Fear of closure subsides at CVTC

By Cynthia Pegram

Published: October 11, 2008

MADISON HEIGHTS — After meeting with representatives of the Department of Justice, members of Families and Friends of Central Virginia Training Center residents are a little more at ease about an investigation set for mid-November.

Families have been concerned about what triggered the investigation and that its intent could be to close the center.

“The Department of Justice said their investigation at this facility has no other purpose than to improve living conditions for residents here at Central Virginia Training Center,” said Charles Fallis, Families and Friends president.

“I believe that and I welcome it,” Fallis said Saturday at the group’s packed meeting at CVTC.

“We will of course judge them by their actions once they get here.”

Fallis and other leaders from the group met last week with the DOJ, training center administrators and staff, and representatives from the Department of Mental Health, Mental Retardation and Substance Abuse Services.

DOJ investigations most often result from an accumulation of complaints related to the civil rights of Institutionalized Persons Act, he said.

“They assured us very sincerely, very directly and very poignantly,” that no agenda existed to close the training center.

As of Wednesday, the state residential program for people with intellectual disabilities has 458 multiply disabled residents.

Denise Micheletti, CVTC director, said it “is frustrating and confusing” when trying to figure out why the DOJ is investigating. Among the rights issues that the department looks at, she said, are use of restraints, behavior-altering drugs, and community placement as an option or a choice.

Micheletti assured the Friends and Families group that CVTC continues to be a viable facility, with people being accepted into the center for care as well as being discharged from it to live in the community. In addition, the Regional Community Support Center — in which CVTC-specialized staff provide psychiatric, neurological and dental services — has treated about 500 patients from the community.

Although reassured on the DOJ side, some of the group is not so comfortable with shifts in what was expected to be $43 million allocated for renovations — but now seems to include looking into development of group homes in the community.

Both Fallis and another parent, Wriley Wood, said they were concerned about a large contingent from The Arc of Virginia that attended a September meeting of a renovation committee. Attendees included Dr. James Reinhard, commissioner of the Department of Mental Health, Mental Retardation and Substance Abuse Services, which operates the state’s five training centers. Reinhard touched on options for the $43 million and included group homes in the community as a concept.

Fallis was emphatic in his view of The Arc of Virginia — “they do not advocate for facilities such as CVTC.”

The Arc of Virginia is a private, nonprofit organization involved for decades in advocacy for community acceptance of people with intellectual disabilities.

“I am very, very concerned that Arc of Virginia has taken such an inordinate, unusual interest in being involved in our meetings in talking about $43 million being passed by the General Assembly,” said Fallis. “I can’t believe they’re here as a matter of casual interest.”

Wood, who was at the September renovation meeting, said it is now clear to him that the money was not going to be used just for CVTC. “We’re not going to see all of it, and we were never intended to see all of it,” said Wood.

Micheletti said she agreed. “I don’t think we’re going to get all that $43 million.”

The $43 million was set aside after plans for construction of a new 300-bed CVTC facility fell victim to high costs. However, at the same time some residential buildings had life-safety code violations that were unacceptable in a setting in which more than half the residents can’t walk, a substantial number are blind, and some buildings have three stories.

Last year, even while the plans for the new 300-bed facility were being sketched out, some renovations were under way. Some are now completed, others are already committed to by contract, and a number of the life-safety violations have been cleared.

The Families and Friends group meets twice a year. Saturday was its second meeting.