"BUBBLES
IN MY MILK": ANGIE ARNDT
An information and resource packet prepared by CAICA
(Click
here)
(Click here
for Angie's Main Page)
12/31/06
WHAT WE'LL REMEMBER
The Pioneer Press remembers Angie as they look back at
2006.
(Click
here
for article,
click here for Angie's
main page)
___________________________________________________________________________________________
12/29/06
BLOGGERS, BEWARE - FREE SPEECH ONLY GOES SO
FAR
Writing the truth, the whole
truth and nothing but the truth is NOT a defense for
invasion of privacy and the Internet
is the new frontier where not everything is clearly defined. Considering
your blog a diary doesn't keep you safe
from character defamation charges either - it can cost you as much as 23
years of your life. Freedom of speech ...
isn't enough to protect bloggers from lawsuits of libel and invasion of
privacy.
So writer beware. You don't know who or where your readers are.
Click here)
In another article
one man thought his behavior was nothing more than
"pranks and parodies and tasteless humor"
meant to embarrass people - he was sentenced to 23 years in prison. He
thought all his actions were covered by
the First Amendment, he knows better now. (Click
here for article)
___________________________________________________________________________________________
12/28/06
SENTENCE DELAYED UNTIL
MARCH 2
The sentencing
hearing for Northwest Counseling and Guidance Clinic and
its former
employee Bradley Ridout has been rescheduled. The hearing was scheduled in
Barron
County Circuit Court for this Wednesday at 1 p.m. It has been reset to
Friday, March 2.
The corporation and
Ridout entered no contest pleas to homicide and
misdemeanor
negligent patient abuse, respectively, on Dec. 6. They were convicted of
the crimes in
connection with the suffocation death of 7-year old Angellika Arndt. Their
12 other
facilities remain opened. (Click
here for article,
click here for Angie's
main page)
___________________________________________________________________________________________
12/28/06
KENTUCKY FOSTER CARE
SYSTEM
CAICA received an e-mail from a
34-year old woman who was in the foster care system
herself as a child in the '80's.
She is concerned that, "in Kentucky, abused and neglected children have
been housed in detention centers due to
lack of placements." She expressed her sadness at learning not much has
changed in the past 20 years and
shared an article. (Click
here)
We have included links to useful information and websites in Kentucky.
___________________________________________________________________________________________
12/28/06
WATCH
"CAUGHT" ON A SPECIAL EDITION OF "20/20" Friday at 9
p.m. ET
Boot Camp Death -- Caught on Tape
How Cameras Changed the Course of Justice
Anderson's parents claimed conspiracy, and the case
might have all gone away --
except for those surveillance cameras. Robert Anderson, the teenager's
father,
said that "everything had been shoved right up under the rug. Martin
Anderson
been forgot about if it wouldn't have been for this tape."
A judge ruled the
tape must be released, and after it was widely played on
television
and the Internet, public outcry resulted in a second autopsy. It showed
that Anderson
did indeed die because of the incident: He had been suffocated to death.
(Click
here)
___________________________________________________________________________________________
12/27/06
AUTISM: DON'T SCREW
AROUND WITH AUTISM, GET RID OF THE MERCURY
One parent's experience with
chelation therapy as a cure for autism
(click
here)
___________________________________________________________________________________________
12/27/06
NEW TO CAICA: TRAGEDIES
IN THE FOSTER CARE/STATE SYSTEM
Failure of Child Protective Services to Protect the Children
Click here for Foster Care Deaths;
Click here
for Foster Care News
___________________________________________________________________________________________
12/26/06
EMANCIPATION LAW CHANGED IN UTAH -
FAMILY PUTS IT TO DIFFERENT USE
The laws of
Utah changed last summer - the age for emancipation of a
minor is now 16 or 17, depending on the
circumstances. The law was put in place mostly to help homeless "Lost
Boys". One family found a creative use
for this new law - to try to free their niece and granddaughter from
incarceration in a youth program.
(Click
here)
___________________________________________________________________________________________
12/24/06
A MESSAGE
FROM CAICA'S FOUNDER AND PRESIDENT, ISABELLE ZEHNDER
"Our paths have crossed for a reason"
(click
here)
___________________________________________________________________________________________
12/24/06
POPE MAKES CHRISTMAS
APPEAL FOR CHILDREN
VATICAN CITY - Pope
Benedict XVI celebrated Christmas
Midnight Mass in the splendor of St. Peter's Basilica early
Monday with an appeal for abused children around
the world ...
"Let us pray this night that the brightness of God's love may
enfold all these children," the pontiff said. "Let us ask God to
help us do our part so that the dignity of children may be
respected." (Click
here for article)
___________________________________________________________________________________________
12/24/06
ADVOCATES OF THE MONTH:
In 2006 CAICA launched its "Advocate of the Month" program in an effort
to recognize the hard work of fellow
advocates. (Click
here
for more information):
August 2006 - Cathy Corry
September 2006 - Jordan Riak
www.justice4kids.org
www.nospank.net
(Not pictured): November 2006 -
Pat Amos -
www.tash.org
and December 2006 -
Jeff Berryman
___________________________________________________________________________________________
12/23/06
PARENTS OF AUTISTIC
CHILDREN ANSWER "WHAT
DO YOU LOVE BEST?"
