Community group gets answers

Beverly Hills Civic Association directors ask about security, finances and treatment of the emotionally disturbed children.

By BARBARA BEHRENDT

© St. Petersburg Times, published April 19, 2000

BEVERLY HILLS -- Top officials of the Brown Schools of Florida on Tuesday assured neighbors of their new facility that they plan to run a secure and community-friendly operation.

Brown Schools officials were the invited guests of the board of directors of the Beverly Hills Civic Association. Those directors, representing the 12,000 residents of the sprawling community, had a variety of questions. They asked how the Texas company planned to ensure that the emotionally disturbed youngsters didn't escape. They questioned the school's funding and asked how they planned to treat the clients.

Brown Schools officials said they understand the community questions and they appreciated the chance to answer them.

"I understand why you may have some concerns, some fears, some doubts and some blanks that you may need to have filled in," said Laura Schuck, chief executive officer for the firm's Florida operation.

"We will be licensed as a residential treatment center for adolescents, treating children with emotional disorders," she said. "They have not been adjudicated, have not been criminalized in any way . . . They are suffering from a mental disease."

Schuck described how youngsters ages -18 will be sent to the program through the Florida Department of Children and Families. That prompted a question on whether the Brown Schools could refuse to take certain children.

"Absolutely," she responded. "The child must match the treatment."

"A lot of these kids have not experienced a safe environment for a long time," said Matthew Leary, executive director for the Citrus facility. "If there was a child that was a hard case, overtly aggressive . . . that wouldn't fit into our treatment."

Leary explained that the program was a secure residential program. The children who will live at the facility, which will be in the old Heritage Hospital site on County Road 491, would not be allowed to walk out the front door unattended. The facility will be locked and staffed 24 hours a day.

Schuck told the Beverly Hills representatives that the facility will not be affiliated with the Department of Juvenile Justice, like the Cypress Creek Academy, which operates in Lecanto.

Some of the youngsters slated for the Citrus program, however, have been judged incompetent to stand trial for criminal offenses. That did not come up for discussion Tuesday.

The Brown Schools officials explained that they already had about 100 resumes of people interested in jobs ranging from housekeepers and kitchen help to therapists and teachers. Schuck said she was optimistic that all the jobs would be filled, and she noted that all the company's employees go through training.

"It's really, really an intensive training program that we put all our staff through," she said. "These are difficult kids. That's why we have them."

While the Brown Schools facility will be locked, as the youngsters progress in their individualized treatment programs, they will be allowed, under strict supervision, to participate in field trips and other activities outside the school. Schuck described such programs in other places that allowed youngsters to work at a zoo or assist with some painting and other minor construction tasks for Habitat for Humanity.

Jane Fricano, president of the civic association, told the Brown Schools officials that many of the questions she had heard about them involved security and community safety. "This is a huge concern," she said.

"We are locked 24 hours a day. We have a 24-hour staff on three shifts," Schuck said. She also described detailed background checks done on employees.

But Fricano persisted. She asked how the company has handled escapes at their other facilities.

"Yes, that happens. These kids are pretty smart," Schuck said. "A child has to feel safe and secure in order to even work with them on treatment. . . . We have a whole training manual on safety and security."

"We're probably more concerned about safety than the community is," said Robert Edelman, director of clinical services for Brown Schools. Before youngsters can even go out into the community with strict supervision, "They have to have proven themselves," he said.

The civic association directors also questioned the secrecy aspect of the Brown Schools coming to the area. Schuck defended the Citrus County Economic Development Council for keeping the secret. She said she didn't want her employees finding out that she was moving the corporate offices from South Florida to Citrus County until the deal was done.

She did say she wished there had been some public forum for discussing community concerns earlier in the process. "We really didn't have anything to hide," she said.

Brown officials are also expected to attend the May general membership meeting of the Civic Association to answer any remaining community questions.

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