PREA AUDIT: AUDITOR S FINAL SUMMARY REPORT JUVENILE FACILITIES

Transcription

1 PREA AUDIT: AUDITOR S FINAL SUMMARY REPORT JUVENILE FACILITIES Name of Facility: Chester County Youth Center Physical Address: 505 South Wawaset Road, West Chester, Pa Date report submitted: Auditor information: Maureen G. Raquet Address: P.O. Box 274, Saint Peters, Pa mraquet1764@comcast.net Telephone number: Date of facility visit September 22,23,24,2014 Facility Information: same as above Facility Mailing Address: same as above (if different from above) Telephone Number: The Facility is: Military xx County Federal Private for profit Municipal State Private not for profit Facility Type: xxxxxxdetention Correction Name of PREA Compliance Manager: Megan Delaney-Townsend Title: PREA Coordinator/Acting Supervisor/Caseworker Address: mdelaneytownsend@chesco.org Telephone Number: ext.502 Agency Information Name of Agency: Chester County Youth Center Governing Authority or Parent Agency: (if applicable) na Physical Address: same as above Mailing Address: (if from above) Telephone Number: Agency Chief Executive Officer: Name: Gary Blair different Title: Director SUMMARY REPORT 1

2 Telephone Address: Number: Agency Wide PREA Coordinator Name: Megan Delaney-Townsend Title: PREA Coordinator Telephone Address: same as above s/a Number: AUDIT FINDINGS NARRATIVE: The Chester County Youth Center was built in 2006 and is a County Run Juvenile Detention Center and Shelter, in Suburban Philadelphia. Prior to this date, the County leased beds from an adjacent county. The program consists of a 48 bed Detention center; three pods of 12 are designated male and one 12 bed pod is female. A fifth 12 bed pod is an all-female shelter for both delinquent and dependent girls. An Evening Reporting Center runs out of the building and an Electronic Monitoring Program as well. The conversion of a Boy s detention pod into a male shelter is in the planning stages. During 2013, there were 300 Detention admissions, 227 Male and 73 female ranging in age from The average stay was 19 days. The Shelter program had 44 admissions in the same time period and this includes the weekend respite program. The average stay in Shelter was 37 days. The residential programs were the only ones audited. The facility is run by the Director, Gary Blair, under the auspices of the Human Services Department of Chester County. There are 45 full time employees and 36 part time employees, as well as contracted employees in the Medical/Behavioral Health (Prime Care) and Educational Units (Chester County Intermediate Unit) The Food Service and its employees are also contracted. The direct care or line staff are both full and part time, who work both permanent and rotating shifts. The male units are staffed by males and the female units in both Detention and Shelter are only staffed by females. DESCRIPTION OF FACILITY CHARACTERISTICS: The one story building was built in 2006 and is on a County campus that also is home to the Geriatric facility, and the County prison. It is located in Pocopson Township in the beautiful rolling hills of Southern Chester County. The cinderblock building was built with not only the needs of delinquent children in mind, but also the community and other County agencies. It has both a gym and multi-purpose room that are utilized by both. There are five living pods of twelve beds each, in single rooms. The bathrooms contain both showers and toilets. The Shelter Pod is non-secure and opens to the outside where there is a gazebo for leisure. The Shelter is self-contained with a classroom, with new Apple computers and an eating area. There are three male Detention pods, with a staff office, a bathroom and individual rooms surrounding a common area. The female Detention unit is the same. There are four Detention classrooms, as well as an Art Room, where the boys and girls attend classes separately. A courtyard is also available for the Detention children with a vegetable garden used for community service. The Multi-Purpose room is used as a Detention Cafeteria. The walls throughout are covered with beautiful murals created by volunteers and the children. The Center also contains an Administrative Area, Medical Area, Casework Area, Visiting Area and self-contained Intake Area with a drive-in sally port. Attached to the Intake area is the control room with video monitors, manned round the clock by security officers. Both exterior and interior doors are buzzed open by security. There is a key override. The design of the building fits the surrounding area, and the inner program spaces reflect the ideology of rehabilitation. The Youth Center is licensed by the Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare. SUMMARY OF AUDIT FINDINGS: The audit was conducted on September 22, 23 and 24, 2014.It commenced with a brief entrance interview with the Director, Deputy Director and the PREA Coordinator, followed by a tour of all areas of the facility. The facility was very clean and well maintained. Staff throughout the facility, including the line staff and maintenance men, were questioned about their areas and responsibilities. Following the tour, staff and residents were interviewed individually about PREA and all were well aware of the Zero Tolerance Policy, their reporting requirements and various methods to report. I interviewed the following staff: Director, Deputy Director, Operations Supervisor, PREA Coordinator, Nursing Supervisor, Supervisor II,A floor Supervisor, Teacher, Psychologist, Volunteer, Intake Staff Person, Caseworker,, Random Staff (10) from all three shifts ( a total of 22 staff) and 12 Residents,( the entire population on that date) from all five units. I also reviewed the files of all of the above, who were interviewed. Residents have several means to contact independent agencies to report instances of sexual abuse and/or sexual harassment. One is a Blue phone to the Chester County Victims Center, a 24 hour hotline for crisis support and a Rape Crisis Center. This is a dedicated phone in a private room, away from the living units. You pick up the receiver and it goes directly to a crisis counselor. I tried this and it worked as posted. All staff and children were well aware of the blue phone. There are also confidential drop boxes in each staff office, that only the PREA Coordinator has access to. Addresses and phone numbers for written reports to CVC are posted throughout the center in both languages. A form for a written report is on the back of the PREA pamphlet given to each child at Intake. Additionally, the residents are able to report to a staff from CVC in person when they do their monthly training on sexual abuse. All children felt safe and verbalized that they could all go to a Youth Center staff as well. The residents all have the opportunity to receive visits from parents twice a week, and a phone call at least once a week. Overall, the residents have been given SUMMARY REPORT 2

