LCFS Illinois reviews

Despite the positive energy from the managerial staff, the residential facility is unsafe. I'm not referring to fire hazards, etc., rather, to the fact that the population is as violent and difficult as any you would see in a penitentiary. A number of staff have been injured over the years, some quite seriously and most bruised and battered on more occasions than should ever be experienced. Lack of Safety: This lack of safety is due on part to the fact that while LCFS in Addison correctly advertises itself as a therapeutic residential facility that can handle children with extreme emotional disturbances, it in no way is built to contain and or maintain such a population. Staff on hand rotate out of the workforce at what was a 30% turnover rate (as of 2011). Low pay and difficult scheduling as well make the bachelor degree'd positions as careworkers extremely challenging and unrealistic (hence the turn over rate). The facility is not on lock down in any way and isn't built to be safely locked down in the event of a crisis. In my own personal experience, when answering a call for a particular crisis event, I have found myself to be alone and in extremely dangerous situations - and I'm by far not the only former employee to have experienced this. I might especially note that a female in this environment is in an especially difficult situation as either careworkers or outreach, etc., considering that a number of male residents are extremely violent in a number of ways, roaming the property with bats and other available items in an effort to cause another client or staff harm. Lack of understanding of certain middle-management: Lower managerial staff have as well been difficult (not naming them out of respect for their supervisors), expecting much and providing little in the way of support; lacking basic social skills, and so forth (note this is in reference to the current managing LCSW). Secondary concern on Safety: Due to a lack of safety and because there is not a consistent retention of qualified staff (turnover rate, etc), particular residents are behaving as if they are not only in a penitentiary, but as if they are in control. As an example, I have smelled marijuana and tobacco on a number of residents who seem to have litle to fear from a number of staff who do not have the "manpower" to either lock down these individuals and get their rooms properly searched, not to mention a lack of bringing in K-9 unit law-enforcement on a regular occasion (randomly) as I have suggested, in order to sniff out contraband. During one safety assessment, I was actually informed by a careworker that the individual I was speaking with was "high on ecstacy." He had purchased the drug from other residents, along with some marijuana. -- This is of course, unaccceptable.