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"Headhunter" And Adult Home Sued For Discrepancies
Jean Philips, an attorney for MFY Legal Services, said the suit was filed on behalf of three residents - all with mental disabilities - against Blossom Helena Glass Reyes, a "headhunter" - a recruiter who receives fees for placing people in adult homes. The suit also states Glass Reyes pressured people into "inappropriate placements in exchange for money." "Ms. Glass Reyes targets mentally disabled people in hospitals and nursing homes and persuades them, often through deceit or even coercive tactics, to move to the adult homes that pay for her services," said Philips. One resident, according to Philips, alleged that Glass Reyes told her she had been evicted from her own apartment and could not return. "This was not true," the attorney said. "Two others, who had previously been awarded $18,000 each in a class action suit, said that Glass Reyes told them she was the lawyer on the case in order to procure powers of attorney from them, thus enabling her to steal their money." She added that, with another resident, it's alleged she stole his checkbook and forged multiple checks over the course of five months. Philips said the federal lawsuit also charges that New South Shore Manor actively participated in the scheme to steal three of the residents' funds. "While at first glance, headhunters seem little different from private housing brokers," she said in a press release, "in reality they prey on vulnerable people in vulnerable situations and operate with virtually no oversight. Many hospital discharge planners, faced with scarce housing options for people with mental illnesses, ask few questions when someone offers to place patients for them, and adult homes do little to prevent financial exploitation of the residents." New South Shore Manor officials did not respond to repeated phone calls from the Courier.
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