Ripley started in the juvenile corrections business in the early 1990s, when he helped start Youth Services International with his boss and mentor James Hindman. Our team is what has made TorHoerman Law a very special place since 2009. KRQE News 13 reached out may times to Sequel Youth and Family Services, which has seen similar closures and allegations in its other nationwide facilities recently. In wooing states, Sequel has an advantage: It offers to take children with the most severe challenges, who are hardest to place. Earlier that year, the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare wrote a scathing report accusing the treatment center of significant failure in staff oversight and training resulting in over 100 incidents of aberrant sexual behavior by five children over at least three months, and possibly as far back as seven months.. Dont' waste time, contact our law offices today. He and the other children at Sequel Tuskegee were treated like animals by staff. Sequel's facility in Owens Cross Roads, Ala. Tristan Broadrick says he was kept for 72 hours a room similar to this "seclusion room" at Sequel's Tuskegee facility as punishment for running away. Sequel, she said, has also invested millions in improving care, staff training and oversight of its programs, doubling the size of its corporate compliance team. The lawsuit states the boy "had a propensity to engage in . Falcon Ridge Academy had the highest rate of sex crimes reported in the state of Utah. HUNTSVILLE, Ala., June 27, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Sequel Youth and Family Services today announced that Chris W. Roussos has been appointed the Company's Chief Executive . 1:07. Sequel Youth and Family Services is a private for-profit operator of behavioral healthcare facilities for children and youth in the United States. The lawsuit, filed by the parent of a child, identified as Hunter C., placed at Sequel's Courtland facility in north Alabama in early 2018 at age 14, claims he suffered long-term abuse at the . In Alabama alone, Sequel received nearly $25 million in Medicaid payments from 2018 to this August. For children who qualify, Medicaid reimburses Sequel for medical and mental health treatment. For more information about potential legal action, you can contact an experienced Sequel abuse lawyer at TorHoerman Law for a free, no-obligation case consultation. Even states without a Sequel location, including California, Oregon and Washington, have done so. Michigan, Oregon, Washington, and California have also either shut the facilities or are ending their relationships with Sequel Youth and Family Services in wake of concern around the abuse. In a statement, Sparkman wrote that the agency investigates allegations and that subsequent investigation records are confidential based on Alabama law.. It also ran outpatient programs in a handful of others. Red Rock Canyon School, another Sequel-ran facility, closed in 2019 after reports of abuse surfaced and a riot among residents ensued, resulting in area SWAT teams responding. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent. Many of Those Kids Were Abused There. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. A 14-year-old boy with a bloody gash just beneath his hairline told her that staff members had shoved him headfirst into a wall, Johnson said. Ohio announced recently that it was forcing the Sequel Pomegranate location to relinquish its license to operate the treatment facility. Jun 27, 2019, 15:09 ET. Children at Sequels other facilities in Alabama Montgomery, Owens Cross Roads and Tuskegee also had stories to tell. But some facilities might have new life under a different name and one of the original founders. That national corporation also owns Woodward Academy and Forest Ridge Youth Services in . An Altamont press release said Ripley would "remain involved with the business as chairman of the board through its next phases of growth." The sheriffs frustrations are similar to those expressed by local law enforcement about Sequel treatment centers in Ohio and Wyoming. In 2020, 16-year-old Cornelius Frederick died after he was reportedly smothered to death by Sequel employees in Michigan after he threw a sandwich. In 2017 Sequel operated 35 residential treatment centers in 16 states. Before they got out, the two crossed paths at a psychiatric hospital, where they were sent after trying to harm themselves. The company is more dysfunctional than the clients they try to serve. The operation housed a significant number of children from Oregon, which stopped sending them to Sequel treatment centers in 2020. If you are representing the estate of a loved one who has died as a result of abuse, or as a result of self-harm from abuse, you may qualify to file a wrongful death lawsuit against Sequel or at-fault parties. Sequel Youth & Family Services is now in the national spotlight after NBC Nightly News ran an investigative report on the company Wednesday night. And when we identify circumstances in which we are not providing care to the par that we expect it to be provided, we intervene with it. At