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Florida group home laws for workers?

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Giogiogio4

Junior Member
What are the Laws concerning Group homes ( for foster children ) in the state of Florida?

i work at this group home, where the children ( mostly 17 ) think they run the place. They do whatever they want, Say and go where ever they want. They are extremely rude to the staff,Workers and everyone else. on Several noted and document instances these teens, Some the same size as I have threatened me multiple times with violence. physical pushed me when asked to calm down and came at me.

This kids all multiple times been arrested and sent to Juvenal for the short time and come right back repeated the same nonsense. The work environment has become hostile and we can do a thing to defend ourselves, As I have been told.
my tax dollars are being used to fund this nonsense. i came out of the foster care system a few years ago and I was never disrespectful like these brats.
 


OHRoadwarrior

Senior Member
I hate to say this, but you are the supposed to be the adults in charge. If you do not have the ability to control the situation, with the capabilities given you by upper management, consult with them. If they do not give you the tools you feel are needed for you to effectively do your job, get another one.
 

Giogiogio4

Junior Member
What tools? The children all are "Thugs". They Know they cant be touched. they know that if the police come they will be out in a few short weeks. They dont respect anyone not even themselves. they are just as disrespectful to the police who come here to check on them and our upper management as well.

i have been looking for a new job for 6 months and NO1 is hiring in my area unless you have connections. i filled out about 67 different applications and these all have to be redone over and over. 9 with those lovely 50 min questionnaires ).

Im just tired of these Kids basically attacking me at times and i cant do anything.
 

csi7

Senior Member
The hardest part about respect is that with juveniles already in the system are used to getting their way with being rude, mean, threatening, and what the rules are used for to protect staff members and the juveniles.
I worked in a contracted juvenile detention facility, a holding facility for juveniles in dangerous situations and without any prior training before going onto the floor.
In order to gain respect from the juvenile, your behavior, appearance, actions all have to promote your personal safety and well-being first. I was working with males who all out weigh me, are much taller than I am, and I scared the threat out of them when I turned around and said, do that again and you will be in the director's office immediately. In other words, look at what you are doing that shows the teens they are "in charge".
I sat down to write out a report and was charged by a teen making rude comments, I ignored him as he was being escorted by two males. I got up in the window and observed this male change from being a "brat" to a "mama's little boy" in two seconds flat. When he came back in, I said to him, follow the rules and you'll be back with your mama sooner than later. His eyes got real big and he behaved for me after that.
Turn off your personal feelings, personal behavior, and keep your conversations to a minimum.
It will go much better for you while you are searching for another job.
 

commentator

Senior Member
If these contractors could not find employees who were desperate enough to work for them under poor circumstances, they would have to pay more and it wouldn't be nearly as profitable a situation as it is. There are very few minimum standards of care and security for these facilities. none of which involve the inmates treating their monitors with respect or being forced to curtail their threats or bad behaviors.

State employees who work in this type state controlled facility have some things going for them, in that they have federal regulation and monitoring to a much stronger degree than private entities, they have a fairly secure job with benefits, and they have better training and professional assistance. But the state can save a few dollars by contracting it out and letting these people go. These contractors hire people for low wages, with no training, no job security, no regulations, and as long as there are people who are desperate enough to work at these jobs, they will be there.

We actually had a situation in our area where the juveniles staged a riot, took hostages and the employees of the facility called the local police. The workers discovered the local law could not do anything to the inmates, because they were already under arrest and in state custody.

But if you quit the job due to conditions you describe, without a specific incident, you probably wouldn't even be able to get unemployment insurance, because they'd say you didn't have a good enough job related reason to quit.
The circumstances you describe are pretty common in this type facility.

But either you find a way to deal with the work or you leave. Jobs may be hard to find, but that's just the situation today. If you do have to apply for Worker's Comp because you've been injured by an inmate on the job, iwhich is all you'd get, likely, it will not be worth it, it will take a very long time, and might not pay much at all.I hope this never happens to you.
 
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