One young lady was calling Detox several times a day. Each time she called, she was told she would get in soon. A supervisor eventually admitted that the client was being discreetly banned, and would never get in. Eventually, the supervisor admitted the reason for the ban was improper, and said the client would be let in.
Soon after the young lady was let in, she was kicked out. The reason for her expulsion did not involve any misconduct by the client. The supervisor tried to blame the expulsion on PNA Jacky. About two days later, the young lady died of an overdose. obituary
- Another woman was calling daily very soon after that.
Again, the supervisor was asked why the client was not being admitted. Again, the ban was "personal". Supervisors used "loyal" staff to try to make the ban "look good". [We were eventually forced by another agency to accept the client. More here]
- One Residential client completed a 3 month treatment in Residential. During treatment he was very well liked by numerous female staff members in Detox and Residential. Shortly after he completed Clitheroe's Residential program he began using drugs again. He telephoned a friend of his on staff and asked for a bed in Detox.
We were full and turning away people, but he was given a bed immediately.
I asked the supervisor (who had prioritized him) why he was treated better than clients who had not had sex with so many staff members. The supervisor acted offended for a moment, then said it was to avoid a lawsuit.
During an employment hearing, the Residential Director tried to remember if that client also got unusual computer privileges. click here [:56 seconds w/ 5 second pause]
- One client was using heroin in Detox with the knowledge of staff.
Several Residential clients complained. Two supervisors said the drug use should be ignored. One of the Residential clients who complained was a pregnant heroin addict. More on this page.
Most bans were for more legitimate reasons.
Whether a ban was enforced or overlooked depended almost entirely on whether a client was "liked" by certain staff. The staff members (including supervisors) who needed to "like" the client had the following in common:
- They had the least formal schooling (i.e. college).
- They were by far the youngest and least experienced.
- They were never disciplined for their misconduct.
- They were "discreetly conspicuous" churchgoers.
(They did not run around saying "I go to church", but they made sure that everybody knew they were religious. Not of the same cloth as the "riffraff".
- The three oldest nurses, who had the most experience and the best judgment, had no say in how Detox was run.
- Both supervisors were very young LPNs with fairly new (2004) licenses and very little experience of any kind. Almost daily they did things that needed to be covered up, and would have cost them their supervisory positions at any honestly run organization.
- Both supervisors had the attitude that people needed to respect whatever decision they made, no matter how ridiculous it was, only because they were supervisors. They used their authority as a blunt weapon to force people to cooperate with their misconduct.