4,537 Comments for Pennhurst State School

Thanks, GJ. :-)

Long Island - where I currently work our leading cause of staff injuries is almost always due to what we affectionately refer to as "challenging behaviors." Remember, a lot of these people aren't able to control themselves at all times, which is why most of them are here. The job of staff is to do everything they can to support our people, even when (especially when) they are out of control and/or aggressive, and staff must use ONLY nonviolent means to keep everyone safe or else they are fired (with very few exceptions).

Ironically, it is people who believe the world is supposed to be a "fair" place who have the toughest time with this concept. They believe (which is certainly their right) that you treat everyone the same and expect the same out of everyone. "An eye for an eye." That would be fine if we were all clones and in "perfect working order," but true "fairness" means giving everyone what they NEED, not giving them the same thing (or the same amount of something) as everyone else.

One day we'll have a better way to deal with folks who are out of control and become aggressive. Until then we are stuck with our imperfections, our bad days, our weaknesses, and our outdated medical/behavioral interventions. If anyone has a better answer or better way to do this, we all would certainly (and sincerely) be interested in learning how to do it. Money isn't the total answer, but with money you can be more stringent in your hiring/firing practices, you can increase the amount of training that staff receive, and you can recruit/keep some excellent people. Over the past 2 years where I work we have lost a number of our best clinicians because they pay so much more other places. States do not offer much in the way of pay in comparison with the private sector, and direct care staff can usually get as good a good working at Wendy's (and they won't be forced to work mandatory overtime or change anyone's undergarments - unless, of course, they work with Dr. Sketch).

P.S. Other than the usual cuts, scrapes and bruises that are part and parcel of the job, I have only had 2 injuries that caused me to seek medical treatment, so I have gotten off relatively easy. Once I was hit with a chair and got some cracked ribs and once a person with hepatitis B tried to pull out my right eyeball, but that's it. I have certainly dodged my share of flying furniture and other projectiles, however, as well as being "painted" many a time. Again, however, if that is something a person can't deal with, this is certainly not the right place to be. I always know that the person being aggressive either can't help him/herself or is looking at me as "one of them," so I just can't take it personally, so I don't respond in an emotional manner (which is where we get accusations of being cold and clinical 8`-] ). This behavior is just a different type of communication and my job is to help people learn a more functional means of communicating about their upsets, not to squelch their (often) only means of communication.

You know, I've been (just for nerdy yucks on a Friday night) reading the conversation here on this board for a good part of the evening now, and I've noticed something very interesting: Those people who started out taking a stab at mental health care professionals just haven't seemed to be able to stick around to finish the conversation. Like cowards, they dart in to take a poke and then dart away with their tails between their legs before they can feel the sting of the blow that's returned. And yet the healthcare workers - you sadistic pigs, you [being facetious! not really a flame!] - hang in there steadily and continue to defend yourselves rationally with facts and opinions gleaned from hard fought experience. Now, I've never worked in the healthcare field myself - which probably makes me just as much an expert as the rest of these bleeding heart sentimentalists out there - but it seems to me that he who backs down from the fight he started lacks the artilery needed to finish it. I have news for you people - we live in a fallen world. Yucky things happen here. They happen all around us, right in our backyards, not just in state run mental hospitals. If you want to pick out some yuck to complain about, stick to subjects with which you have experience - more experience than just what you've heard 2nd hand or seen pictures of on a website, that is - and leave others who are willing to make a difference alone so they can continue to fight the good fight. Get off your high horse! You're irritating! Lynne, Marcia, Big ED - you keep on keeping on =) I have a tremendous amount of respect for you and what you do despite the odds against you. You all do or have done more for the fragile and forgotten souls of this world than these laissez faire, People Magazine reading, Doctor Phil watching couch potatoes could ever even comprehend.

*phew!* Glad I got THAT off my chest!

Hi Big Ed,
I'm sorry to keep this going but this thread is really interesting. You actually had to go to the hospital because of injuries sustained on the job? Wow, I never thought of that before, although I suppose it's possible given the line of work.
I hope none of your injuries were really bad. Can you tell about any of them? God I'm nosey.... I hope you don't mind I'm just really interested. Happy holidays by the way. :-)

kid deflectors? sounds like a theory! even better: 14,000 volt, high amp, electrified kid deflectors. most kids dont take no for an answer. further persuasion is therefore often needed.
lol
<3

... im 13, and by the looks of things a building like that would be waaaaay more fun not on fire. also theres this thing about the floors of buildings like that being a little dangerous when on fire. and the staircases. stuck on a high floor of a flaming and abandoned mental institute? some teenagers are stupid, but that takes it to a new level.
amazing pictures as always.
<3

No.

"'Philadelphia Magazine did an expose' on Pennhurst by Loretta Schwartz
( now Schwartz Nobel ) back in the Fall of 1976...well worth the price of a backcopy. "
If you are going to take the time to track this down please read it with an open mind. It's basically another one sided look at life in Pennhurst. I remember when they came to do that article. No one was happy with the outcome.

Yes I said wack job. Listen I work in a state where mental health spending, while not nearly enough, is enough to fund the facilities at a level that keeps the federal inspectors happy enough to kick in funds. Mass Mental hospitals received no medicare funding from 1978 to 1997 we were damned lucky to pass JCAHO inspections then. So we are relatively well funded. I've heard horror stories from mental healt professionals in a number of states. It was bad in Mass but it improved.. So what ever anyone's notions of abuse and maltreatment are you're not wrong. The stuff you hear about happened. Most often it was isolated incidents. It was certainly not systemic. We helped far more people than were harmed. Lots of very dedicated people work in state mental hospitals everywhere. There are a number of not so nice people working there too. You wanna try weeding them out? I invite you to try.. You haven't walked the mile in our shoes. If you relative was abused I'm sorry it happened. I really am. I'm also sorry for the poor bastards who were crippled by someone's relative who was having a 'bad hairday' or something like that

The cabinet is used to house the temperature controls for the shower. They are still in place at Norristown State Hospital. The stairs? I dunno.

Are they for sale?

It is patroled by the local police, security for the nearby SE PA VA center, and is on state grounds right next to the active National Guard Armory, and like the man said, there's cameras. Philadelphia Magazine did an expose' on Pennhurst by Loretta Schwartz
( now Schwartz Nobel ) back in the Fall of 1976...well worth the price of a backcopy.

Navi...what have we told you about freaking out the explorers girl?!

Oh, sorry. I always forget to launder that dress.

Knowledge,skill and experience are necessary qualities which one must aquire,but they are of little use unless accompanied by kindness,sympathy and understanding of human nature

Ok... now, for those of you that say there are no ghosts in here, please shut the fu*k up, because everytime i go into this building i get a small girl in a dingy dress, maybe age 8-10, and it happens EVERYTIME, the time before last, i was walking out and seen her walking by the entrance, than last time i went, we heard the laughter and the foot steps, but we stayed a few minutes longer because i was interested in somthing i found, so after i was done looking and getting my picture, we started walking out and we heard her cry a little bit, then she said "Good bye"... this is %100 true, i don't lie when it comes down to this kinda stuff, and not only that, but then i was going into the building to the left of the childrens building (the one with 3 floors that feel like they are going to cave in) we were entering the building with the steps in the back, that leads to the tunnels, and when we walked up, all the doors in the childrens building started slamming shut and open, i know it wasnt some kids or anything, cuz there was no lights or sounds or anything, and all the doors just started slamming, shit was intense, so to say the least, we fuckin took off like a bat out of hell, time i went after that was a daytime trip, i needed to recover after that shit, ya feel me.