ACTIVE SEARCH SD - Serenity Dennard, 9, Children’s Home Society, Pennington County, 3 Feb 2019

[ilovechili]

Naps are good! Naps work IMVHO And I wish this little girl was able to take one, in the arms of her loving family. Like, today would work!

I do understand that the director did correct the timeline.

However, SD had such a huge jump-start on her rescuers. And the staff had visuals on her being outside. Brrrrr. And all of it breaks my heart. 9 years old.

ETA: Change 'tomorrow' to 'today' since it is today (Sunday) already

Naps work awesome unless one is up from midnight until now because of it and messes up the entire day

That is what bothers me the most is the time lost if they had a visual of her outside. Another poster I meant to respond to earlier but did not (lost the thread) mentioned that some facilities are told not to go after a child as they then can be accused of the chasing caused the child to run further/liability issues etc. It is a sad world when something like that may be the case. Our liability laws/cases have long passed the point of ludicrous and also often play into PR or a refusal to say anything that may help because of a possible legal suit.

I do not know if it was the case with this facility but I am just making a general observation.

I get very upset when it comes to children and the elderly or the vulnerable of the population. Their care and safety should come before anything else almost imho. And our laws should reflect it as well, within reason.

Edited to correct typos.

 

[shorty42404]

I hope the city will add more surveillance in these types of facilities in rural areas. Especially if they know children will run sometimes. And honestly, if it were my child, I’d like some kind of security set up so that I know my child will be safe. Locked doors would probably be a good thing. Someone posted before that a child may feel “trapped” but feeling trapped would be better than heading into danger IMO.

 

[mrbeansmom]

Thank you for this info, it is very informative. It indicates a high burn-out rate for staff and therefore not likely a lot of long experienced staff. Restraint techniques are necessary and yet there are no door alarms, etc.? And children are known to run? I fail to understand the logic or lack of logic with that in such facilities.

When you mentioned restraint techniques, it reminded me of a case I had forgotten about where a girl about her age or younger died due to a restraint/hold. She was held too long and I do not believe it was face up. It came back to one particular worker for the most part after an investigation. He faced some type of charge, made a deal and if I recall, did little or no time at all, pled it down. The facility was looked into and given things to change and rechecked and the entire thing pretty much faded from the news. A small slap on the hand to both worker and facility and that was it. I believe his background was then looked into as well and I believe there were warning signs but I cannot recall precisely what. To their credit, the other employees I believe told the truth or for the most part at least. I believe the type of restraint was of much discussion too as to what was not to be used...

Not sure if I will be able to find the case but I will look. It was not a major MSM case to my knowledge.

Not saying such a thing happened here, it is just that I recalled it just now when reading about restraints such a thing happening before (NOT in SD). I also believe the girl was just a "day" visitor for school/counseling/help. It was heartbreaking.

I live with the hope that Serenity somehow made plans with an older released child or teen or someone and is alive. I feel it pretty unlikely though as they saw her head into the hills I believe is where it stands now.

I'm pretty sure you are referring to the case of Candace Newmaker. She participated in a therapy called rebirthing, and the therapist specialized in treating children with reactive attachment disorder. The theory was that having a child mimic going through the birth canal would somehow cause them to leave the past behind and attach to the adoptive mom from the beginning. They lay in a fetal position on their side, and the staff presses pillows on them. They then have to push their way out of the "birth canal". It went horribly awry and Candace died.

Perhaps it's not the story you are thinking of because:

"Connell Watkins and her assistant were charged with reckless child abuse resulting in death, and sentenced to 16 years in prison. The other two people who had held the pillows in the video were given 10 years probation for criminally negligent child abuse and sentenced to serve 1,000 hours of community service as part of a plea bargain."

The Story Of The Quack Therapist Who Killed A Child With "Rebirthing" Therapy

 

[TwoDogNight]

Your number one question, that turned into three questions lol, was the staffing. The original

I hope the city will add more surveillance in these types of facilities in rural areas. Especially if they know children will run sometimes. And honestly, if it were my child, I’d like some kind of security set up so that I know my child will be safe. Locked doors would probably be a good thing. Someone posted before that a child may feel “trapped” but feeling trapped would be better than heading into danger IMO.

There are locked facilities in some states. This child most likely did not get designated as requiring such care. It is not, nor should it be, a "kiddy prison". The least restrictive environment prevails.
Edited by me. Glitch resultted in another quote being included.

 

[LaborDayRN]

I hope the city will add more surveillance in these types of facilities in rural areas. Especially if they know children will run sometimes. And honestly, if it were my child, I’d like some kind of security set up so that I know my child will be safe. Locked doors would probably be a good thing. Someone posted before that a child may feel “trapped” but feeling trapped would be better than heading into danger IMO.

I agree. I have a dear friend who has an autistic child who likes to run. He will try anything to get out of a door. They have had to install keyless combination locks on all of their exterior doors to keep him safe. I also have a family member who has a son with oppositional defiant disorder who also likes to leave the home. He's 5. Their homes still feels like a homes, it's just safe for their children. It seems to me these facilities could have something similar in place for the safety of the children. It won't help Serenity at this point but it may save another child.