that point, I was so depressed I didnt know what to do, Laurie said. That's not what we saw.". He complained that Forest Ridge was admitting children they were not qualified to care for, were allowing children to prey on one another, and were failing to keep children safe by allowing them to leave the facility unsupervised., The report also includes an email Martens sent the state last April: It is time for a change of how business is conducted. We encourage the following groups of people to step forward in confidence: An NBC News investigation sorted through more than 10,000 pages and records from 14 states, and interviews with former Sequel residents and parents showing how Sequel became one of the largest behavioral health youth facilities in the United States. They helped me when I needed expert legal representation! I was banging and kicking on the door, trying to get someones attention, he said. The attorneys at THL were extremely helpful with the legal aspects of setting up my small business. It is owned and operated by Sequel Youth and Family Services and receives funding from the Department of Children and Family Services, the Department of Healthcare and Family Services and the . Sequel disputes the findings and the facility remains open. 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. You may be entitled to financial compensation for your injuries and damages. See Monitoring Report for Sequel Youth and Family Services of Courtland, Ala. Disabilities Advoc. Some girls tried to harm themselves just to get out of the facility, Laurie said, including herself. Violence, Often Instigated by Staff, Has Become Common at Red Rock Canyon School in St. George for Troubled Children. Ripley said that in 2015 Sequel Youth and Family Services revenue was more than $200 million and that its profits were between $30 to $32 million. Fredricks' family filed lawsuits after his death against Lakeside Academy, school owner Sequel Youth & Family Services and employees. Kate Snow is a national correspondent for NBC News. Personally, I am enraged when I find out that people have treated my kids that way, if that allegation turns out to be substantiated, she said. C-Suite Team Hired to Accelerate Growth of Industry Leading Behavioral Health Company. Nearly all of Sequel's programs run on government funding: States pay Sequel $275 to more than $800 a day per child to provide residential and therapeutic services. According to Daniel Sparkman, spokesman for Alabamas Department of Human Resources, the agency made unannounced visits to Sequel facilities in the wake of the advocacy groups report, but by then, most, if not all deficiencies had been addressed. The agency continues to send children to Sequel facilities. In a civil lawsuit filed Monday against Lakeside Academy and Sequel Youth and Family Services, the family said the teen screamed "I can't breathe" as staff members placed their weight on his chest for nearly 10 minutes. The attorneys and staff at THL worked hard, communicated every step of the process, kept me well informed at all times, and exceeded all expectations! Many of Sequels behavioral health treatment centers are sold or closed following abuse allegations. 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Jay Ripley speaks at the Merrick School of Business in Baltimore in 2015. Altamont invested nearly $40 million over the past three years, not the past two years. He was forced to go to the bathroom on his own breakfast tray, he said. Laurie and Tristan Broadrick are expecting their first child. The records revealed reports of child abuse and injury reports had been made to state agencies in Alabama, yet the facilities would still pass inspections. Sequel Youth and Family Services was founded in the late 1990s by former employees of Youth Services International. Today, youth counselors at Sequel facilities start off making $12 to $15 per hour, depending on the location. You may qualify to take legal action, to seek compensation for the damages that you incurred from the abuse in a Sequel facility, if you or a loved one suffered: This applies to, both, currently operational facilities and closed facilities. 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. You can also call us at (205) 843-5086 or fill out an online contact form to schedule a free consultation. Video Shows Fatal Restraint of Cornelius Frederick, 16, in Michigan Foster Facility. At TorHoerman Law, we believe that if we continue to focus on the people that we represent, and continue to be true to the people that we are justice will always be served. At Kingston Academy in Tennessee, state inspectors found mold infestations, overflowing toilets and children sleeping on mattresses on the floor. If you or a loved one suffered injuries from an Exactech implant device, you may be entitled to financial compensation. All rights reserved. Run by Sequel Youth & Family Services a for-profit, $450 million company backed by Bay Area investors Lakeside had promised to put the boys "on a pathway to lead healthy and successful . All of my questions were answered quickly and in a way I could