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Local view: Closing Beatrice center not in best interests of residents

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BY JANINE L. HALL

Sunday, Apr 13, 2008 - 12:05:01 am CDT

I am writing this letter to convey our personal concerns about the future of the Beatrice State Developmental Center in Beatrice and to be an advocate for them.

We have nothing but praise for this institution, and we feel that the federal government would be throwing out the baby with the bathwater if it were to close.

I have an M.A. in Special Education and am finishing an M.A. in Guidance and Counseling. I have worked with a variety of special populations, including individuals with retardation and those with mental illness. I began to educate myself in these areas to facilitate the growth and development of our son Jason.

Jason has been a resident of BSDC for about 18 months. When he came to BSDC from another facility, he weighed more than 300 pounds, had many annoying mannerisms and had previously spent his entire work hours in a sleeplike state.

Jason is now at his ideal weight, his many mannerisms are gone, he is working near full time earning his own money and he is relativity stable for the first time in many years.

Because of the consistency of his environment both at work and at his living space, we have seen Jason make strides toward relative normalcy. We worry that changes made merely to satisfy federal standards may not be in the best interests of Jason’s health and well-being. We don’t want to see him go back to square one.

Because of Jason’s mental illness and learning problems, he needs a stable and structured delivery of care. His needs are being addressed in his current placement, so we have the question, “If it’s not broke, why fix it?”

Jason has been in many placements for those with mental illness, most of which were bad experiences. In one place, Jason spent months in his bedroom because the staff didn’t insist that he should participate in the activities that were being held there.

In his last placement, he was encouraged to drink inordinate amounts of soft drinks in order to prevent him from shoplifting pop at an adjacent convenience store. He repeated this theft until he ended up in jail as a result of having more freedom than he could handle.

Most of the employees were college students, and they had no idea how to handle Jason. They felt powerless to provide him with appropriate care and seemed untrained. As far as we could see, there was no one in these prior placements who cared for Jason as a person. When he came to BSDC, that seemed to change overnight.

When the boys were growing up, we lived just a few blocks from Bethphage Mission in Axtell, Neb. (now called Mosaic).  Everyone in our family worked there at one time or another, including Jason.

The community of Axtell cared about the individuals living at Bethphage. It was the focus for our town’s compassion, love and nurture. We took great pride in giving the best care we could provide for the “special” citizens who lived among us.

BSDC in Beatrice is an embodiment of the same love and nurture that characterized Bethphage in Axtell. The town of Beatrice has a soft spot for the residents in its local institution. We have never seen anything that would even hint that there was any abuse that happens there.

We feel that we are fairly perceptive about the level of care that goes on in institutions in Nebraska because of Jason’s previous placements, the fact that my husband has served as an administrator in Nebraska nursing homes for 15 years and by virtue of our education. We know what a guessing game it can be to please federal inspectors.

The staff and residents in BSDC function as a family, and we have been very grateful to observe that they personally care about Jason, and to us, that is half of the battle. There are many residents in this institution who have found the “best fit” of services for their handicapping conditions. As parents, we have always felt welcomed by the staff, and they are willing to fill us in about Jason’s progress.

We are very concerned about Jason’s future, and we don’t want to see him go down the drain if you pull the plug on BSDC. If there were an increase in pay, more people would be able to provide for their families by working for this institution. It’s obvious that the workers feel that they have a purpose, believe that they make a difference, and they enjoy their work.

We are great supporters of Jason’s current placement, and we are willing to do anything we can to preserve the integrity of this institution, because we feel that is the best place for our son. Their years of experience reveal strategies that work and that have stood the test of time.

Janine L. Hall is a writer and substitute teacher. She and her husband, Don, live in McCook.


