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Shelter closure displaces youth Agencies scramble to house troubled kids By JONEL ALECCIA TALENT - With Jackson County's only youth shelter closed amid allegations of sexual abuse, troubled youngsters are being transferred to foster homes and far-flung care or forced to make do in difficult family situations. More than a dozen youngsters ages 10 to 17, including many victims of abuse or neglect, have been forced into alternative care following the April closure of the Youth Diagnostic Shelter in Talent. Staff at several agencies responsible for the youth said they've been forced to scramble for available beds. "We've really had some difficult decisions deciding where they can go," acknowledged Susan Kaough, director of the Jackson County branch of the State Office for Services to Children and Families. "For some of the kids, we've tried to find relatives or to patchwork it together so they can stay at home." The 16-bed shelter at 5605 S. Pacific Highway was closed after an investigation sparked by accusations that two staff members had sexually abused two teenage clients. An Oregon State Police investigation into the allegations is continuing; the two accused workers have denied any misconduct. An observation conducted by Oregon Youth Authority officials on Oct. 16, 2000, criticized "verbal interactions with youth," which it described as "overly aggressive and disrespectful/demeaning," but it did not include any mention of sexual abuse allegations. In the meantime, the agencies that contract to lodge young people at the Community Works shelter say the closure threatens an already-fragile system of juvenile care. "It's a huge problem," said Debbie Rios, regional coordinator for the OYA. "There were always more youth that needed the shelter than we had capacity for." Now, the OYA, along with SCF and the Jackson County Juvenile Department, is putting youngsters wherever it can. Some are placed in foster homes, Kaough said, but space is difficult to find and most foster parents aren't willing or equipped to cope with troubled teens. Other youngsters are being sent to the Josephine County Shelter Detention Facility near Grants Pass, formerly known as the In Between. Superintendent Brian Burgess said that facility has some space available, but it must house clients of its own. "We can't replace their 16 beds," he said. Many Jackson County youngsters have been forced to remain in difficult - but not dangerous - family situations, Rios said. The closure of the 27-year-old shelter, which served some 300 clients annually, leaves a huge gap in frontline care. Arnie Green, Community Works executive director, has called the shelter "the emergency room of the youth services system." He declined to comment on the situation while the investigation continues. "Basically, what it means is we don't have 24-hour emergency access in a safe, supervised setting," Rios said. Ensuring that the shelter is safe and supervised is crucial, say agency workers who've cooperated with police efforts. But re-opening would ease the strain on an already overburdened system. "It's real difficult," Kaough said. "We'd like to get this resolved as soon as possible." 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.