3 every avenue to report. The Youth Center has exceeded the reporting standard in this way. There were two other standards that the YC exceeded as well: Resident Education and Limits to Cross Gender Viewing and Searches. The facility has had no accusations of staff sexual harassment or sexual abuse. Prior to the on site visit during almost weekly phone calls, the PREA Coordinator and the Auditor discussed specific actions in regard to some policies and practices. Many of these were small additions to policy and were completed by the time of the visit and were provided to the Auditor at that time. Upon completion of the on-site portion of the Audit, an exit interview was conducted with 3 Administrators and upper level staff. They were advised that they met all standards and exceeded in some areas and that no corrective action would be needed. Number of standards exceeded: 3 Number of standards met: 38 Number of standards not met: 0 Standard Zero Tolerance of Sexual Abuse and sexual harassment; PREA coordinator xxx Meets Standard (substantial compliance; complies in all material ways with the Standard Contracting with other entities for the confinement of residents xxx Meets Standard (substantial compliance; complies in all material ways with the Auditor comments including corrective actions needed if does not meet standard NA -Facility does not contract with other entities for confinement of residents Standard Supervision and Monitoring XXX Meets Standard (substantial compliance; complies in all material ways with the SUMMARY REPORT 3

4 Standard Limits to Cross Gender Viewing and Searches XXXX Meets Standard (substantial compliance; complies in all material ways with the standard for the relevant review period) Although there are currently no Transgender or Intersex Youth in the Population, all staff were trained and could re-iterate what would be done in that case. The policy and the gender variant waiver form have been completely integrated into the search policy at the YC and are a best practice and have been shared with other Pa. Detention Centers and child care facilities. Standard Residents with disabilities and residents who are limited English Proficient All pamphlets, handbooks, posters, etc. are in both Spanish and English STANDARD Hiring and Promotion Decisions STANDARD Upgrades to Facilities and Technologies SUMMARY REPORT 4

5 Solid doors were replaced with glass paneled doors in many areas to improve line of sight. Cameras are being added in casework and other areas. STANDARD Evidence and protocol and forensic medical examinations Chester County Youth Center has an MOU with Brandywine hospital, however, they have established a new relationship with Alfred I. DuPont hospital, because the nursing supervisor felt the care there would be better for the children. Brandywine could not ensure a SAFE or SANE at all times, whereas DuPont can. STANDARD Policies to ensure referrals of allegations for investigations STANDARD Employee training I reviewed over all training logs and interviewed over 22 staff and they were all trained in PREA policy and procedure an understood their responsibilities.. SUMMARY REPORT 5

6 STANDARD Volunteer and Contractor Training STANDARD Resident Education XXX Meets Standard (substantial compliance; complies in all material ways with the standard for the relevant review period) All children had received education by the time of the audit, because this training went into effect on January 1, I reviewed the training logs for all 200 admissions since that time. Children receive their initial information verbally as part of the Intake process and they sign off on it. They also receive a PREA pamphlet which they keep. This pamphlet has a reporting form on the back. Within 72 hours, the child receives one on one education by watching a video and then an individulalized power point presentation with specific Youth Center information and then goes over the information with a caseworker. There are also special comic books for non- English speaking or low functioning children. Once a month, the CVC do a programming for all residents on sexual abuse and sexual harassment. There are also educational pamphlets and posters throughout the building. STANDARD Specialized Training: Investigations STANDARD Specialized Training: Medical and mental health care. SUMMARY REPORT 6

7 STANDARD Obtaining Information from residents STANDARD Placement of Residents in housing, bed, program, education and work assignments STANDARD Resident Reporting XXX Meets Standard (substantial compliance; complies in all material ways with the standard for the relevant review period) As mentioned in the narrative, every possible avenue for reporting has been provided to these residents and all are aware of them. STANDARD Exhaustion of Administrative Remedies SUMMARY REPORT 7

8 STANDARD Resident Access to outside support services and legal representation STANDARD Third Party Reporting STANDARD Staff and agency reporting duties STANDARD Agency protection duties STANDARD Reporting to other confinement facilities SUMMARY REPORT 8

9 STANDARD Staff first Responder duties STANDARD Coordinated response STANDARD Preservation of ability to protect residents from contracts with abusers NA There is only a union contract for the Caseworkers and the ability to protect residents has been preserved. STANDARD Agency protection from retaliation SUMMARY REPORT 9

10 STANDARD Post-allegation protective custody The facility does not use isolation for any purpose. STANDARD Criminal and Administrative agency investigations STANDARD Evidentiary Standard for Administrative Investigations STANDARD Reporting to Residents SUMMARY REPORT 10

11 STANDARD Disciplinary sanctions for staff STANDARD Corrective Action for Contractors and Volunteers STANDARD Interventions and Disciplinary sanctions for residents STANDARD Medical and Mental Health Screenings SUMMARY REPORT 11

12 STANDARD Access to emergency medical and mental health services STANDARD Ongoing medical and mental health care for sexual abuse victims and abusers XXX Meets Standard (substantial compliance; complies in all material ways with the STANDARD Sexual Abuse Incident Reviews STANDARD Data Collection SUMMARY REPORT 12

13 STANDARD Data review for Corrective Action STANDARD Data storage, publication, and destruction AUDITOR CERTIFICATION: The auditor certifies that the contents of the report are accurate to the best of his/her knowledge and no conflict of interest exists with respect to his or her ability to conduct an audit of the agency under review. Maureen G. Raquet October 7, 2014 Certified PREA Auditor SUMMARY REPORT 13