 

[MsFacetious]

While a lot of these facilities have a high turnover rate, not all of them do. The one I was in did not. In fact some people worked there for decades. There are employees there that were there before I was and are still there now. It was similar to this one so I don't think we can be sure they had a high turnover rate.

If wishing made it so, we'd find them all alive and well. I'd love it if that were the case, but it happens way too seldom. I always try to prepare for the worst, but hope for the best. Don't give up as long as there's even a small sliver of hope. MOO

Yes, just like: If love could have saved you, you would have lived forever. That quote has been relevant far too much in my life.

 

[human]

Thank you for this info, it is very informative. It indicates a high burn-out rate for staff and therefore not likely a lot of long experienced staff. Restraint techniques are necessary and yet there are no door alarms, etc.? And children are known to run? I fail to understand the logic or lack of logic with that in such facilities.

When you mentioned restraint techniques, it reminded me of a case I had forgotten about where a girl about her age or younger died due to a restraint/hold. She was held too long and I do not believe it was face up. It came back to one particular worker for the most part after an investigation. He faced some type of charge, made a deal and if I recall, did little or no time at all, pled it down. The facility was looked into and given things to change and rechecked and the entire thing pretty much faded from the news. A small slap on the hand to both worker and facility and that was it. I believe his background was then looked into as well and I believe there were warning signs but I cannot recall precisely what. To their credit, the other employees I believe told the truth or for the most part at least. I believe the type of restraint was of much discussion too as to what was not to be used...

Not sure if I will be able to find the case but I will look. It was not a major MSM case to my knowledge.

Not saying such a thing happened here, it is just that I recalled it just now when reading about restraints such a thing happening before (NOT in SD). I also believe the girl was just a "day" visitor for school/counseling/help. It was heartbreaking.

I live with the hope that Serenity somehow made plans with an older released child or teen or someone and is alive. I feel it pretty unlikely though as they saw her head into the hills I believe is where it stands now.

I don’t think restraints would be allowed but holds by trained people.

Children are in residential treatment for a reason. Many times they attack staff and students. Or they may throw things such as desks.

They smear their bedroom walls with feces. They pee in their bedrooms.

You cannot allow one child to attack another.

This is not summer camp or boarding school

 

[human]

I hope the city will add more surveillance in these types of facilities in rural areas. Especially if they know children will run sometimes. And honestly, if it were my child, I’d like some kind of security set up so that I know my child will be safe. Locked doors would probably be a good thing. Someone posted before that a child may feel “trapped” but feeling trapped would be better than heading into danger IMO.

Fire codes would never allow locked doors. I am surprised that there are not alarms on the doors

 

[LaborDayRN]

Fire codes would never allow locked doors. I am surprised that there are not alarms on the doors

Fire codes would never allow locked doors. I am surprised that there are not alarms on the doors

Not necessarily. I work in a facility with locked doors with alarms on some units. The simple swipe of a badge (that employees must wear at all times) will open the door.

 

[Stunned]

I don’t think restraints would be allowed but holds by trained people.

Children are in residential treatment for a reason. Many times they attack staff and students. Or they may throw things such as desks.

They smear their bedroom walls with feces. They pee in their bedrooms.

You cannot allow one child to attack another.

This is not summer camp or boarding school

The training you are given to restrain can take up to 4 days. It is very intense. You always want restraining a child as your last option. But sometimes, sadly, you have no choice.

 

[Seattle1]

Yet another Sunday without knowing the whereabouts of dearest Serenity. If distant family picked her up, I wish they'd just say so. Sorry for the grief and worry by SD's parents, family, and friends.

 

[human]

Not necessarily. I work in a facility with locked doors with alarms on some units. The simple swipe of a badge (that employees must wear at all times) will open the door.

For adults? I sincerely doubt such would be allowed in a children’s facility

 

[CluelessWonder]

My mind tends to leap to the unthinkable, the unimaginable. It's because I've followed some crazy cases over the years. It makes me want to propose theories that she never ran away at all. But experience trumps the thirst for befuddlement, of which I ought to be ashamed. As it so, I suspect that it's only a matter of time. I've lost count of the number of times that searchers have walked right past the remains of a lost soul with no inkling that a spot had been missed. In Michigan, there was a person buried beneath a porch. Searchers combed for miles. Sadly, the name of the young girl evades me and reminds me that it happens so often that it's difficult to keep count. Not long ago, a San Fran journalist of some notoriety disappeared completely in Paducah, Kentucky, and then was found less than two miles from where he was last seen. I expect that this beautiful young soul is gone, and it's just a matter of time before she is discovered. But I will hold out hope; it's happened before. I've been happily shocked to learn that someone was found alive. It's that flicker of hope that keeps me coming back here.

