Supporters, staff still critical of SAINT

Clark County's promise to restore all the functions of the Sexual Abuse Investigative Team working out of the Children's Advocacy Center has done little to stem criticism from program supporters and staff.

On Oct. 4, Clark County Family Services Director Tom Morton called a temporary halt to the forensic physical exams of children who may have been molested. Other aspects of the program, referred to as SAINT, were not affected.

Morton cited staffing concerns and said the action was based on legal advice from the Clark County district attorney's civil division. He declined to detail what the staffing issue is, although he did say that a manager needs to be hired to oversee the program and additional people are needed to assist during exams.

Morton also said the suspension was not based on any problems with current staff, which includes director and physician John Martin and two nurses. But all three staff members work as private contractors, Morton said -- that left absolutely no one in charge of the medical administration of the program.

Morton's statements made Friday to police sexual abuse investigators, child advocates, SAINT staff and donors who funded the $1.1 million construction of the center failed to satisfy many of those present.

Donna Coleman, who helped organize fund-raising for the center's construction, which houses the SAINT program, questioned Morton's failure to explore other options that would have been less disruptive. She also lashed out at Morton, who told the gathered crowd that no harm had been done to any children as a result of the decision.

"You don't know that," Coleman said heatedly during the meeting she arranged at the Las Vegas Country Club.

While the physical exams performed by SAINT staff are suspended, Clark County Family Services is referring children to Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center. Appointments are made for children who require an exam so there is no waiting in line for emergency services, Morton said.

One police investigator sitting at the table said the suspension of SAINT has had an impact on his job. A 9-year-old girl who may have been abused was scheduled to be examined by SAINT staff the day after the program was put on hiatus. The exam was rescheduled at Sunrise, the investigator said, but the delay took an emotional toll on the family and delayed the investigation.

Other police investigators also said that the short notice given was a problem. Staff members, who said they were not included in the discussions leading up to the suspension of exams, said they had yet to be notified of what their status is. Both nurses said they were unclear about whether they'd been fired or were going to be returning to their jobs.

Clark County Manager Virginia Valentine said that errors in communication were made in the situation and the best thing to do now is move forward and see that it doesn't happen again.

Toni Isola-Bayer, who helped organize and also donated to the fund-raising efforts for the advocacy center housing SAINT, sent a letter to Clark County Assistant Manager Darryl Martin this week along with a list of questions that have yet to be answered about SAINT's suspension. At the meeting, Martin committed to reinstating the exam portion of the SAINT program as quickly as possible.

In her letter, Isola-Bayer called Morton's attitude during the meeting "cavalier" and said that suspending service without proper notification was a mistake.

"A proactive approach to find funding for the extra needed personnel would have been a better way to go," Isola-Bayer said. "As Donna Coleman pointed out in the meeting, there are plenty of resources who would have gladly paid to have another staff person in the room while exams were being performed in an effort to comfort these already over-traumatized children."

Contact reporter Lisa Kim Bach at lbach@reviewjournal.com or (702) 383-0287.