Sign up to save your podcasts
Or
Share Corrigan 2
Share to email
Share to Facebook
Share to X
Share to email
Share to Facebook
Share to X
Or
Corrigan 2
The American Bar Association, the U.N. Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners (Nelson Mandela Rules), and the Association for the Prevention of Torture all recommend a minimum of one hour outdoors daily, weather permitting, as part of minimum humane standards for detention and incarceration.
-------------------------------------
This is a 2nd podcast about the IPU (inpatient unit) at Corrigan Mental Health Center. There are many other things going on at Corrigan MHC besides the IPU. For example, there is a great program for helping families in which there is a young person who may be experiences the early stages of psychosis. The people there are excellent. This podcast is only about the IPU.
In brief, the IPU itself is a valuable entity for the community. If you did not consider the taxpayer perspective, there would be little to find fault with. Once, however, you do consider the taxpayer perspective, you start to see Corrigan IPU in a very different light. On the surface, it looks like a place to treat people who are a danger to themselves or others, albeit one that is substantially overstaffed. From the taxpayer perspective, however, we look at the underlying reality: where is the cash going? Who is receiving the cash?
And the answer is that from this perspective, Corrigan IPU is a benefit program where labor-market subsidies are suppled to a group of white, middle-class professionals. For a population of at most 15 or 16 patients at a time, we have a staff of 30? 40? middle-class white professionals working for whom Corrigan IPU provides employment safe from labor market presures. The IPU may also effectively provide a private IPU for the patients of providers working there.
I wanted to get some data or records to confirm or deny my understanding. I wanted to know how did we end up with such a small unit with so many professionals working there? So I first tried to make a public records request. The folklore was that it was a patient suicide which caused the dramatic downsizing (but not the elimination) of the unit. I wanted to find out when that suicide had occurred. The public records request put me in touch with a very nice young person who referred me then to the Director of Communications (DOC). They may have the data I need at their fingertips. I expanded my request and sent it to the DOC.
That was mid January. By early February, I had received nothing back. Not even an acknowledgement of receipt of the email. So on Feb. 3, I left two voicemails and re-sent the original email. As of February 7, today, still I have received nothing.
This was my experience also when I wrote the Human Rights Director originally to ask how Corrigan IPU justified its practically minimal provision of outside air and outside light to patients. (Effectively, on information and belief, only about 1/4 to 1/3 of the patients there receive daily outdoor air and light. None are provided with individual access to the outdoors). When I wrote the HRD, I received nothing, zip back.
There are laws and then there is what happens. My guess would be that DMH employees face incentives which make it inadvisable for them to reply to non-fluff inquiries. It seems like it will only lead to frustration to keep communicating with the DOC. So all I do, below, is provide the email chain with DMH.
1. At first, I was simply interested in trying to verify the folklore, viz., that the unit's bed count was cut dramatically following a patient suicide. I wanted to know the date of that suicide, so I sent this request on January 11:
I request all documents related to any patient suicides at Corrigan Mental Health Center in Fall River, from 1990 to the present.
2, They replied:
Thank you for your email. Kindly let me know when you have a moment to speak about your request over the phone this week. Our office hours are M-F 9 am to 5 pm.
3, We spoke on the phone, and I was diverted via this email:Thank you for your conversation today, where we went over your request and concluded that you were looking for information and not records regarding capacity at CMHC. Given this, we agreed to withdraw your request and to connect you with our Director of Communications, [GH] to go over your inquiry about that information and how it is reported. I have copied her contact information below.
