Human Rights Safety Violations Plague Community Agency for People with Developmental Disabilities

Equip for Equality Calls for Closure of These Are God's People Too

The Abuse Investigation Unit of Equip for Equality (EFE) recommends that the state stop doing business with These Are God's People Too and that the agency close the facilities it operates. It also recommends that the state reexamine the entire system by which community service providers are reviewed and sanctioned.

Seven unannounced on-site investigations during a recent 15-month period documented the agency's continuing manifestation of substandard, dangerous and negligent conditions, unsafe restraint techniques, absence of programming and misuse of public funds that impacted the safety and health of approximately 40 individuals with developmental disabilities receiving services.

"The problems we documented illustrate the ineffectiveness of the current enforcement system to address problematic facilities by either compelling prompt improvements or closing their doors," says Deborah M. Kennedy, Unit Director. "Despite significant efforts by the Department of Human Services (DHS) over more than a year, including the issuance of multiple citations for serious deficiencies resulting in the loss of state funding for a brief period, These Are God's People Too did not even begin to address the deplorable conditions until they were confronted with the risk of losing their license."

Under state contract since 1998, These Are God's People Too, is licensed to operate residential Community Integrated Living Arrangements (CILAs) at six sites and developmental training services at one site.

The deplorable conditions that gave rise to EFE's recommendation for closure include walls smeared with feces, bathrooms with no toilet paper or paper towels, foul-smelling rooms, lights with no light bulbs, filthy and broken furniture, ovens too dirty to open, basements with open sewers, mold and standing water - and inadequate food for proper nutrition.

These Are God's People Too first came to the attention of EFE following a report about a resident of the agency who sustained an injury to his hand. Because the resident bit at his hand, the executive director recommended that his teeth be extracted, a procedure declined by the dentist. State records reviewed by the Investigation Unit also revealed an incident involving a resident who died after staff failed to administer CPR when he became unresponsive while his wheelchair was being pushed to a van.

Because of the egregious nature of these occurrences and others, EFE's Abuse Investigation Unit expanded its review, which led to the subsequent seven unannounced site visits to the agency's day program and six CILA sites in 2002 and 2003, with a first call for closure in February 2003 to the Secretary of DHS. A detailed report of the investigation is available in the Publications section on the Equip for Equality website.

The Unit also reviewed the agency's financial records from 1999-2001, uncovering apparent misuse of public funds, including more than $200,000 to provide key staff with leased cars and cell phones. However, These Are God's People Too did not begin to provide toilet paper and lights for those under its care until DHS - in response to EFE's investigation - conducted a comprehensive financial audit, full licensure survey and review of each of its facilities.

"If it is clear that there must be reform of Illinois' oversight system, then why would the state bend over backwards to keep an agency that has total disregard for the most basic human rights of people with disabilities?" asks Zena Naiditch, President and CEO. As a result of the findings and serious concerns revealed in the investigation of These Are God's People Too, EFE proposes that the state conduct, through an independent contractor, a comprehensive review of DHS's enforcement system, as well as an assessment of the financial resources required for a more effective system. EFE further proposes that recommendations include the steps necessary for reform so that DHS can discharge its responsibilities independently and successfully, and that these recommendations for systemic improvement be submitted to the Governor and the General Assembly. =

Subscribe to the Equalizer | Privacy Policy | Terms of Use