Bad Neighbor / Dangerous Neighbor:

• In February 2019, Acadia Healthcare Division President Jeffrey Woods chose to move Louisville facility to a more remote location after 160 incidents listed in the police log from Jan. 3, 2016 to Feb. 7, 2019 with 43 such incidents involving missing juveniles. Citing that stopping escapes was impossible and the move would be beneficial to the community. https://www.thedailytimes.com/news/louisville-behavior-health-center-to-relocate-after-assaults-neighborhood-concerns/article_523be3b2-98ce-5ea6-afdf-028e94103b9e.html?fbclid=IwAR300X3Qx_1AkGfsDKd8ybJASyIcq5lDg70OTiX_Uu5D52jyd4Noqds02qQ

• In September 2018, three teenage boys escaped from Acadia owned Village Behavioral Health Treatment Center and were charged with vehicle theft and aggravated assault and kidnapping of a facility employee. https://www.thedailytimes.com/news/juveniles-charged-in-attack-on-louisville-health-treatment-center-employee/article_5cec281f-911c-577b-858b-ae3c1c896cd1.html

• In November 2017, an Indianapolis neighborhood was on edge after a string of break-ins. But these weren’t part of some normal run-of-the-mill crime spree. Police confirm the perpetrators are teen runaways from the psychiatric facility who, somehow, keep getting out. https://www.wishtv.com/news/i-team-8/indianapolis-neighbors-police-say-kids-are-escaping-a-psychiatric-treatment-center/   

• From January until May of 2017,  Desert Hills (NM) mental health facility had the most assault and battery calls in the entire City of Albuquerque, and that facility had sanctions placed upon it, which included an admissions hold. https://www.kob.com/investigative-news/cyfd-children-youth-families-department-group-home-admissions-hold-amid-escapes-violence-desert-hills/4629869/

• In June 2016, 15-year-old Shaquan Ketcham, escaped from Acadia facility and then broke into and tried to burglarize a house in the neighborhood where the facility was located which resulted in Ketcham being shot by the homeowner. https://www.kob.com/investigative-news/cyfd-children-youth-families-department-group-home-admissions-hold-amid-escapes-violence-desert-hills/4629869/

Danger to its Patients / Death / Sexual Assaults:

• In November 2019, a psychiatric treatment center for children in Fordyce (Arkansas) has been accused of negligence leading to youth-on-youth sexual assaults, according to a lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Pine Bluff.

https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2019/nov/17/sex-assault-suit-names-behavioral-healt/?fbclid=IwAR283-ydp_MA6o12Mnw9xDWWPvCTzOvmJ52Klcpmzzs-ejXPMpFsGskwOhY

• In November 2019, Arkansas state regulators are investigating 14 allegations of abuse and neglect against a Fayetteville mental-health treatment center for children, including poor supervision that led to sexual contact — both “forced” and “consensual” — among the young residents.

https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2019/nov/10/monitors-report-neglect-sex-dirt-kids-facility/?fbclid=IwAR2oWYeJ3yfXnE1arIsAg0EJ93dbKtVFVltif5RigDNdfO7N-QRE1e0joo8 

• In October 2019, the former program director of a Bangor methadone clinic plans to sue the facility’s parent company after a state panel found reasonable grounds to believe that he may have been fired in retaliation for raising concerns about the clinic’s operations.

https://bangordailynews.com/2019/10/28/news/bangor/the-former-director-of-a-bangor-methadone-clinic-is-suing-after-he-was-fired/?fbclid=IwAR3uWcpoz1eM8rZukFwEtuG-OnRIivzXnVh77OLoell2JlkW0u-3xi-3tl8 

• In October 2019, a memorandum submitted to Oregon Senate Committee on Human Services Chairwoman Sara Gelser this year warned that the state’s Department of Human Services (DHS) is putting foster children at risk by sending them to out-of-state residential treatment facilities operated by companies with a history of overseeing alleged physical and sexual abuse, including the alleged cover-up of assaults … At Acadia, not only are there undisclosed criminal indictments and convictions of former employees for the death or assault of patients, but we found allegations that Acadia has: 1) Destroyed evidence 2) Falsified documents 3) Duped regulators during audits 4) Covered up incidents of patient abuse 5) Submitted fictitious billings to the government 6) Failed to disclose regulatory investigations at certain facilities 7) Retaliated against multiple whistleblowers.

https://www.theepochtimes.com/oregon-memorandum-details-abuse-in-commercial-foster-care-facilities_3123554.html?fbclid=IwAR060-AU7bMxDjDDBq6kF2XBVvPU-51VsuqJIFqJ7EUHEWiKPGMNFzlgsOw 

• In September 2019, Gwinnett County (GA) police say they are now investigating a death at a controversial psychiatric clinic in unincorporated Norcross. According to officials, officers were called to Lakeview Behavioral Health on Sept. 27 about what they called a "domestic incident." Police say they have received more than 70 complaints alleging neglect and abuse by employees at the clinic.

https://www.wsbtv.com/news/local/gwinnett-county/patient-found-in-freezer-child-loses-toe-46-claims-of-abuse-investigated-at-mental-facility/989991596

