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Updated: 1:02 PM Jan 9, 2009
Parents, Employees Speak Out About CCCA
Staunton, Va. Members of the community got a chance to express their frustrations to state officials about the planned closing of the Commonwealth's Center for Children and Adolescents. Posted: 5:51 PM Jan 7, 2009Reporter: Michael Hyland Email Address: mhyland@whsv.com |
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5 Comments
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KidsFirst: if Dr. reinhard does not believe in treating children through inpatient services, let him take some of them home and take care of them, since he seems to know so little about the situation!
The public presentation by Commissioner Reinhard and Secretary Tavenner revealed gaping holes and lack of a comprehensive plan for privatization. - No plan for at-risk children that are currently refused or discharged from private providers. Understandable these providers do not want the liability of patients that may be destructive to their facility, staff and other patients. - CCCA is the safety net that catches these "square" kids that do not fit into the "round" hole of the private system. With no net, these troubled youth are being discharged back into our community, our schools, our lives. - Local private providers are expected to provide better service to more kids at lower cost. No supporting evidence was provided by tyhe Commissioner. - The list of flaws goes on. The Commissioner readily admits that the plan is full of holes, yet appears ready to unleash these troubled children upon our communities. The state will need a big legal staff, 'cause they'll be busy...
As a former employee and mental health worker I have placed numerous children in facilities across the state and spent hours trying to find private beds to no avail because of insurance reasons, then spent hours driving children to those locations only to have them discharged after 72 hours because the insurance felt they were no longer at risk of harm to themselves. CCCA was a godsend as it was close to the childrens' families, provided care beyond what insurance would allow while we found appropriate services to provide aftercare, and allowed for true in patient treatment stabilization services vs. the private sector's babysitting insurance driven formula. The private sector is unable to provide services to adolescents. Without CCCA, I'm not sure what our state will do with our youth, because their is no MENTAL HEALTH treatment in the Dept of Juvenile Justice System, what will we have done to our youth. Shame to those who voted for this, did we learn nothing from the VT massacre?
"Governor Tim Kaine is recommending the center close" is an inaccurate statement. The recommendation is coming from Dr. Reinhard because he does not believe in treating children through inpatient services. The propose cut is being made by Kaine based on this recommendation. I think it's great that the Dr. "thinks" he will work with the private sector on CSB. Less then six months away and this "Dr." still does not have a plan in place. Maybe he needs to look at the 9 adult hospitals that continue to have massive amount of surplus beds because there is not enough need for those beds instead of shutting down CCCA which far surpasses any adult hospital in the average number of admissions received per bed which are CCCA 12.6 - Southwestern 7.4 - Southern 5.6 - Northern 6.2 - Central 2 - Western 2.5 - Catawba 2.5 - Eastern .7 and Peidmont .5 and this is not informatino the Dr. wants people to know becuase if they did they would not that the decision is about money and not about the kids.
In view of the news tonight at 6:00 PM it was stated that CCCA serves 34 kids. that is the current census as of today (1/07) ... We served over 650 CHILDREN LAST YEAR from all over Virginia. Each year the numbers go up. WAKE UP VIRGINIA... these are children we are talking about... out future... An ounce of prevention is with a pound of cure. Please support these children. Give them the safety net that is already in place. call your Legistrator and let them know how important it is to keep this Center open. Governor Kaine wants all of these services to go out in the community in which the resources they receive are very slim or to private hospitals (which send these kids to CCCA now). These children need your help and support.