-38]
Added December 05, 2011
Rep. Jared Polis [D, CO-2]
Added November 14, 2011
Rep. Bobby Rush [D, IL-1]
Added January 17, 2012
Rep. Adam Schiff [D, CA-29]
Added November 01, 2011
Rep. Robert Scott [D, VA-3]
Added October 11, 2011
Rep. Fortney Stark [D, CA-13]
Added November 17, 2011
Rep. Niki Tsongas [D, MA-5]
Added October 11, 2011
Rep. Lynn Woolsey [D, CA-6]
Added November 15, 2011
BILL OFFICIAL SUMMARY:H.R. BILL TEXT: http://www.opencongress.org/bill/112-h3126/text
10/6/2011--Introduced.Stop Child Abuse in Residential Programs for Teens Act of 2011 - Directs the Assistant Secretary for Children and Families of the Department of Health and Human Services to require each location of a covered program to meet specified minimum standards if individually or together with other locations it has an effect on interstate commerce. Defines "covered program" as one operated by a public or private entity that with respect to one or more children unrelated to the program owner or operator:
(1) provides a residential environment; and
(2) operates with a focus on serving children with emotional, behavioral, or mental health problems or disorders, or problems with alcohol or substance abuse. Directs the Assistant Secretary to:
(1) implement an ongoing review process for investigating and evaluating reports of child abuse and neglect;
(2) establish public websites with information about each covered program, as well as a national toll-free telephone hotline to receive complaints;
(3) establish civil penalties for violations of standards; and
(4) establish a process to ensure that complaints received by the hotline are promptly reviewed by persons with appropriate expertise. Requires the Assistant Secretary to refer any violation of such standards to the Attorney General for appropriate action. Authorizes the Attorney General to file such a complaint on his or her own initiative regardless of whether such a referral has been made. Amends the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act to establish additional eligibility requirements for grants to states to prevent child abuse and neglect at residential programs. Require such states to develop policies and procedures to prevent child abuse and neglect at covered programs consistent with the standards specified by this Act. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to study outcomes for children in both private and public covered programs under this Act encompassing a broad representation of treatment facilities and geographic regions.
GEORGIA:GBI interviews staff at Augusta YDC | The Augusta Chronicle
Hate to break it to everyone, but it is late January 2012.
GBI interviews staff at Augusta YDC The Augusta Chronicle
ATLANTA — The commissioner of the Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice assured Augusta lawmakers Tuesday that her department and the GBI are doing everything they can to investigate the November death of a teen detainee and address personnel problems at the troubled Augusta YDC.
WALTER JONES/MORRIS NEWS SERVICE
Rep. Wayne Howard, D-Augusta, listens as Gale Buckner, the commissioner of the Department of Juvenile Justice, briefs the Augusta legislative delegation about the ongoing YDC investigation.
Gale Buckner, who has led the department for a few months, told local legislators that a team of 20 Georgia Bureau of Investigation agents began interviewing staff at the Augusta Youth Development Campus at 5 a.m. Tuesday, seeking information on several fronts, including the November beating death of a 19-year-old.
To read more:
http://chronicle.augusta.com/news/crime-courts/2012-01-24/gbi-interviews-staff-augusta-ydc?v=1327442438
GBI interviews staff at Augusta YDC The Augusta Chronicle
ATLANTA — The commissioner of the Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice assured Augusta lawmakers Tuesday that her department and the GBI are doing everything they can to investigate the November death of a teen detainee and address personnel problems at the troubled Augusta YDC.
Rep. Wayne Howard, D-Augusta, listens as Gale Buckner, the commissioner of the Department of Juvenile Justice, briefs the Augusta legislative delegation about the ongoing YDC investigation.
Gale Buckner, who has led the department for a few months, told local legislators that a team of 20 Georgia Bureau of Investigation agents began interviewing staff at the Augusta Youth Development Campus at 5 a.m. Tuesday, seeking information on several fronts, including the November beating death of a 19-year-old.
To read more:
http://chronicle.augusta.com/news/crime-courts/2012-01-24/gbi-interviews-staff-augusta-ydc?v=1327442438
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
UPDATE: SUPPORT H.R. 3126: Stop Child Abuse in Residential Programs for Teens Act of 2011 - U.S. Congress - OpenCongress
Blog Articles for H.R.3126: Stop Child Abuse in Residential Programs for Teens Act of 2011 - U.S. Congress - OpenCongress
PLEASE CLICK THE ABOVE OR BELOW LINK, TAKE A FEW MINUTES AND SUPPORT H.R. 3126. SURVIVORS AND FAMILIES PLEASE SHARE THIS WITH YOUR FRIENDS, FAMILY, BLOGS, ETC. THE WEBSITE WILL EXPEDITE AN EMAIL TO SEND YOUR CONGRESSMAN.
http://www.opencongress.org/bill/112-h3126/blogs
STAND UP AGAINST NATSAP, IECA, AND CORPORATE LOBBYISTS.
Please let your voices be heard for the children that have none.
PLEASE CLICK THE ABOVE OR BELOW LINK, TAKE A FEW MINUTES AND SUPPORT H.R. 3126. SURVIVORS AND FAMILIES PLEASE SHARE THIS WITH YOUR FRIENDS, FAMILY, BLOGS, ETC. THE WEBSITE WILL EXPEDITE AN EMAIL TO SEND YOUR CONGRESSMAN.
http://www.opencongress.org/bill/112-h3126/blogs
STAND UP AGAINST NATSAP, IECA, AND CORPORATE LOBBYISTS.
