Testimony from the Department of Children and Families (DCF) accounted for the majority of a two-hour information hearing on the Short Term Assessment and Respite (STAR) Home in Harwinton held by the legislature’s Committee on Children.
The information hearing comes after investigative reporting by CII revealed a series of incidents at the home, including reports of sexual assault between residents, between residents and staff, as well as physical assault. Law enforcement and emergency services were also called to the Harwinton home 16 times over the course of a month.
Committee co-chair Rep. Liz Linehan, D-Cheshire, opened the hearing by noting that it was not a public hearing but an “information hearing being held publicly.”
“What we have heard reported on online news is something that will need to be verified and is concerning.” Linehan continued, adding the hearing was not a referendum on children in thereaupeutic homes.
The hearing opened with testimony from Margaret Hann, executive director of The Bridge Family Center, which runs the STAR Home in Harwinton in addition to three others in the state. Hann was not there in person, citing pending litigation and the advice of legal counsel, and her testimony was read by the committee’s clerk.
Hann’s testimony included a history of The Bridge Family Center’s relationship with the state and also touched on incidences detailed in reporting, including allegations that STAR Home staff had been instructed not to call police in some circumstances, which Hann says never happened.
“We have never denied that the incidents which have occurred at the Harwinton STAR program recently are serious in nature. As Executive Director, my priority was to address these issues immediately, which we did. Expeditious steps were taken including; suspension/termination of the involved employee, notification to DCF and Bridge management staff. The Bridge fully cooperated with law enforcement and DCF during any investigations. Involved residents were counseled by our on-site staff clinicians.” Hann wrote.
Hann’s testimony also included suggestions for next steps, including having DCF take the lead in “inviting candid conversations about the gaps in care for the youth we serve” and re-evalutation of the STAR model.
The bulk of the hearing was taken up by testimony from DCF, as well as questions and answers between DCF staff and lawmakers.
DCF Commissioner Vannessa Dorantes gave the majority of the testimony, leading off with a description of how DCF has worked with Hannes and the Bridge center to re-evaluate its programs, as well as with provider partners to evaluate the larger system of care.
Dorantes also walked lawmakers through a timeline of incidents that had occurred at the Harwinton STAR Home and DCF’s response to them.
Linehan led the questioning of DCF by asking whether the multiple incidents documented in the timeline were typical of STAR Homes.
Dorantes answered that they were, given the level of care STAR represents, but that the number of incidences that involved suspected child abuse or neglect that resulted in special investigations were not typical. She also noted concern that the Harwinton home’s location in a small community resulted in a greater impact on EMS systems than in larger communities.
Linehan’s other questions also focused on whether the home responded to sexual assault allegations between residents and staff by removing staff immediately. Dorantes said she believed it was.
Questions from other legislators also touched on the renewal of Bridge’s contract with the state to run the home, which occurred during the period of high incidences. Sen. Lisa Seminara, R-Avon, whose district includes Harwinton, questioned whether given the number of incidences that occurred DCF considered not renewing Bridge’s contract.
Dorantes said not as each of the incidences was responded to and investigated at the time it occurred. She also added that she was not surprised, given what has happened over the course of the last 3 years, that there was a concentration of incidences at the home over the course of a year.
Seminara followed up by asking what would have to happen in a home for DCF to consider not renewing a contract.
Dorantes said she did not believe that was a “black and white answer” and again referenced what had happened over the past few years, namely the COVID-19 pandemic. She added it was not unusual to see youth on youth behavior and that staff incidents were addressed. The result, Dorantes continued, was a corrective action plan.
Other questions focused on the level of care provided by the Harwinton STAR Home and its ability to deal with residents with different levels of trauma. Dorantes and others from the department testified that STAR homes are not intended to provide clinical care and noted that they also have a “no eject/no reject” policy, meaning children cannot be turned away. That is not true for other programs and, according to Dorantes, means STAR homes can be a setting that accepts kids others deny.
Additionally, Dorantes noted that the state’s child mental health system is challenged with meeting the needs of children with an appropriate level of service. She noted that sometimes children can be evaluated and placed in a setting like the Harwinton STAR Home but that they may later need to be reevaluated and placed in a more appropriate level of care.
CII reporter Marc Fitch has reported on difficulties across the state’s mental health system.
With questions for DCF from lawmakers taking up most of the hearing’s time, which had a hard tw0-hour stop, testimony from the state’s child health advocate was abrogated and others did not get the chance to speak.
Sarah Eagan, the state’s child advocate, noted that she had submitted testimony in the form of a mini report with findings and recommendations and had also prepared a slide show that discussed some of them. However, she was not able to present them because of the lack of time Eagan noted that she agreed with much of what DCF had said, including that the investigation was not about blaming the girls who reside at the STAR Homes.
Eagan also expressed concern about whether STAR Homes represented an appropriate level of care for children.
“My concern is that children are not matched to STAR Homes. Children are put in STAR Homes because there’s nowhere else for them to be.” Eagan said. She also noted that part of the problem with the state’s health care system for children, in her opinion, was a lack of a cohesive system of care for children.
Kevin Ferrarotti, the Harwinton Ambulance Chief, was also slated to testify, but was unable to because the hearing’s time allotment ran out. Linehan suggested lawmakers read through his testimony and seek him out following the hearing with questions.
CII Senior Investigative Reporter Marc E. Fitch, who attended the hearing in person, had the chance to speak to Harwinton First Selectman Michael Criss, who also did not have the chance to testify. Criss said he was very upset he was unable to testify. He also listed a number of concerns surrounding the Harwinton home.
“I mean, you have an 18-year-old that was placed in the Harwinton group home that had a pending criminal adult case against them and then also assaulted another indidivual at the STAR home. I mean, 87 calls in seven months compared to 30 calls in six years, that’s a huge decline in services and what we’re providing to these youths and we’re failing.” Criss said.
“This system has got a lot of flaws in it,” Criss continued, “and the only reason why DCF came to Harwinton was because we demanded DCF come to Harwinton and because we refused to meet with the Bridge Family group without DCF present.”
Listen to more of Criss’ comments below.
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