Jackson v. Fort Stanton Hosp. & Training School

• Decision Date: 28 December 1990
• Docket Number: Civ. No. 87-839 JP.
• Citation: 757 F. Supp. 1243
• Parties: Walter Stephen JACKSON, by his parents and next friends, Walter and Helen JACKSON, et al., Plaintiffs, v. FORT STANTON HOSPITAL AND TRAINING SCHOOL, et al., Defendants, and John E. and Iris Young, legal guardians and parents of Rita Kay Young, et al., Intervenors.
• Court: U.S. District Court — District of New Mexico

757 F. Supp. 1243

Walter Stephen JACKSON, by his parents and next friends, Walter and Helen JACKSON, et al., Plaintiffs, v. FORT STANTON HOSPITAL AND TRAINING SCHOOL, et al., Defendants, and John E. and Iris Young, legal guardians and parents of Rita Kay Young, et al., Intervenors.

Civ. No. 87-839 JP.

United States District Court, D. New Mexico.

December 28, 1990.

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Paul L. Biderman, Santa Fe, N.M., Philip B. Davis, Robert Levy, Levy and Geer, P.A., Daniel W. Shapiro, Nancy Koenigsberg, Protection and Advocacy System, Albuquerque, N.M., for plaintiffs.

Vernon W. Salvador, Albuquerque, N.M., for intervenors.

Jerry A. Dickinson, Beth W. Schaefer, Patricia E. Bustamante, Sp. Asst. Attys. Gen., Hal Stratton, Atty. Gen., Chris Coppin, Santa Fe, N.M., Joel I. Klein, Paul M. Smith and Rebecca L. Brown, Onek, Klein & Farr, Washington, D.C., for State defendants.

Timothy M. Cook, Judith A. Gran, Frank Laski, The Public Interest Law Center of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pa.

Peter Cubra, Marlene Foster, Protection and Advocacy System for New Mexicans With Developmental Disabilities, Protection & Advocacy System, Albuquerque, N.M.

Ann Tilford Sims, Williams, Conroy & Sims, Belen, N.M.

Barbara Bergman, UNM School of Law, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, N.M., Guardian Ad Litem, for Felicia Botello.

Kent Winchester, Albuquerque, N.M. (Roberta Beyer, Albuquerque, N.M., of counsel), for applicants-in-intervention plaintiffs.

                                                        TABLE OF CONTENTS
                                                                                                  Pages
                Introduction ......................................................................... 1249
                   I. Institutionalization and Community Services in New Mexico ...................... 1250
                

                                                                                                 Pages
                  II. History of Litigation .......................................................... 1251
                 III. The Parties
                      A. Plaintiffs .................................................................. 1252
                          1. Walter Stephen Jackson .................................................. 1253
                          2. Mildred Tsosie .......................................................... 1253
                          3. Clinton Heath ........................................................... 1253
                          4. Shawn Heath ............................................................. 1253
                          5. Steven Nunez ............................................................ 1253
                          6. Mary Katherine Nowak .................................................... 1253
                          7. Andra Martinez .......................................................... 1254
                          8. Lillian Willmon ......................................................... 1254
                          9. Joseph Gonzales ......................................................... 1254
                         10. Alfred Shirley .......................................................... 1254
                         11. James Fritche ........................................................... 1254
                         12. Sean McHenry ............................................................ 1254
                         13. Betty Young ............................................................. 1254
                      B. Intervenors ................................................................. 1254
                      C. Defendants .................................................................. 1254
                      D. The Class ................................................................... 1257
                  IV. ICF/MR Surveys and Department of Justice Lawsuit ............................... 1258
                   V. Findings of Fact ............................................................... 1259
                      A. Food ........................................................................ 1259
                         1. Nutritional Management ................................................... 1259
                         2. Food Temperatures ........................................................ 1259
                         3. Food Handling Practices .................................................. 1260
                      B. Clothing .................................................................... 1260
                      C. Environmental Conditions .................................................... 1260
                         1. Living Areas ............................................................. 1260
                         2. Asbestos ................................................................. 1260
                         3. Pest Control ............................................................. 1261
                         4. Lighting and Ventilation ................................................. 1261
                         5. Fixtures ................................................................. 1261
                         6. Sanitation Practices ..................................................... 1261
                         7. Fire Safety .............................................................. 1261
                      D. Medical Care ................................................................ 1261
                         1. Medical Staff ............................................................ 1261
                         2. Infectious Diseases and Mortality Rates .................................. 1263
                         3. Medications .............................................................. 1263
                         4. Dental Care .............................................................. 1263
                         5. Medical Records .......................................................... 1263
                      E. Habilitation/Active Treatment ............................................... 1265
                         1. Assessments .............................................................. 1265
                         2. Interdisciplinary Team ("IDT") ........................................... 1266
                         3. Individual Program Plan ("IPP") .......................................... 1266
                         4. Long-term View ........................................................... 1267
                         5. Discharge Plan ........................................................... 1267
                         6. Data Collection .......................................................... 1268
                         7. Qualified Mental Retardation ............................................. 1268
                            Professional ("QMRP")
                         8. Active Treatment ......................................................... 1269
                            a. LLH & TS .............................................................. 1269
                            b. FSH & TS .............................................................. 1270
                         9. Behavior Management ...................................................... 1271
                            a. LLH & TS .............................................................. 1271
                            b. FSH & TS .............................................................. 1272
                      F. Restraints .................................................................. 1272
                         1. Chemical Restraints ...................................................... 1272
                         2. Physical Restraints ...................................................... 1273
                      G. Regression .................................................................. 1274
                      H. Safety and Physical Harm .................................................... 1275
                

                                                                                                  Pages
                         1. Abuse .................................................................... 1275
                         2. Accident and Injury ...................................................... 1275
                         3. Reports .................................................................. 1276
                      I. Direct Care Staff ........................................................... 1276
                         1. Insufficient Staff and Inadequate Supervision ............................ 1277
                         2. Staff Training ........................................................... 1277
                            a. Preservice Training ................................................... 1277
                            b. In-Service Training ................................................... 1278
                      J. Professional Staff .......................................................... 1279
                         1. Insufficient Staff ....................................................... 1279
                         2. Professional Staff Training .............................................. 1280
                         3. Rehabilitation Services .................................................. 1280
                            a. Physical Therapy ("PT") ............................................... 1282
                               i.  Staffing .......................................................... 1282
                               ii. Adequacy of Physical Therapy Services ............................. 1282
                            b. Occupational Therapy ("OT") ........................................... 1283
                            c. Assessments ........................................................... 1284
                         4. Speech and Language Services ("SPL") ..................................... 1285
                         5. Adaptive Equipment ....................................................... 1285
                      K. Education ................................................................... 1286
                         1. School-Age Programs ...................................................... 1286
                            a. Public Schools ........................................................ 1286
                            b. Special Education Program at LLH & TS ................................. 1287
                         2. Adult Services Programs .................................................. 1287
                         3. Adequacy of the Facilities' Programs ..................................... 1288
                            a. Functional and Chronologically Age Appropriate Programs ............... 1288
                            b. Coordination between Cottage and Education Programs ................... 1289
                            c. Space ................................................................. 1290
                      L. Choice,

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