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HELP
US PAVE
THE WAY TO
A BRIGHTER
TOMORROW FOR
ALL CHILDREN!
Angellika "Angie" Arndt: Answers to what
really happened on her last day
And a call for help in
seeking justice for her death!
We are reaching out to
you asking that you assist us in being a voice for children who
no longer have a voice, and to help pave the way to a brighter
tomorrow for all children
A few
moments of your time today could help save the life of a child
tomorrow - please read on
March 3, 1999 to May 25, 2006
By Isabelle Zehnder
© 2007
January 31, 2007
ACTION ALERT
CAICA is working with Rick and Jo
Pelishek, January's CAICA
Advocates of the Month, to see to
it what happened to Angie does not happen again. We are reaching out
to you asking that you assist us in being a voice for Angie, and for
all children who no longer have a voice. We cannot do it alone, we
need your help to pave the way to a brighter tomorrow for all
children. What we are asking
of you will require only a few moments of your time and
can make a world of difference for the future. Please read on.
For more detailed information about Angie's story, please see "The
Short Life of Angellika "Angie" Arndt: Bubbles in My Milk".
Click here for news and information.
INDEX:
Writer's note
Action Alert!
A quick summary
What happened to Angie?
What has been done about this to ensure it
does not happen again?
What if parents did this to their children?
Does the punishment fit the crime?
Why are they still open?
What next?
Change is possible!
Note to
parents and satff
What can I do to help?
Writer's note:
I understand it is not easy to read
about the death of a child - it is not easy to write about it,
either. But in order for us to step into action so that we can stop
these needless restraint deaths, I believe we need to be informed as
to how they occur in the first place.
Angie died a horrible death at the
hands of staff in a residential day treatment center. We are making
every attempt to see to it that this does not happen again to
another child. Your help is desperately needed (see
below). If the man who killed Angie is having letters
sent to the Judge in his favor, it is time we all step up and be
heard for the sake of the children whose care is entrusted in the
hands of others. Restraint deaths continue to occur and it is up to
us to do something to stop it.
IMPORTANT: Rick Pelishek,
the NW WI Office Director of Disability Rights Wisconsin, said, "The
key to what happens with NWGC lies with the judge. His decisions
will be based on information AND input received, as well as people’s
letters and stories regarding Angie’s case. (The “Court is not a
party to this plea agreement and is not bound by any sentence
recommendation by either party,” – from Plea Agreement.) It is
CRITICAL that anyone who believes this should never happen again
be present in the courtroom on March 2nd, or
write a letter to
the judge – or both!
- Isabelle Zehnder
Founder and President
Coalition Against Institutionalized Child Abuse (CAICA)
www.caica.org
info@caica.org
Back to top
Action Alert
Action Alert: Let your voice be
heard!
- Barron
County Judge to make precedent-setting decision by March 2, 2007
- Action Steps
1. Update on the Arndt death and
investigation of Northwest Counseling & Guidance (NWCG). This
corporation has 12 sites in Northern Wisconsin.
Last May, 7-year-old Angellika Arndt died at the NWCG
day treatment center in Rice Lake, WI –
after being restrained in a prone position for over an hour for
behavior that was of no threat to staff.. For more information,
check out
www.caica.org and look for “Angie’s Story” or “Bubbles in My
Milk.” The corporation responsible pleaded “no contest”, as did the
staff member who was charged. They were ruled guilty by Barron
County Court. The Court is not bound by any plea bargains and can
impose the maximum penalties permitted by law.
2. Action Steps you could take by
February 14, 2007
This is a list of suggestions that
you may choose from:
-
Share your thoughts with those who
have the power to make a difference, and do it soon! This case
could affect not only our state but the entire nation! For more
information about abusive practices and staff responsibility, go
to:
http://caica.org/A_Call_to_Staff_1-27-07.htm
-
If you have personal experience,
or you know of a child who has experienced abusive practices at
any of the (12) NWCG centers, please tell your story to the
Judge. The 12 day treatment centers run by NWCG are in cities
such as Green Bay, Stevens Point, Wausau, and Black River
Falls. You can mail your letter
to:
Hon. Edward R.
Brunner
Barron County Justice
Center
1420 State Hwy 25
North
Barron, WI 54812-3009
- Wisconsin
Family Ties is collecting these stories and will include them in
a packet to the judge. To add your story to this packet or if
you would like tips on sharing your family story, you may
contact Jodi Pelishek, Wisconsin Family Ties, 715-790-1317 or
jopel.wft@chibardun.net
- Please,
share this information and request for action with others who
are concerned about our children’s well-being.
