If you are representing a victim who is under the age of 18 and falls under your legal care, you may qualify to file a lawsuit. Alabama cannot wait for the death of a child before severing ties with Sequel, the Alabama Disabilities Advocacy Program told state agencies in its July report, which called on the state to end its contracts with Sequel and revoke the companys licenses. 5. 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. A walkway to enter the school at the Courtland facility. 2-3, and app. 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. (Sequel said the free trips are not standard practice.). 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. Sequel Youth and Family Services, a Huntsville, Ala.,-based for-profit company, will run the center effective April 1, said Amanda Fortuna, a spokeswoman for the Florida Department of Juvenile . 1 (July 2, 2020) (hereinafter "ADAP"). Sexual abuse has also been reported in Sequel facilities and is just as unreported and undocumented as physical abuse. Pros. Attorney Tommy James has a record of helping individuals file lawsuits for compensation against those who have harmed them. If they cant get qualified people to do their job, they need to shut them down.. We're ready to fight for you. That means sending out marketing agents to get more states to send children to its facilities. The state pays Sequel Youth and Family Services about $330 per day, per child, the lawsuit states. The lawsuits reinforce the findings of a recent Huffington Post investigation that revealed more than two decades of abuse and neglect inside private prisons operated by Youth Services International and other companies run by its founder, James Slattery. And Sequels Capital Academy in New Jersey is now controlled by a local company called Willow Grove LLC. Its part of what we do, Jarrett Shoemaker, a Sequel marketing agent, wrote to a Washington state child welfare official in 2014. If you or a loved one suffered injuries from an Exactech implant device, you may be entitled to financial compensation. The other residents in the unit were 18 and 19 years old. He returned to youth treatment in 1999, taking over a former YSI treatment center in Iowa. After her mother received a terminal cancer diagnosis, she became depressed and defiant, and struggled with suicidal thoughts. Cornelius tragic death has been a watershed moment for the fight against abuse in these facilities. Sequel Youth & Family Services specializes in treating children with mental disorders, intellectual disabilities and trauma, which makes . TorHoerman Law is a personal injury law firm comprised of individuals who are dedicated to getting justice for those wrongfully injured by the tortious acts of others. 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 . We both were at our very bottom, Tristan said. The report included photographic proof of the Dickensian conditions that the states most vulnerable children were forced to live in: broken doors, missing floor tiles, blood smeared on the walls and thin mattresses laid on top of concrete platforms. They did not return our calls . That national corporation also owns Woodward Academy and Forest Ridge Youth Services in . A civil rights lawsuit has been filed against a Kalamazoo youth home after a 16-year-old boy was restrained and later died earlier this year. 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.. Altamont invested nearly $40 million over the past three years, not the past two years. Sara E. Teller, Alabama father brings lawsuit against Sequel facility alleging staff abused his son, LegalReader.com, Jan. 1, 2021 (available at https: . 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. Reasonable Accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals . Officials at Sequel Youth & Family Services did not respond to requests for comment on the Oct. 14 report. 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. There is poor supervision, staff bullying and intimidation of the children. Hunter was assaulted multiple times by other children, including by his roommate, in full view of Sequels staff, according to a lawsuit his family filed against Sequel this week. Today, youth counselors at Sequel facilities start off making $12 to $15 per hour, depending on the location. The facilities at the heart of the issue are run by Sequel Youth and Family Services. Video Shows Fatal Restraint of Cornelius Frederick, 16, in Michigan Foster Facility. . We're ready to be your ally. Last August, Sequels Pompano Youth Treatment Center failed a state inspection that found a range of deficiencies at the 24-bed Florida treatment center. According to Hunters adoptive mother, Patricia, the facility was supposed to get Hunter back on track with school, provide intensive therapy and immerse him in a Positive Peer Culture that teaches residents to support one another. Today the Sequel brand has been removed from almost all its former treatment centers web sites. Last year, Tennessee, which had paid Sequel up to $608 a day per child, suspended admissions to Kingston and the