[MD] Drama

[Heather Perella]

Hello Marsha,
 
    [Marsha]
> It is an interesting question.  Is this a mental
> institution?

     The unit (residential building) I work on has
residents that see their therapists more often than
the other units.  This facility I work at is
disorganized and the unit at work at is called an RTF
(Residential Treatment Facility).  We are certified to
get residents that need more attention, structure, and
therapy intensive programs.  Well, the disorganization
of this facility made this unit an RTF, but unlike
other RTF units at different facilities the schedule
on our unit has some free time, gym, unit games, but
not much therapy going on.  They do see their
therapists more often than the Group Home Units on the
campus, but this was a decision to make this unit RTF
for more $ since we were not getting many group home
residents at a particular time.  Yet, talking to this
one supervisor that has been their longer than anybody
except the owner he said this intake of residents
always goes up and down.  They paniced on this one. 
Now for some months we have been getting a lot of
group home kids, and not many RTF considered residents
have come at all.  It was a goof up.  An RTF is not a
mental institution as in psyche ward, but we've had
some residents that come to our facility and end up
getting kicked out to a psyche ward. 

   [Marsha]
> From 
> your description, I thought it was a prison.

     It is a low grade prison.  It is not a lock down
facility.  It is mainly verbal redirections rather
than redirects by walls, prison bars, and barbed wire.
 Some residents at this facility end up in prison or a
higher grade lock down facility. 

> Why
> are they 
> there?

     Mainly due to their aggressive behaviors,
verbally and some physical.  They have attitudes and
negative behaviors.  Some are run-aways, abuse alcohol
and drugs (this is usually a side issue), and have
problems at home (like the dad came after them with a
baseball bat and they came after dad with a knife
kinda thing, or the girls want to do whatever they
want, don't go to school, and threaten their parents
with harm).  Sexual Abuse, and so many are on birth
control.  I'm sure there are some other issues I may
have not mentioned.  These are all females.

   [Marsha]  
And who put them there?

    Parents, but mainly the court system and/or
Children and Youth Services. 

  [Marsha]
  Where are they
> from?  

    Mainly more urban areas, some from deeper in a big
nearby city and they are involved with gangs.  Some
come from rival areas or gangs, and as staff we have
to keep a close eye on them.  Fights do occur between
residents or residents attacking staff physically,
though these don't happen all to often.

  [Marsha]
Are the girls 
> taught any type of academics?

     Yes, their is summer schooling, and full-year two
semester schooling.  There are two on-campus schools. 
One is a larger school that has commuters that come,
as well, for their misbehavior isn't accepted at
public schools.  Also, emotional support, more one on
one between the teacher and student, schooling in a
separate building.  Also, at this time we have one
female resident on campus (campus has about 40 to 50
females) that goes to a public high school across the
road.  She has been at the facility for over two
years, and does well most of the time.  She just
doesn't have anywhere to go outside of the facility so
she may stay until she is 18 and leave on her own.


SA

    P.S.  By the way, this is more where quality would
take place, rather than just talking about what
quality is.  Quality has to be experienced and felt
first-hand.  The dynamics of life are to be known out
and about, in the field, and in real situations around
other people first hand or in other not so heady daily
and nightly experiences where people just don't
narrate life, they live it.  I would place painting
within a more experienced felt quality situation than
the technical, more logical, have it all reasoned out
and explained philosophy that finds the need to define
or think everything can be defined as Aristotle and
Plato tried and failed and people still fail today,
because we can't speak rocks and speak family dinners.
  

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