NIMBY, Not In My Back Yard: Severely autistic NB youth and adults are sent out of the province to the Spurwink facility in Maine and to the Restigouche Regional Psychiatric Hospital in Campbellton on NB's northern border with Quebec far from families and communities in NB's more heavily populated south.
The
UK Daily Mail has reported the story of a family whose severely autistic son who was sent 250 miles away for treatment including for severe self injurious behavior. The distance involved during his stay of more than 2 years meant 500 mile round trips to visit their son who had never met his sister:
Josh Wills was diagnosed with severe autism when he was two years old
For years his parents Sarah Medley and Phill Wills cared for him at home
But around two years ago his self-harming became so severe they realised he needed specialist treatment
He was transferred to a centre in Birmingham for specific care
But
20 months later his parents are still having to do the 500-mile round
trip from their homes in Cornwall to visit Josh, who has never met his
little sister
A petition #bringJoshhome has received 176,000 signatures
NHS
Kernow say their plan is to bring Josh home but they have to ensure the
specialist care is available before the teenager can be transferred
The UK is not the only jurisdiction lacking essential service facilities for persons with severe autism disorders. Here in New Brunswick substantial sums of money have been spent over the last 10 years housing individuals across the border at the Spurwink facility in southern Maine. Severely autistic adults who can not function in the group home system which lacks autism trained staff and professional supervision. The exiles in Maine actually cost substantial sums of money to the province with conservatively estimated costs of $300,000 per person per year. Adults with severe autism disorders who require permanent residential care and treatment are sent to Campbellton on NB's northern border with Quebec to live out their lives far from family members in NB's more heavily populated south.
A centrally located special care residential autism facility, based on a modern, non hospital, educational and community inolved model was proposed by
Paul McDonnell in 2010 and simply ignored by ill informed government decision makers. During the "connecting the dots" campaign I met with then NB Youth Advocate and Ombudsman Bernard Richard, Christian Whalen who worked in his office and Professor McDonnell. After representations from McDonnell Richard looked to Whalen for a response which was dismissive. Neither Richard nor Whalen have ever made any statements to indicate that they have any real knowledge of autism disorders but they don't have to in NB. Here in NB careers are built by uttering community and inclusion cliches without actually understanding the subject being discussed or the consequences of failing to take meaningful action to address serious challenges like those presented by severe autism disorders.
Contrary to their own community and inclusion cliche statements our government leaders have been quite content to send our severely autistic adults to Maine and to NB's northern border with Quebec far from their own back yards.
Community? Inclusion?
NIMBY, Not in My Back Yard, sums up much more honestly and accurately NBs failure to help autistic adults live with dignity, proper care and treatment near family and friends.
