Complaint Review: Citizens Advocates

North Star Industries claims to be a "Equal Opportunity Employer", but that's not all together true. Their Crisis Center Staff consists of nothing but "consumers" (Patients with a Mental Ilness), which they pay less than minimum wage to work a shift that can range up to 18 hours per night. With a set minimum on call pay, that does not compensate for "babysitting" a beeper and/or telephone.

Not to mention that the staff has little to no crisis experience and/or training. The policy of the NSBHS Crisis Center is to leave the scene of a crisis emergency and call the police, instead of giving the proper hands-on training used to de-escallate a situation, i.e. SCIP-R (Stratigies in Crisis intervention and Prevention).

North Star does how ever live true to the "Equal Opportunity Houser" title, but also there is a very fine line. NSI has housed at their River Street Appartments over the last 4 years, at least 3 drug dealers who have their operations in the appartments, as well as a family that neglected their children, with the help of NSI, by the way (ie. building containing lead paint on the premisis, with minors under the age of 10 living in them). Not to mention that the upkeep on the building is, well, let's just say not up to standards. Basically they are cages for the tenents.

Tenents are not permitted to have visitors for more than 3 days, not permitted to have any additional appliences besides a microware, and the crappy fridge, and stove provided. Tenents are also not permitted to put anything on the outside of the building. As well as if they have pets, the pets basically can't relieve themselves or make any noise period.

All walls in the appartments are institutional white and cannot be altered. The driveway/property is so dangerous that 2 children have gotten hit by moving cars (30MPH), and during the winter time the driveway is so unkept that people have even been know to slide on the ice into the buildings.

Conserned Individual
Saranac Lake, New York
U.S.A.