Please let your voices be heard for the children that have none.
"There can be no keener revelation of a society's soul than the way in which it treats its children." — Nelson Mandela 8 May 1995 PretoriaNOTE: H.R. 3126 is now H.R. 1981 because 'Washington' deems it more important to afford rights to our military canines (we support) than to our children.
RIDGE CREEK SCHOOL FACILITY - CONCERNED EMPLOYEE'S ALARMING LETTER DISREGARDED BY GEORGIA' S DHS COMMISSIONER ET AL
(see below), the letter was 'mailed' to
five parties in
January of 2011, including Georgia's DHS Commissioner Clyde Reese who oversees the Office of Residential Child Care (ORCC), and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Director John Pickleman, in hopes that an investigation into the Ridge Creek School facility would commence.
Advanc-Ed- SACS (Southern Association of Colleges and Schools) accredited the Ridge Creek School facility in February of 2011. In April of 2011, Advanc-Ed Assistant Director stated in a telephone conversation that he had never heard of complaints ...
Interesting. Emails and letters over the years clearly indicate that prior to and during Advanc-Ed's "take-over" of SACS, there were numerous complaints to the accrediting board regarding this facility and it's accreditation.
I spoke with the party that drafted this letter. He/she did not know whom to write, so he/she decided to pull the list of agencies off the Ridge Creek School's own website. This is obvious in that the party sent the letter to NATSAP. Although well-intentioned, he/she did not know that the owner of the facility co-founded NATSAP. NATSAP, like IECA, Lon Woodbury, and his educational consultant colleagues would never risk their livelihood in search of the truth, least of all exposing it.
What hit home, as with many former employees and parents, was the clear message that they were frightened to come forth; this fear, was not of the agencies response.
What is more frightening is the lack of agency response. To clarify, complainants may submit complaint reports to the ORCC anonymously. If one is using the ORCC website to file a complaint, it cannot be filed anonymously, although the ORCC states the complainants name will remain anonymous.
https://services.georgia.gov/dhr/reportfiling/searchFacility.do?action=constituentComplaint
The letter submitted to "jilliestake" with permission given to publish, appalling as it is:
Department of Human Services
Commissioner’s Office
Commissioner Clyde L. Reese, III, Esq.
2 Peachtree Street, N.W. Suite 29 -
250
RE: Ridge Creek School
Gentlemen:
Unfortunately, I must send this letter without an identifying signature as I have no interest in becoming involved in a lawsuit with Ridge Creek School
Since the fall of 2010 the following incidents have occurred:
- A thirteen-year-old girl with a history of suicidal gestures (if not attempts), sexual promiscuity and self-abuse (cutting, purging, etc.) was allowed to leave a classroom unmonitored for upwards of 50 minutes. During this time she had a pre-arranged sexual encounter with a fourteen-year-old male student in a bathroom stall. This was only discovered when she told other students about the instance and they voiced their concern to staff. The male student then attempted suicide, and was taken to a local mental hospital and (apparently) he now has rape charges pending against him. The female student then attempted suicide which was also unsuccessful.
- Two other students have had to be cut down by other students in hanging attempts. To the best of my knowledge this issue of student suicide attempts has never been discussed or otherwise brought up in any staff meeting nor has any specialized training or education been provided to any of the staff despite repeated requests for such training by concerned and upset staff.
- A thirteen-year-old male student (who had turned thirteen only a few days before this incident) told other students that he had been “sexually assaulted” by another male student, age fourteen. This allegedly occurred in the dorm room which they shared and was only learned when, again, other concerned students told staff. Although the thirteen-year-old student had a lengthy history of exaggeration and of lying, and his story changed at least five times during the staff investigation, the fourteen-year-old student was charged with sodomy by the Lumpkin County Sheriff’s Office and he was expelled from
Ridge Creek School - Since the Christmas holidays the students have “rioted” in the parking lot, destroying property and generally out of control. The reason given by the students was that so many staff members had either quit or been fired there was no consistency in the Counseling or Recreation departments as regards their treatment and they had no one to talk to or confide in. In the last three months three counselors have been fired. Two of them were fired after giving their notice of intention of finding other employment to Ridge Creek School and the Director of Counseling was fired when the Administration learned that he intended to leave the school as soon as possible as he feared the potential loss of his license due to the events that were routinely happening.
- Staff has been routinely and frequently assaulted by the students. Their automobiles have been broken into and personal items stolen. The Director of Counseling had the window of his Lincoln SUV smashed with a brick by an angry student.
- A student was released to go home with his father over the Christmas holidays and, later that day, his clothes were found neatly folded with the withdrawal paper on top of the clothes. When the child’s withdrawal was then more closely examined it was learned that the child’s mother had sole custody and orders had been given to the school to, under no circumstances, release the child to his father. At this time phone calls to both the child’s father and mother have gone unanswered and he has not been returned to the school at the agreed upon date. His whereabouts are unknown.
There are many, many more instances where children and staff have been put in troubling and dangerous situations but I hope that the few instances I have given you have been sufficient to put you on notice that you need to sincerely question your involvement with Ridge Creek School
Please feel free to initiate your own investigation so that you know what appropriate steps you need to take next. To ignore this situation it to put your organization and it’s’ reputation in peril. I also hope that you have a sincere interest in your organizations inherent duty to protect the troubled youth that attend a residential boarding school such as Ridge Creek.
