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MONTGOMERY -- Almost three years ago, accompanied by a social worker, a young woman named Crystal left a deplorable living environment. Her home was extremely dirty, the commode appeared to have been broken for quite some time, and the structural conditions of the house itself were quite dangerous. Crystal entered the Lurleen B. Wallace Developmental Center in Decatur a few days later, barefoot and dirty, carrying two sacks of clothing purchased for her en route by DHR officials. "At first glance, this story may seem to foreshadow an unhappy ending," said Department of Mental Health & Mental Retardation Commissioner Kathy Sawyer. "Fortunately for Crystal, the DMH/MR offered her care and habilitation during a time of critical need. Now, after only two years, Crystal and two other residents at the Wallace Center have moved into a community group home." Throughout her stay at the Wallace Center, Crystal lived in a safe, dignified and humane environment. She was enrolled in a school system that embraced her. "These experiences were totally new to Crystal and she flourished," Sawyer said. "But even greater opportunities were in store for Crystal." Fourteen residents at the Wallace Center, including Crystal, have had a change of address over the past eight months. They now reside in various community homes throughout DMH/MR Region I, a geographic area serving Cherokee, Colbert, Cullman, DeKalb, Etowah, Franklin, Jackson, Lawrence, Limestone, Madison, Marshall and Morgan Counties. "All of these community placements are a move in the right direction for these consumers and, in many positive ways, have resulted in noticeable changes and improvements in their quality of life," Sawyer said. "Crystal, in particular, has a new outlook on life. She has her own bedroom, her own space. That is incredibly important to any individual’s sense of identify and self-worth." The Alabama DMH/MR settled the Wyatt v. Stickney case in January 2000. Filed in the Middle District of Alabama in 1970 and ruled on by the esteemed federal Judge Frank M. Johnson, the thirty-year-old case is the longest running mental health civil rights lawsuit in the United States. As part of the settlement agreement, the DMH/MR agreed to outplace 600 facility residents into community programs by the end of 2003. "300 community placements will come from the mental illness hospitals and 300 will come from the mental retardation developmental centers," Sawyer explained. As part of the DMH/MR efforts to facilitate the community placements, the agency has embarked on an aggressive three-year public education and awareness campaign. The theme of the campaign is "We Are Alabama, Get To Know Us!" The campaign encourages Alabamians to learn the facts about mental illness, mental retardation and substance abuse disorders. "We want everyone to know that people with mental disabilities make great neighbors, great students, great employees and, most importantly, great friends," Sawyer said. "Crystal’s story is gratifying. She successfully escaped a dangerous situation, received the care and compassion she desperately needed at the Wallace Center and, now, is happily enjoying her new home and new friends."
RESOURCES For more information about community services and programs for persons with mental retardation, as well as information about state-operated developmental centers, contact the DMH/MR Division of Mental Retardation at (334) 242-3701. Information about the "We Are Alabama, Get To Know Us!" public awareness campaign is available from the DMH/MR Office of Public Information & Community Relations at (334) 242-3417. Visit the Alabama DMH/MR web site at http://www.mh.state.al.us.
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