Youth Care Facility Defends Record

* I would like to respond to your Feb. 23 article “Severe Growing Pains,” specifically the list of citations from Community Care Licensing (CCL).

You wrote that a child was injured in a restraint. This was a big, 15-year-old boy who was a pitcher on a community baseball team. He was in a rage, grabbed a bowl of apples and oranges and started firing them at the heads of staff and children. Though unfortunate in its result, physical restraint was certainly justified to prevent injury to others.

You wrote that a girl overdosed on medications and was later taken to the hospital. “Cheeking meds” is a common occurrence in facilities that deal with emotionally disturbed clients. However, we changed protocols to require that a child care worker, in addition to a nurse, observe all medication administrations to check for “cheeking.” We have not had any such incidents since last April.

You wrote that there have been incidents involving sexual activity at Casa Pacifica, implying that these have been numerous. CCL has looked into three specific incidents involving sexual activity since we opened two years ago. This reflects a remarkably low rate of sexually related occurrences in a coed facility of abused, neglected and, oftentimes, highly sexualized children and teens.

You wrote that a staff member brought his pit bull dog to campus, scaring other children. It was a mixed-breed dog, good with children, and a dog with which most children wanted to play. One child was upset by the dog’s size but was kept apart from the dog.

You wrote that staff had failed to report numerous incidents to CCL. The specific citation indicates that five incidents were not reported during a six-week period. This occurred when one supervisor was promoted and a temporary supervisor assumed reporting responsibilities. Corrective action was taken. We do not tolerate nonreporting of incidents, and failure to report to CCL is not a pattern.

You wrote that children have been denied the opportunity to make phone calls to CCL. Children have never been denied that right. They have the right to call their social worker, their attorney, their advocate or CCL. However, it is not unusual for them to demand calls to their attorney or CCL late at night when they are told, for example, that they cannot call their friends after 10 p.m.

You wrote that an allegation had been made that children were not provided intensive psychiatric treatment as per contract and that children were allowed to “run wild.” Those in question received upward of six hours per week of therapy throughout their stay at Casa Pacifica (intensive is considered two hours per week). Children do not “run wild” at Casa Pacifica, though a child picking up a chair, threatening staff and other children, is not unusual and happens in other types of foster placements.

You reported that we have had over 40 violations of CCL [rules]. The agency has been to Casa Pacifica 28 times on a “facility management visit” or a complaint. Twelve of these investigations resulted in no deficiencies noted. In the other 16 instances, note that CCL often cites several “violations” for the same incident. We have submitted plans of correction promptly and continue to work to upgrade our programs.

The children we work with are angry and act in ways that are difficult to predict. The staff and board of directors of Casa Pacifica are working diligently with Community Care Licensing to decrease incidents on campus. We are making progress and ask for the public’s continued support.

STEVEN E. ELSON

Executive director, Casa Pacifica

Camarillo