I sincerely hope that this letter has sufficiently alerted you to the dangers involved to the children domiciled at Ridge Creek School and that you will quickly take appropriate steps to help insure their safety.
A Concerned Employee
cc:
National Association of Therapeutic Schools and Programs
Craig LaMont, President, Board of Directors
The Georgia
Carvin Brown, Ed.D., Executive Director
Carvin Brown, Ed.D., Executive Director
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
John Pickleman, Chairman
Dr. Jeff Jackson
Department of Human Services; Commissioner’s Office
Commissioner Clyde L. Reese, III, Esq.
Sunday, January 22, 2012
UPDATE: H.R. 3126: The Stop Child Abuse in Residential Programs for Teens Act of 2011 | Democrats -Committee on Education and the Workforce, U.S. House of Representatives
H.R. 3126: The Stop Child Abuse in Residential Programs for Teens Act of 2011 Democrats -Committee on Education and the Workforce, U.S. House of Representatives
GEORGIA IS A POSTER CASE OF WHY THIS LEGISLATION NEEDS AMENDING:
SEEKING STATE REGULATION IS ONLY EFFECTIVE IF STATE AGENCIES ARE ETHICAL IN THEIR PRACTICE OF REGULATING THESE FACILITIES. IF THERE IS CORRUPTION, THIS WILL NOT WORK. IF THERE IS INDIFFERENCE, THIS WILL NOT WORK.
IF TOP LEVEL EMPLOYEES OBFUSCATE THE TRUTH, AND ORDER CONTAINMENT, WHILE LOWER LEVEL EMPLOYEES FEAR FOR THEIR LIVELIHOOD AND RETRIBUTION, THIS LEGISLATION WILL NOT WORK.
IF A STATE SYSTEM IS IN PLACE THAT PROTECTS THE PERPETRATORS, ENABLES THE PERPETRATORS, LEAVING THE ABUSED AND INNOCENT WITH NO VOICE, AND THE STATE WITH NO ACCOUNTABILITY, THIS LEGISLATION WILL NOT WORK.
IF THE STATES' PROTECT THE CORRUPTION AND OBFUSCATION OF THEIR OWN AGENCIES UNDER *"SOVEREIGN IMMUNITY" THAT DO HARM, SHIRKING THEIR RESPONSIBILITIES AS MANDATED REPORTERS, NOT UPHOLDING CHILDRENS' RIGHTS AND THOSE GRANTED BY OUR CONSTITUTION, THIS LEGISLATION WILL NOT WORK.
* 11th Amendment:
http://classes.lls.edu/archive/manheimk/fedcts/echarts/11th-t.htm
* Stripping Doctrine:
http://classes.lls.edu/archive/manheimk/fedcts/echarts/11th-t.htm#11thamd2_8
H.R. 3126 WANTS REGULATION BY STATES, BUT IT IS NOT ENOUGH, IS IT?
FEDERAL LAWS NEED TO BE CHANGED TO PROTECT OUR CHILDREN. THAT INCLUDES AMENDING THE 11TH AMENDMENT.
IN GEORGIA, MANDATED REPORTERS GET OFF WITH A REPORT FROM THE ORCC, MAYBE A FINE TO THE FACILITY AFTER YEARS OF VIOLATIONS - A RARITY THAT THE MANDATED REPORTER IS PROSECUTED, IT'S A MISDEMEANOR - 50 TO 100 DOLLAR FINE IN COURT. SHOCKING?
IT IS NOTHING COMPARED TO WHAT TRANSPIRES IN THESE TEEN FACILITIES.
ANOTHER POSTER CASE: WEST RIDGE ACADEMY, FORMERLY UTAH BOYS RANCH (KNOWN ABUSIVE FACILITY), CHILDREN AND YOUTH SERVICES - A FORMER UTAH STATE SENATOR, CHRIS BUTTARS WAS THE FACILITIES DIRECTOR. CONFLICT OF INTEREST MUCH? THANKFULLY, HE RESIGNED HIS SENATE SEAT. LAWSUIT FILED BY ERIC NORWOOD SUMS IT UP PRETTY ELOQUENTLY. 2:10-cv-07944-GAF -MAN
"THE LEGISLATION IS BETTER THAN NOTHING" ... NO MORE SMALL STEPS. ENOUGH ABUSES, DEATHS, RAPES, ATTEMPTED SUICIDES -
H.R. 3126 CAN BE AMENDED BUT IT NEEDS SUPPORT THAT CANNOT WAIT UNTIL A CONGRESSMAN OR SENATOR LOSES A CHILD AND FINDS AN AGENDA.
Today we were informed that H.R. 3126 does not have enough support by the House Majority Leaders. This can change. Please call the House Majority Leaders in support of H.R. 3126.
H.R. 3126: The Stop Child Abuse in Residential Programs for Teens Act of 2011
Issues: Education, Other Education and Youth Issues
On October 6, 2011, two senior Democratic lawmakers from the House and the Senate reintroduced legislation to stop abuse in teen residential programs. U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), the Senior Democrat on the Education and the Workforce Committee and U.S. Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), the chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, reintroduced H.R. 3126, "Stop Child Abuse in Residential Programs for Teens Act " to set common-sense, minimum safety standards that states would need to adopt and enforce to protect teens from physical, mental and sexual abuse in these programs.
