Texas institution for people with disabilities changing to comply with DOJ mandates, hiring 200 new employees

From The Lufkin Daily News in Texas:

A Lufkin state-run center for the disabled has undergone a name change and is hiring for close to 200 positions, according to a spokeswoman with the Texas Department of Aging and Disability Services.

Lufkin State School is now called Lufkin State Supported Living Center.

The changes happening at the Lufkin facility and 12 other state facilities are a part of a statewide overhaul of the system, which underwent a federal review late last year amid allegations of resident abuse and neglect.

The state signed an agreement with U.S. Department of Justice officials in May, pledging to spend $112 million over the next five years to improve standards of care, according to a Houston Chronicle report. Texas lawmakers pushed forth several changes from that agreement during the 81st Legislative Session.

The state legislature added 1,160 jobs to the state centers — a direct response to the Justice Department report which stated staffing shortages contributed to the problems at several facilities. Lufkin is hiring for 163 of those jobs, which includes direct caregivers, pharmacists, administrative support positions and non-professional jobs, Fedorov said. The Lufkin center, which opened in 1962, currently has approximately 975 employees caring for an estimated 425 residents, according to the DADS Web site.

The Justice Department report released in December found 53 of the 114 resident deaths in a one-year period at the facilities could have been prevented. It also stated residents were being neglected and abused — a violation of their constitutional rights. The federal investigation was initiated after The Dallas Morning News published a series of articles highlighting ongoing abuse and neglect of state school residents.

In March, video came out allegedly showing Corpus Christi State School staff members forcing mentally disabled residents into fights for entertainment. Last week a jury convicted former staff member 25-year-old Jesse Salazar for intentionally causing injury to a disabled person — a third-degree felony offense. Salazar is one of several former employees allegedly involved in the state school "fight clubs."

Upgraded security is another aspect of the state reform process. All centers will have a security camera system installed in public areas to monitor staff and patients, according to Fedorov. DADS implemented the security measures after the "fight club" allegations surfaced at the Corpus Christi facility. Eighteen of the 163 jobs in Lufkin will go for hiring security personnel, the spokeswoman said.

In addition, the state center is hiring nursing staff and registered therapists, which are part of 25 positions that remain open from funding handed down by the 80th legislative session.

The Lufkin State Center cares for residents with mental retardation or developmental disabilities, half of whom require mobility assistance.

Some residents require 24-hour nursing care because of medical conditions, and others need intensive intervention to address behavioral challenges, according to a description by the DOJ in letter sent to the state late last year.