net failing Safety Brooklyn worker violently assaulted; short staffing to blame Plot to kidnap and rape group BROOKLYN — On a recent day made verbal threats to want to rape when Brooklyn Developmental someone in “a vicious way.” Center was particularly short She sprained her right index staffed, Lola Callum called her finger and also injured her shoulder supervisors to ask for additional during the attack. But Callum said workers to help her care for the her biggest injury is psychological. three male individuals for whom “I have a psychiatrist and do she was responsible. therapy three days a week.” The The chilling supervisors attack on Callum told Callum, is only the latest MOUNT MORRIS — Quick thinking a 13-year example of by CSEA members foiled a plot developmental CSEA’s ongoing by two state-run developmental disability secure concerns about disabilities group home residents treatment aide not only workplace who allegedly schemed to 1 at the center, violence, but kidnap and rape two group home that there inadequate staffing workers. wasn’t enough at state facilities If not for the quick thinking staff to help, though at least one that house individuals. of staff to alert authorities, agreed that she needed assistance. Callum blames the attack group home director Christina Within hours, Callum was on short staffing, and fears the Payne said someone would have violently assaulted and nearly state’s plan to close Brooklyn definitely been hurt — or even raped by one of the individuals, Developmental Center and several killed. Payne is a director at the who had previously and repeatedly other Office for People With home involved. 10 The Work Force September 2015 Developmental Disabilities facilities and place individuals like the one who attacked her in group homes without proper training or security measures to protect staff, other individuals and the community is a recipe for disaster. “We need to have more staff,” said Callum. “As direct care workers, we spend more time with them than anyone else and know them better than anyone else.” Knowing this individual’s history, Callum wonders not if, but when, there will be another incident. “I don’t believe he is a candidate for a group home,” she said. “He needs to be supervised. He is a very dangerous young man.” Misguided plans In addition to Brooklyn, the state plans to close its O.D. Heck, Broome and Bernard Fineson OPWDD campuses. More than 1,700 workers at these facilities will be affected by these closures that are scheduled to begin by the end of 2015 and continue through March 2017. The attack on Callum, in addition to several other recent attacks on OPWDD workers, has increased CSEA’s concerns that the state has Robert Bentley, 26, and Matthew Bateman, 23, have each been charged with felony second-degree conspiracy following their arrests June 23. Payne An investigation revealed the two were planning to kidnap and sexually assault Editor’s note: You don’t need to be a policy expert to know that New York state is failing too many people with serious mental illness and individuals with developmental disabilities. All you have to do is look around your community or follow stories in the media to know that people are falling through the holes in the social safety net. CSEA has long criticized the state’s poor choices that leave people at risk — individuals in need of help and dedicated staff alike — and undermine quality of life for all New Yorkers. Two horrifying recent incidents demonstrate the consequences of deficient management and bad public policy in New York’s Office of People with Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD). CSEA has long been at odds with agency over serious understaffing, dangerous mandatory overtime and sketchy plans for the future. CSEA is not alone. Many others, including families and advocacy and community groups, are increasingly concerned about many of OPWDD’s irresponsibility. Those stories are presented on these pages. For more about deficiencies in New York’s mental health system, see page 12.
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