SA State School..records of abuse (San Antonio, Anton: house, schools, gated)

[mamatotex97]

Neglect, abuse at S.A. State School (http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/Neglect_abuse_at_SA_State_School.html - broken link)

As one who works with special needs students this saddens me for what could be ones future.

[samustang91]

the State School staff violated numerous laws , and polices of human rights. This should be fixed.

[WilGar]

The state schools have been a group of unnoticed festering sores for some time. This is starting to change. The Department of Justice has found numerous cases of abuse both willful and inadvertent.
The state has, in the past, put a band aid on claiming more training and more money would solve the problem. This has and does not work.
The solution is to house the residents that want and are capable of living in a community setting. The price is 50% that of residing in the state homes.
The state homes are of course required for the profoundly disabled.
The state admits that 1 in 17 residents suffers abuse annually. Where is the outrage? If the same were occurring in the public, the outcry would be deafening. Why not the same for our disabled citizens?

[bowtiefan]

Just wanted to post an email from a friend of mine I recieved yesterday, reposted with his permission,...

Dear brothers, sisters, and friends.
Recently the San Antonio Express-News carried an article condemning the San Antonio State School (SASS) for the high rate of abuse and neglect at the institution. Some of you have expressed your concern for us and our son, John, who is a resident at SASS and we thank you for this concern. I want to assure you that while we remain vigilant in our monitoring of John's health and safety we also are confident in the staff of the facility. John has been injured twice in the last year; once he was severely scratched and clawed at night by another resident and more recently he fell and cut his eye (possibly seizure related). Each of these incidents could be considered neglect since they occurred outside the visual range of staff and the first may have been abuse even though the perpetrator was a resident.
As I stated earlier we regularly visit John and are rather insistent in our requests for information on changes in his physical state. Not all the residents receive this degree of parental oversight and this is an area of concern. If, as a community member and friend, you are concerned about the care and welfare of John and other developmentally challenged persons do something about it. Volunteer your time and services to the State School or other such worthy and needed institutions. Most of all I ask you to pray for these individuals who are defenseless and often literally speechless. John cannot care for himself and requires such a facility and I thank the Lord everyday that such a facility is available for him.

[sapphire]

Originally Posted by bowtiefan

Just wanted to post an email from a friend of mine I recieved yesterday, reposted with his permission,...

Dear brothers, sisters, and friends.
Recently the San Antonio Express-News carried an article condemning the San Antonio State School (SASS) for the high rate of abuse and neglect at the institution. Some of you have expressed your concern for us and our son, John, who is a resident at SASS and we thank you for this concern. I want to assure you that while we remain vigilant in our monitoring of John's health and safety we also are confident in the staff of the facility. John has been injured twice in the last year; once he was severely scratched and clawed at night by another resident and more recently he fell and cut his eye (possibly seizure related). Each of these incidents could be considered neglect since they occurred outside the visual range of staff and the first may have been abuse even though the perpetrator was a resident.
As I stated earlier we regularly visit John and are rather insistent in our requests for information on changes in his physical state. Not all the residents receive this degree of parental oversight and this is an area of concern. If, as a community member and friend, you are concerned about the care and welfare of John and other developmentally challenged persons do something about it. Volunteer your time and services to the State School or other such worthy and needed institutions. Most of all I ask you to pray for these individuals who are defenseless and often literally speechless. John cannot care for himself and requires such a facility and I thank the Lord everyday that such a facility is available for him.

Thank you for sharing this......"going" and "doing" is much more productive and helpful than just feeling bad. I'll keep this young man in my prayers, and I'm so glad he has a family that cares so much.

To volunteer:
VSC_SASS (http://www.sastateschoolfriends.org/AboutUs_Vol_info.htm - broken link)

[WilGar]

Originally Posted by bowtiefan

Just wanted to post an email from a friend of mine I recieved yesterday, reposted with his permission,...

Dear brothers, sisters, and friends.
Recently the San Antonio Express-News carried an article condemning the San Antonio State School (SASS) for the high rate of abuse and neglect at the institution. Some of you have expressed your concern for us and our son, John, who is a resident at SASS and we thank you for this concern. I want to assure you that while we remain vigilant in our monitoring of John's health and safety we also are confident in the staff of the facility. John has been injured twice in the last year; once he was severely scratched and clawed at night by another resident and more recently he fell and cut his eye (possibly seizure related). Each of these incidents could be considered neglect since they occurred outside the visual range of staff and the first may have been abuse even though the perpetrator was a resident.
As I stated earlier we regularly visit John and are rather insistent in our requests for information on changes in his physical state. Not all the residents receive this degree of parental oversight and this is an area of concern. If, as a community member and friend, you are concerned about the care and welfare of John and other developmentally challenged persons do something about it. Volunteer your time and services to the State School or other such worthy and needed institutions. Most of all I ask you to pray for these individuals who are defenseless and often literally speechless. John cannot care for himself and requires such a facility and I thank the Lord everyday that such a facility is available for him.

No one denies that the state school fills a niche for those citizens who cannot care for themselves in a public venue. The state home should only exist for the profoundly disabled.

The problem occurs when politicians with their own agenda force our citizens, who can be contributing citizens in a community based environment, to be warehoused to keep these institutions open and the workers' jobs intact.

The Department of Justice is involved and lawsuits to effect change are inevitable. Those in charge who have not seen the winds of change and evolved should be investigated and perhaps face punishment since their inactions have resulted in preventable deaths.

[samustang91]

The staff at SASS treated the patients worse than animals. This is unacceptable to a facility owned and managed by the State of Texas. How could a STATE-Run FACILITY treat people like this for. Its a violation of human rights, state laws. The staff involved SHOULD BE PROSECUTED to the FULLEST EXTENT of the LAW.

[WilGar]

The Express News has exposed another part of the ugly abscess that exists in an article March 1st.

2 judges unaware of neglect (http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/2_judges_unaware_of_neglect_at_state_school.html - broken link)