Facts on H.R. 3126
Documented Incidents of Abuse
Letters of Support
GAO Reports on Residential Facilities:
"Improved Data and Enhanced Oversight Would Help Safeguard the Well-Being of Youth with Behavioral and Emotional Challenges," May 2008 (.pdf)
"Selected Cases of Death, Abuse, and Deceptive Marketing," April 2008 (.pdf)
"State and Federal Oversight Gaps May Increase Risk to Youth Well-Being," April 2008 (.pdf)
"Concerns Regarding Abuse and Death in Certain Programs for Troubled Youth," October 2007 (.pdf)
Keeping Kids Safe: Facts on The Stop Child Abuse in Residential Programs for Teens Act of 2011
Tens of thousands of U.S. teenagers attend private and public residential programs – including therapeutic boarding schools, wilderness camps, boot camps, and behavior modification facilities – that are intended to help them with behavioral, emotional, mental health, or substance abuse problems. Depending on the state in which the program operates, some of these programs are subject to State law or regulation, while others are not. As a result of this loose patchwork of state oversight, children at some the programs have been subject to abuse and neglect with little to no accountability.
The Government Accountability Office found thousands of allegations of child abuse and neglect at residential programs for teens since the early 1990s. Tragically, in a number of cases, this abuse and neglect led to the death of a child. To address this urgent problem, the “Stop Child Abuse in Residential Programs for Teens Act of 2011” would:
Keep teens safe with minimum standards for residential programs that are focused on teens with behavioral, emotional, mental health, or substance abuse problems
Prohibit programs from physically, mentally, or sexually abusing children in their care;
Prohibit programs from denying children essential water, food, clothing, shelter, or medical care – whether as a form of punishment or for any other reason;
Require programs to provide children with reasonable access to a telephone and inform children accordingly;
Require programs to train staff in what constitutes child abuse and neglect and how to report it;
Require that programs only physically restrain children if it is necessary for their safety or the safety of others, and to do so in a way that is consistent with federal law already applicable in other contexts; and
Require programs to have plans in place to provide emergency medical care.
Increase transparency to help parents make safer choices for their children
Require programs to disclose to parents the qualifications, roles, and responsibilities of staff members;
Require programs to notify parents of substantiated reports of child abuse or violations of health and safety laws; and
Require programs to include a link or web address for the website of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, which will carry information on residential programs.
Documented Incidents of Abuse at Residential Programs
Deaths
In August, 2009, a 16-year-old boy died after ‘boot camp’ staff failed to provide medical care on a hike when he began to show significant and prolonged signs of heat exhaustion. In an affidavit requesting a search warrant the Sheriff’s Deputy indicated that he believed the death was a homicide and the result of criminal mistreatment and reckless endangerment by the school. After an investigation the Oregon Department of Human services found evidence that at least two staff members neglected the care of the victim by failing to provide medical which likely endangered his life. (Bend, OR)
A 17-year-old girl collapsed on a nature walk and died several weeks later in the hospital; it was later discovered that at least seven employees of the center were lacking in CPR training. (New Ulm, TX, 7/10)
A 16-year-old boy died after a staff member physically restrained him in a closet because the child refused to show the staff member what he had in his hand; it turned out to be a pen cap. That same year, a 16 year old girl had been sexually abused by a staff member at the same facility. (Manvel, TX, 2010-2011)
Sexual Abuse
Two 15-year-old boys were given drugs and cigarettes in exchange for sex by a staff member who pleaded no contest to four felony counts of unlawful sexual activity with a minor and was sentenced to prison for one to fifteen years. (Roosevelt, UT, 11/09)
16-year-old girl said she had sexual contact with a 32-year-old youth care specialist. An affidavit states that another 17-year-old girl witnessed sexual contact between them in the staff member’s car. (Lincoln, NE, 12/09) (Man was sentenced to one year in jail after pleading no contenst to a misdemeanor of attempted sex abuse, a downgrade from the original two felony accounts of sex abuse of a protected person.)
According to a report by VA licensing officials, the facility failed to properly report and document an allegation of sexual abuse within 24 hours to the agency that places the child in the facility and to the resident's guardian. The facility also failed to properly document a January allegation in which the boy said another resident touched him in a sexual manner. (Norfolk, VA, 1/11) (Regained full license several months later.) This same facility was also investigated for a series of incidents that included:
A choking that rendered a resident unconscious that staff referred to as ‘horse play’
Staff telling paramedics responding to a 911 call that a girl was suffering from respiratory distress, but not that she had attempted suicide;
Staff failing to report two other suicide attempts to regulators;
Staff telling regulators that the fire department responded to a false alarm instead of a small fire that forced an evacuation;
Staff allowing residents to run away.
Other Reports of Neglect
As they had done in previous years, regulators told Refuge administrators in 2010 to stop some of the home's punitive practices and carry out more staff training. Violations included providing insufficient food and clothing, mishandling of residents’ money and medications, abusive treatment by an inadequately trained staff, and therapeutic support for the troubled young residents was all but nonexistent. The division also scheduled quarterly inspections of Refuge for the next year, a far more intensive regimen than normal, but an October memo from the deputy director of the Community Care Licensing Division said the California budget crisis had weakened the agency’s ability to monitor residential program. (Oakland, CA, 2010-2011)
Letters of Support for H.R. 3126:
American Bar Association
"Parents of troubled children need greater confidence that, when they place their child in a residential facility their child will be safe and properly cared for, the child’s human rights and dignity will be protected and the staff of the facility will be qualified to help their child. For these parents, the Stop Child Abuse in Residential Programs for Teens Act represents a significant and necessary federal step to help protect American children and youth from abuse and neglect in residential care."
