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LISTEN TO PARENTS, AND FAMILY MEMBERS. DO WHAT IS RIGHT!!!! The following letter was sent to Ms. Anne Deaton, former Director of the MRDD Division of The Department of Mental Health, from a concerned family member: Ms. Anne Deaton September 29, 2004 RE: Update from Nevada Habilitation Center Family Support Association Dear Ms. Deaton: I wanted to give you an update from the Nevada Habilitation Center. We have met several times in the Benton Hall Advisory Board meetings with Nevada and Joplin community providers and the City of Nevada. At our last meeting the city presented a possible plan for housing. The community providers had not presented any options at these meetings. I asked the providers and the city to come to our family support association meeting scheduled for September 25, and present options to the families. The community providers have heard many times that our loved ones require specialized care. I asked them to research the type of care needed and present their plan as to how they would care for our loved ones. We were very disappointed with what they provided. The training program that their employees are required to go through is not as intense and detailed as what the habilitation center employees are required to have. The oversight of the care they provide is not monitored intensely enough. One of the providers stated that they are intensely monitored, however, the monitoring id done by employees within their business, which I feel is a huge conflict of interest. When asked if they have difficulty retaining staff, the answer was yes, they have a very hard time due to the low wages they pay their employees. When asked what was their plan in place for crisis intervention with regards to behavioral outbursts they advised they simply have to call the police. The advised they only provide “level 1” group homes (which does not house folks with severe mental and behavioral challenges, which most of the residents have at the habilitation center). When asked what would happen if their funding was cut what would happen to the residents, one gentleman state “as long as he was getting paid, which was all I care about, they would have some where to go”. The providers stated they are running a business to make money. We asked what type of medical/dental care as well as day and evening programs and activities they have for their residents. They did not even come close to offering what our loved ones are provided at the habilitation center. Overall the families were very disappointed with the information we received. However, most were not surprised, as most of us have tried community options only to have the same type of care they are offering. We are not convinced in any way that currently community options would be better homes for our loved ones. We feel there is an absolute demand for the habilitation centers as they exist today, however, we are hopeful that something can be done to improve the community options as well. On that note, I heard mention of a meeting DMH is hosting next month for community providers. Would it possibly be beneficial or helpful to have families from the support groups present to assist in educating private providers and your department as to the type of care our loved ones require and the care we as guardians and family members will require? If so, please let me know as soon as possible. Thank you for your time. Sincerely, Natalie Woods
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