Leland residents voicing concern over group home

I was in several level 3 group home when I was 17. I'm not 20 now. My reasons for being there were not justified. I had a poor social worker. I've had things to me happen, restrained with NO resistance because i ripped up a piece of paper that was of important document.. and a needle shoved in my ass 10 minutes later for that. I've been chocked by staff and tell them since my mom's dead that I'm next. I've seen staff drag the girls where they had a rug burn COVERING their back, and the other staff just covered for the others. They had investigations... who's going to believe the teenagers locked up in that place? it was a living hell. I can honestly say that didnt help at all. I've told the DSS and the social worker but they did NOTHING. Honeslty all the girls wanted was some attention, SOME i can say are really sick, but most of them are just hurt because there in a place with all these other girls.. they can't talk to there friends or family like they should. I know how the girls in there think.. some even tryed to get restrianed because they were bored and wanted excitment or they wanted to get the PRN's they give you to knock you out so you sleep all day. Most staff doesn't care one bit. They stick by there notes. Belive it or not... how sick the system truely is. And when im 70 yrs old I'll still say they need a better way of going about this. Jail is better than this.. and I've been for 3 weeks once. Ever since I have been out of DSS my life has been wonderful. I have a townhouse, a job, everything I could ask for. Because people are

I currently am employed at a Level 3 group home in West Virginia. I'm also a youth minister. When I got into this field of work I seen it the way some of you have, "oh there're just misunderstood and need love" But to be honest I try to inspire and help them but about 1% of what I say seems to take root. Most of the teens I work with right now are the future inmates. Mainly because the freakin government has bought into the people that has said "oh just talk to him and love on them and show them the right way." Ok we're trying to make up for years of never receveing displine so there is a majority of them that after being slammed down for attempting to attack staff have straigtned up. Thats why I get frustrated when I say to someone "yea we had to take him to the ground" and they say "oh ya'll shouldn't do that to them poor kids." So those of you who see them as "poor misunderstood kids" have never dealt with these kids need to be around them awhile before you make a judgement. They lie, cheat, and steal. They attack, have sex anywhere and with anyone. They do drugs and flip off anyone who tells them its wrong and people like myself that work with them can't displine them because the government(who doesn't work with them) says NO do it this way. So thank your government.

I am really confused as to what the problem is here. When a Group Home goes up and kids are placed it is with Staff Supervision as well as a TX plan and goals for these kids to work on to live a better life. Kids are not placed there to become more violent. At least with this type of home you know who your neighbor is going to be. You know that the Staff are trained to handle these kids and you also know that the police are going to be called when something or someone gets out of hand. When a new neighbor moves in or you move into a new neighbor hood whose to say you wont end up next too a Gang member's house and they bring all that comes with it? Someone who become's drunk on the weekends and becomes both verbally and physically offensive to the ones we love? Set up a crack house two doors down? Even worse snap and kill one's wife or children. Every step is taken to insure that they are not placing Dangerous kids in a neighbor hood if they are going to be at risk for getting hurt. This is not an experiment this is something that works and is needed. You have as much control over whom is going to move in to your neighbor hood as you do of when you are going to die. Become involved with the Group Home know the staff who work there, as well as the individuals who move in. You would be surprised at the relationship's that have formed and where some of these kids have ended up. You never know it could be a doctor that is know taking care of you, or a teacher who is teaching your children, or the man you go see and listen too every Sunday

We wonder why Brunswick County jail just had to enlarge........... maybe because there is No where in our area that is trying to help these troubled and rejected teenagers. Who most have problems because of a lack of Adult concern and love (parents). It's sad people can't have compassion for others anymore and not just think of themselves.

Wouldn't it be nice if the neighbors showed some compassion to these troubled kids? Just once, I would love to read that a neighborhood actually welcomed a home like this with kindness and care, something these kids have probably never had. We truly do live in a sad, sad, world. "Love thy neighbor"... yeah... right.

Would you feel this way if a love one or yourself happen to be in a car wreck,hit in a parking lot, etc.. and then you couldn't stay where you were but, you needed help living on. Not everybody is born with a special need. People in the group home pay medical, taxes etc. why not be a part of the community. I think people that don't look outside the box are ones we should be scare of. People like you

so do these children not deserve somewhere to live? We're sorry you have a mental/emotional disorder so you can go live on the street now b/c God Forbid you live in OUR neighborhood. I am personally appalled at the inconsiderateness of these people. If you knew anything about level 3 group homes you would know, yes many suffer with very significant mental/emotional conditions and they do need constant supervision, which is why they are placed in a group home. They are accounted for at all times, and therefore if they were outside the group home a staff member would have to be with them.... you have ignorant unfounded concerns. And yes I would allow a level 3 in my community, w/ open arms, maybe it's my training as a counselor, or maybe just maybe it's my decency as a human being.... I guarantee there are many people each person reading this knows that have enough mental disabilities that they too could qualify for placement in a hl3 group home...get over yourselves, these kids didn't asked to be put in this situation and they need a stable and reliable home...... GROW UP and realize that this world isn't all about YOU!

That company, doesn't care about you, your kids or the people living in the home. They are about making a quick buck off the gov't. Anytime you are given something in life, it is not appreciated. The homeowners in that neighborhood have every right to complain about what is trying to be forced down their throat. You don't put violent, unstable people into a enviornment of stay at home mom's and children.

You know what everyone needs to get over it.I am glad that there are people and companies that are willing to house people with disorders that are not like you and I.Everyone deserves a place to call home.Why would people in this neighborhood not feel safe,why would the woman in this article not have children b/c of this home and who it is going to house? Would she rather see these people in a state ran home where only god knows what is happening to them?You never know who lives beside you or down the road from you. If that is one of her issues then she needs to get on the sex offender web site and see just how many of them live around her,and that is who she should be worried about having around her children,not people with disablities.I bet she was one of those people who laughed at someone b/c they were not like her. SHAME ON YOU....

Where is this neighborhood?