American Academy of Pediatrics
"The Stop Child Abuse in Residential Programs for Teens Act would establish a framework for the regulation and inspection of residential programs that offer specialized therapy or behavior modification for children and adolescents. The bill would ensure that facilities adhere to minimum child protection standards and disclose staff training and qualifications. It would also require parents to be informed of any changes to a child’s health care regimen, such as changes to medication. Each of these measures will improve transparency and help ensure the quality of such programs. "
American Humane Association
"It is critical that families seeking help for their children in need of mental or other behavioral health services including substance abuse treatment are able to select and find providers who are meeting the proper safety and health standards."
The Arc (formerly Disability Policy Coalition)
"Whether at home or in alternative residential programs, children’s safety comes first. Children subjected to abusive environments cannot learn, grow, or reach their potential. Given the repeated, substantiated claims of abuse and death in residential facilities, legislation is needed to ensure that our country’s children are safe, properly cared for, and situated to learn and grow to the best of their abilities. We believe the Stop Child Abuse in Residential Programs for Teens Act provides the reporting mechanisms, funding, surveillance, and training requirements needed to ensure that facilities are staffed with qualified, equipped, and safe personnel."
Autism National Committee (AutCom)
"The bill will ensure that children of all ages placed in residential programs are to be free from abuse and neglect. These facilities include any private or public residential program with a focus on serving children who have emotional, behavioral, or mental health problems or disorders; or alcohol or substance abuse problems. A number of children with autism and Asperger’s syndrome are in such programs."
Association of University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD)
"The Stop Child Abuse in Residential Programs for Teens Act recognizes, and balances properly, the important role of both the federal and state governments in protecting children from abuse and neglect at the hands of some residential programs. Additionally, the bill will provide families with the critical information necessary to make informed decisions."
Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD)
"Programs designed to offer treatment for mental health or substance abuse must use quality programs grounded in best practices that ensure the safety of children. Families often have to make extremely difficult choices when seeking placements for children with these types of needs. Unfortunately, a number of the programs your legislation seeks to regulate flourish because parents lack even the most basic information, including whether their children will be treated humanely."
Mental Health Coalition
"We applaud your resolve to address the challenges facing many families. Your crucial legislation would seek relief from these risks by (1) establishing standards for these programs that are consistent with current child protection laws; (2) ensuring that personnel is qualified; (3) shifting these programs to be family-centered, as well as culturally and developmentally appropriate; (4) creating mechanisms for the monitoring and enforcement of these goals; (5) calling for greater transparency and accessibility to the compliance of these standards; and (6) providing grants to states for the prevention of child abuse and neglect and for the treatment of children’s mental health or substance use conditions."
National Child Abuse Coalition (NCAC)
"We believe that legislation is needed to ensure children’s safety in all such programs. We share your belief that Congress has an obligation to ensure that children are safe when they are entrusted to the care of a residential treatment program. Residential facilities treating and caring for children should not be exempt from state licensure and state regulation or inspection."
American Association of Children's Residential Centers (AACRC)
"Your effort to promulgate and staunchly support this legislation has generated a great deal of activity that is yielding positive outcomes in reshaping individual residential programs and the system."
Child Welfare League of America (CWLA)
"Your legislation, the Stop Child Abuse in Residential Programs For Teens Act, has raised the profile of unsafe and unacceptable practices in some residential children’s programs and this increased attention has resulted in positive changes."
Easter Seals
"The Stop Child Abuse in Residential Programs for Teens Act will go a long way to protect children who find themselves in residential programs. The bill will also help families who must face the terrible decision to place their child in a residential facility by providing them with essential information the need to make the most appropriate decision."
GEORGIA IS A POSTER CASE OF WHY THIS LEGISLATION NEEDS AMENDING:
SEEKING STATE REGULATION IS ONLY EFFECTIVE IF STATE AGENCIES ARE ETHICAL IN THEIR PRACTICE OF REGULATING THESE FACILITIES. IF THERE IS CORRUPTION, THIS WILL NOT WORK. IF THERE IS INDIFFERENCE, THIS WILL NOT WORK.
IF TOP LEVEL EMPLOYEES OBFUSCATE THE TRUTH, AND ORDER CONTAINMENT, WHILE LOWER LEVEL EMPLOYEES FEAR FOR THEIR LIVELIHOOD AND RETRIBUTION, THIS LEGISLATION WILL NOT WORK.
IF A STATE SYSTEM IS IN PLACE THAT PROTECTS THE PERPETRATORS, ENABLES THE PERPETRATORS, LEAVING THE ABUSED AND INNOCENT WITH NO VOICE, AND THE STATE WITH NO ACCOUNTABILITY, THIS LEGISLATION WILL NOT WORK.
IF THE STATES' PROTECT THE CORRUPTION AND OBFUSCATION OF THEIR OWN AGENCIES UNDER *"SOVEREIGN IMMUNITY" THAT DO HARM, SHIRKING THEIR RESPONSIBILITIES AS MANDATED REPORTERS, NOT UPHOLDING CHILDRENS' RIGHTS AND THOSE GRANTED BY OUR CONSTITUTION, THIS LEGISLATION WILL NOT WORK.
* 11th Amendment:
http://classes.lls.edu/archive/manheimk/fedcts/echarts/11th-t.htm
* Stripping Doctrine:
http://classes.lls.edu/archive/manheimk/fedcts/echarts/11th-t.htm#11thamd2_8
H.R. 3126 WANTS REGULATION BY STATES, BUT IT IS NOT ENOUGH, IS IT?