"He loves to
cuddle, hug, high five, and roughhouse. Kyle is very
special to us and to the world!!!"
(read
more)
___________________________________________________________________________________________
12/23/06
DISTINGUISHED
FRIENDS OFFER HOLIDAY SEASON INSIGHTS
Here's some holiday
advice for busy families who want to feel less rushed,
more
reflective; less commercialized, more connected; less pressured, more
peaceful.
(Click
here for article,
click here
for "Positive Press")
___________________________________________________________________________________________
12/23/06
KIDS PART WITH BEARS FOR A GOOD CAUSE
For Nicole Perrotto, 7, finding the right teddy bear to help lift the
spirits of a
sick child was a simple task.
Nicole, along with
schoolmates from kindergarten to second grade at Honiss
School in Dumont, has joined hundreds of others in donating time, effort
and
teddy bears for the annual Bear Hugs for the Holidays campaign, run by the
North Jersey Media Group Foundation. (Click
here for article)
___________________________________________________________________________________________
12/23/06 - Michael's mom,
two years after his death, continues her efforts to
effect change
A WAY TO
SAFELY RESTRAIN STUDENTS?
Bereaved mom at odds with state
Michael Renner-Lewis, III, started his
first day at Parchment High School in
Michigan. Michael was autistic, had what appeared to be a seizure, and
then became combative, prompting staff members to physically restrain him
while he lay facedown. He stopped breathing while restrained and later
died.
His death -- and
the death of another child in 2003 in which restraint
was
involved -- prompted the Michigan Department of Education to draft tighter
restrictions on the use of restraints and seclusion in state schools.
(Click
here for article,
Click here for
Michael's Main Page).
___________________________________________________________________________________________
12/23/06
POSITIVE
PRESS: KIDS EMBRACE GIVING, NOT GETTING
Little four-year-old Samantha Reda saw a
video this fall of children at an
orphanage who had nothing to wear on their feet. She didn't feel that was
right so for Christmas this year, instead of asking for presents for
herself
she asked people to donate shoes for her cause.
She,
herself, adores shoes.
We can all take a less from Samantha! (Click
here)
___________________________________________________________________________________________
12/22/06
ANOTHER CHILD DIES IN RESTRAINTS
The family of Garrett Halsey, an autistic child who died
after being restrained by six staff on his second day at
their group home, have filed a $5 million wrongful death lawsuit. The
staff were ill prepared to deal with a child
like Garrett, and they were not prepared to deal with an emergency.
(Click
here)
___________________________________________________________________________________________
12/22/06
PARENTS
IN CAGED CHILDREN CASE CHARGED
A couple accused of
forcing some of their 11 adopted children
to sleep in chicken wire cages were convicted Friday of
several felony and misdemeanor charges against them.
(Click
here for articles)
___________________________________________________________________________________________
12/21/06
HELP FOR PARENTS: DEPRESSION AND YOUR TEEN
Over the holidays the
rate of depression goes up not only in adults but in
teens as well. Please
take a moment to read the article
Depression and Your Teen
by Jackie Rosen, Executive CEO
of the Florida Initiative for Suicide Prevention, Inc. (FISP).
(Click
here for article)
Courtesy of PURE at
www.helpyourteens.com.
NOTICE TO
PARENTS: If your child
displays helplessness and hopelessness go to the FISP
website to see if they
meet three of the twenty signs of depression which can lead to possible
suicidal thoughts.
www.fisponline.org.
___________________________________________________________________________________________
12/20/06
(CBS) BROOKLYN A
Brooklyn family is lashing out at the school system
after a 5-year-old
boy was bit by a rodent while in school Wednesday.
Richard Medina was
shocked when he received a call that his son Patrick was
bit by what
he described as a rat that he was playing with during school. Patrick
loves playing with his
family's pet hamster, "Marissa," at home, but the rodent he played with
inside his special
education classroom at PS 231 was no teacher's pet. (Click
here for article)
___________________________________________________________________________________________
12/19/06
CITY SUED OVER RESTRAINED TEEN'S COMA
The parents of a disabled
teen who stopped breathing after Miami police restrained
him earlier this month filed
suit against the city of Miami on Monday, claiming police ''hogtied''
their son outside their home, then put
pressure on his back and shoulders.
Both practices --
hogtying and applying pressure -- can cause people to
stop breathing, the suit claims.
But Police Chief
John Timoney, speaking for the first time about the
incident, vigorously denied officers had used the
controversial restraint on Kevin Colindres, 18, who was left in a coma.
Fighting back
tears, Melvin Colindres said doctors have offered little
reason for optimism about Kevin's chances.
The father said Kevin is in a persistent vegetative state. (Click
here for article)
BOY IN COMA; COPS' HOGTIE UNDER PROBE
Restrained by
police as his family watched, a disabled 18-year-old
lies in a coma at a Coral Gables hospital. The
family says he was `hogtied.' They say officers specially trained
to calm people with mental illness ''hogtied'' Kevin,
sat on him until he stopped breathing, then resisted the family's
entreaties to call an ambulance. Kevin Colindres is
now in a coma, in intensive care at Coral Gables Hospital. (Click
here for article)
___________________________________________________________________________________________
12/17/06
Artists share their feelings about
the teen help industry through their drawings
and poems.