- You can
attend the hearing in Barron County on March 2, 2007
Back to top
A quick summary:
Seven-year old Angellika “Angie”
Arndt was a beautiful little girl who had a rough start in life.
That all changed when she was five and found a home with Daniel and
Donna Pavlik. Daniel and Donna took Angie into their home but most
importantly they took her into their hearts. They had made great
strides with Angie. The Pavlik's were helping her get through the
issues surrounding the first five years of her life when she was
tossed around the foster care system. At the urging of a social
worker Daniel and Donna agreed to enroll Angie into the Rice Lake
Day Treatment Clinic (Rice Lake) in Rice Lake, Wisconsin, to
complement the work they were doing with Angie and to help prepare
her for first grade in the fall.
Shortly after Angie began attending
Rice Lake her parents noticed a change in her behavior – and not for
the better. They tried contacting the facility for an appointment to
speak with the director but were not able to make an appointment for
two weeks.
Back to top
What happened to Angie?
Unbeknownst to the Pavlik's their
little girl was suffering at the hands of those Daniel and Donna
believed would help her. She was forced to spend time in isolation –
at least 19 times during the one month she was there. She was
restrained in the dangerous face-down
prone
restraint position - known to have killed many children -
at least 9 times during that month, some restraints lasting up to
about an hour and a half or more.
The puzzling question is why? Why
did they feel a need to isolate and restrain a 7-year old little
girl who had such a rough start in life in the first place? Why was
their approach not one of love, compassion, caring, patience, and
encouragement rather than the tough-love approach they took? Why was
it there was no need to isolate or restrain Angie at home yet Rice
Lake staff found a need to do so on an almost daily, if not on a
daily basis?
One day Angie was sitting having
lunch with the other children. She giggled and when she did she blew
bubbles in her milk. She was told to stop. Being a little 7-year old
girl she giggled again, causing bubbles in her milk again. That was
unacceptable behavior at the Rice Lake Day Treatment center. Her
punishment was harsh. She spent an hour and a half being forcibly
restrained, face-down on the floor by one adult who held down her
upper body while the other gripped her ankles.
Her parents continued to feel
something was wrong and anxiously awaited their meeting to find out
what was happening to their little girl during the day that caused
her changed moods and behavior when she returned home each night.
She was not as happy, she became withdrawn, and she wasn’t talking
about what was going on at the facility.
 The
next day Angie was back at the facility. One of the staff members
got upset with her in the kitchen and placed her in a chair in
time-out telling her to cool down. Angie fell asleep on the chair
and was abruptly awoken and told to sit straight, no feet crossed,
and to cool down. How much cooler did they want her to be, she was
asleep? She was tired and became frustrated. After being repeatedly
antagonized by staff she kicked her foot, sending her shoe across
the room - unacceptable behavior at Rice Lake.
She was taken down to the floor
again and again was placed into a dangerous face-down prone
restraint. This time the staff who restrained her, Bradley Ridout,
was a large man weighing about 250 pounds. Angie weighed just 56
pounds. Another staff gripped her ankles. During this restraint
Angie resisted, crying out for help and saying she could not
breathe. No one listened to her cries for help. Instead, Ridout put
the weight of his body on Angie’s upper body and gripped her head to
hold it still. During the hour she was kept in this position, she
continued to cry for help and to struggle. She vomited, urinated,
and defecated on herself. No one seemed to notice. Not Ridout and
not the staff member gripping her ankles. Not the other staff who
undoubtedly heard her cries for help yet chose to ignore them.
Finally, she stopped resisting and she stopped crying out for help.
Ridout continued the hold for another ten minutes. When he finally
got himself up off the floor he noticed she was blue. Staff
scrambled to try to revive her and called 911. She was dead before
the paramedics even arrived. Contrary to what some news articles
have reported, the autopsy report revealed she died during the
restraint.
Angie lost her life at the hands of
a man who is now facing only a misdemeanor charge for her death. His
punishment will be a maximum of nine months in jail and a maximum of
a $10,000 fine. He claims he was only doing his job and doing what
he was trained to do. If that is the case then not only he, but the
organization who trained him, should be held accountable for her
death. To date the organization, Northwest Guidance and Counseling
Center, has been charged with a felony and a maximum $100,000 fine,
to which they plead no contest. This is simply not enough - we
believe Angie's life was worth more than that.
Note about prone restraints: These restraints are dangerous and
have repeatedly proven deadly – yet they continued to use them as
common practice at Rice Lake. They are illegal in some states, and
in all states should only be used in the event the child is in
danger of harming himself or others (see "Additional
Information Regarding the use of Restraints").