FEDERAL LAWS NEED TO BE CHANGED TO PROTECT OUR CHILDREN. THAT INCLUDES AMENDING THE 11TH AMENDMENT.
IN GEORGIA, MANDATED REPORTERS GET OFF WITH A REPORT FROM THE ORCC, MAYBE A FINE TO THE FACILITY AFTER YEARS OF VIOLATIONS - A RARITY THAT THE MANDATED REPORTER IS PROSECUTED, IT'S A MISDEMEANOR - 50 TO 100 DOLLAR FINE IN COURT. SHOCKING?
IT IS NOTHING COMPARED TO WHAT TRANSPIRES IN THESE TEEN FACILITIES.
ANOTHER POSTER CASE: WEST RIDGE ACADEMY, FORMERLY UTAH BOYS RANCH (KNOWN ABUSIVE FACILITY), CHILDREN AND YOUTH SERVICES - A FORMER UTAH STATE SENATOR, CHRIS BUTTARS WAS THE FACILITIES DIRECTOR. CONFLICT OF INTEREST MUCH? THANKFULLY, HE RESIGNED HIS SENATE SEAT. LAWSUIT FILED BY ERIC NORWOOD SUMS IT UP PRETTY ELOQUENTLY. 2:10-cv-07944-GAF -MAN
"THE LEGISLATION IS BETTER THAN NOTHING" ... NO MORE SMALL STEPS. ENOUGH ABUSES, DEATHS, RAPES, ATTEMPTED SUICIDES -
H.R. 3126 CAN BE AMENDED BUT IT NEEDS SUPPORT THAT CANNOT WAIT UNTIL A CONGRESSMAN OR SENATOR LOSES A CHILD AND FINDS AN AGENDA.
Today we were informed that H.R. 3126 does not have enough support by the House Majority Leaders. This can change. Please call the House Majority Leaders in support of H.R. 3126.
H.R. 3126: The Stop Child Abuse in Residential Programs for Teens Act of 2011
Issues: Education, Other Education and Youth Issues
On October 6, 2011, two senior Democratic lawmakers from the House and the Senate reintroduced legislation to stop abuse in teen residential programs. U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), the Senior Democrat on the Education and the Workforce Committee and U.S. Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), the chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, reintroduced H.R. 3126, "Stop Child Abuse in Residential Programs for Teens Act " to set common-sense, minimum safety standards that states would need to adopt and enforce to protect teens from physical, mental and sexual abuse in these programs.
Facts on H.R. 3126
Documented Incidents of Abuse
Letters of Support
GAO Reports on Residential Facilities:
"Improved Data and Enhanced Oversight Would Help Safeguard the Well-Being of Youth with Behavioral and Emotional Challenges," May 2008 (.pdf)
"Selected Cases of Death, Abuse, and Deceptive Marketing," April 2008 (.pdf)
"State and Federal Oversight Gaps May Increase Risk to Youth Well-Being," April 2008 (.pdf)
"Concerns Regarding Abuse and Death in Certain Programs for Troubled Youth," October 2007 (.pdf)
Keeping Kids Safe: Facts on The Stop Child Abuse in Residential Programs for Teens Act of 2011
Tens of thousands of U.S. teenagers attend private and public residential programs – including therapeutic boarding schools, wilderness camps, boot camps, and behavior modification facilities – that are intended to help them with behavioral, emotional, mental health, or substance abuse problems. Depending on the state in which the program operates, some of these programs are subject to State law or regulation, while others are not. As a result of this loose patchwork of state oversight, children at some the programs have been subject to abuse and neglect with little to no accountability.
The Government Accountability Office found thousands of allegations of child abuse and neglect at residential programs for teens since the early 1990s. Tragically, in a number of cases, this abuse and neglect led to the death of a child. To address this urgent problem, the “Stop Child Abuse in Residential Programs for Teens Act of 2011” would:
Keep teens safe with minimum standards for residential programs that are focused on teens with behavioral, emotional, mental health, or substance abuse problems
Prohibit programs from physically, mentally, or sexually abusing children in their care;
Prohibit programs from denying children essential water, food, clothing, shelter, or medical care – whether as a form of punishment or for any other reason;
Require programs to provide children with reasonable access to a telephone and inform children accordingly;
Require programs to train staff in what constitutes child abuse and neglect and how to report it;
Require that programs only physically restrain children if it is necessary for their safety or the safety of others, and to do so in a way that is consistent with federal law already applicable in other contexts; and
Require programs to have plans in place to provide emergency medical care.
Increase transparency to help parents make safer choices for their children
Require programs to disclose to parents the qualifications, roles, and responsibilities of staff members;
Require programs to notify parents of substantiated reports of child abuse or violations of health and safety laws; and
Require programs to include a link or web address for the website of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, which will carry information on residential programs.