states Medicaid agency terminated its contract with Sequel. Neither side disclosed the terms of the settlement. They hope to raise awareness by speaking out. Is responsible for the overall direction, coordination, and evaluation of the facility. Since 2016, the company has secured contracts worth more than $68 million from the states Department of Human Resources. Sequel often receives government funding to take in youth residents from both the foster care system and juvenile justice system. To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. University of Baltimore Merrick School of Business, according to Kansas City public radio station KCUR. In wooing states, Sequel has an advantage: It offers to take children with the most severe challenges, who are hardest to place. Our community is ready to answer. Oregon state Senator Sara Gelser has spent years demanding accountability for Sequel, and she is continuing the crusade against Vivant. A residential school operated by Sequel Youth and Family Services is set to permanently shutdown its operations. Our firm is about people. 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 . For children who qualify, Medicaid reimburses Sequel for medical and mental health treatment. But the next year, advocates for people with disabilities started to raise alarm about the way Sequel allegedly treated children. The latest Sequel treatment centers to close are in Idaho, Florida, and Iowa, all of which had been under government scrutiny in recent years. Sequel, a company with locations in 20 states that turned a $25 million profit in 2016, markets itself as a national leader in providing specialized care for at-risk youth. Members of our attorney team have first-hand experience with youth residential treatment facilities and abuse cases. You may be entitled to financial compensation for your injuries and damages. Tommy James is an attorney representing a 16-year-old named Hunter who lived at a Sequel facility in Courtland for 10 months. What we do is we strive every day to provide the best care we can for kids in these facilities, Birmingham said. Embattled Company to Close a Second Utah Treatment Center for Troubled Teens. The series focused particular attention on the state of Florida, which has become emblematic of a nationwide trend in which growing numbers . Sequel Youth and Family Services was founded in the late 1990s by former employees of Youth Services International. You may be eligible to file a Tepezza Lawsuit if you or a loved one took Tepezza and subsequently suffered permanent hearing loss or tinnitus. Nearly all of Sequels programs run on government funding: States pay Sequel $275 to more than $800 a day per child to provide residential and therapeutic services. Do I qualify for the Sequel abuse lawsuit? A 16 year-old resident named Cornelius Fredricks was killed at a Kalamazoo, Michigan facility run by Sequel. 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. Those included sexual abuse by staff, bullying by residents, inappropriate physical restraints and employees sleeping on the job, according to records. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. I guess we just lifted each other up.. State Pulling All Students in Its Care from Northern Illinois Academy Following Reports of Abuse, 16 Diseases & Symptoms Of Camp Lejeune Water Contamination, Baby Formula NEC Lawsuit Payout & Settlements, Camp Lejeune Water Contamination Settlement Amounts, Hair Straightener Endometrial Cancer Lawsuit, Hair Straightening Cancer Lawsuit Settlement Amounts, Projected Paraquat Lawsuit Settlement Amounts. Their team of personal injury lawyers are experienced, personable, and well versed in a range of litigation areas. The company cares for over 9,000 clients across the United States, including foster children, children in the state juvenile justice system, and children whose parents are unable to handle their behavior. Sequel Youth and Family Services is the most notable operator of youth residential treatment facilities in the United States, and reportedly operates up to 80% of these establishments. I worked at Sequel Youth & Family full-time and the best day was my last! The State of Iowas placing some of these young people in this unrestricted environment is frankly absurd.. The most common issue reported at youth residential treatment facilities is physical abuse, either at the hands of employees or other residents. The teen's family suit against the school and the company that owns it, Sequel Youth Services, seeks $100 million, alleging negligence. Sequel staff members shared the companys side of the issue and discussed how to deal with concerns among state lawmakers. 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. There were feces on the floor, stuck inside the doorframe, stuck around the window.. All of my questions were answered quickly and in a way I could understand. 