Text of Letter regarding Residents Request Removal of Larry

Belcher and Elaine Roper

E-mailed to the Statesman Journal

March 28, 2011

Superintendent Gregory Roberts, et al-

We are a group of Oregon State Hospital residents submitting a

vote of no confidence in OSH cottage nurses Larry Belcher and
Elaine Roper. We are taking this step because we believe all
other hospital procedures available to address these serious
issues have failed us.

In short, we feel the actions of both Mr. Belcher and Ms. Roper
place us in danger, are counter to our treatment needs, and fail
to live up to The Hospital’s own Code of Ethics. We are asking
for their immediate removal from cottage staffing and an
assurance that they will not simply be moved to where they may
harm other residents.

We have come to this vote based on years of observed

behaviors, which include:

• Constant intimidation and belittling of cottage residents

• Active discouragement of patients asserting grievances (“We
don’t file grievances at the cottages”, “It’s not a grievable issue”)
• Open retaliation for those that do file grievances
• Threats of physical takedown should a patient refuse a blood
draw or simple nursing requests
• Threats of reverse transfer, placing residents in continual
fear
• Open hostility and yelling at other staff in our presence
• False or selective charting in an effort to discredit patient
complaints; falsely applying mental illness “symptoms” to
patients who do complain about treatment
• Forcing very physically ill patients to Treatment Mall instead
of attending to symptoms
• Actions that have furthered the hospital-wide perception
that the cottages are no longer the desired living location- in
turn, destroying any incentive for non-cottage residents to
achieve treatment goals and progress through OSH
• Failure to issue a transition level appropriate number of
passes because of an excessive risk aversion
• Non-compliance of community agreement for appropriate
cottage residents
• Gross mismanagement

Because all other attempts to correct these problems have been

fruitless, we are forced to make our demands as publicly as
possible. We are submitting our concerns to our outside
advocacy groups, members of the media, as well as DHS officials
and members of The Oregon Legislature.

Thank you for addressing these concerns-

Cottage Residents, Residents of 35A, 35C, 50 Building, Harbors,

and members of the Consumer Council