Quoting Heather Perella <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>:
> [Platt]
> > If for no other reason I think most people would
> > prefer to live in a house with
> > plumbing for the health of themselves and their
> > children.
>
> Yes. Exactly. So... residents that show up, we
> don't keep them outside until they can do well. They
> live in the building and have a bedroom, publicly used
> shower (though one at a time), and public restroom
> (again, only one at a time). So, we start out with
> what they "prefer", then deal with their other
> problems. Imagine they show up and have to be
> motivated to do certain things before they earn their
> bedroom and such. It wouldn't happen Platt. We have
> difficulties at times with getting them into the
> shower. With deterring them from putting holes in the
> walls. Argue about the food they eat. Keeping their
> rooms clean. Having them do their chores, etc... We
> start with base one, food, shelter, and clothing, and
> remove those problems and then focus on the other
> problems. I know of some male placements that their
> shelters are made out of wood. If the unit
> misbehaves, then the shelters are torn down and the
> male residents have to rebuild them. We don't start
> from scratch with the residents I work with. This is
> our future.
Is being sent to rooms or other "time-out" areas the major deterrent of
destructive behavior?
Is "therapy" the major means to elicit good behavior?
[Platt]
> > Sure, there is some social pressure to have a nice
> house, but
> > there's social pressure to do
> > a lot of things,
>
> Exactly - Sure is!
>
> [Platt]
> > ...like earn a living instead of depending on others
> for the
> > necessities of life.
>
> Not really. This social pressure is not always
> present. 6 residents on the unit where I work. One
> has a sister she can live with, but she went after her
> with a knife. Number two has a grandmother, but she
> doesn't respect the grandmother enough or herself (she
> is self-injurious) to live with her now. Number three
> steals and has manipulated her aunt and grandmother to
> bring her home when she was only to go down the street
> out to eat (while at the facility). Number four has
> been a resident in the system (foster care, etc...)
> since she was three years old. Number five, both her
> parents where in jail and she therefore lived house to
> house selling and doing drugs and having sex (two
> miscarriages) idolizing her drug dealing boyfriend
> (which gangs and drug dealers are most of the
> residents idols). Number six broke her mothers jaw
> when she was 6 years old, chased her brother around
> the house with a knife when she was 10, tried to kill
> herself with a bag over her head when she was 6, and
> banged her head against the wall for no apparent
> reason when she was 4, etc... This is the social
> problem that fills the placement facilities now-a-days
> and our placement facility is considered the lowest
> secure facility that they come. It only gets more
> secure after the kind I work at. About 40-60
> residents pass through our facility each year.
Are the majority of residents from a culture of welfare dependency?
> [Platt]
> > So yes, I differ from your conclusion about owning a
> house
> > being a source of fear and despair.
>
> Owning a house a source of fear and despair? I
> said if you can't get a house the fear and despair
> will arise. Hopefully you can rent or your out in the
> streets.
I was responding to your words, "Who said we have to live in a house? How about
a tent, box, cave, etc..." I see now you were being facetious.
[Platt]
> > In fact, home ownership has been a growing
> > financial asset for millions of people over the
> > years. But it does require work to build and
> maintain a home.
>
> Yeah, but not a point I was trying to make. You
> wanted to know where to begin with, when it comes to
> those that have social problems and degenerate
> society. Security is the first order of business.
> Without a secure feeling in life, confidence goes
> down, and the more problems people will have - society
> will have.
Good point. The residents must be kept safe from physical interference and abuse
by other residents. That's where our own government has failed in many areas due
to, as Pirsig argues, intellect's lack of understanding of the role of social
forces in keeping biological forces at bay.
> > [Platt]
> > I mistakingly said 10-step instead of 12-step
> > program. It's my understanding
> > that 12-step programs have a high degree
> > (relatively) of success in dealing
> > not only with alcohol and drug addictions, but also
> > behaviorial problems.
> > The programs are semi-religious because one of the
> > steps is: "Made a decision
> > to turn our will and our lives over to the care of
> > God as we understood Him."
> > Perhaps, if your facility is government funded, such
> > a program would be
> > considered an "establishment of religion."
>
> It is a non-profit organization, but it is
> counties (yes government involvement) that flip the
> bill. These residents are coming from court or a
> caseworker, thus, are judicially funded and/or county
> funded. These are the only interventions this country
> has, except if parents can pay the $200-300 bill per
> day or if an insurance company picks up the bill, then
> that does happen occasionally.
Thanks for explaining with further details how your facility operates and
is funded. What in your opinion should society do to help assure that such
individual problems as you describe might be avoided in the first place?
Thanks,
Platt
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