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Bales: “90% Complete” 1State School Nears Mandated Improvements DeadlineEach of the pluuied residential units at Glenwood State Hospital-School will contain a center recreational area, similar to the area pictured above.It was nearly a year ago that Glenwood State Hospital-School was informed that it was entitled, under new federal regulations, to money provided by the Title 19 funding program. It was estimated at the time that the additional funds, computed on a per-patient basis, would amount to $6 million per year.IN ORDER to qualify for the funding, however, the school was required to remedy certain deficiencies by March, 1977, to meet federal regulations. These involved hiring additional staff, constructing new residential units for patients and correcting deficiencies in existing buildings.Asst. Superintendent of Resident Services Ron Bales said in an interview last week that the home is 90 per cent in compliance with the personnel and renovation areas of improvement.Construction of the units, as expected, is not preceding as rapidly.Three units, began before the Title 19 funds became available, are complete and are currently occupied by 15 residents each. Each 5,000-square foot building includes a »n recreational area, kitchen and 0f laundry facilities and bed-s_ rooms.ot Twenty-three additional ij. units will be constructed in the 1S northwest area of the school’s r. 1,096 acres. The rest of the buildings will be larger than of those now in use, Asst. Superintendent of Administration Larry Kruse stated.THE UNITS, designed by Kircham, Michael and Associates of Omaha, will be constructed on a comm unity-like basis, with streets and small cul-de-sacs connecting the ir units.v Work is progressing on IQ:n units, 10 more will be underconstruction by fall and approximately a year after that, the remaining 10 units will start construction.I_ An estimated 500,000 cubicyards of dirt was removed and a varitable canyon filled in to j* make the housing site accep-n table for construction. Ay 40-foot ridge was removed,h Kruse said.Bales said there is an effort to maintain a homelike atmosphere within the units. He | said preliminary reports on the'I three units now in use showthe program, which emphasizes the individuality of the patients, is successful.There are no live-in staff members in the units, Bales y said. Workers will report on ashift basis, as they do in the j- older buildings.rt With the exception of about:c 175 patients, who will remainin Lacey Hall and a new e building yet to be constructed,0 all patients will move to the's residential units. This involvese approximately 495 patients,^ Kruse said.’■ The only problem which haslS developed with the threee units, and which may pose aproblem when all are completed, is in maintenance and delivery. Access to each unit is more difficult than with the present multi-storied structures, Bales acknowledged.IN THE second area of required improvements, one year ago, 460 staff positions were added by Health and Education Welfare (HEW) regulations.Today, 355 of those positions have been filled. Recruiting is underway for the remaining 105 positions, Bales said.The majority of the new staff members was added to the direct services area of personnel, he said. Most of these persons are from the Glenwood area while the professional staff members tend to be out-of-state residents,The rest of the new employes are in maintenance, laundry and dietery, Bales said.WITH THE sudden jump in the number of employes deemed necessary to run the home properly, Bales admitted that he has been questioned as to whether the home has relaxed standards of hiring.The hiring standards are as high as always; in fact, even higher because incumbent with this are set standards and qualifications for staff which are expected by the Iowa State Mental Health Employment standards.To achieve thdse standards, a threc-day orientation course, featuring first aid training, is required of the new employes. In addition, an 80-hour in-service training course is required. This course includes 70 hours of classroom training and 10 hours of on-the-job education.THE STATB-achool, for all intents and ^jw-poses, '‘operated satisfactory before theintroduction of 355 new employes. Was the additional staff necessary?Bales answers. In the eyes of the people at HEW, who look the initial survey, we are to meet standards for an Intermediate Care Facility for the Mentally Retarded, They said we needed 460 added positions.”He added that new services account for much of the activity of new employes. The addition of these services allows more patients to become involved.THE THIRD area of improvement, the renovation ofexisting buildings, is preceding on schedule, Bales said. This work, consists mainly of correcting deficiencies which caused the home to be in possible violation of certain safety codes.The fire marshall has visited the school on three occasions and will inspect the building again before the March. 1977 deadline.Some of these buildings, so long familiar to Glenwood residents, will probably be demolished once the new units are completed. Bales said. He exDressed hope that some of the older buildings, such as the fire station, will besalvaged for historical value.Kruse implied the home will not cease improvement and expansion with the federally-required improvements nowAll Glenwood schools will dismiss Thursday, Jan. 20,while faculty and teachers participate in an all-day workshop in Malvern.Dr. Zacherie Clements will be the featured speaker at theunderway.“We're looking into conservation grants.” Kruse commented, “to establish bike trails and nature walks.”in-service workshop, discussing “Humanizing Education.”All schools within the Corner Conference and Glenwood Community School District are invited to attend the conference.Garrett: Please Remove SnowSchool Dismissed Jan. 20
Newspaper Details
Opinion Tribune
Glenwood, Iowa, US
Wed, Jan 12, 1977
Page 14
Full Page
Clipped by
Tallgrass A.
USA 24 Jul 2024
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