Back to top
What has been done about this
to ensure it does not happen again?
 Today
Northwest Guidance and Counseling Center (NWGCC), the company that
owned Rice Lake and that was charged with a felony in this case plead no contest
in a plea agreement with the Department of Justice which would have
a maximum sentence of a $100,000 fine. The Judge is not bound by
that agreement, however, and can implement what he feels is
appropriate for sentencing. NWGCC is still in operation
with 12 other facilities spread throughout Wisconsin.
While Rice
Lake was shut down by the state nothing has been done to stop the
maltreatment of children in these 12 facilities. It was recommended
they stop the use of restraints on children. Yet as of November 30,
2006 - over six months after Angie's death on May 26, 2006 - Otis
Woods, Director for the Department of Family Health Services (DFHS),
said in a letter to NWGCC, "We continue to be concerned with the
number of control holds within the NWGCC system."
Back to top
What if parents did this to
their children?
 If
a parent had done to their child what Ridout did to Angie
undoubtedly they would be in jail facing murder charges. We have yet
to understand why it is these organizations are not held to the same
standards parents are held to. The hideous and brutal deaths of
these children often go unnoticed and go unpunished. They are
claimed to have been done "in the name of treatment". Many advocates
today are just not buying it.
We believe this must stop in order
to effect change. Though Ridout claims he was only doing what he was
trained to do, he should, as an adult, have been capable of making
his own decisions and using better judgment. It is highly doubtful
the training he claims to have received mirrored the treatment Angie
received from him.
Back to top
Does the punishment fit the
crime?
We don't think so. $100,000 from
the company and a maximum of $10,000 from the man who killed her is
hardly compensation for the life of a child. Angie's life was worth
much more than $110,000. The man who caused her death, and all those
who stood by, should in my opinion all be charged in her death and
should all be held accountable. Just like the nurse who stood by and
watched as Martin Lee Anderson was beaten to death, so were others
standing by watching what happened to Angie, hearing her pleas for
help, yet no one did anything to help her. Instead, they allowed her
to lay there and die.
No amount of money can ever bring
back Angie but the point is if these people are made to pay for what
they have done it is our hope others will take note and will be more
careful in the treatment of children in their care.
Back to top
Why are they still open?
And we don't think NWGCC should
remain open since they have a felony child abuse charge against
them. A very good point was made to me this morning by someone who
operates an licensed in-home day care business. She said if she had
a felony for child abuse against her, her doors would be shut tight.
In fact, if she had any felony charges her doors would be shut. For
that matter, she could not operate her child care business if any
adult living in her home had been charged with a felony. Why is it
different for NWGCC and others like them?
They have continued to use
restraints and have seemed unaffected by the death of Angie. The
board president of Rice Lake, Dennyson Tucker, said it himself.
Though it was not ultimately his decision to shut the doors of Rice
Lake but rather the decision of the state, Tucker said he would not
want to keep his doors open in Rice Lake because people would have
him under a microscope. If he were operating a facility where
everything was done right and children were treated with love,
guidance, and respect, he should not have to worry about being under
a microscope. Our public schools are under a microscope, they are
even given report cards. Again, why should it be any different for
these facilities?
Back to top
What next?
Ridout was due to be sentenced
December 27, 2006, but his attorney had scheduling conflicts and the
date was moved to March 2, 2007. Ridout has encouraged people who
know him to write letters to the judge on his behalf. He
claims he did nothing wrong, he was just doing his job and doing
what he was trained to do. He, like so many others who have killed
children in this manner, claim they were following "policy and
procedure." If his training included a 250-pound man placing his
body weight on a 56-pound little girl, holding her down on the
ground while she suffocated to death, ignoring her desperate cries
for help, ignoring signs she was dying - then something is
desperately wrong here.
We now know the Judge holds the key
to NWGCC's future. I have been informed that the 12 remaining
NWGCC facilities continue to operate under the same guidelines used
at Rice Lake Day Treatment Center where Angie died. We believe
in order for Judge Brunner to make the right decision in this case
he needs to be informed and to hear what others have to say. This
gives each of us an opportunity to write to him, letting him know
our concerns and that something desperately needs to change so other
children do not continue to suffer at the hands of untrained,
unqualified staff working in facilities where the use of deadly
restraints are commonplace.
Again, it is CRITICAL that
anyone who believes this should never happen again be present in
the courtroom on March 2nd, or write a letter to the judge –
or both! The agreement NWGC made in the plea bargain was between
them and the Department of Justice. The judge is not bound by this
and has the authority to implement whatever he sees fit.