[GH]
617-626-8150
4, I then called the Director of Communications (DOC), and I got the sense from the outgoing message that the phone number was more of a voice message collection device. (It was doubtful would ever be actually answered). The outgoing message also indicated people should email the DOC. I expanded my request and sent the following email to the DOC on Friday January 17th:
Hi. I am planning to do a series of podcasts about the Acute Inpatient Unit Corrigan Mental Health Center in Fall River ("Corrigan IPU). (If you are interested, the first of these podcasts is here: https://philosophypodcasts.org/pork, but you don't of course need to listen to that. I merely provide it in case you are interested. ) I wrote a records request (below), but Mr. [G] steered me instead towards you, suggesting you may be in the best position to answer my questions. The major puzzle I have is the following: It seems that the Corrigan IPU has only 16 beds. Despite the fact that these are non-violent, non-medically compromised patients, there are more professional staff than patients. On information and belief, the Corrigan IPU once served a much larger caseload. (Specifically, at one time, it held 40 patients). Questions 1) Is it correct that the the Corrigan IPU only has 16 beds 2) Is it correct that the Corrigan IPU employs many more than 16 professionals (specifically, is it correct that Corrigan IPU employs over 10 nurses (including two in administrative positions--i.e., who do not interact with patients, but merely serve as administrators of the staff), 1 nurse practitioner, 1 MD, 3 full-time social workers, 2 full-time occupational therapists, a dietician and a peer-support specialist? 3) Is it correct that all of these professionals are white (i.e., caucasian) 4) Is it also correct that the Corrigan IPU also employs at least 12 mental-health workers? 5) Is it correct that all of the higher-level (level 3 or 4) mental health workers are white? 6) Is it correct that Corrigan IPU also employs a doctor-on-call around the clock? 7) Including all staff, what are the annual labor costs for operating the Corrigan IPU? 8) Is it also correct that Corrigan IPU does not track whether its patients access the outdoors? 9) Is it correct that patients do not have the opportunity to access the outdoors individually? 10) Is it correct that the patients can only access the outdoors in groups, and only by traversing staircases that are daunting for older patients? 11 Is it correct that the Corrigan staff does not require or even encourage patients to access the outdoors? 12) Does the Massachusetts DMH agree that not being able to access the outdoors is a form of torture?5. After a couple of weeks of not hearing anything, I decided to attempt contact again. On February 3rd, I left a voicemail message with the DOC asking if she had received my email and asking if she could call me or email me at least to confirm receipt. I also sent them an email forwarding the Feb. 17 email.
Dear [DOC],
I hope you are well. Could you please confirm that you received this message? I just want to make sure it didn't slip through the cracks! Thank you so much. As of Feb. 7 2025, I have received neither a phone call nor an email in reply.
View all episodes
By August BakerThe American Bar Association, the U.N. Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners (Nelson Mandela Rules), and the Association for the Prevention of Torture all recommend a minimum of one hour outdoors daily, weather permitting, as part of minimum humane standards for detention and incarceration.
-------------------------------------
This is a 2nd podcast about the IPU (inpatient unit) at Corrigan Mental Health Center. There are many other things going on at Corrigan MHC besides the IPU. For example, there is a great program for helping families in which there is a young person who may be experiences the early stages of psychosis. The people there are excellent. This podcast is only about the IPU.
In brief, the IPU itself is a valuable entity for the community. If you did not consider the taxpayer perspective, there would be little to find fault with. Once, however, you do consider the taxpayer perspective, you start to see Corrigan IPU in a very different light. On the surface, it looks like a place to treat people who are a danger to themselves or others, albeit one that is substantially overstaffed. From the taxpayer perspective, however, we look at the underlying reality: where is the cash going? Who is receiving the cash?
And the answer is that from this perspective, Corrigan IPU is a benefit program where labor-market subsidies are suppled to a group of white, middle-class professionals. For a population of at most 15 or 16 patients at a time, we have a staff of 30? 40? middle-class white professionals working for whom Corrigan IPU provides employment safe from labor market presures. The IPU may also effectively provide a private IPU for the patients of providers working there.
I wanted to get some data or records to confirm or deny my understanding. I wanted to know how did we end up with such a small unit with so many professionals working there? So I first tried to make a public records request. The folklore was that it was a patient suicide which caused the dramatic downsizing (but not the elimination) of the unit. I wanted to find out when that suicide had occurred. The public records request put me in touch with a very nice young person who referred me then to the Director of Communications (DOC). They may have the data I need at their fingertips. I expanded my request and sent it to the DOC.
That was mid January. By early February, I had received nothing back. Not even an acknowledgement of receipt of the email. So on Feb. 3, I left two voicemails and re-sent the original email. As of February 7, today, still I have received nothing.
