I work in a state operated group home, a house in a neighborhood like yours. Our clients are known in the area. They are developmentally ill, with retardation and other handicaps like, autism. But things are going to change. Our department is changing so that people will come to us straight from prison, state hospitals, and youth authority lock ups. The facilities say they do not have the knowledge, training or ability to treat their illness, or their illness is not treatable, as with a sociopath. So the state has begun placing them, some while on parole or probation for violent acts, in the group homes with Mentally retarted roommates. They, for the most part have normal to high intelligence, have been jailed or confined a good part of there lives and have become used to holds, both physical and medicnial. And of course the ones from prison have learned a whole lot of things. Since they have come into our group homes, there have been many staff out from being hurt, since we are not allowed to protect ourselves. We that work in the group homes deal with behaviors physical and emotional. We are used to it, we have been trained to work with DD clients. The new ones however, we have no clue. I am confused too, are we going to be a new kind of Jail? since some of these people are on parole, or unfit for the community. I work on a busy street with a bus stop in front of the house. I am over 50 and only 5 ft. tall. I hope I can stop a violent sociopath from jumping our 5 ft. fence & hopping on a bus. But I don't feel confident.
maybe you could ask a few questions, find out why this is happening & if we, the state are going about it the correct way.
Barbara Bollinger
