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Montana Developmental Center is Ordered to Cease Taking New Admissions in its Secure Unit

“The Division of Quality Insurance has finally seen and taken action on what it is that we have known about for years,” said Bernadette Franks-Ongoy, executive director of Disability Rights Montana http://www.disabilityrightsmt.org .

“We are gratified that the Division of Quality Insurance has issued an order and is demanding that conditions change in the facility.”

Disability Rights Montana has supported Senate Bill 411, sponsored by Sen. Mary Caffero, D-Helena, to close the MDC within two years, arguing the errors of administration have led to numerous, substantiated cases of abuse and neglect between residents and between residents and staff members.

Full Story: http://helenair.com/news/local/mdc-ordered-to-cease-admissions-in-its-secure-unit/article_f09434f6-5f1d-50cb-9d62-d67e03837411.html

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The Quality Assurance Division of the Department of Public Health and Human Services issued a Notice of Violations and Order on March 23, 2015, to the Montana Developmental Center citing its Intermediate Care Facility for nine violations of state law and administrative rule from abusing residents and violating their rights to keeping poor records and failing to train staff, and ordered the unit to cease taking new admissions until the violations could be corrected.

"The Department concludes that the MDC ICF-DD has not established and does not maintain a humane and safe environment for the residents. MDC ICF-DD staff is ill-trained and inadequately supervised resulting in their inability to properly engage with residents. This failure to adequately train and supervise has resulted in an increasingly hazardous situation that is affecting the safety of residents and staff."

The Administrator of the facility, Gene Haire, to whom the Notice is addressed, was cited also. "The Administrator of the Montana Developmental Center Intermediate Care Facility for Developmentally Disabled has been unable to assure a safe environment for the residents at MDC ICF-DD. The number of substantiated reports of abuse and or neglect has increased at an alarming rate which places residents and staff at an unacceptable risk of harm."

Full Story: http://www.disabilityrightsmt.org

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Disability Center Closer to closure

The embattled Montana Developmental Center, a state-run facility charged with caring for intellectually disabled adults, is one step closer to being shuttered forever. The House Human Services Committee voted 13-4 on April 13 to pass Senate Bill 411, moving it to the House floor for a vote. If enacted, SB 411 would close the facility by June 30, 2017.

By Ted McDermott

Full Story: http://missoulanews.bigskypress.com/missoula/disability-center/Content?oid=2138228

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