Documented Incidents of Abuse at Residential Programs
Deaths
In August, 2009, a 16-year-old boy died after ‘boot camp’ staff failed to provide medical care on a hike when he began to show significant and prolonged signs of heat exhaustion. In an affidavit requesting a search warrant the Sheriff’s Deputy indicated that he believed the death was a homicide and the result of criminal mistreatment and reckless endangerment by the school. After an investigation the Oregon Department of Human services found evidence that at least two staff members neglected the care of the victim by failing to provide medical which likely endangered his life. (Bend, OR)
A 17-year-old girl collapsed on a nature walk and died several weeks later in the hospital; it was later discovered that at least seven employees of the center were lacking in CPR training. (New Ulm, TX, 7/10)
A 16-year-old boy died after a staff member physically restrained him in a closet because the child refused to show the staff member what he had in his hand; it turned out to be a pen cap. That same year, a 16 year old girl had been sexually abused by a staff member at the same facility. (Manvel, TX, 2010-2011)
Sexual Abuse
Two 15-year-old boys were given drugs and cigarettes in exchange for sex by a staff member who pleaded no contest to four felony counts of unlawful sexual activity with a minor and was sentenced to prison for one to fifteen years. (Roosevelt, UT, 11/09)
16-year-old girl said she had sexual contact with a 32-year-old youth care specialist. An affidavit states that another 17-year-old girl witnessed sexual contact between them in the staff member’s car. (Lincoln, NE, 12/09) (Man was sentenced to one year in jail after pleading no contenst to a misdemeanor of attempted sex abuse, a downgrade from the original two felony accounts of sex abuse of a protected person.)
According to a report by VA licensing officials, the facility failed to properly report and document an allegation of sexual abuse within 24 hours to the agency that places the child in the facility and to the resident's guardian. The facility also failed to properly document a January allegation in which the boy said another resident touched him in a sexual manner. (Norfolk, VA, 1/11) (Regained full license several months later.) This same facility was also investigated for a series of incidents that included:
A choking that rendered a resident unconscious that staff referred to as ‘horse play’
Staff telling paramedics responding to a 911 call that a girl was suffering from respiratory distress, but not that she had attempted suicide;
Staff failing to report two other suicide attempts to regulators;
Staff telling regulators that the fire department responded to a false alarm instead of a small fire that forced an evacuation;
Staff allowing residents to run away.
Other Reports of Neglect
As they had done in previous years, regulators told Refuge administrators in 2010 to stop some of the home's punitive practices and carry out more staff training. Violations included providing insufficient food and clothing, mishandling of residents’ money and medications, abusive treatment by an inadequately trained staff, and therapeutic support for the troubled young residents was all but nonexistent. The division also scheduled quarterly inspections of Refuge for the next year, a far more intensive regimen than normal, but an October memo from the deputy director of the Community Care Licensing Division said the California budget crisis had weakened the agency’s ability to monitor residential program. (Oakland, CA, 2010-2011)
Letters of Support for H.R. 3126:
American Bar Association
"Parents of troubled children need greater confidence that, when they place their child in a residential facility their child will be safe and properly cared for, the child’s human rights and dignity will be protected and the staff of the facility will be qualified to help their child. For these parents, the Stop Child Abuse in Residential Programs for Teens Act represents a significant and necessary federal step to help protect American children and youth from abuse and neglect in residential care."
American Academy of Pediatrics
"The Stop Child Abuse in Residential Programs for Teens Act would establish a framework for the regulation and inspection of residential programs that offer specialized therapy or behavior modification for children and adolescents. The bill would ensure that facilities adhere to minimum child protection standards and disclose staff training and qualifications. It would also require parents to be informed of any changes to a child’s health care regimen, such as changes to medication. Each of these measures will improve transparency and help ensure the quality of such programs. "
American Humane Association
"It is critical that families seeking help for their children in need of mental or other behavioral health services including substance abuse treatment are able to select and find providers who are meeting the proper safety and health standards."
The Arc (formerly Disability Policy Coalition)
"Whether at home or in alternative residential programs, children’s safety comes first. Children subjected to abusive environments cannot learn, grow, or reach their potential. Given the repeated, substantiated claims of abuse and death in residential facilities, legislation is needed to ensure that our country’s children are safe, properly cared for, and situated to learn and grow to the best of their abilities. We believe the Stop Child Abuse in Residential Programs for Teens Act provides the reporting mechanisms, funding, surveillance, and training requirements needed to ensure that facilities are staffed with qualified, equipped, and safe personnel."
Autism National Committee (AutCom)
"The bill will ensure that children of all ages placed in residential programs are to be free from abuse and neglect. These facilities include any private or public residential program with a focus on serving children who have emotional, behavioral, or mental health problems or disorders; or alcohol or substance abuse problems. A number of children with autism and Asperger’s syndrome are in such programs."
Association of University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD)
"The Stop Child Abuse in Residential Programs for Teens Act recognizes, and balances properly, the important role of both the federal and state governments in protecting children from abuse and neglect at the hands of some residential programs. Additionally, the bill will provide families with the critical information necessary to make informed decisions."
Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD)
"Programs designed to offer treatment for mental health or substance abuse must use quality programs grounded in best practices that ensure the safety of children. Families often have to make extremely difficult choices when seeking placements for children with these types of needs. Unfortunately, a number of the programs your legislation seeks to regulate flourish because parents lack even the most basic information, including whether their children will be treated humanely."
Mental Health Coalition
"We applaud your resolve to address the challenges facing many families. Your crucial legislation would seek relief from these risks by (1) establishing standards for these programs that are consistent with current child protection laws; (2) ensuring that personnel is qualified; (3) shifting these programs to be family-centered, as well as culturally and developmentally appropriate; (4) creating mechanisms for the monitoring and enforcement of these goals; (5) calling for greater transparency and accessibility to the compliance of these standards; and (6) providing grants to states for the prevention of child abuse and neglect and for the treatment of children’s mental health or substance use conditions."