• In September 2019, a Tampa Bay Times investigation found that North Tampa Behavioral makes huge profits by exploiting patients held under Florida’s mental health law, known as the Baker Act. The hospital illegally cuts patients off from their families. Then it uses loopholes in the statute to hold them longer than allowed, running up their bills while they are powerless to fight back.

https://projects.tampabay.com/projects/2019/investigations/north-tampa-behavioral-health/

• In August 2019, a local girl's experience at a since-shuttered Montana facility highlights difficulties for teens seeking mental health care … Acadia Montana has become part of a string of treatment facilities across the country that have been exposed for mistreatment of vulnerable youth. Shortly after Abby left, new reports claimed that a 9-year-old girl from Oregon had been drugged at Acadia Montana in an effort to calm her down. Further reports in a series of stories from the Montana Standard revealed this was a common practice and that the facility faced a litany of other allegations of mistreatment over the years. In June, the 108-bed facility, owned by Acadia Healthcare, announced it was closing. (Acadia Healthcare did not respond to Inlander requests for comment.)

https://www.inlander.com/spokane/a-local-girls-experience-at-a-since-shuttered-montana-facility-highlights-difficulties-for-teens-seeking-mental-health-care/Content?oid=18079531&fbclid=IwAR2ZE0SdgxvYad-6QUV9H0U4pEZdKYtvCoq9EsFTodoOtiZ4LNTniADUHyQ 

• In April 2019, an Acadia Healthcare facility for youth in New Mexico was shut down, following allegations of abuse and the loss of its state certification. The suits cite internal fight clubs instigated by facility staff members, sex between staff and young patients, the unchecked spread of HIV among patients and excessive use of restraints on children https://www.bizjournals.com/nashville/news/2019/04/08/acadia-facility-shuttered-amid-allegations.html

• In April 2019, six women filed lawsuits against your Timberline Knolls facility, in which one of Acadia’s employees raped, forced patients to engage in oral sex, digital penetration and fondling beneath patient clothes, and that Acadia employee was faced with 62 felony charges for sexual assault, and abuse. https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-met-timberline-knolls-lawsuits-20190404-story.html

• On January 13th, 2019, Elizabeth Breck escaped Sierra Tucson (an Acadia owned facility) even though she was in a locked facility and was wearing a tracking bracelet. She has not yet been located. Acadia has not participated in helping private investigators find her. https://kvoa.com/news/crime-trackers/2019/03/22/search-continues-for-missing-teacher/

• In October 2018, Acadia announced it was closing all 10 of its Ascent Children’s Health Services in Arkansas after these came under scrutiny in 2017 when a 5-year-old boy died after being left in 140 degree heat in a van outside its West Memphis facility. Criminal charges were filed against workers at the site and Ascent was placed under review by the Office of Medicaid Inspector General. http://testwp10.newsmemory.com/theeveningtimes/news/2018/09/25/ascent-to-close-west-memphis-2-other-locations/

• In October 2018, Acadia’s negligence contributed to the deaths of two patients within a five day span at the Belmont Behavioral Hospital, and the state cited Belmont for multiple deficiencies including lack of staff and failure to have facilities designed to prevent suicide, and state inspectors declared that facility as a state of imminent danger months before these events occurred, yet no appropriate corrections were made. http://www.aureliusvalue.com/research/acadia-healthcare/

• In May 2018, a patient named Tara Moon had a nurse who was supposed to check on her every 5 minutes but didn't and instead took a 20-minute coffee break. During this coffee break, Moon killed herself by hanging herself with a bedsheet. The Arizona Department of Health Services found the hospital didn't have the proper sheets that would break away under a person's weight. https://www.kold.com/story/38318712/tucson-hospital-reaches-settlement-with-family-of-woman-who-committed-suicide/

• In May 2017 - January 2018, on-going abuse and neglect left and elderly Veteran and patient, Myron Ballou, seriously injured and on the brink of death. Government inspection documents also reported other allegations of sexual harassment and physical abuse at the Oklahoma hospital. The hospital didn't investigate to determine if the reports were legitimate, according to inspection reports. https://bit.ly/2KC7jfS

• In 2016, a 9 year old patient was raped by a 14 year old patient inside of an Acadia facility van. The staff member in charge during this time was the rapist’s uncle, who failed to report the incident, was placed on probation, and fined.  The lawsuit was settled out of court. https://www.boonevilledemocrat.com/news/20181002/negligence-lawsuits-against-fort-smith-based-health-facilities-settled-out-of-court/1

• In May - September 2013, Benjamin Bland, an Acadia employee sexually assaulted nearly a dozen women at the Park Royal Hospital and was sentenced to five years in prison. https://www.news-press.com/story/news/2016/06/20/park-royal-hospital-sexual-abuse-lawsuit-settled/86046604/

• Because staffing is Acadia’s single largest expense, currently representing roughly 53% of total revenues, staff cuts are common to save on staffing expenses at Acadia facilities to unsafe levels.  Yet having appropriate staffing, in terms of both quantity and quality of people, is critical because some patients are dangerous to themselves and others, requiring intense supervision and precise administration of treatment. http://www.aureliusvalue.com/research/acadia-healthcare/