This piece is called "One for the Future"
(Click
here
for more artwork)
___________________________________________________________________________________________
12/17/06
TWO PENNSYLVANIA STUDENTS COMMIT SUICIDE AT
SCHOOL DAYS APART
Shane Halligan
Shane's dad, John Halligan
Chad Huggins
16-year old Shane Halligan was
a volunteer firefighter, an Eagle Scout, and had plans
to go into the military. Though
a popular boy, he was teased for being short. His plans to enter boot
camp this summer were quashed when his
parents discovered his slipping grades. According to news reports Shane
became depressed, snuck into his father's
gun cabinet, took the AK-47-type rifle to school. He pulled the gun out
of his backpack in a crowded high school
hallway and warned others to leave. One girl called her father, a police
officer, and police arrived within minutes. Shane
began shooting at the ceiling, ran around the corner when he saw police,
then shot and killed himself. He had a note
in his pocket but the contents of the note were not shared.
(Click
here)
17-year old Chad Huggins was a
great neighbor who was always smiling and willing to
help with anything and everything.
Neighbors said that his constant good nature and ready smile will be
missed, along with his friendship. His friends
said he was cheerful, helpful, generous, and well-liked throughout the
community. He worked with senior citizens and
participated in a Christian youth fellowship group. Without warning, he
shot and killed himself at the gym of his high
school during rifle range practice. There appear to be no answers as to
why he might have done this. He was alone at
the time of the shooting and placed no one else in danger. A note was
found but contents were not shared.
(Click
here)
___________________________________________________________________________________________
12/16/06
STATE'S MENTAL HEALTH FACILITIES
DUPED INTO USING DRUG
A major
corporation and several subsidiaries misrepresented the
safety and effectiveness of an anti-psychotic
drug and unduly influenced at least one state official to make it a
standard treatment in public mental health
programs, according to a lawsuit the state has joined.
(Click
here)
___________________________________________________________________________________________
12/16/06
SOMETHING TO ASK
OURSELVES ABOUT "JUSTICE FOR ANGIE"
Police were called when Angellika
"Angie" Arndt stopped breathing after she was restrained
for about an hour
by a man weighing about 5 times her body weight. He was a staff member at
a day treatment center. Angie had
vomited and lost bodily functions. She had abrasions on her head, and
abrasions on her limbs. This happened
last February but in reviewing news articles, it makes no mention he
spent any time in jail pending an investigation.
Today, all he faces is misdemeanor negligent abuse for inflicting bodily
harm, up to 9 months in jail, and up to a
$10,000 fine. That's it - for the life of little Angie.
A baby died. The
only person home at the time the police arrived was the
mother's boyfriend. This happened
a few days ago and already he sits behind bars as they further
investigate the baby's death. Even though the
District Attorney in this case said a murder charge was not appropriate
because "this was reckless conduct, there
is no indication the boyfriend intended to cause the child's death," he
sits in jail. There were comments he voluntarily
went to the police station for questioning and that "he certainly wasn't
thinking about himself first."
This is just one
example of many. When children die in the care of
parents, child care providers, extended family,
boyfriends, etc., police are quick to place the person in jail and ask
questions later. But in the case of treatment
facility deaths, it has been seen over and over again that persons
responsible for the deaths of children are treated
differently and do not typically end up behind bars. The question is why?
(Click
here for article about the baby who died,
read about Angie's death in the
Information and Resource Packet).
Another
example:
WOMAN CHARGED WITH ASSAULT AFTER
DISCIPLINING DAUGHTER
(click
here)
___________________________________________________________________________________________
12/16/06
VOICES FOR THE CHILDREN - Missouri
Johnetta and Jasmine are two beautiful sisters
in Missouri who
need to find a permanent home. Jasmine and Johnetta are very
attached to each other and have repeatedly said that they want
to be adopted together. When each are asked they would like
someday to have rooms of their own, they quickly say "no way,"
that they want to share a room. Johnetta looks up to her big sister,
and Jasmine is patient and nurturing with Johnetta.
(Click
here for more information,
www.voicesforchildrenstl.org)
For more information, contact St. Louis Voices for
Children: Ashley Beumer 314-552-2358
arbeumer@stlcitycasa.org.
___________________________________________________________________________________________
12/16/06
BODY SOX CONTROVERSY CONTINUES
"It was (the teacher's) call
that she wanted to use it to calm things down. ... It's
certainly an improvement over timeout."
What one person views as fun and games, others view as
another form of
restraint. One father's 4-year old was placed in the Body Sox. When his
wife
arrived at school his son was struggling to get out, only to be told to
close it
by the teacher. His son was crying out for help, and when his mom released
him he was having trouble breathing. He suffers from asthma. Though the
school denies its use is for discipline reasons, the teacher admitted to
using
the Body Sox as such. Inside Edition has contacted the family.
(Click
here for article,
click here for previous
article,
click
here for video)
___________________________________________________________________________________________
12/15/06
ANGELLIKA ARNDT UPDATE
Rick Pelishek of the Disability Rights Wisconsin says
that though this case might have its end in sight, his
objectives will not end there. "One of the things we
want to change legislative is to get prone restraint
banned in the state," he said. "Some are calling it
'Angie's Law.' It is a horrible, dehumanizing act.
