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AUTHOR’S NOTE AND ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

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Children’s mental health is an intrinsic part of their overall health and well-being. At least one in ten children—as many as 6 million youth—experiences a mental illness that severely disrupts his or her daily functioning at home, in school, or in the community. Numerous barriers prevent children and their families from obtaining needed services, including stigma, shortages of mental health professionals, insufficient coverage of mental health services in public and private health insurance programs, inadequately trained clinicians, and complex and fragmented service delivery systems.

This book is an institutional history of a progressive psychiatric hospital for children and youth, one of the first of its kind. My own experiences as superintendent and clinician at the hospital form the spine of the story, and the voices and experiences of many staff members and administrators round out the picture. You will note that very few former patients appear in the book. This is because the stigma of hospitalization is still very real.

I hope you will find within these pages a story of hope and courage. The institutional history of Riverview is a personal history. It is about the people who made it happen. Over the years, hundreds of individuals—psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, nurses, childcare workers, groundskeepers, administrators, teachers, recreation/rehabilitation workers, housekeepers, nutritionists, business managers, personnel workers, clerical staff, medical records technicians—played special roles in making Riverview what it was and is today. Throughout this book, I mention many names as a way to preserve some of this history. In addition, I enjoyed spending time with and learning so much from each of the many people I interviewed and who contributed to the writing of this book. Weaving our stories together, I hope to present an account that is not only interesting, but also a useful record of what was and, for good or for bad, what could be. I have also included samples of key documents and tools, so that those interested in helping children with mental health issues can easily access and adapt these materials. Throughout the text, you’ll see many endnotes. Some document interview data, but many expand and add anecdotes to the narrative.

My most heartfelt thank you goes to the staff and volunteers who worked so selflessly to make Riverview the model of effective mental health services for children that it was for so many years. While the cover of this book designates me as the author, the fact is that I have relied extensively on the words and experiences of many others. This is particularly true of Louis Ando, my friend and colleague who assisted me in many ways throughout the writing of this history. During the past year, as I began to lose steam, it was Lou’s enthusiasm and encouragement that motivated me to finish the task. He started out simply by editing some of the earlier chapters, but as he became more and more involved in the project he contributed his segment of Riverview’s history, significantly broadening the story. He restructured the format, fact-checked, and added some of the finishing touches.

I’d like to express my appreciation to the following individuals from Riverview who contributed information or were interviewed for this project. Most interviews took place in my colleagues’ offices at Riverview between the years 2000 and 2010. All those quoted in this book responded voluntarily and acknowledged that they would likely be quoted (some of the interviews have been very lightly edited for readability). The job titles listed after their names are those reported by the Human Resources Department of the Department of Children and Families (DCF) at the time this book was written. As is always the case when individual contributions are listed, I fear that some persons may have been inadvertently left out. To those I missed, I offer my sincere apologies, and gratitude.

Linda Adams, teacher

Randy Adams, school principal

Craig Allen, psychiatrist

Henry Alton Allen, Jr., psychiatrist

Thomas Allen, pupil services specialist

Debra Anderson, assistant superintendent

Louis Ando, child and family bureau chief

Mehaden Arafeh, Connecticut Valley Hospital superintendent

Robin Arnsten, psychiatric social worker associate

Muhammad Waqar Azeem, medical director

Bernard Barile, clinical psychologist

Anthony Bartell, children’s services worker

Michael Bartolotta, plant facility engineer

Nachi Bhatt, teacher and pupil services specialist

Peter Briggs, supervising clinician

Peter Brown, superintendent of the State Receiving Home

Randolph Burnham, psychologist, Behavioral Learning Environment Unit (BLEU)

Linda Cahill, head nurse

Linda Carabetta, director of nursing

Andrew Cass, assistant superintendent

Joseph Cautella, behavioral specialist consultant

Oliver Clark, director of nursing

Daniel Clifford, children’s services worker

Pat Colanghi, nurse manager

Robert Delvecchio, teacher

Elizabeth Donlon, teacher

Kevin Dowling, nurse supervisor

Kathy Duffendack, supervising dietitian

Marvin Farbman, children’s services worker

Bette Flynn, teacher

David Frieze, director of institutional services

Willie Fuqua, teacher

Herbert Gewirtz, director of Children’s Unit (1963–1965)

