Saturday, October 3, 2009

Sec. Dreyfus Takes Action To Instill DSHS Responsibility....Accountability

The following is the press release issued by the same people that in the past have spun department failings to avoid accountability and exposure. So, this approach is welcomed. We hope that the Children's Division will be so treated.

RE: The escape of a criminally insane killer...at the fair grounds

October 02, 2009
DSHS Secretary Dreyfus outlines follow-up at Eastern State Hospital in wake of September 17 escape

SPOKANE, Wash. – DSHS Secretary Susan N. Dreyfus said Friday that she is concerned about lapses in hospital policy detailed in a critical incident review of a forensic patient’s three-day escape from an Eastern State Hospital field trip at the Spokane County Interstate Fair on Sept. 17.

Secretary Dreyfus said the suspension of field trips at the two adult psychiatric hospitals that she ordered during the escape would remain in effect.

She said she is looking further into the failure of the hospital staff to call 9-1-1 and the clinical decision making around this field trip to determine whether discipline may be appropriate.

“Once I have clear answers to those two questions, I will take any appropriate disciplinary action in accordance with the Washington Administrative Code and the Collective Bargaining Agreements between these employees and the state,” she said.

Dreyfus said she is appointing a panel of experts chaired by Dr. Richard Veith, M.D., head of the University of Washington Department of Behavioral Health and Sciences, to look into those overall policies. She said members of the State Psychiatric Hospital Safety Review Panel include clinical, legal and security experts, a consumer advocate, and law enforcement – including Spokane County Sheriff Ozzie Knezovich.

In addition to examining the Eastern State Hospital critical incident review, the panel will identify policy and procedures related to the incident that may need to be changed at either state hospital to improve community safety. Both Eastern and Western State Hospitals experienced forensic patient escapes during September.

“We want the panel members to verify that our critical incident investigation was thorough and to review policies and procedures related to this incident,” Dreyfus said.

She also would like the panel to submit recommendations on how the state assures patient, staff and community safety while providing appropriate therapeutic interventions and community reintegration support for the growing numbers of forensic mental health patients in the state psychiatric hospitals.

She said she expects the panel’s report and recommendations by December 1.

“Although public safety must be our first concern,” Dreyfus said, “it is important that we not let this unfortunate incident frame how we as a state see people who live with mental illness. Mental illness touches all of us, and people can indeed recover and lead successful lives.”

A copy of the Critical Incident Review released Friday by Secretary Dreyfus is posted on the DSHS Web page at http://www.dshs.wa.gov

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

I thought the gov. was on a mission to get rid of all the "panals" floating around DSHS..

Anonymous said...

It may be of interest to you to know that I sent in a seven page refutation on my homestudy along with the homestudy for comparison to Dreyfus. I challenged her on the statement that she would fire anyone who lied in the Department. I can tell you that is not true. On the bottom of the homestudy, the worker signs a statement regarding perjury. This worker committed perjury on my homestudy. Dreyfus passed the buck onto Randy Hart who then passed the buck to the area manager. The area manager met with me and refused to make necessary changes or change the recommendation. I politely refused to continue the conversation regarding the homestudy and recommendations stating that I will pursue remedy through the courts.
She failed the test, Senator. She failed the test.
I had requested a lie detector test for myself and the homestudy worker with both the Department and the courts. They are refusing to provide that. "sigh" just another day in child abduction and sales.

Anonymous said...

Susan's annual salary is $163,056. For this, she appoints Denise also from Wisconsin. Just another example of cronyism perpetuating the status quo.

Anonymous said...

action speaks louder than words

Lovingfitfather said...

This is an outrage because just about every child in state custody has a fiction filled "Social file" here is the divisive vehicle CPS uses to commit fraud
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RCW 13.50.010
Definitions — Conditions when filing petition or information — Duties to maintain accurate records and access.


*** CHANGE IN 2009 *** (SEE 1238.SL) ***

(1) For purposes of this chapter:

(a) "Juvenile justice or care agency" means any of the following: Police, diversion units, court, prosecuting attorney, defense attorney, detention center, attorney general, the legislative children's oversight committee, the office of [the] family and children's ombudsman, the department of social and health services and its contracting agencies, schools; persons or public or private agencies having children committed to their custody; and any placement oversight committee created under RCW 72.05.415;

(b) "Official juvenile court file" means the legal file of the juvenile court containing the petition or information, motions, memorandums, briefs, findings of the court, and court orders;

(c) "Records" means the official juvenile court file, the social file, and records of any other juvenile justice or care agency in the case;

(d) "Social file" means the juvenile court file containing the records and reports of the probation counselor.

(2) Each petition or information filed with the court may include only one juvenile and each petition or information shall be filed under a separate docket number. The social file shall be filed separately from the official juvenile court file.

(3) It is the duty of any juvenile justice or care agency to maintain accurate records. To this end:

(a) The agency may never knowingly record inaccurate information. Any information in records maintained by the department of social and health services relating to a petition filed pursuant to chapter 13.34 RCW that is found by the court to be false or inaccurate shall be corrected or expunged from such records by the agency.
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Of particular interest is RCW 12.50 (3))(a) the key device is never knowingly.
CPS and the court always attributes the plethora of judges, caseworkers and supervisors to each dependency case as a product of the overburden to their system when in reality this allows them when caught to refrain "well I didn't know I have too big a case load and just took action on the information provided by my predecessor." This is intentional and routinely done with malice and forethought.

Anonymous said...

To the person who sent in her home study. Our stories sound so much alike. We are fighting for our neice who was wrongly taken to begin with. Sec. Dreyfus also passed the buck to Randy Hart and we all know how much he cares about children. I`ve come to the conclusion that there is really not one person who actually cares.Actually, the only person who really shows she cares is Susannah Frame and she is limited on what she can do. All we hear is how the laws are broken but nobody will step up and do anything. The children are suffering and going without their families. all we can do is keep on the media about getting the stories out there. That is our only hope.