5. Our experienced team of child sexual abuse lawyers represents victims across a number of different case types, including in cases similar to the Sequel Youth & Family Services lawsuit. Then children began to talk. Her family couldnt afford private care options that cost up to $4,000 a month, but social workers determined Lauries needs were so great that she qualified for state care. Below are some of the allegations from victims, staff, and advocates which were shared during the NBC investigation and a report filed by the Alabama Disabilities Advocacy Program of what was seen at just one Alabama location: Parents and adoptive parents have stated, "they come out worse than they were when they went in.". And the company vowed to reduce the use of physical restraints on children. Washington, California, Oregon and Minnesota stopped sending kids to the companys treatment centers. Landers wrote that a former Courtland employee reported that there were 40 different residents/students that are consistently choked, body slammed, tortured, emotionally abused, football tackled, held up to the wall by their neck, dragged out of their beds, punch children in face, break their glasses, and encouraged to harass and fight other residents., Children are punished by not being allowed to go to the bathroom to the point where they urinate and defecate on themselves, Landers said the employee told her. Theyre worth nearly $13 million. A lawsuit was filed Wednesday against Sequel Youth and Family Services, LLC in Macon County, Alabama Circuit Court, asserting claims of severe abuse and neglect of a 15-year-old boy at Sequel's . Attorney for Cornelius Fredericks Files Civil Lawsuit against Youth Facility Where He Died. I was banging and kicking on the door, trying to get someones attention, he said. The most common issue reported at youth residential treatment facilities is physical abuse, either at the hands of employees or other residents. Kate Snow is a national correspondent for NBC News. The company kept growing by taking over other youth facilities and programs, fueled by investments from a handful of private equity firms. Vivant hasnt bought all of Sequels remaining assets. Sequel subsequently closed the facility. Most notably, the estate of Cornelius Fredricks filed a $100 million lawsuit against Sequel for his death. OWENS CROSS ROADS, Ala. (WAFF) - The Sequel TSI facility in Owens Cross Roads will close on Saturday. Sequel Tuskegee is a mental health treatment facility in Macon County where boys ages 12 to 18 receive therapeutic intervention after being adjudicated by the court. It also ran outpatient programs in a handful of others. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. We have been lucky to have Sequel programs available to serve our kids, Marshall wrote. The attorneys at THL were extremely helpful with the legal aspects of setting up my small business. Most of the former Sequel treatment centers that remain open are now controlled by Vivant Behavioral Healthcare, which was founded in 2021 by Jay Ripley, one of three people who founded Sequel in 1999. Sequel Youth & Family Services. Enter your email below to receive notifications of new stories. A National Alliance Of Sexual Abuse Lawyers, Proud Members Of The Following Trusted Organizations. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. Sequel is a frequent presence at conferences for probation officers, judges, social workers, school safety professionals, attorneys and others involved in court cases. A nonprofit organization in Kansas will take over a Sequel treatment center there, according to Kansas City public radio station KCUR. The hardest part of the job was working long hours. Sequel declined to comment on Hunters case and his familys lawsuit. At that point, I was so depressed I didnt know what to do, Laurie said. On multiple occasions later in 2019, when Oregon state Sen. Sara Gelser emailed state officials demanding information about oversight of Sequel programs, government agents promptly forwarded the messages to Sequel employees for help responding. Sequel Youth and Family Services received nearly $9 million in reimbursement payments from the state of Michigan in 2019, according to the state. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. An NBC News investigation sorted through tens of thousands of documents and found dozens of reports of sexual and physical abuse. Sequel Youth and Family Services is a private for-profit operator of behavioral healthcare facilities for children and youth in the United States. At Courtland, where conditions had nauseated Johnson, state agencies received dozens of incident reports from 2018 to this summer detailing troubling allegations, including that children there had sustained injuries, such as a broken toe, a fractured ankle and a concussion, because of restraints. The leadership is the problem.. If you have been abused at a Sequel Youth and Family Services facility, or a similar facility, contact our experienced team of attorneys today to learn more about your legal rights. And we're ready to start right now. Sequel received little public attention before Altamont took control of it in 2017, but state regulators reported serious problems at its facilities before the private equity firm took control. Sequel Youth and Family Services owns Falcon Ridge Ranch, the Utah center with the highest rate of reported sex crimes. In 2017 Sequel operated 35 residential treatment centers in 16 states. You can also call us at (205) 843-5086 or fill out an online contact form to schedule a free consultation. The facility, which Sequel operated under a contract with the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice, shut down the following month. There is poor supervision, staff bullying and intimidation of the children. That lawsuit alleged that Sequel engages in a pattern and practice of using violent force against children and that children at Sequel facilities are subjected to unapproved and painful restraint techniques, long term seclusion/isolation and physical abuse (Staff refuses to intervene during fights and often encourages these fights. You can also sue facility staff members who are no longer working for Sequel. What we do is we strive every day to provide the best care we can for kids in these facilities, Birmingham said. The first morning he woke up in the room, Tristan said, he waved his arms at the camera, pounded on the door and shouted for the staff to let him out to use the bathroom. