To the editors:
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As an employee of Chicago Read Children’s Unit, I have not observed or been informed of abuse to patients. However, I do observe abuse placed on staff by patients on a regular basis; i.e., staff receives human bites, fractured bones, open wounds, etc.
I remember the client, Scott, mentioned in the November 2 [article]. The staff all felt sympathy for him due to his tortured life and family problems. I also remember that his IQ was 40, and his tendency was to exaggerate in general and also lie about staff abuse. The last day Scott was with us he completely destroyed a room, threw numerous chairs at staff, and then stated he had done nothing wrong.
Though the American Civil Liberties Union has uncovered ample evidence of patient abuse and neglect at Henry Horner Children’s Center, nobody that I spoke to or quoted blamed the staff for these problems. In fact, they all agreed with the letter writer that problems at the facility stem from a chronic lack of funding and leadership.