National Child Abuse Coalition (NCAC)
"We believe that legislation is needed to ensure children’s safety in all such programs. We share your belief that Congress has an obligation to ensure that children are safe when they are entrusted to the care of a residential treatment program. Residential facilities treating and caring for children should not be exempt from state licensure and state regulation or inspection."
American Association of Children's Residential Centers (AACRC)
"Your effort to promulgate and staunchly support this legislation has generated a great deal of activity that is yielding positive outcomes in reshaping individual residential programs and the system."
Child Welfare League of America (CWLA)
"Your legislation, the Stop Child Abuse in Residential Programs For Teens Act, has raised the profile of unsafe and unacceptable practices in some residential children’s programs and this increased attention has resulted in positive changes."
Easter Seals
"The Stop Child Abuse in Residential Programs for Teens Act will go a long way to protect children who find themselves in residential programs. The bill will also help families who must face the terrible decision to place their child in a residential facility by providing them with essential information the need to make the most appropriate decision."
JOE PATERNO HAS PASSED AWAY AT AGE 85
The legendary coach of Penn State has succombed to complications
that arose in fighting his cancer diagnosis and a broken pelvis.
He was 85.
Whatever ones position regarding Penn State,
Mr. Paterno was a husband, father, and grandfather.
Our condolences to his family.
MITT ROMNEY - THE COMPANY HE KEEPS - CONNECTION TO CHILD ABUSE IN TEEN RESIDENTIAL FACILITIES: ROBERT LITCHFIELD AND MEL SEMBLER
"Mitt Romney is intelligent, business savvy, and carries himself well. He obviously is not garish and understands "old money walks, new money talks." Yes, there is another adage, but we won't go there. "
However, Romney's connection to Bain Capital, CRC Health, the Aspen Education Teen Gulag industry, Robert Litchfield of WWASP, Mel and Betty Sembler of Straight, Inc. is a huge blemish. Hopefully, he will not run an anti-child abuse campaign.
Now, Mrs. Romney has announced she would like to work with at risk teens.
SUGGESTION:
IF ANYONE IS GOING TO ANNOUNCE ANYTHING, HOW ABOUT SUPPORTING H.R. 3126 "STOP CHILD ABUSE IN RESIDENTIAL PROGRAMS FOR TEENS ACT 2011."
This is a problem. Mitt Romney needs to address it and fix it. Some history:
http://www.bendbulletin.com/article/20091115/NEWS0107/911150428/
http://institutional-child-abuse-news.wikispaces.com/Aspen+Education+Group
It is reported that Mitt Romney left Bain Capital in 1999, although his contractual and buyout clause concerning the number of years attached may exceed 1999.
In all fairness, long after Romney left Bain Capital, CRC Health was acquired by Bain Capital in 2005. Aspen Education was acquired by CRC health in 2006, where child abuse and deaths have occurred. As stated before, unfortunately for Mitt Romney, he is still "the face" of Bain Capital.
Where Mitt Romney erred, he chose the wrong "company" to keep. If character is to be an issue of the 2012 campaign, this is fair game, and righteously so.
Robert Litchfield was appointed to co-chair Mitt Romney's Utah campaign finance committee. Then in 2007, Robert Litchfield was forced to leave Romeny's campaign as Litchfield was the founder of WWASP (World Wide Association of Specialty Programs), programs that horrifically abused children in the US and abroad. Litchfield and WWASP were facing several lawsuits.
In 2008, Mel Sembler (co-founder along with his wife Betty, of the abusive "Straight, Inc.) whose abusive teen programs were shut down by Congress in 1993 due to the "inhumane conditions and treatment" of children, was appointed to Romney's finance chair. Odd that he and his wife were not appointed stripes behind bars.
In October of 2011, it was announced that the Semblers are back on Romney's Florida's Finance Team:
http://www.mittromney.com/news/press/2011/10/mitt-romney-announces-florida-finance-team
http://www.sunshinestatenews.com/blog/mitt-romney-names-florida-finance-team
MEL SEMBLER, BETTY SEMBLER, ROBERT LITCHFIELD, AND OTHERS HAVE NEVER BEEN PROSECUTED FOR THEIR CRIMES AGAINST CHILDREN AND HUMANITY. LIKE MOST OWNERS AND STAFF OF THESE FACILITIES - THEY WALK AWAY.
WHY?
- MONEY.
- CORPORATE AMERICA.
- CHILDREN ARE AFFORDED LESS RIGHTS THAN OUR ANIMALS.
- THE NATSAP LOBBY IS STRONG AND THEY WILL ENSURE THE BOUNTIES ON OUR CHILDREN'S HEADS CONTINUES.
- A SENATOR'S OR CONGRESSMAN'S CHILD HAS NOT PERISHED AT THE HANDS OF THESE INEPT, PONTIFICATING, DESPICABLE , SOCIO-PATHETIC EXCUSE FOR HUMAN BEINGS.
Governor Romney - When you run with them, you become no better than "them."
Shared by a friend:
Shared by a friend:
"Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”
from ― Martin Luther King Jr., I Have a Dream: Writings and Speeches That Changed the World
Saturday, January 21, 2012
TWO LITTLE BOYS DUMP A 5lb BAG OF FLOUR ALL OVER THE HOUSE
Two Boys Dump a 5lb Bag of Flour All Over House
An Ohio mom who was not feeling well went to the bathroom longer than usual and when she came out she was surprised to find that her two boys, ages 1 and 3, had dumped flour ....
She is remarkably calm :)
http://comedy.video.yahoo.com/?vid=27356583
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