Facility for troubled adolescents raises concerns among neighbors
At the start of this school year there will be an education and therapeutic program for those young men in the Tyrone Area School District who have had academic or behavioral issues that have prevented them from reaching their potential in the public school system.
Pyramid Healthcare is opening Greentree Village in Bald Eagle, Snyder Township. The program is designed to offer a full educational program that is sanctioned by the Tyrone Area School District in conjunction with a therapeutic component that offers group and individual counseling to deal with emotional health and behavioral issues.
Residents of Bald Eagle are not pleased with the decision to place Greentree Village in the predominant elderly community. Not only that, but the residents feel the planning and decision was secretive and nearly hidden from them. What the residents fear based on Pyramid’s placement is a crime problem that they believe may develop because of the youths brought into the program — and into Snyder Township.
Around 80 people, mostly residents of Bald Eagle, attended an open meeting at the Bald Eagle Fire Hall last evening at 7 p.m. to discuss and ask questions about the Pyramid Healthcare issue. Also in attendance were Pyramid Healthcare representatives, including Chief Operating OfficerJim Vernarsky, Adolescent Services Director Carol McFall and Director of Media and Community Relations Andrea Shope. Tom Templeton, the owner of the property that Pyramid is purchasing, attended the meeting, as well.
John Snyder, resident of Bald Eagle who lives right across the street from where Pyramid will be located, opened the meeting with his concerns. “We were all upset about the way it was presented and the way we found out about it,” said Snyder. “I spoke with State Representative Larry Sather and he told me to go to the school board and talk to a lawyer.”
Many people in Bald Eagle, like Snyder, are upset and don’t want to see Pyramid Healthcare in their community — but to do anything about that they need a lawyer and a petition. The residents feel they haven’t had their chance to talk.
Snyder continued, “Tuesday morning we will be talking with Attorney Allen Krier out of Senator Jubelirer’s group (to possibly take action) and we’re going to take donations to help pay for those funds.”
A lot of the concern has to deal with security measures at the Greentree Village. Snyder stated, “The school district has security cops, counselors and teachers, and they can’t deal with these kids, so their going to dump them in Bald Eagle where we don’t even have township cops.” He added, “Our closest cops are in Hollidaysburg and they don’t get here in five minutes.”
Many Bald Eagle residents had questions that needed to be answered and Vernarsky, from Pyramid Healthcare, who also spoke at the school board meeting this past Tuesday, approached the front of the room to try and clear up some rumors and answer questions to the best of his ability about security, where the youths come from that will be residing at Greentree and what Pyramid has to offer.
Vernarsky stated, “On August 26th we will be opening a ‘day program only’ and those children who start are only going to be Tyrone School District children. There will be about 15 boys for now.” He continued, “In about six weeks afterwards we’re going to open an eleven bed residence for kids who are going to be staying overnight. Later on we are going to increase the number of kids that live at this site, which will be around 25-30 kids.”
Vernsarsky added that Children and Youth Services are sending out Blair County kids to other areas for treatment when they should be staying here, which Greentree Village will provide a base for that opportunity for some children.
Still, the security issue was on the minds of Bald Eagle residents, which Vernarsky addressed accordingly. “We devote our profession to problem kids and giving them a second chance or first chance to deal with life and move on,” said Vernarsky. “As for security, we have staff twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, and we have people that our trained and educated to deal with our population.”
Vernarsky added, “We have a ratio of 1.2 staff members per the number of residents that we would have.” He also noted that isn’t for every shift, but instead a total number. At night there will be about three staff members working. With the 20-25 youths at Greentree, Pyramid will be bringing 30-35 jobs to the area.
The Bald Eagle residents who attended weren’t completely satisfied and many not at all. Some residents spoke of their displeasure of Templeton’s decision to sell the property to Pyramid Healthcare, stating that a ‘good’ neighbor would have informed them of what was going on.
“I didn’t know until the other night,” replied Templeton. “I wouldn’t sell the place to a drug treatment facility and they’re not licensed to do that. I don’t know what you want from these Tyrone and Blair County kids; where do you want them to go?”
A lot of Bald Eagle’s residents asked if anyone would want the Pyramid facility next door to their home or small community. They want to know if there is any danger and responsibility with having Greentree Village in Bald Eagle.
Vernarsky admitted that Pyramid didn’t present enough upfront information on the project to the Bald Eagle community, which he regretted.
Eileen Glace, another concerned Bald Eagle resident, offered a different side towards the Greentree Village facility. “I’m afraid and we are all afraid,” said Glace. “I’m not saying it should be in our community, but I’m saying it should help our kids at Tyrone school — we need to help our kids. We can’t send our kids to other areas for help either. We need help in our own community.”
As of now, Greentree Village will be opening their doors August 26th.