Lewis Goldberg, supervising psychologist

Elizabeth Grady, rehabilitation therapy supervisor

Mark Harrington, fiscal administrative assistant

Robert Haxton, administrative services officer

Jeffrey Hewett, assistant superintendent

Steven Hodge, pupil services specialist

Irving Jennings, psychiatrist

Lynn Johnson, lead children’s services worker

Joyce Jones, Children Services Unit supervisor

Krista Judson, lead children’s services worker

Adam Kaczmarek, lead children’s services worker

Mark Kaplan, supervising psychologist

Janice Karpinski, purchasing services officer

Jane Klemba, head nurse

Karen Kovall, teacher

Jeffrey Landau, psychiatrist

Charles Leonard, superintendent of High Meadows

Michael Lustick, psychiatrist, medical director of Altobello Adolescent Hospital

John Lynch, clinical social worker supervisor

Chris Malinowski, advanced nurse practitioner

Judith Raczkowski McCain, director of residential care

Peter Marshall, co-director of Children’s Unit (1969–1971)

Frederick Miller, Children Services Unit supervisor

Anthony Nalewajek, Children Services Unit specialist

Joan Narad, psychiatrist

Sarah Newkirk, assistant principal

Laurie Nichols, volunteer

Donna Nolan, teacher

Gary Nolan, teacher

Judith Normandin, superintendent of Altobello Adolescent Hospital

Jacqueline O’Brien, clinical education specialist

Keith O’Leary, supervising nurse

Geraldine Pearson, nurse specialist

Marcia Pease-Grant, psychiatric social worker supervisor

Melodie Peet, superintendent of Riverview

Sangeeta Peschuri, psychiatrist

Sandra Pizzo, children’s services worker

Robert Plant, division director of Community Mental Health Services

Thomas Prue, rehabilitation therapy supervisor

Richard Pugliesi, psychiatrist

Susan Reale, psychiatric social worker

Jacqueline Reardon, executive secretary

Jay Resnick, teacher

Charles Rich, psychiatrist

Mark Root, director of nursing

Thomas Royce, children’s services worker

Francis Rusczek, psychiatric social worker associate

Ellen Ryder, psychiatric social worker director

Michelle Sarofin, superintendent

Marianne Sculley, secretary

Edward Shukis, teacher

Lesley Siegel, medical director

Robert Sinkewicz, psychiatric social worker

Andrea Spaulding, lead children’s services worker

Margery Stahl, superintendent of Altobello Adolescent Hospital and Riverview

Margaret Stewart, assistant superintendent

Leonard Suchotliff, superintendent of Housatonic Adolescent Hospital

Carl Sundell, superintendent of Riverview

Wilson Tirado, supervising nurse

Anthony Ventrelli, teacher

Joyce Welch, superintendent of Connecticut Children’s Place and Riverview

David Wells, rehabilitation therapy assistant

Frank Winiski, children’s services worker

Eunice Wiseman, teacher

Many thanks to Lisa Dierker, professor of psychology at Wesleyan University, who awarded tutorial credit for the work of three students: Leah Wiley, John Friedberg, and Michelle Wellington. They combed through annual reports, transcribed taped interviews, and gathered information. They also helped edit some early chapters.

Also, special thanks to two amazing women who were with me during my twenty years at Riverview: Margery Stahl and Jacqueline Reardon. One organizational consultant described Marge as the “mom” of our mom and pop organization. With her nursing background Marge leaned heavily on a medical model, while I moved toward a residential treatment approach. Nevertheless, Marge was totally loyal and committed to the task of providing the best possible care for the children. She was responsible for and mentored the largest number of staff members.

Jacqueline Reardon was our executive secretary. Jackie once replied, “I’m just a country girl,” when a Joint Commission on Accreditation of Hospitals surveyor asked her pointed questions. Truth be told, Jackie knew everything and everyone and generally kept me informed of the mood and atmosphere of the day. Smiling and pleasant, she also had a great sense of humor. When I embarked on walks around the facility I’d say, “I’m going to MBWA” (manage by walking around); Jackie added another A—“aimlessly.”

Special thanks to Frank Winiski for taking most of the recent pictures (2004–2010) in this book. Others whose particular area of expertise was shared when needed include: Victoria Brothers, personnel specialist for DCF, who verified the spelling of all staff members listed earlier; Gloria Gdovin, for her many hours of speedily typing chapters of the manuscript, saving me triple the time; Kandace Yuen, medical librarian at Connecticut Valley Hospital, for searching the archives for dates and pictures of older buildings as well as giving me access to historical material at CVH.

Thanks, too, to Matthew Kabel, who saved both me and my computer from an early demise.

Last, but hardly least, I am indebted to my editor, Victoria Stahl, whose patience, persistence, and professionalism guided me through the highest standards. What started out as a simple memoir for my grandchildren and perhaps for some close friends and colleagues has transformed into a historical document. Thank you, Victoria.

I’d like to add my very deep appreciation for the children who passed through Riverview. Their shining presence made me feel that I had the best job in Connecticut.

Rocky Hill, Connecticut, 2014

RIVERVIEW HOSPITAL

FOR CHILDREN AND YOUTH