This was my experience also when I wrote the Human Rights Director originally to ask how Corrigan IPU justified its practically minimal provision of outside air and outside light to patients. (Effectively, on information and belief, only about 1/4 to 1/3 of the patients there receive daily outdoor air and light. None are provided with individual access to the outdoors). When I wrote the HRD, I received nothing, zip back.
There are laws and then there is what happens. My guess would be that DMH employees face incentives which make it inadvisable for them to reply to non-fluff inquiries. It seems like it will only lead to frustration to keep communicating with the DOC. So all I do, below, is provide the email chain with DMH.
1. At first, I was simply interested in trying to verify the folklore, viz., that the unit's bed count was cut dramatically following a patient suicide. I wanted to know the date of that suicide, so I sent this request on January 11:
I request all documents related to any patient suicides at Corrigan Mental Health Center in Fall River, from 1990 to the present.
2, They replied:
Thank you for your email. Kindly let me know when you have a moment to speak about your request over the phone this week. Our office hours are M-F 9 am to 5 pm.
3, We spoke on the phone, and I was diverted via this email:Thank you for your conversation today, where we went over your request and concluded that you were looking for information and not records regarding capacity at CMHC. Given this, we agreed to withdraw your request and to connect you with our Director of Communications, [GH] to go over your inquiry about that information and how it is reported. I have copied her contact information below.
[GH]
617-626-8150
4, I then called the Director of Communications (DOC), and I got the sense from the outgoing message that the phone number was more of a voice message collection device. (It was doubtful would ever be actually answered). The outgoing message also indicated people should email the DOC. I expanded my request and sent the following email to the DOC on Friday January 17th:
Hi. I am planning to do a series of podcasts about the Acute Inpatient Unit Corrigan Mental Health Center in Fall River ("Corrigan IPU). (If you are interested, the first of these podcasts is here: https://philosophypodcasts.org/pork, but you don't of course need to listen to that. I merely provide it in case you are interested. ) I wrote a records request (below), but Mr. [G] steered me instead towards you, suggesting you may be in the best position to answer my questions. The major puzzle I have is the following: It seems that the Corrigan IPU has only 16 beds. Despite the fact that these are non-violent, non-medically compromised patients, there are more professional staff than patients. On information and belief, the Corrigan IPU once served a much larger caseload. (Specifically, at one time, it held 40 patients). Questions 1) Is it correct that the the Corrigan IPU only has 16 beds 2) Is it correct that the Corrigan IPU employs many more than 16 professionals (specifically, is it correct that Corrigan IPU employs over 10 nurses (including two in administrative positions--i.e., who do not interact with patients, but merely serve as administrators of the staff), 1 nurse practitioner, 1 MD, 3 full-time social workers, 2 full-time occupational therapists, a dietician and a peer-support specialist? 3) Is it correct that all of these professionals are white (i.e., caucasian) 4) Is it also correct that the Corrigan IPU also employs at least 12 mental-health workers? 5) Is it correct that all of the higher-level (level 3 or 4) mental health workers are white? 6) Is it correct that Corrigan IPU also employs a doctor-on-call around the clock? 7) Including all staff, what are the annual labor costs for operating the Corrigan IPU? 8) Is it also correct that Corrigan IPU does not track whether its patients access the outdoors? 9) Is it correct that patients do not have the opportunity to access the outdoors individually? 10) Is it correct that the patients can only access the outdoors in groups, and only by traversing staircases that are daunting for older patients? 11 Is it correct that the Corrigan staff does not require or even encourage patients to access the outdoors? 12) Does the Massachusetts DMH agree that not being able to access the outdoors is a form of torture?5. After a couple of weeks of not hearing anything, I decided to attempt contact again. On February 3rd, I left a voicemail message with the DOC asking if she had received my email and asking if she could call me or email me at least to confirm receipt. I also sent them an email forwarding the Feb. 17 email.
Dear [DOC],
I hope you are well. Could you please confirm that you received this message? I just want to make sure it didn't slip through the cracks! Thank you so much. As of Feb. 7 2025, I have received neither a phone call nor an email in reply.