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keh wrote on April 13, 2008 8:49 pm:
" Thank you so much for your kind words about BSDC. This is my place of employment. It gets so depressing, hearing so many negative remarks about the staff. So many good people are leaving, but there's still a lot of good loving people there, caring for those who really need it. Thank you again, I so hope we can stay open. "
LD from BSDC wrote on April 14, 2008 11:38 am:
" As a thirty plus year vetern of BSDC, I wish to thank the people that have given everyone the positive slat on our workplace. I for one would not have stayed this long if things were as bad as they are being made out to be and nothing was being done. As I go from home to home, I see happy faces, clients always wanting to tell you about their day and the fun things they have done. I'm sure there are a few "bad apples", but to my knowledge they are gotten rid of as soon as anything goes wrong. So why pursecute all of us who have spent years getting to know and love our clients and our jobs. I will never be ashamed to say "I am an employee of BSDC" and to say it with pride. "
Facts wrote on April 14, 2008 6:50 pm:
" I am from one of those previous places and I would like to beg to differ with some of the stated information. This women's was cared about by numerous staff, who worked very hard to help him make good decisions, but it was very difficult being a community based placement with an individual who is his own guardian, we were not a jail and could not keep him locked up, we also did not drown him with soda as the story states. Being an educated women you should be thankful that your son was supported by such good and caring people for so many years, and be thankful that you were able to get the proper services that your son was in need of. "
Flabbergasted wrote on April 14, 2008 8:08 pm:
" Have any of you read the reports?!!!!! This place is broke...it can't be fixed! "
keh wrote on April 15, 2008 8:44 am:
" This problem is not just at BSDC. All health care centers have their own issues. And each story has two sides. "
bubba1 wrote on April 15, 2008 9:22 am:
" Flabbergasted, have you ever heard the adage "Don't believe everything you read....". Their are problems at BSDC and in the Mental Health System of Nebraska in general. As a matter of fact, these problems are prevalent in many states. Newspapers, advocates, and Federal Agencies tend to report the few glaring and serious of the problems. The problems can be, should be, and will be fixed.. "
tired of propaganda campaign wrote on April 15, 2008 11:34 am:
" Read the DOJ report - it merely confirms what reports from another federal and 2 state agencies found. Are they all wrong? BSDC is appears to be dangerous place, and is a financial boondoggle (and I think the staff their do what they can in an antiquated model with what they have). I think the finger points towards policy-makers: why wasn't this woman's son given the supports he needed in the community? It is a direct outcome of the gross underfunding of comunnity DD services, and the lack of mental health and other supports to those programs. Other states do it successfully, why not Nebraska? It is due to the because of decisions that were made along the way by those charged with our vulnerable citize's care, and they abrogated their responsibility. I'm glad this young man is doing well, but at what cost - around $170,000 per year on average. His community provider was likely receiving a third of that amount; no wonder he failed. There are excellent services occurring in the community despite this; personally, I don't see why he could not be successful there if given the appropriate supports. The state of Nebraska is also negligent in expanding community mental health, particularly in the area of people with co-existing developmental delay. Maybe if our leadership really wanted to fix the system, they'd figure that out. If my son was in this circumstance (who has similar issues) and I sent him to live in a hospital setting, I'd guess his weight would improve, but at what cost? By the way, it doesn't take a weatherman (or a Masters degree) to know which way the wind is blowing. "
Enough is Enough wrote on April 15, 2008 3:52 pm:
" The entire system needs an overhaul! We don't have enough resources to support these people in achieving the highest level of independence they can - so we MUST stop the fingerpointing and blaming. Our system needs to work in concert with each other - all of us providing what we do best. Individuals should live where the supports match them the best regardless of whether it be community based or institution. No one sanctions any type of abuse - no matter where it occurs, but the biggest abuse of all are those individuals and families who cannot get any/enough supports to meet their needs. Tell the governor to get off his duff - check out his wonderful new system - and fix the whole shebang! "
AD - smaller ICF in several communitites wrote on April 16, 2008 10:25 am:
" Some of the reason that the residents of BSDC are because they are vulnerable citizens, some unable to communicate, and the distance between them and their families/guardians. If there were several smaller Intermediate Care Facilities throughout Nebraska it would make more realistic that guardians/families are in touch and involved in daily lives of the residents. As parents & sibilings we strive to involve these indiviuals in their community (chruch, activities, extended family) and they are geographicly removed from those contacts when Beatric is the only ICF available. It would be difficult to remain as involved as necessary when you are unable to uproot and move to Beatric as well. I want my adult child to have available an ICF in his local community - I would be involved daily and KNOW what was going on even though he is unable to communicate. He would retain contact with the community & friends we have worked so hard for him to have. It seems that having one large campus at Beatric is an easy way to foster LESS interaction with families/guardians. If group homes in the community is not the answer (which Lincoln city council voiced their negative opinion regarding them) than smaller ICF spread across Nebraska is the answer - with appropriate funding and staff. The pool for staff would be larger than expecting such a large staff from one small (Beatrice) community as well.
Individuals across the state need to have some compassion & respect for people with disabilities. The majority of those reported abused at BSDC are the most developmentally disabled with no voice of their own - not those who would pose ANY threat to the community. "

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