Back to top
Change is possible!
This could potentially include
removing certification from all of the NWGC facilities, requiring them to fund Angie’s
House which would develop model supports, programs and crisis
options for families and children with mental health, behavioral and
emotional issues – if he sees this as a priority for families,
and HEARS from them - soon. It would be one way NWGC could
contribute something positive to the children’s mental health
community, as families deal with post-traumatic symptoms of children
given poor and abusive treatment and/or now live with fear of
attempting to access the help they so desperately need.
It appears that the
staff who once worked in the Rice Lake clinic have been employed in
similar leadership positions in other locations. Many of them were
listed as being negligent, lethargic and lacking concern.
For example, the common occurrence of rug burns during holds was
found to be “an abusive practice” (Dr. Cullen’s report). There was not enough evidence to prove their guilt
"beyond a
reasonable doubt", so one might wonder about the practice of keeping
in leadership positions staff who have showed such lack of judgment
in dealing with our children – and about the agency that supports
them. Perhaps the judge could address this as well.
It would also be appropriate to
ask that prone restraints be banned within the state. WE CAN
HAVE AN IMPACT, IF YOU CHOOSE TO HELP! There are many other
concerns and options as well. Share your thoughts with those who
have the power to make a difference, and do it SOON!
Let your voice be heard!
This case could affect not only Northwest Wisconsin and the entire
state, BUT ALSO OUR NATION as advocates across the country are
researching and working to prohibit abusive practices used on our
children. It could be the case that sets a precedent for other
states as well. UNITED, we can make a difference. BUT WE NEED
YOUR HELP.
Back to top
Note to parents and staff:
We urge parents whose children have
been harmed in NWGCC programs to please come forward and speak up if
their child was neglected or abused there. You can remain anonymous
if your child is still in the facility and you fear retaliation. If
that is the case you can feel free to contact us at
info@caica.org
or Jo Pelishek at
jopel.wft@chibardun.net. Your calls will remain
confidential.
We urge staff to come forward as
well. I have prepared a letter to staff outlining their rights and
responsibilities in reporting child abuse
(click
here).
Back to top
What can I do to help?
Below we have provided an outline
of key points you could use in your letters or e-mails to the
contacts below, based on the recommendations of Rick Pelishek of
Disability Rights Wisconsin and Jo Pelishek of Wisconsin Family
Ties.
- Request that Judge Brunner
make the mandated plan of correction from the Department of
Health and Family Services (DHFS) and the recommendations in the
Department of Justice (DOJ) findings part of the sentence. This
is important because under current state law there is really no
enforcement mechanism to force NWCG to make the necessary
changes. (See below for more detailed information.)
- Suggest a timeline be set for
having these changes made. If the deadline is not met, NWCG
should have their certification removed.
- All NWCG locations should
close to avoid further incidents and trauma to children. They
would be allowed to open only when proper criteria are met.
- Staff having acts or omissions
that contributed to Angie's death should not be allowed to
remain employed at NWCG.
Please add your own thoughts,
comments, etc. These are just a few points you may want to
include.
Contact information:
Judge Presiding over Sentencing of both Rideout and
NWDC
Hon. Edward R. Brunner
Barron County Justice Center
1420 State Hwy 25 North – Room 2602
Barron, WI 54812-3009
Tel: (715) 537-6399
Barron County District Attorney – Prosecuting Rideout
Angela L. Holmstrom
Barron County District Attorney
Barron County Justice Center
1420 State Hwy 25 North – Room 2301
Barron, WI 54812-3003
Tel: (715) 537-6220
dabarron@mail.da.state.wi.us
DOJ Prosecuting Attorney – Prosecuting NWCG
Bill Hanrahan
Wisconsin Department of Justice
P.O. Box 7857
Madison, WI 53707-7857
_________________
Another way to help:
Jo Pelishek has written a letter to
"Angie's Friends".
She is asking that anyone who has been affected by Angie's death -
both directly and indirectly - to fill out her questionnaire and
share their story. Please return them to her at:
Jo Pelishek, Family Advocate
Wisconsin Family Ties
107 W Newton Street
Rice Lake, WI 54868
Tel: (715) 790-1317
E-mail:
jopel.wft@chibardun.net
Rick Pelishek contact
information:
Rick Pelishek
Disability Rights Wisconsin
801 Hammond Ave.
Rice Lake, WI 54868
Voice: (715) 736-1232
Fax: (715) 736-1252
Consumers & family only: (877) 338-3724
TTY: (888) 758-6049
E-mail:
rickp@drwi.org
_________________
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