Cover-up / Corporate Crime & Activities:

• In December 2019, more than 50 police officers raided Norcross, Ga.-based Lakeview Behavioral Health Dec. 6 after reports of unexplained patient injuries at the facility, according to local news station WSB-TV. The search involved Lakeview Behavioral Health's administrative office and hospital campus about a mile away. Authorities seized numerous computers and boxes of patient records as evidence. The raid is part of a large-scale investigation into complaints of patient abuse, neglect and fraud at Lakeview Behavioral Health, which is owned by Franklin, Tenn.-based Acadia Healthcare. Police confirmed they're focusing on cases involving 51 former patients at the facility. https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/quality/police-raid-georgia-psych-hospital-over-abuse-allegations.html

• In December 2019, a former University of Tennessee quarterback is no longer CEO at a Florida hospital owned by Brentwood-based Acadia Healthcare after an inspection found he was not qualified for the job. According to a Tampa Bay Times report, Bryon “BJ” Coleman Jr. had no health care experience when he was hired as the top executive at North Tampa Behavioral Health in 2018. He recently accepted a new position at Acadia following a September investigation by the Times and a resulting inspection by regulators. https://www.bizjournals.com/nashville/news/2019/12/06/former-volunteers-qb-out-as-hospital-ceo-following.html

• In November 2019, an Arkansas treatment center designed to help kids with sexual behavior disorders will not be built in Springdale as previously planned. The facility would be like the one in Fayetteville – which is being investigated by the Department of Human Services for allegations of neglect, abuse and sexual misconduct among residents.

https://www.nwahomepage.com/news/knwa/land-nulled-for-youth-treatment-center-2/?fbclid=IwAR0Qs7BVM3LX0FRofVHcfjTvaPqSbm3YmCANorZgwfID-pNDEUvjyxR2dqQ

• In October 2019, Bragar Eagel & Squire is investigating certain officers and directors of Acadia Healthcare Company, Inc. (ACHC), American Renal Associates Holdings, Inc. (ARA), Camping World Holdings, Inc. (CWH), and Cardinal Health, Inc. (CAH) on behalf of long-term stockholders.

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/bragar-eagel-squire-investigating-certain-140000922.html 

• In May 2019, Acadia entered into a settlement with the United States, through the Department of Justice, Department of Health and Human Services, and the state of West Virginia, for $17 million, which is the largest fraud settlement in the history of WV. https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdwv/pr/united-states-attorney-announces-17-million-healthcare-fraud-settlement

• In 2017, a Government Inspection reported allegations of sexual harassment and physical abuse at Acadia’s Rolling Hills facility. Acadia, after receiving multiple reports of sexual abuse, ordered its employees to remove security cameras and destroy video survelliance footage of the incident. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1vX5QlqhH-LIBXZMZ1jZhtl82vUXsrs3y/view?usp=sharing

• In 2013, James Reed, the hospital’s internal investigator for Park Royal Hospital, was caught multiple times supplying false testimony and trying to cover up video surveillance footage regarding sexual abuse allegations at that facility. http://archive.naplesnews.com/news/health/how-a-fort-myers-mental-hospital-missed-warning-signs-about-employee-who-sexually-assaulted-patients-342586572.html/

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Expect Significantly Increased Call Volume: Based on other data of citizen initiated calls for service for other psychiatric hospitals in the county we can expect a large volume of calls for this facility.

With the current Police understaffing it will increase call response time and police will not be set up to successfully respond to community needs in a timely manner. It will take away resources from the surrounding community.

The above facilities are all standalone facilities, the same as the proposed Eastlake Behavioral Health Hospital will be. Standalone means they will not have supportive services such as an ER or Hospital next to the psych hospital. Scripps Mercy Hillcrest’s current Psych Unit is on the same campus as the hub hospital and ER.

One of the differences between the other standalone facilities above and the proposed Eastlake Behavioral Hospital is that it is twice the size as Rosecrans and Bayview, and it will be the SECOND LARGEST PSYCHIATRIC HOSPITAL IN THE COUNTY.

See CVPD Report: Here See Formatted Data: Here 

See CVPD Report: Here, See Formatted Data: Here 

See Formatted Data: Here 

On March 26, 2019 the SD Board voted in favor of changing the land use to create a Regional Behavioral Health Services Hub on 4307 Third Ave. It is a 7.24 acre parcel of land, 1/2 a mile North of Scripps Mercy Hillcrest.

County staff are currently doing an analysis to determine what the need is in the Central Region area and what the mix of services should be. It will be concluded in November 2019 (see below approved proposal from Nathan Fletcher's Office)

This land is not only available now, but the county is looking for partners. It is a much more appropriate location for the services being provided given: the proximity to the Hospital hub, the proximity to mass/public transit, in a neighborhood where the hospital currently exists, away from schools and it raises the likelihood of successful coordinated treatment exponentially which may lower readmission rates which is the ultimate goal. It would also allow for Scripps to heavily monitor Acadia’s operations.

See Proposal to establish behavioral health facility, HERE