Expansion Continues - Out of the Shadows

As the 1940s began, calls to expand Pownal State School continued. While the patient population would peak in the 1930s at around 1,500, Superintendent Kupelian would continue to advocate for expanding the numbers of residents – asking the public to support funding for up to 9,000 total patients.

Newspaper clipping from the Lewiston Evening Journal, April 2, 1943 with the headline: "Favor Pownal State School Construction" — Lewiston Evening Journal, April 2, 1943

Newspaper clipping from the Lewiston Daily Sun, June 20, 1940 with the headline: "Facilities Needed at Pownal State School" — Lewiston Daily Sun, June 20, 1940

Newspaper clipping from the Lewiston Evening Journal, June 19, 1940 with the headline: "Need Accommodations For Mentally Defective" — Lewiston Evening Journal, June 19, 1940

Newspaper clipping from the Lewiston Daily Sun, January 26, 1944 with the headline: "Maine Department of Institutional Service Has Many Urgent Needs – Most Institutions Are Overcrowded – Many Have Long Waiting Lists – Post-War Plans are Ready For Consideration of Legislature" — Lewiston Daily Sun, January 26, 1944

Newspaper clipping from the Lewiston Evening Journal, April 19, 1944 with the headline: "Authorizes Fund Transfer to Pownal State School" — Lewiston Evening Journal, April 19, 1944

Newspaper clipping from the Lewiston Daily Sun, September 12, 1944 with the headline: "Need Institutions – Postwar Planning Calls For Expansion, improvement of State Facilities" — Lewiston Daily Sun, September 12, 1944

Expansion of Pownal State School was supported not just by the Superintendents of the School, but found a great cheerleader in the State Commissioner of Institutional Service, Harrison Greenleaf. He wrote in an op-ed in the Lewiston Evening Journal, “This department seeks in its new construction at the Pownal State School…to achieve simplicity of design, a maximum of utility, and a maximum of economy of maintenance…with the use of sound construction policies devoid of unnecessary ornament and unnecessary space…so designed that it can afford adequate housing care for 200 patients. Because of the particular need for housing facilities for the low grade type of inmate the dormitories have been designed with this in mind.” (January 17, 1945)

Newspaper clipping from the Lewiston Evening Journal, January 17th, 1945 with the headline: "State Institutions Have Many Needs and a Program Already Developed to Meet These Needs" — Lewiston Evening Journal, January 17th, 1945

By spring of 1945, $1.5 million had been appropriated by the Legislature to expand the state’s institution, including three new buildings at the Pownal State School.

Newspaper clipping from the Lewiston Evening Journal, June 19, 1945 with the headline: "State Institutional Expansion Underway, Greenleaf Tells Lions" — Lewiston Evening Journal, June 19, 1945

Commissioner Greenleaf would continue to ask for increases in funding, not only to expand the school itself, but for more staff – staff shortages were an increasing problem at the School. Greenleaf also asked the Legislature to allow the institution to move to a 3 day, 48 hour per week schedule for staff. “Help Wanted” ads looking for more staff at Pownal proliferated in newspapers across the state.

Newspaper clipping from the Lewiston Daily Sun, October 16, 1946 with the headline: "Greenleaf Asks Shorter Week in 3 Institutions – Recommends 48 Hours to Improve Service; His Budget is Higher – Gardner Asks More" — Lewiston Daily Sun, October 16, 1946

Advertisement from the Lewiston Daily Sun, November 16, 1946 – Help Wanted for the following positions at Pownal State School: Graduate Nurses, Stenographer, Attendants, Male and Female — Lewiston Daily Sun, November 16, 1946

The Legislature approved another $400,000 for more construction at Pownal State School in 1947.

Newspaper clipping from the Lewiston Daily Sun, May 14, 1947 – Headline: $400,000 For Pownal. — Lewiston Daily Sun, May 14, 1947

Text of 1947 Public Law Chapter 152 - Pownal Funding Resolve — 1947 Public Law Chapter 152

Theme Alert!

Money

From the beginning of the institutional period, the cost of providing care for people with developmental disabilities was both the reason for building larger and larger congregate settings and an excuse for any evidence of neglect or poor treatment that came to light.

Throughout the history of Pineland you can see the frequent requests for more funding. When Pineland was closed a new pool of money was flooded into the community. This followed a series of cuts and the same types of pleas for additional funds that can be seen through the institutional period.

To this day, disagreements over the amount of funding put towards services plague this system. Reimbursement rates and workers’ paychecks, infrastructure and innovative care – the question of “how do we pay for this?” hangs over all the decisions made.

Workforce Crisis

The bulk of the labor that supports people with developmental disabilities has historically been done by “low wage” earners – high school graduates or those with associate degrees working for minimum wage or very close to it. In addition to “low wages”, society at large can view the job as low skilled and akin to “babysitting.” In addition to a lack of workers to fill the shifts and perform the vital tasks, those that are employed in this field often feel undervalued and overworked. Expectations are low – and services suffer as a result. People with developmental disabilities often don’t get the supports they need from the staff hired to serve them – and the behaviors and reactions that may occur with this lack of support can then lead to abuse and neglect, including an overdependence on traumatic interventions like restraint.

Good direct care providers are also promoted to “supervisor” roles without the training and skills needed to support direct care workers (as the skillset of the two jobs are not the same.) Of course, this assumption of the skills is simply untrue. The lack of value placed on those doing this essential work has led to labor shortages again and again.