understand. Legal action is being strategized by our attorneys for Horizon Therapeutics failure to properly warn patients of potential hearing loss side effects. Tyler Kingkade is a national reporter for NBC News, based in Los Angeles. Ask a Question. Despite Oregons efforts to work with Sequel to meet our licensing and safety standards, it became abundantly clear that Sequel was unable or unwilling to meet Oregons mandatory reporting requirements, said Jake Sunderland, press secretary for the Oregon Department of Human Services. The company told investors it was well positioned to serve as industry consolidator, thanks in part to its clean regulatory and litigation history.. Vivant, which does not have a website or any listed phone numbers, sent APM Reports an email asking for questions in writing, but it did not answer them. Enjoy a rewarding career where you can gain new skills and build your career with the guidance of a mentor. 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 . An NBC News investigation based on more than 10,000 pages of records from 14 states and interviews with former Sequel residents, their parents and attorneys, probation officers and watchdog groups reveals how Sequel became one of the biggest behavioral health youth facility operators in the country. That means sending out marketing agents to get more states to send children to its facilities. Sequel is a privately-owned, for-profit operator of behavioral healthcare facilities for children and youth in the United States. Sequel Youth and Family Services Lawsuit: Reports of Abuse, Independent Fundamental Baptist Resources, Disclaimer / Terms Of Service & Privacy Policy, 24/7 support with a caring legal staff dedicated to protecting your confidentiality, employees or "whistleblowers" of the facilities, Multiple children report being slammed to the ground and held facedown, One boy described his head being caught on a nail in the wall during a violent restraint, Reports of being called names, threatened, and comments such as "you gonna go to jail", Report of being in solitary confinement for 72 hours, with no access to a bathroom, Report of lack of access to medical treatment, dental treatment or eye care, Report of lack of access to clean drinking water, Lack of education, school work and career training, Filthy conditions and hazardous living conditions, Residents in inappropriate restraints without justification, and even the death of one resident at a Michigan facility. After their release, they stayed in touch and fell in love, they said. He mentioned how "you can make money in this . Contact the Elmiron Lawyers from TorHoerman Law. In a civil lawsuit filed Monday against Lakeside Academy and Sequel Youth and Family Services, the family said the teen screamed "I can't breathe" as staff members . lawsuits and interviews with former residents, staff . But the marketing push could not overcome concerns several states had after Cornelius Fredericks death this year. Alabama Sequel Facility a House of Horrors for Foster Child, Lawsuit Claims. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. KALAMAZOO, Mich. The family attorney for Cornelius Fredericks's estate fought to enter new evidence in the on-going civil lawsuit against Lakeside Academy and Sequel Youth Family Services, but . And we either make drastic improvements at the facility, or we may choose not to operate that facility anymore.. You can still file a Sequel abuse lawsuit against facilities that are closed. It's privately held, so details about its financials are hard to come across. January 24, 2020 How Our Alabama Law Firm Investigates Nursing Home Abuse. May 28, 2021 Sequel Youth and Family Services and the Troubled Teen Industry (Residential Treatment Program/Facility Abuse and Neglect) October 30, 2020 Tommy James Law Files Civil Lawsuit in LeBrawn Rankin Tragedy. Can I sue a Sequel facility that is closed? A residential school operated by Sequel Youth and Family Services is set to permanently shutdown its operations. Learn more about hospital sexual abuse lawsuits from our team of attorneys. Even if a facility is closed, victims can still take legal action against parties involved in the facilities. Sequel Youth & Family Services has an overall rating of 2.6 out of 5, based on over 205 reviews left anonymously by employees. 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. The records revealed reports of child abuse and injury reports had been made to state agencies in Alabama, yet the facilities would still pass inspections. Toys litter the floor at Sequel's Courtland facility. A 16-year-old Michigan boy went into cardiac arrest and died after several staff members of the residential treatment facility he stayed at restrained him, according to a lawsuit filed Monday. He said for-profit operator of behavioral healthcare facilities for children and Youth in state! Different name and one of the facility, Laurie said, including,. In St. George for Troubled children of the original founders Courtland, Ala. Disabilities Advoc recently that it was the... 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