the stigma of hospitalization is still very real.
I hope you will find within these pages a story of hope and courage. The institutional history of Riverview is a personal history. It is about the people who made it happen. Over the years, hundreds of individuals—psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, nurses, childcare workers, groundskeepers, administrators, teachers, recreation/rehabilitation workers, housekeepers, nutritionists, business managers, personnel workers, clerical staff, medical records technicians—played special roles in making Riverview what it was and is today. Throughout this book, I mention many names as a way to preserve some of this history. In addition, I enjoyed spending time with and learning so much from each of the many people I interviewed and who contributed to the writing of this book. Weaving our stories together, I hope to present an account that is not only interesting, but also a useful record of what was and, for good or for bad, what could be. I have also included samples of key documents and tools, so that those interested in helping children with mental health issues can easily access and adapt these materials. Throughout the text, you’ll see many endnotes. Some document interview data, but many expand and add anecdotes to the narrative.
My most heartfelt thank you goes to the staff and volunteers who worked so selflessly to make Riverview the model of effective mental health services for children that it was for so many years. While the cover of this book designates me as the author, the fact is that I have relied extensively on the words and experiences of many others. This is particularly true of Louis Ando, my friend and colleague who assisted me in many ways throughout the writing of this history. During the past year, as I began to lose steam, it was Lou’s enthusiasm and encouragement that motivated me to finish the task. He started out simply by editing some of the earlier chapters, but as he became more and more involved in the project he contributed his segment of Riverview’s history, significantly broadening the story. He restructured the format, fact-checked, and added some of the finishing touches.
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