(Click
here for article,
click here
for Angie's Main Page). Restraint ban sought (click
here).
VERY FEW ANSWERS IN
CHILD'S DEATH (CAICA IN THE NEWS)
Questions posed, will we ever get all the answers?
(Click
here)
CLINIC, STAFFER PLEAD 'NO CONTEST' IN CHILD'S DEATH
Click here
for article and picture of
Bradley Ridout, the man who held Angie down in a prone
restraint position,
causing her death.
___________________________________________________________________________________________
12/14/06
MOM
ADMITS TO SUFFOCATING SON IN HOMELESS SHELTER
A 23-year-old mother pleaded guilty to second degree unintentional murder
on Thursday
for suffocating her 22-month-old son when he refused to take a nap at a
Maplewood
homeless shelter. All of Wofford's children, ranging in age from 1 to 7,
had spent time
in foster care in Ohio. Wofford gave birth to her seventh child July 5
while awaiting trial.
(Click
here for article)
___________________________________________________________________________________________
12/14/06
PINNING DOWN THE PUZZLE OF AUTISM
Autism is a puzzle,
one that researchers have yet to solve. Like mismatched
puzzle pieces, children with autism have a hard time fitting in a world
that
doesn't understand them.
One local mother
has taken the international symbol of autism - the
puzzle
piece - and turned it into a pin she hopes will both increase autism
awareness
and raise money for the school her son attends. (Click
here for article)
If you or your group would like to help with the Puzzle
Piece Project, contact
Lauren Jones at
t.twissrd@verizon.net
To learn more:
www.autismspeaks.org
www.autism-society.org
www.autism.org
www.bostonhigashi.org
Also find this article on CAICA's "LIGHTER SIDE"
(click
here)
___________________________________________________________________________________________
12/13/06
PARENT
ALERT:
MR. PATRICK HOLT WANTS OTHER
PARENTS TO KNOW
"BODY SOX": TEACHING TOOL OR RESTRAINING DEVICE?
The child pictured is smiling, but Patrick Holt's 4-year old little boy didn't think
it was so funny.
When his mom arrived at school she found her little boy in a Body Sox,
struggling
to breathe, crying and begging to get out. This little boy, like many
children,
has asthma that is exacerbated when he gets upset. He managed to unzip the
device, crying hard and pleading to get out. The teacher, rather than
notice he
was having trouble breathing, made him close it. The school claims these
are not
used for discipline, but Holt thinks differently, as do others.
Body
Sox have been approved for use at the Pinellas County School District, and Mr.
Holt wants other parents to know.
Watch video,
read article.
RECOMMENDATION: CHECK WITH
YOUR CHILD'S SCHOOL DISTRICT TO SEE IF THE BODY SOX ARE
CURRENTLY BEING USED OR IF THEY ARE BEING REVIEWED FOR
USE IN YOUR
CHILD'S SCHOOL OR TREATMENT FACILITY
NOTE:
A website was located describing the use of the Body Sox. Though it
sounds like some children may have fun with it,
the potential for a disaster is very present. Untrained, unqualified,
unlicensed staff in some treatment facilities have
been known in the past to put children in harm's way "in the name of
treatment". If used inappropriately, the use of
this new device could traumatize children, and we could even see some
deaths. As with this little boy, he had trouble
breathing.
___________________________________________________________________________________________
CMS: RIGHTS RULE ON USE OF
RESTRAINTS AND SECLUSION BETTER,
MORE EXTENSIVE TRAINING OF STAFF REQUIRED
Health care
workers who employ physical restraints and seclusion
when treating patients must undergo new,
more rigorous training to assure the appropriateness of the treatment and
to protect patient rights, according
to a regulation published in the Federal Register today by the Centers
for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).
(Click
here to read
more).
___________________________________________________________________________________________
12/13/06
PSYCH FACILITY FOR TEENS SHUTS DOWN
16
patients at Intermountain Residential Treatment Center
will
have to be moved to another facility that services teens with
mental and behavioral issues.
"They found a
number of issues, excessive physical and
chemical restraint, peer on peer assaults, staff abuse,
assaults of another nature, improper treatment plans, a
lot of things, a number of serious issues,” says Mason.
(Click
here for articles)
___________________________________________________________________________________________
12/13/06
TROUBLED YOUTHS IN DANGEROUS PLACES
Residential
treatment for disturbed youths can be dangerous to their
health; the governor needs to act now
to improve it. Youth with emotional and behavioral disorders severe
enough to land them in treatment centers
are at risk of injury or even death because of Virginia's lack of
oversight and lax standards. (Click
here)
___________________________________________________________________________________________
12/13/06
*Update*
to Missing Child Alert
A 12-year-old
girl, who ran away from Griffin Middle School near
Tallahassee last Friday has been found safe
and returned to her residence at Girls Town.
Investigators from
the Tallahassee Police Department's Special Victim's
Unit took Julie Mae Dotson into custody
around 2:45 p.m. Wednesday. Dotson will be interviewed by investigators
once she arrives at TPD headquarters.
ORIGINAL ALERT:
POLICE SEARCH FOR GIRL
WHO DISAPPEARED FROM MIDDLE SCHOOL,
STAYING AT BOYS & GIRLS TOWN RESIDENTIAL TREATMENT HOME
If
you have any information call 866-845-TIPS
A 12-year-old girl disappeared from a Tallahassee middle
school and hasn't
been heard from in four days. Police say Julie Mae Dotson has run away
before, but that's she's never gone this long without calling. Florida
Department
of Law Enforcement officials say they believe she may be in danger.
