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Abuse alleged; youths pulled from shelter State police, county experts investigate By Jonel Aleccia TALENT � Nine young people were abruptly removed from a Community Works youth shelter Thursday amid allegations that they were abused by staff members. The youths, between the ages of 10 and 17, were transferred to temporary care as Oregon State Police launched a criminal investigation into what one official called "serious, inappropriate actions between the staff and the children that were there." "We needed to make sure the kids were safe," added Hank Collins, Jackson County health and human services director. "The only way to make sure that the kids were safe was to get them out of there, and we did that today." Collins refused to elaborate on the nature of the alleged abuse. The evacuation of the privately run Youth Diagnostic Shelter at 5605 S. Pacific Highway came less than a week after county officials learned of pending legal action by the family of a former client, Collins said. A team of state and county juvenile experts was sent to the shelter to investigate, and juvenile probation officers were posted at the site in the evenings, said Bob Grindstaff, county community justice director. The team decided to remove the young clients. "We don�t know that there�s been any wrongdoing," Grindstaff said. "But when there�s a complaint, we have to consider it." It was not immediately clear how many staff members might be involved. Arnie Green, executive director of the agency that runs the shelter, said in a prepared statement that he had seen no police report and could not comment on any allegations. "Community Works takes the allegations very seriously," Green added. "We were first to learn of the allegations and made the initial report." The 27-year-old agency serves 300 young people annually. Admitted youth have committed no crimes, but need shelter, often from abusive or neglectful families. The 16-bed shelter has an annual budget of $500,000 and receives funding and referrals from county mental health and juvenile departments, the state Services to Children and Families Division and the Oregon Youth Authority. "It is the emergency room of the youth services system," Green said. Although it receives public money and referrals from state and county agencies, Community Works is a private, nonprofit organization. The evacuation of the shelter comes less than three weeks after a 16-year-old boy in the care of another Community Works program died while on an agency-sponsored field trip. Justin Hadley of White City was a resident in the Lithia Boys Program, an Ashland residential treatment center operated by Community Works and contracted through the Oregon Youth Authority. Hadley was hit by a wave while tidepooling at Crescent City, Calif., and swept into the sea, where he drowned. Grindstaff said he did not believe the two incidents were related. Reach reporter JoNel Aleccia at 776-4465, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.