Abuse and Neglect of Severely Ill Mental Health Patients at the Florida Civil Comment Center
Nancy Morais, Director of the Florida Justice Alliance, an advocacy group operating out of Pinellas County, states that hundreds of mistreatment and neglect claims in the past four years including but not limited to loss of life have been brought to her attention. Morais was instrumental in seeking counsel to come to their assistance.
(PRWEB) August 17, 2005
Nancy Morais, Director of the Florida Justice Alliance, an advocacy group operating out of Pinellas County, states that hundreds of mistreatment and neglect claims in the past four years including but not limited to loss of life have been brought to her attention. Morais was instrumental in seeking counsel to come to their assistance.
Recently interviewed was Dr. Douglas Shadle concerning the “special needs” quad at the Florida Civil Commitment Center (FCCC) which is lacking of adequate psychiatric treatment for those afflicted with diagnosis of bi-polar disorder, dementia, schizophrenia and a host of other organic disorders.
The FCCC has approximately two hundred and fifty residents that are prescribed psychotropic medications daily. Just as Dr. Shadle, Nancy Morais says she “concurs that the FCCC has no crises stabilization unit or weekend mental health staff on the grounds for any emergency situations.”
There is immediate intervention needed by a state agency or other governing authority such as the ACHA or NAMI (National Alliance for Mentally Ill) as there is a total disregard and understanding by the Liberty staff for those that suffer severe mental and physical health issues that go untreated for long periods of time.
Residents are not able to call the 800-96-ABUSE line as allocated in other facilities in which they can report claims of abuse or negligence to the Florida Abuse Hotline, which is also operated by the Department of Children and Family Services (DCF). This is the very same agency charged with the responsibility, care, control, and treatment of these persons.
Morais states she has, “taken hundreds of abuse reports and has filed most with DCF via fax and reported to the Office of Inspector General (OIG), Kelly Summers of the Tampa Office. Ms. Summers and her supervisor Terry Blazer completed their investigation and founded several problems reported. The hundred fifty-page report was turned over to the Governors office, and although it leaned toward possible proof of inappropriate actions of the staff, nothing to date has come of it. After many years with the OIG, both MS. Summers and Ms. Blazer are gone from their positions. It is not clear why.”
To date there is still no formal grievance system for these men as allotted the prisoners throughout the state of Florida. Morais clams she has fought for the last four years for advocacy for these residents including the possible placement of an Ombudsman, but to no avail.
Several other states that have detention centers have provided an Ombudsman or advocacy counsel to protect the rights and treatment of their residents.
Recently Morais fought to have one of the residents taken to the hospital as his health was deteriorating and the facility staff was not responding to his cries for help. His family became worried of losing him and put pressure on the facility to take him to the hospital, but by the time this resident was finally taken to the emergency room he was admitted with renal failure and other complications because of the long neglect. The only good part of this story is, “this one lived.”
To date there are still no laws to govern the facility; to date there is still no complete program for the residents. To date the facility follows its trend of making this center punitive in nature and was found to be more punitive than most high security prisons in the state.
Morais responded to several calls for help from seriously ill men who were medically neglected and died before FJA could create enough attention to get help for them. To her pain and dismay they died while she waited anxiously for necessary medical attention. Sometimes the battle for help went on for days or for weeks.
Morais asks, “If you don’t think this is of importance ask yourself how long you would want to wait in pain for possible appendicitis?” The general rule by the nursing staff given to those in need of medical help is to “put in to see the doctor,” but this could take weeks, as in the case of Mr. Lloyd and Mr. Gartley. They both suffered and died because they were refused necessary urgent medical help for days.
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