I’d like to express my appreciation to the following individuals from Riverview who contributed information or were interviewed for this project. Most interviews took place in my colleagues’ offices at Riverview between the years 2000 and 2010. All those quoted in this book responded voluntarily and acknowledged that they would likely be quoted (some of the interviews have been very lightly edited for readability). The job titles listed after their names are those reported by the Human Resources Department of the Department of Children and Families (DCF) at the time this book was written. As is always the case when individual contributions are listed, I fear that some persons may have been inadvertently left out. To those I missed, I offer my sincere apologies, and gratitude.
Linda Adams, teacher
Randy Adams, school principal
Craig Allen, psychiatrist
Henry Alton Allen, Jr., psychiatrist
Thomas Allen, pupil services specialist
Debra Anderson, assistant superintendent
Louis Ando, child and family bureau chief
Mehaden Arafeh, Connecticut Valley Hospital superintendent
Robin Arnsten, psychiatric social worker associate
Muhammad Waqar Azeem, medical director
Bernard Barile, clinical psychologist
Anthony Bartell, children’s services worker
Michael Bartolotta, plant facility engineer
Nachi Bhatt, teacher and pupil services specialist
Peter Briggs, supervising clinician
Peter Brown, superintendent of the State Receiving Home
Randolph Burnham, psychologist, Behavioral Learning Environment Unit (BLEU)
Linda Cahill, head nurse
Linda Carabetta, director of nursing
Andrew Cass, assistant superintendent
Joseph Cautella, behavioral specialist consultant
Oliver Clark, director of nursing
Daniel Clifford, children’s services worker
Pat Colanghi, nurse manager
Robert Delvecchio, teacher
Elizabeth Donlon, teacher
Kevin Dowling, nurse supervisor
Kathy Duffendack, supervising dietitian
Marvin Farbman, children’s services worker
Bette Flynn, teacher
David Frieze, director of institutional services
Willie Fuqua, teacher
Herbert Gewirtz, director of Children’s Unit (1963–1965)
Lewis Goldberg, supervising psychologist
Elizabeth Grady, rehabilitation therapy supervisor
Mark Harrington, fiscal administrative assistant
Robert Haxton, administrative services officer
Jeffrey Hewett, assistant superintendent
Steven Hodge, pupil services specialist
Irving Jennings, psychiatrist
Lynn Johnson, lead children’s services worker
Joyce Jones, Children Services Unit supervisor
Krista Judson, lead children’s services worker
Adam Kaczmarek, lead children’s services worker
Mark Kaplan, supervising psychologist
Janice Karpinski, purchasing services officer
Jane Klemba, head nurse
Karen Kovall, teacher
Jeffrey Landau, psychiatrist
Charles Leonard, superintendent of High Meadows
Michael Lustick, psychiatrist, medical director of Altobello Adolescent Hospital
John Lynch, clinical social worker supervisor
Chris Malinowski, advanced nurse practitioner
Judith Raczkowski McCain, director of residential care
Peter Marshall, co-director of Children’s Unit (1969–1971)
Frederick Miller, Children Services Unit supervisor
Anthony Nalewajek, Children Services Unit specialist
Joan Narad, psychiatrist
Sarah Newkirk, assistant principal
Laurie Nichols, volunteer
Donna Nolan, teacher
Gary Nolan, teacher
Judith Normandin, superintendent of Altobello Adolescent Hospital
Jacqueline O’Brien, clinical education specialist
Keith O’Leary, supervising nurse
Geraldine Pearson, nurse specialist
Marcia Pease-Grant, psychiatric social worker supervisor
Melodie Peet, superintendent of Riverview
Sangeeta Peschuri, psychiatrist
Sandra Pizzo, children’s services worker
Robert Plant, division director of Community Mental Health Services
Thomas Prue, rehabilitation therapy supervisor
Richard Pugliesi, psychiatrist
Susan Reale, psychiatric social worker
Jacqueline Reardon, executive secretary
Jay Resnick, teacher
Charles Rich, psychiatrist
Mark Root, director of nursing
Thomas Royce, children’s services worker
Francis Rusczek, psychiatric social worker associate
Ellen Ryder, psychiatric social worker director
Michelle Sarofin, superintendent
Marianne Sculley, secretary
Edward Shukis, teacher
Lesley Siegel, medical director
Robert Sinkewicz, psychiatric social worker
Andrea Spaulding, lead children’s services worker
Margery Stahl, superintendent of Altobello Adolescent Hospital and Riverview
Margaret Stewart, assistant superintendent
Leonard Suchotliff, superintendent of Housatonic Adolescent Hospital
Carl Sundell, superintendent of Riverview
Wilson Tirado, supervising nurse
Anthony Ventrelli, teacher
Joyce Welch, superintendent of Connecticut Children’s Place and Riverview
David Wells, rehabilitation therapy assistant
Frank Winiski, children’s services worker
Eunice Wiseman, teacher
Many thanks to Lisa Dierker, professor of psychology at Wesleyan University, who awarded tutorial credit for the work of three students: Leah Wiley, John Friedberg, and Michelle Wellington. They combed through annual reports, transcribed taped interviews, and gathered information. They also helped edit some early chapters.
Also, special thanks to two amazing women who were with me during my twenty years at