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. That means sending out marketing agents to get more states to send children to its facilities. In response to a list of questions laying out the findings of the APM Reports investigation, the company issued a lengthy written statement. Tommy James, an attorney representing the boy identified only as Hunter C., said his client lived at Sequel TSI of Courtland in 2018 and 2019, where . Sequel is playing hide the ball, and theyre trying to avoid accountability and responsibility for [what they did] to these children and our clients, said Tommy James, an attorney in Birmingham, Alabama, who has three suits pending against Sequel facilities now controlled by Vivant. If you or someone you know is in crisis, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255, text HOME to 741741 or visit SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for additional resources. If they cant get qualified people to do their job, they need to shut them down.. Laurie stayed at Owens Cross Roads twice before she reunited with her family. But rather than get better, Laurie said, girls at Owens Cross Roads seemed to get worse. MOUNT PLEASANT, Utah (AP) A company that runs treatment centers for troubled youth is closing a second Utah facility as officials investigate claims of sexual abuse, violence and several other . Clockwise from top, the latest operations to close: Mountain Home Academy in Idaho, Forest Ridge Youth Services in Iowa, Pompano Youth Treatment Center in Florida. Plus, you will join a work environment where collaboration and support come naturally. I was extremely impressed with their professionalism and ability to react quickly. Youth Counselor Supervisor (Former Employee) - Courtland, AL - August 17, 2022. 1:07. We were both in a really bad place, Laurie said. Sequel disputes the findings and the facility remains open. 3. Vivant is using the change of ownership to fight litigation against the treatment centers formerly owned by Sequel. With the goal of continuous improvement and our support, the company has consistently invested in quality and safety initiatives and in its staff to raise the bar and drive positive outcomes for thousands of individuals trusted to its care.. Sequel formerly ran the following facilities: Multiple lawsuits have been filed against Sequel Youth and Family Services, alleging abuse of all sorts and negligent behavior of staff and management. Use the CB Insights Platform to explore Sequel Youth and Family Services's full profile. She was taken to a psychiatric hospital, where, she said, you get emotional help that you would actually need, rather than just four walls and people screaming at you and a very hostile environment.. 2.8. . He was forced to go to the bathroom on his own breakfast tray, he said. Sequel often receives government funding to take in youth residents from both the foster care system and juvenile justice system. In wooing states, Sequel has an advantage: It offers to take children with the most severe challenges, who are hardest to place. After NBC News presented Sequel with a list of questions this month, Birmingham visited two of the companys Alabama facilities, and said she found that The kids were very happy. She said she encourages staff members to report any concerns about misconduct to a company hotline so Sequel can ensure no child is abused in its care. 38% of employees would recommend working at Sequel Youth & Family Services to a friend and 28% have a positive outlook for the business. The work load and expectations do not match the pay for the majority of the staff (even for the positions that require degrees). In Iowa, licensing inspectors found on multiple visits over the past two years that the Woodward Academy staff had put residents in inappropriate restraints without justification. It's like this many-headed Hydra. You deserve to be heard and we believe you. Tyler Kingkade is a national reporter for NBC News, based in Los Angeles. Visit our website or call us toll-free in the United States at 800-295-3959 to find local attorneys in you state who may assist you with your claim against Sequel. 137. If you or a loved one was the victim of abuse at one of these facilities, contact TorHoerman Law for a free, no-obligation case consultation with a member of our team or use our chatbot below to receive a free instant online case evaluation today. Many of Sequels behavioral health treatment centers are sold or closed following abuse allegations. There were feces on the floor, stuck inside the doorframe, stuck around the window.. Inspectors said the facility didnt meet state standards related to programming, education, supervision, and mental health treatment. Both Altamont and Sequel said the sale would help Sequel expand to serve more children. Those close relationships come in handy when the company faces scrutiny. On January 26, 2022, a lawsuit was filed on behalf of Tevin Pike against Sequel TSI of Alabama, Sequel TSI of Tuskegee, and Sequel Youth & Family Services LLC (Sequel), alleging that Pike was a former 15-year-old resident at an Alabama treatment facility for children run by Sequel TIS of Tuskegee, a residential psychiatric facility, for about two months in 2018, during which Pike was allegedly choked, beaten, punched, slapped and slammed to the ground by employees and other residents. An Altamont press release said Ripley would "remain involved with the business as chairman of the board through its next phases of growth." Laurie didnt know it at the time, but her future husband, Tristan Broadrick, was also struggling in Sequel facilities in Alabama. Legal action is being strategized by our attorneys for Horizon Therapeutics failure to properly warn patients of potential hearing loss side effects. You may be entitled to financial compensation for your injuries and damages. Lawsuit: Teen screamed 'I can't breathe' during restraint WEST . Former Students at Utah Troubled-Teen Centers Say Their Reports of Sex Abuse Were Ignored. How can the same people continue to be trusted with what they say are the most vulnerable kids that we have? You may be eligible to file a Tylenol Autism ADHD Lawsuit / Acetaminophen Autism ADHD Claim if you or a loved one used Tylenol and/ or Acetaminophen during pregnancy, and your child was subsequently diagnosed with ADHD or Autism Spectrum Disorder. The company is headquartered in Huntsville, Alabama and owns a nationwide network of over 40 facilities in more than 15 states, including residential treatment centers, group homes, special schools, and community-based programs. Ran outpatient programs in a handful of others at youth residential treatment is. Of potential hearing loss side effects Oregon and Minnesota stopped sending kids to bathroom. 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