Julie is five feet
one inch tall, 110 pounds and was last seen wearing a
dark-
colored sweater, tan pants and blue and white Fila shoes.
Dotson was
staying at the Boys And Girls Town residential treatment
home in Tallahassee. Her family lives in Milton in the Panhandle.
___________________________________________________________________________________________
CHILD WELFARE IN
PHILADELPHIA - CHANGING THE CAUSE OF A TROUBLED AGENCY
Evans will be available to answer your
questions from Monday, Dec. 4 to Friday, Dec. 15.
He will try to answer
as many questions as possible. Read a
profile of Evans
and our continuing
coverage of DHS.
 Arthur
C. Evans was tapped by Mayor Street in October to help
manage the crisis at the Philadelphia Department of
Human Services, which is under siege after Inquirer
reports that it failed to adequately
monitor vulnerable children who died at the hands of
abusive or neglectful parents. DHS officials have
said that 25 children whose families had been brought to
the agency’s attention have died since 2002.
Evans, a native of
Florida, has a Ph.D. in psychology and ran
Philadelphia’s mental health department
before being named to his current post.
(Click
here for coverage).
Arthur Evans
Tell
The Inquirer your story
People working together is
what will help bring about awareness and change. CAICA
commends reporters Ken
Dilanian and John Sullivan at the Philadelphia Enquirer for their
continued coverage of problems in the DHS system
in Pennsylvania. If you have a story about DHS they want to hear it.
Contact staff writer
Ken Dilanian at 215-854-4779
or
kdilanian@phillynews.com. Contact staff
writer John Sullivan at 215-854-2473 or
johnsullivan@phillynews.com.
___________________________________________________________________________________________
12/11/06
MESSAGE TO ADVOCATES - LET US BAND TOGETHER IN
2007
(click
here)
___________________________________________________________________________________________
12/10/06
"BUBBLES
IN MY MILK":
THE SHORT LIFE OF ANGELLIKA "ANGIE" ARNDT
An information and resource packet prepared by CAICA
The State of
Wisconsin has been hit with a tragedy that, we believe, needs to
be
reviewed and discussed. Changes need to be made. New laws need to
be enacted.
Why? Because a little girl lost her life at the age of 7
and if things don’t change,
others will follow. (Click
here for information packet,
click here
for Angie's Main Page).
OUR GOAL IS TO KEEP ANGIE'S STORY ALIVE
- LOCAL CHILD ADVOCATES FOR ANGIE:
 Jodi Pelishek, Family Advocate for Wisconsin
Family Ties, helps place a banner to
honor Angie and promote
community awareness of children’s mental health issues l
ess than
a block away from where Angie died. She and Rick Pelishek,
Office Director
of NW Wisconsin Disability Rights Commission,
are working to insure that Angie is
not forgotten and that in
the future laws are changed and families supported on their
journey of parenting challenging children.
To reach Jo: Tel 715-790-1317,
jopel.wft@chibardun.net.
To reach Rick: Tel 715-736-1232,
rickp@drwi.org.
“Let
Them Bloom”, a father’s perspective, by Rick Pelishek.
___________________________________________________________________________________________
12/10/06
ADVOCATES RECOGNIZED FOR THEIR HARD WORK AND DEDICATION
December: Jeff Berryman (click
here)
It takes a special person who isn't afraid of hard work and heartache to
be a true child
advocate. For that reason CAICA implemented our "Advocate of the Month"
program
where each month we recognize advocates who we know work diligently in
support
of children and their parents.
This month, Jeff Berryman, a child advocate for 10 years, has been chosen
as our
"Advocate of the Month." Jeff has diligently worked to get the word out
about abuse
in residential treatment facilities. For those of us who have received his
e-mail alerts
for years, we know his motto: "When I mount my horse, all the windmills in
Spain
tremble." Thank you Jeff.
___________________________________________________________________________________________
12/10/06
TEAMING UP WITH AMW FOR JUSTICE
Gary Karp is searching for answers in his daughter Marissa's murder.
Marissa was a happy
child before her mom passed away. She was placed in a juvenile
intervention program run
by the Florida Department of Children and Families in 2001 when she
started having problems.
After only a few months in the program she ran away. (Click
here for article)
___________________________________________________________________________________________
ANOTHER TRAGEDY - ANOTHER CHILD IS GONE TO
THE FOSTER CARE SYSTEM
CAICA just learned of another child who has died in the foster care
system. Candice Raymor
died at age 15 in North Richmond from an estimated 7,000 volt jolt three
times the current
used during electric-chair executions. The group home where she lived,
Cumberland Magnolia
House, was cited by the state licensing agency for a violation involving
her supervision last
summer. Her mother was concerned with the "cocktail" of psychiatric drugs
she was given at
the group home. (Click
here for article, click
here for more information on foster children
being drugged,
watch the video.) (We thank Suncana for
bringing these to our attention.)
