The Horrible, Important Story Of The State-Run Developmental Center
"Mary Maioriello, an employee at O. D. Heck until she resigned this year, said a culture of abuse continued. Ms. Maioriello was hired as a trainee last year, and witnessed several disturbing episodes. In one case, two employees played a game they called 'Fetch,' throwing French fries on the floor and laughing as one resident dived to get them, while another jumped out of his recliner and a third ate them off the floor."
—In the event that you're having too nice a day today, what with the sun shining and all, you may want to read the story in the Times about the abuse of developmentally disabled residents at upstate New York's Oswald D. Heck Developmental Center. Be warned: it is horrible. A 13-year-old boy dies and his father relates the experience of hearing the news. But if you think that it's good to learn about the worst things in the world, for purposes of perspective, or exposure in hopes of correction, it is an excellent story.
This was heartbreaking.
I did wonder though about what seemed like a discrepancy between money-per-patient allocated by the state and federal govts., and the low salaries of employees. Not to excuse their atrocious behavior by any means, but it did seem that part of the problem was a poor allocation of resources guaranteeing that almost nobody motivated or qualified could afford a job caring for these people.
@C_Webb : troubling as it is, I find the apathy and passive endorsement of abuse at the top far more chilling. It makes me wonder how many of them share the same basic mentality of the lower-level employees. I think the problem is more fundamental than simply hiring ex-cons.
@HiredGoons I was actually wondering what the salaries of those administrators looked like; it's not mentioned in the article. Both points could be part of the same problem, if selfish upper-level assholes padded their own salaries by hiring the essentially unhireable for next to nothing. It's the most rational explanation for the conspiracy of silence — because I just don't want to believe that that many sadists found their way to that profession.
I started to read this in the morning, but couldn't handle it that early in the day.
I made it about two paragraphs in and had to stop before I took to my bed for the rest of the week. (I HAD IMPORTANT LISTICLES TO FINISH, PEOPLE.)
I need a hug.
oh god. no.
In Oregon the bulk of MR/DD citizens are housed in (small) group homes, because this type of abuse (and worse!) was endemic at Fairview, the state institution. I worked at a group home with high functioning clients for a year and a half, and we had some clients that had been transferred from Fairview, it was so horrible to see the behaviors that came directly from there…drinking coffee straight from the pot and eating so fast they choked and needed whatever we're calling the Heimlich Maneuver these days – because back at Fairview, if you weren't super fast, you didn't eat/drink. Also hearing tales of how the mentally deranged sexual predators were kept in the same wards as the uncommunicative developmentally disabled, uggh I could go on and on. Interestingly on Fairview's wikipedia page there's no mention of WHY the place was closed, or what happened there…
When I worked at the group home I took a lot of pride in giving the clients the best life and community they had ever had, and I really liked the job, but I couldn't continue to live on $7.50 an hour. I remember clocking a bunch of overtime and HOPING my bi-weekly paycheck would crack five hundred dollars. Many of the staff members were one step away from a group home themselves. My first day working was 9/11, and it was gnarly trying to explain what was being depicted on the tv…but interestingly enough, in the months afterwards, when all my friends with tech bubble point-and-click jobs were bemoaning the lack of substance/meaning in their work, I had no such problem.
TL/DR: Group homes are the best alternative, but they need to pay a living wage.
There is a group home for developmentally adults on 16th St in Manhattan. The manager Curtis Walker, has been known to escort a young male consumer to the bathroom and "assist" him with whatever he needs to do. Some believe he's molesting him in the bathroom. One Saturday, their psychologist noticed bruises on his genitalia and Mr. Walker politely reminded her that she has other houses to visit. Mr. Walker is a gay activist and an "advocate" for the disabled. He is a very effective speaker and has lots of acquaintances in the movement. I'm going to assume from the lack of oversight or accountability that most advocates for the disabled are this way, simply for the reason that there must be a price paid for their good deeds.