|
School in San Jacinto
Mountains to close doors
July 5, 2007
By Jamie Ayala
The Press-Enterprise
MOUNTAIN CENTER - After 28 years of
providing services for boys with emotional or communicative
problems, Morning Sky Residential School is closing in September.
It is due to a national trend
toward local programs and a continual lack of funding, school
officials said.
The agencies that refer the
students are "looking for programs closer to students' homes, where
they can integrate students in the community with the family," said
Maureen Elstran, director of public relations for Buena Park-based
Speech and Language Development Center, the nonprofit group that
runs Morning Sky.
This trend has been building over
the past 25 years, said Carroll Schroeder, executive director of the
California Alliance of Child and Family Services. At the same time,
the model for residential treatment has changed over the past two
years, he said, affecting programs like the mountain facility
throughout the state.
The new philosophy includes
short-term intervention, follow-up and close relationships with
families and local agencies.
In the late '70s, Jack Weaver, at
the time a teacher with the Buena Park group, predicted that if
students with more severe needs live in a controlled setting with
24-hour supervision, they would be more successful. Morning Sky
opened with Weaver as its director in 1979. He later co-founded Oak
Grove Institute, a residential treatment facility in Murrieta.
"A mountain setting is peaceful and
conducive to a positive atmosphere," Elstran said. "We all feel good
in a mountain setting, so that's where he went."
Morning Sky occupies 20 acres in
Mountain Center, a small community in the San Jacinto Mountains
between Hemet and Palm Desert. Eighteen boys between 9 and 18 years
old from throughout California live in the camplike facility with
programs such as therapeutic horseback riding and lessons in
photography, music and art.
Some have been physically,
emotionally or sexually abused, while others have disabilities
ranging from learning difficulties to cerebral palsy. Mental health
groups, social services agencies and regional centers for the
developmentally disabled usually refer the students, who stay an
average of 18 months.
"Our goal is to get students to a
point where they can move on to a less restrictive environment such
as back to their neighborhood schools. For some, even back to their
own families," Elstran said.
Tony Applegarth, Morning Sky
director for 10 years and a licensed social worker, said some
students have become members of the military and public safety
personnel.
"I think we can take pride in the
fact that, for more than 25 years, we've made a difference at a
critical time in our students' lives," Applegarth said.
Closure
The students, parents and personnel
were informed about the closure last week. Applegarth said everyone
is shocked and dismayed but still focused on putting the students
first. Along with helping them process their reaction to the news,
the school is working with referring agencies to find appropriate
placements for students.
As for the workers, 27 of whom are
from Hemet, Mountain Center and Idyllwild, Applegarth said the
parent group will start working on insurance paperwork and job
searches next week.
The closure is not uncommon.
Schroeder said many organizations throughout the state are closing
residential programs because they cannot afford them or transition
to the new philosophy, which requires close work with families and
local agencies.
On average, for every dollar it
costs to care for and supervise children in residential programs,
Schroeder said agencies are only reimbursed 75 cents.
At Morning Sky, operation costs
have increased 20 percent to 25 percent over the past six years, but
the rate of public fund reimbursements has remained the same,
Applegarth said. Last year's budget totaled $2.3 million for the
facility.
Reach Jamie Ayala at 951-763-3451
or jayala@PE.com
|