___________________________________________________________________________________________
12/8/06
PANEL
PROBES CONDITIONS AT CHILD FACILITY - BANCROFT NEUROHEALTH
A developmental and
behavioral children's facility was in the hot seat Thursday as it looks
to turn around a
past culture of neglect and failing to protect its residents.
Bancroft NeuroHealth in Haddonfield was before
the Assembly Human Services Committee to discuss progress toward
safety and staffing improvements
recommended by an independent expert's report conducted earlier
this year. (Click
here for article)
Expert’s Report on Bancroft
NeuroHealth Released
Report shows overall improvement,
need for continued monitoring
Read the Settlement Agreement
Read the Report
Read the statement from the Office of the Child
Advocate
Read a Statement from Public Advocate
Commissioner Ron Chen
IF YOU
ARE A PARENT WITH CONCERNS
about the treatment
of children at Bancroft, you can write to the
chairman at
asmcryan@njleg.org. According to one advocate, New Jersey's "special
children" are in serious
trouble with no sustainable help on the horizon. Perhaps we need to let
the Chairman know we are not satisfied
with the care our loved ones are receiving, the humiliation they go
through, the State's inaction, and that we will
not tolerate it.
To listen to this
panel  :
Click here, scroll down and click
on "archived proceedings" in the middle of the page, then in the middle
column
scroll down to "assembly human services". Click on the link, then click
on "listen" for the December 7
committee meeting.
___________________________________________________________________________________________
12/7/06
WISCONSIN:
JUSTICE FOR ANGIE?
56-pound Angie was placed in dangerous face-down prone
restraints for up to 98 minutes at a time. The last restraint took her life. The
large man who improperly
restrained her is being charged with a misdemeanor, up to $10,000 fine and/or up to 9 mos. in jail. The
corporation is charged with a felony and is being fined $100,000. See
news updates below.
View video:  Rice
Lake Treatment Center
Let Them Bloom - a father's insight
(click
here) Pictures of Angie
(click
here)
___________________________________________________________________________________________
COMPANY, WORKER ENTER 'NO CONTEST' PLEAS IN
DEATH
Angellika "Angie" Arndt died while she was restrained by Bradley Ridout
at the Rice Lake
Day Treatment center in Rice Lake, Wisconsin. Consultation with former
teachers and other
facilities she attended revealed that at no time were they ever required
to restrain Angie.
Chief Investigator, John Knappmiller, wrote, “Such an exchange of
information may have been
useful to the facility in devising an effective treatment plan.”
The staff member responsible for
the training of all staff in proper restraint techniques, Tim McIntyre,
had, himself, never actually received any appropriate training. His
methods were self-taught.
(Click
here for article,
click here for Angie's Main Page.)
Let Them Bloom - a father's insight
(click
here) Pictures of Angie
(click
here)
___________________________________________________________________________________________
12/6/06
DOUBLE
GUILTY VERDICT IN RICE LAKE GIRL'S DEATH
A judge handed down a
homicide conviction for the Rice Lake Treatment Center where a
7-year-old girl died
and found the man who held her down at the center guilty of
negligent abuse. 29-year-old Bradley Ridout
covered Angie Arndt’s upper body with his own body to restrain her.
Tuesday, he pleaded no contest and
was convicted of negligent abuse. Investigators say his weight
prevented her from breathing.
Click here.
Click here for Angie's Main Page.
Not-often seen - a
serious Angie
Angie's 6th birthday
Angie's 7th, and last, birthday
More pictures of Angie
(click
here)
___________________________________________________________________________________________
12/3/06
SPREADING JOY:
PROGRAM BENEFITS FOSTER CHILDREN
K.I. Sawyer — Although it lacked
flying reindeer and sleigh
bells, the sleek, white Cessna Citation jet plane was loaded
with toys as it touched down at the Boreal Aviation terminal
at Sawyer International Airport Saturday morning.
Pilots Jeff Surnow and Eric Ray of
downstate Bloomfield Hills
stopped in Marquette briefly to drop off wrapped Christmas
presents for foster children as part of Operation Good Cheer.
(Click
here)
___________________________________________________________________________________________
12/3/06
BOOT CAMP DEATH: TRIAL HAS MAKING OF EPIC
BATTLE
The case against seven boot camp
guards and a nurse in the death of a teen
will be tough for prosecutors, who can expect the jury to be skeptical of
charges
against the officers.
''I think this is going to be a
very, very explosive trial,'' said Benjamin Crump,
a Tallahassee lawyer who represents the dead teen's parents, Robert
Anderson
and Gina Jones.
Crump, the family's attorney, said the parents have endured harassment,
threats and racial slurs in their fight
to bring justice to their son. Crump said his office has received
profanity-laced letters aimed at intimidating the
family into quitting. ''It begs the question: Did Martin Lee Anderson's
life have any value to it?'' Crump said.
(Click
here for article,
click here for Martin's Main Page).
___________________________________________________________________________________________
12/3/06
MENTAL HEALTH CARE: PORTLAND, OREGON
"... there needs to be less use of
force, especially seclusion or physical restraint." In spite of Oregon's
long,
progressive social and health policy tradition, our mental health system
has fallen far and fast in recent years.
Economics and indifference have reversed substantial achievements.
(Click
here)
___________________________________________________________________________________________
12/1/06
NEW INFORMATION RELEASED ABOUT THE DEATH OF
ANGELLIKA ARNDT
Angie died after she was
held down at the center until she was blue and listless, according to
court documents.
