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The Charleston Gazette - News
A beleaguered South Charleston nonprofit agency that serves mentally retarded and disabled adults is negotiating a deal with the state to shut down its West Sattes day shelter in Nitro and New Horizons program in Boone County, according to agency staff members and state health officials.
But Deaf Education and Advocacy Focus of West Virginia Inc. wants to continue to coordinate some services for disabled clients at other facilities.
DEAF has come under fire in recent weeks in the wake of the Feb. 12 death of 22-year-old Craig Allen Payne at the West Sattes Adult Day Treatment Center in Nitro. Payne choked on a hot dog given to him by a DEAF worker who wasn’t trained to work with Payne.
After an investigation, the state revoked DEAF’s license, but the day shelters have stayed open, pending the agency’s request for a hearing on April 17. The hearing would be canceled if a deal is struck before then.
“The two sides are still negotiating,” said John Law, spokesman for the state Department of Health and Human Resources. “Both sides are talking, but they’re not going to release anything to the public until there’s a resolution.”
DEAF’s lawyer, Diana L. Johnson, said an agreement was “being negotiated,” but she declined to elaborate.
The agency’s president, Cubert Smith, said he hasn’t received any information about the negotiations.
“I’m just one of the spectators,” said Smith, a Charleston artist who heads DEAF’s board of directors. “My lips are closed until we have something to vote on as a board.”
Meanwhile, DEAF’s chief of operations, Jeremy Dolin, resigned last week. Dolin’s departure wasn’t related to DEAF’s recent troubles, Smith said. Dolin now works for the ARC of Three Rivers, an agency that also provides services to mentally retarded adults.
A DEAF account manager also has announced plans to leave the agency, staff members said.
After a February inspection, the state’s health facility licensing office found “severe deficiencies” at DEAF’s West Sattes facility that jeopardized the “health, safety and wellbeing of clients.”
The West Sattes program serves about 50 disabled adults. DEAF’s Boone County facility houses about 30 people.
If DEAF closes its day shelters, the agency would likely get 30 days to find services for its clients at other day programs.
The ARC of Three Rivers and Prestera Center for Mental Health Services are two agencies that may take on DEAF’s clients.
“Everyone who loses services is at risk of neglect,” said Clarice Hausch, executive director of West Virginia Advocates, a disability rights group. “There are providers out there, but I have no idea what the vacancy and capacity is for those other providers.”
West Virginia Advocates is also investigating Payne’s death. The group hopes to complete a report within the next two weeks.
DEAF took over the West Sattes shelter in 2002 after the former Shawnee Hills behavioral health group went bankrupt.
In March 2006, DEAF was forced to close a program that serves disabled clients in their homes after the state cited the agency for 50 deficiencies.
A beleaguered South Charleston nonprofit agency that serves mentally retarded and disabled adults is negotiating a deal with the state to shut down its West Sattes day shelter in Nitro and New Horizons program in Boone County, according to agency staff members and state health officials.
But Deaf Education and Advocacy Focus of West Virginia Inc. wants to continue to coordinate some services for disabled clients at other facilities.
DEAF has come under fire in recent weeks in the wake of the Feb. 12 death of 22-year-old Craig Allen Payne at the West Sattes Adult Day Treatment Center in Nitro. Payne choked on a hot dog given to him by a DEAF worker who wasn’t trained to work with Payne.
After an investigation, the state revoked DEAF’s license, but the day shelters have stayed open, pending the agency’s request for a hearing on April 17. The hearing would be canceled if a deal is struck before then.
“The two sides are still negotiating,” said John Law, spokesman for the state Department of Health and Human Resources. “Both sides are talking, but they’re not going to release anything to the public until there’s a resolution.”
DEAF’s lawyer, Diana L. Johnson, said an agreement was “being negotiated,” but she declined to elaborate.
The agency’s president, Cubert Smith, said he hasn’t received any information about the negotiations.
“I’m just one of the spectators,” said Smith, a Charleston artist who heads DEAF’s board of directors. “My lips are closed until we have something to vote on as a board.”
Meanwhile, DEAF’s chief of operations, Jeremy Dolin, resigned last week. Dolin’s departure wasn’t related to DEAF’s recent troubles, Smith said. Dolin now works for the ARC of Three Rivers, an agency that also provides services to mentally retarded adults.
A DEAF account manager also has announced plans to leave the agency, staff members said.
After a February inspection, the state’s health facility licensing office found “severe deficiencies” at DEAF’s West Sattes facility that jeopardized the “health, safety and wellbeing of clients.”
The West Sattes program serves about 50 disabled adults. DEAF’s Boone County facility houses about 30 people.
If DEAF closes its day shelters, the agency would likely get 30 days to find services for its clients at other day programs.
The ARC of Three Rivers and Prestera Center for Mental Health Services are two agencies that may take on DEAF’s clients.
“Everyone who loses services is at risk of neglect,” said Clarice Hausch, executive director of West Virginia Advocates, a disability rights group. “There are providers out there, but I have no idea what the vacancy and capacity is for those other providers.”
West Virginia Advocates is also investigating Payne’s death. The group hopes to complete a report within the next two weeks.
DEAF took over the West Sattes shelter in 2002 after the former Shawnee Hills behavioral health group went bankrupt.
In March 2006, DEAF was forced to close a program that serves disabled clients in their homes after the state cited the agency for 50 deficiencies.