 

[stargazer17]

For adults? I sincerely doubt such would be allowed in a children’s facility

My father is an assisted living facility and they keep the doors locked at all times. Residents with dementia related issues wear ankle bracelets to alert staff if they get near the door.

 

[ilovepierre]

My father is an assisted living facility and they keep the doors locked at all times. Residents with dementia related issues wear ankle bracelets to alert staff if they get near the door.

Those are adults, though, not minors. I don’t know if there are rules/laws about putting ankle monitors on children.
And because CHS is a facility for children with lots of different backgrounds (abuse, violent households, mental and behavioural issues, etc), an ankle bracelet may seem like a restraint for some of the children and it could trigger them.
Just having alarms on the doors at the facility would be good idea.

JMO

 

[shorty42404]

I don’t know if alarms would cut it. In this case, do you think it would have stopped her from bolting out that door and up in the hills? Would she have been found sooner? Maybe there could be smoke alarms that release the doors. I don’t know. Something needs to be done. And I hope something will be after this incident, to protect the children there. That’s one good thing that could come out of this situation.

 

[Confusion]

The staff member that was in the gym with other children saw her run out of the gym door which lead to a hallway inside the building.... Not outside...if this staff would have chased after Serenity it would have left the other children unattended so they could be looking for 3 missing kids

That's what I had understood too, but recently someone posted a quote that said a staff member saw her run out the door but couldn't catch her. It's nice to get information out as soon as possible, but I sometimes wish they'd wait until they had the whole/real story. MOO

I don’t think restraints would be allowed but holds by trained people.

Children are in residential treatment for a reason. Many times they attack staff and students. Or they may throw things such as desks.

They smear their bedroom walls with feces. They pee in their bedrooms.

You cannot allow one child to attack another.

This is not summer camp or boarding school

Not all children are in residential facilities for being violent and/or disruptive, and I believe most who are violent/dangerous would be in a different type of home. Many kids end up in homes like this because they have severe emotional problems which need more treatment/supervision than can usually be provided in a private home; this can include self injuring, obsessive eating, total withdrawal, or a number of other things. From what I've read, this is more of a group home than a locked facility; there are other more restrictive places for those who need it. MOO

For adults? I sincerely doubt such would be allowed in a children’s facility

Again, it depends on the facility. My son was in one when he was young, and they did have locked doors. The difference is that it was a psychiatric facility, not a group home. I see the Children's Home Society as being between a foster home (usually close to a normal home but with stricter rules and supervision) and a locked facility (whether for extreme emotional problems or violent/aggressive behavior.) MOO again.

 

[LaborDayRN]

I don’t know if alarms would cut it. In this case, do you think it would have stopped her from bolting out that door and up in the hills? Would she have been found sooner? Maybe there could be smoke alarms that release the doors. I don’t know. Something needs to be done. And I hope something will be after this incident, to protect the children there. That’s one good thing that could come out of this situation.

I just want to say that I don't think this facility or it's employees were negligent or did anything that caused what happened to Serenity. I know they must be suffering this loss greatly. I do however feel there are things that these home could do to better insure the safety of the children. These are children that are troubled, they may have poor impulse control which increased the likely hood of them leaving. But they need to be, and deserve to be safe.

The maternity unit I work on (actually a free standing building) has several entrances and exits. Only one is unlocked and has security posted 24/7. The other doors can be opened with the push of a button located at the security desk in the event of an emergency, like a fire for example. The windows in the rooms do not open. If someone forces a door open somehow, a very loud alarm sounds. We have many other security measures in place also. Even though attempted or actual infant abduction is rare, it's worth every precaution we can take to prevent it. We have infants in our building and these security measures more that pass fire codes.

 

[ilovepierre]

I don’t know if alarms would cut it. In this case, do you think it would have stopped her from bolting out that door and up in the hills? Would she have been found sooner? Maybe there could be smoke alarms that release the doors. I don’t know. Something needs to be done. And I hope something will be after this incident, to protect the children there. That’s one good thing that could come out of this situation.

In S’s situation, alarms wouldn’t have stopped her.
But having alarms on the doors could prevent children from sneaking out in the future or even preventing unwanted people from entering the facility.

IMO

 

[MsFacetious]

Not all children are in residential facilities for being violent and/or disruptive, and I believe most who are violent/dangerous would be in a different type of home. Many kids end up in homes like this because they have severe emotional problems which need more treatment/supervision than can usually be provided in a private home; this can include self injuring, obsessive eating, total withdrawal, or a number of other things. From what I've read, this is more of a group home than a locked facility; there are other more restrictive places for those who need it. MOO

Yes. Self injury, attempted suicide, history of drug use, eating disorders.... all are reasons people were in mine. I don't ever recall any violence at all.

One girl drank bleach, one girl dyed my entire load of clothes pink, one vegetarian puked after realizing she'd inadvertently eaten meat, one girl was able to get a job because she was at the highest trust level.

I'm guessing mine was calmer than most but it was rather uneventful.