RESTRAINT DEATH CHARGES FILED
Northwest Counseling and Guidance Clinic,
has been charged with negligent abuse of a resident - a felony. They
face
a fine up to $100,000. Staff member Bradley A. Ridout was charged with
negligent abuse of a patient causing bodily
harm, a misdemeanor. He faces a fine of $10,000 and/or up to nine months
in jail.
What contributed to Angie's death?
- Faulty training
- Improper restraint
- Numerous acts and omissions by employees of the facility
- Holding her down until she was blue and listless
- Failing to follow a treatment plan for Angie
- Using improperly taught and administered restraint on a 56-pound little
girl
- No proper training for staff, Tim McIntyre, responsible to train others
- he used and taught self-devised, substandard
methods, including the use of the face-down-on-the-floor
(prone restraint) used on Angie the day of her death
- Ridout holding Angie's head while she was crying and thrashing,
covering her upper torso, until she was blue
(Click
here for article,
click here for Angie's main page)
___________________________________________________________________________________________
12/1/06
CLINIC, STAFFER CHARGED IN PATIENT DEATH
The Rice Lake counseling center where a
seven-year-old girl was asphyxiated has
been criminally charged. A staff member, Bradley Ridout, faces a
misdemeanor for
administering the chokehold that led to the death of Angellika Arndt.
Ridout held the 56-pound girl down until she lost consciousness and turned
blue.
Ridout is charged with improperly restraining the girl, resulting in her
death by
asphyxiation.
State investigator John Knappmiller says in charging documents, that "to
the time of her death, there had been
numerous acts and omissions by employees of the facility that had
compromised Angie's safety." Ridout and
clinic representatives are scheduled to be in Barron County Court on
Wednesday. (Click
here for article)
_________________________________________________________________________________
12/1/06
IVY
RIDGE ACADEMY (FORMERLY WWASPS) ACCREDITATION REJECTED
The Academy at Ivy Ridge will not
be allowed to resume
issuing high school diplomas.
The State Education Department has
rejected the
Academy's application, according to stories Friday in
St. Lawrence County newspapers and The Watertown
Times. (Click
here for article) (Click
here for WWASPS
Main Page)
(Click
here for Ivy Ridge lawsuit)
Ivy Ridge Director Jason Finlinson
___________________________________________________________________________________________
11/30/06
DA
SAYS CRIMINAL CHARGES WILL BE FILED IN GIRL'S DEATH
A
homicide charge is expected to be filed in the next week against
Northwest Guidance and Counseling Clinic for the death of 7-year
old Angellika Arndt.
A misdemeanor negligent patient
abuse charge will also be filed against
Bradley Ridout, 29, of 20 E.
Evans St., Rice Lake, said Barron County
District Attorney Angela Holmstrom this Wednesday morning.
The maximum penalty for a homicide
conviction against the corporation
would be a $100,000 fine. The
maximum penalty for the negligent abuse
conviction is up to a
$10,000 fine and/or up to 9 months’ imprisonment.
Click
here for article.
Click here for Angie's Main Page.
Video
_________________________________________________________________________
11/30/06
Martin Lee Anderson's mother has endured pain and suffering for nearly a
year now - she has agonized over the death
of her son. She has been his voice when he no longer had a voice. And
now, finally, 7 guards who beat her son, and
the nurse who stood by to watch, have been charged in his death. They
could face up to 30 years in jail. Her attorney,
Benjamin Crump, has stood loyally by her side as they have pressed
forward to try to have justice served.
‘JUSTICE FOR MY BABY’
7 drill instructors, 1 nurse face 30 years in prison if
convicted of manslaughter in Anderson’s death (click
here)
KEY PLAYERS IN THE CASE
(click
here)
VIDEO: Life in a
Florida boot camp and the death of Martin Lee Anderson
WARNING: This 8-minute video clip
showing the fatal beating of a teenager may be deeply
disturbing to some viewers.
Do not play it if children are
present.
Allow download time.
_________________________________________________________________________
11/28/06
MARTIN LEE ANDERSON: BOOT CAMP EX-GUARDS, NURSE CHARGED IN BOY'S DEATH
Seven former guards and a
nurse at a military-style boot camp for juvenile offenders were charged
with aggravated
manslaughter in the death of a teenage boy whose rough handling by
the guards was videotaped, a special prosecutor
said Tuesday. If convicted, the former guards and the nurse who
watched the altercation could face up to 30 years in
prison. (Click
here for article,
click here for Martin's Main Page).
VIDEO: Life in a
Florida boot camp and the death of Martin Lee Anderson
WARNING: This 8-minute video clip
showing the fatal beating of a teenager may be deeply
disturbing to some viewers.
Do not play it if children are
present.
Allow download time.
________________________________________________________________________________________
11/28/06
STATE
REPORT FINDS FAULT WITH FOSTER
AGENCY IN MARCUS' DEATH
Lifeway for Youth's permit at stake
after state inquiry finds
violations, places blame in Fiesel case. The private foster care
placement
agency that recommended 3-year-old Marcus Fiesel
be placed with the
couple charged in his death has taken the
brunt of the blame, based
on an investigative state report
released Monday. (Click
here for article,
click here for Marcus'
Main Page).
STATE
URGES MORE INFORMATION, FOSTER
PARENT TRAINING
More thorough investigation and better communication among
agencies could have prevented the placement of a 3-year-old
developmentally disabled boy with the foster parents accused
of killing him, according to a state report released Monday.
(Click
here for article,
click here for Marcus' Main Page).
________________________________________________________________________________________
11/26/06
RICE LAKE SIGN IN MEMORY OF ANGELLIKA
ARNDT
A sign recently placed on Main
Street in Rice Lake by Wisconsin Family
Ties and Disability Rights
Wisconsin is part of a campaign to honor the
memory of Angie Arndt,
who died May 26 after being physically restrained
at a Rice Lake
mental health facility, while also promoting education and
awareness
of children's mental health issues in northwestern Wisconsin
and
offering support to families. (Click
here for article,
click here for
Angie's Main Page).
Jo Pelishek has adopted children with special needs and knows all too
well about the loss of a child. Her family lost their daughter to
leukemia.
Jo's 15-year old daughter painted this sign, making it that much more
special.
Although the community remains silent, they have not/will not
forget about Angie. (Click
here)
________________________________________________________________________________________
11/26/06
SUSPECT FOCUSED ON GETTING HER KIDS BACK
Melanie Ochs may stand accused of murdering her foster child, but on
Friday her focus was on reuniting with
her two surviving children. "I love my children, and I would do anything
to get them back," Ochs said during a
brief interview. (Click
here for article)
________________________________________________________________________________________
11/26/06
A
REMOTE ACADEMY TEACHES HEAVY TEENS TO LOSE WEIGHT
The Academy of the Sierras, located in a remote area is temporary home to
80 overweight boys and girls.
Congressman George Miller, among others, warns against programs with
little to no governmental oversight.
(Click
here for
article)
_________________________________________________________________________________________
11/26/06
COUNSELORS FOR MENTALLY ILL REALIZING CLIENTS' NEED FOR INTIMACY
Experts say strong relationships may help, not hinder, patients
James Leftwich wants a girlfriend,
wants to get married, wants the same kind of "normal" life most others
desire.
For years, he was encouraged not
to try. Because of his schizophrenia and depression, those closest to
him thought
it would be too much for him to handle. Now the librarian from New York
runs a dating and support Web site aimed at
those with serious mental health problems. (Click
here for article,
click here for mental health main
page).
________________________________________________________________________________
11/26/06
SPENDING
FOR THE AUTISTIC, A GIFT OF COMMON GROUND
Almost everyone knows of a family affected by autism, the disorder that
can impair a
child’s ability to form social and emotional connections.
Children with autism often have a
hard time interpreting emotions in others, may learn
to speak later and can experience hypersensitivity to noise, light and
touch. As the
holidays approach, family members and friends may wonder what to buy for
any children
with autism on their list while accommodating their special needs.
This article gives some helpful tips (click
here for article,
click here for Autism main
page, click
here for the Lighter Side.)
______________________________________________________________________________________
11/26/06
TEEN
SIBLINGS WITH AUTISM ASK AFTER GIFT BOXES
SANTA CLAUS FUND
Every year
around this time, the siblings start asking Arlene Galaxidas about
The Toronto
Star Santa Claus Fund gift boxes.
Since the social worker met
Paul and Sally for the first time in 1998, when they were 7 and 9
years old, respectively, the brother and sister, who both have autism,
have been bombarding
Galaxidas with requests for the presents — and they still do even though
they're now too old
to receive them. (The gift boxes are distributed to children up to 12
years old.)
"They always ask `is that funny
box coming?'" (click
here for more,
click here for Autism main
page, click
here for the Lighter Side.)
___________________________________________________________________
11/25/06
FOSTER CARE DEATH OF TWO-YEAR OLD JAIME
CEBALLOS:
PRESS
CONFERENCE TO BE HELD ON NOVEMBER 27, 2006 at 6:00 p.m.
The Law Offices Of Robert R. Powell will be holding a press conference at
6:30 p.m. on November 27th, 2006, at
the Clarion Hotel, located at 1355 North Fourth Street, in San Jose,
California regarding the death of Jaime
Ceballos while in foster care with Monterey County on November 27th,
2005. (Click
here for more)
(Click here
for Jaime's main page)
_______________________________________________________________________________________
11/23/06
KNEE DEEP: LAWSUITS MOUNT
AGAINST
SPRING CREEK LODGE
11/23/06 Article by John Adams:
(click
here)
6/26/06
Article re Spring Creek Lodge withdraws
from WWASPS: (click
here)
Lawsuit
Main Page (click
here)
Spring Creek Main Page (click
here)
Assistant Director Chaffin Pullan,
pictured here at Spring Creek Lodge,
is one of the defendants in a wrongful death lawsuit stemming from the
2004 suicide of Karlye Newman.
____________________________________________________________________________________________
11/23/06
 ON
NATIONAL ADOPTION DAY, 207 CHILDREN FIND HOMES IN MASSACHUSETTS
In the United States, there are an estimated 114,000 children in foster
care waiting to be adopted -- a number larger than the population of
the city of Lowell. Massachusetts alone has some 3,000
children looking for permanent homes.
However, that number of children
hoping for parents dropped today
in the Bay State by 207. Nationally, |