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. One firm, Altamont Capital Partners, which has investments in health care companies, Alamo Drafthouse Cinema and clothing brands like Billabong, purchased a majority stake in Sequel for an undisclosed amount in 2017. The family of Cornelius Fredericks, a 16-year-old boy in foster care who died after being improperly restrained by youth facility staff, filed a lawsuit . In June, Sequel announced it was shutting down its 60-bed treatment center in Mountain Home, Idaho, a city of 16,000 people located about 40 miles southeast of Boise. Last year Sequel officials defended their treatment programs, stating through a crisis management firm that the company had increased staff training and oversight and was working on "phasing out the practice of physically restraining . A number of new lawsuits are currently being filed nationwide against both currently operational and closed Sequel facilities. ET): A previous version of this article misstated the timeframe of Altamonts recent investments in Sequel. Northern Illinois Academy (NIA), located in Aurora, Illinois, is an 87-bed facility that receives funding from the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS), the Department of Healthcare and Family Services (HFS), and the . Since then, 17 of those centers . Even if a facility is closed, victims can still take legal action against parties involved in the facilities. Thank you TorHoerman Law! Neither side disclosed the terms of the settlement. Parents, guardians, and the state expect these children to have positive peer culture, get back on track with school, and have intensive therapy. Ask a question about working or interviewing at Sequel Youth and Family Services. But despite those efforts, in 2020, a 16-year-old boy died after staff at Sequels Lakeside Academy in Kalamazoo, Michigan, held him on the floor for 12 minutes. Those close relationships come in handy when the company faces scrutiny. You can also sue facility staff members who are no longer working for Sequel. The lawsuit filed Tuesday in Lawrence County Circuit Court claims Sequel TSI of Alabama has a history of staff physically abusing children at its facilities, encouraging fights among children and . Sequel markets itself as a national leader in providing specialized care for at-risk youth. He named his new business Sequel because it was his second foray into the industry. After acquiring a new facility, Sequel uses its marketing arm to increase capacity and occupancy, as Ripley put it in a 2017 call to investors. Falcon Ridge Academy, where these crimes occurred, is meant to house teenage girls with behavioral issues usually resulting from trauma. In July 2020, the Alabama Disabilities Advocacy Program sent a letter to DHR leaders, which stated Sequel's . Alabama, however, is among the states that have permitted Sequel to continue operating. 102. These children are re-traumatized daily by continuous abuse and neglect.). Laurie stayed at Owens Cross Roads twice before she reunited with her family. Program, pp. In December 2021, Sequel closed both locations of its Forest Ridge Youth Services treatment program in Iowa. Ohio recently revoked the license of a Sequel psychiatric facility in Columbus over multiple instances of violence. 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. In 2017, when a private equity firm bought a controlling stake in Sequel Youth & Family Services, it had 35 residential treatment centers in 16 states. Sequel, and similar for-profit companies that run youth behavioral health centers, can be paid up to $800 a day per child they take into their facilities, turning a profit of millions each year. I was banging and kicking on the door, trying to get someones attention, he said. According to Tristan, and confirmed by state records and accounts from advocates and four former foster children, the staff regularly used seclusion, sometimes for days, at Tuskegee and Owens Cross Roads. 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. Christy Johnsons heart dropped in February when she first stepped into a facility for children with serious mental and behavioral health issues in Courtland, a few miles from the Tennessee River in northern Alabama, run by Sequel Youth & Family Services. Physical abuse at these facilities often includes: Northern Illinois Academy in Des Plaines, operated by Sequel, was closed because of reported abuse by staff, and improper restraints were highlighted in news reports surrounding the closure. Sequel Youth and Family Services owns Falcon Ridge Ranch, the Utah center with the highest rate of reported sex crimes. As of 2021, Sequel operates youth behavioral centers in 17 states. Sequel Youth & Family Services specializes in treating children with mental disorders, intellectual disabilities and trauma, which makes these findings disturbing. A National Alliance Of Sexual Abuse Lawyers, Proud Members Of The Following Trusted Organizations. 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. Sequel Youth & Family Services. 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! 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. Sequel declined to comment on Hunters case and his familys lawsuit. Illuminating Journalism from American Public Media. 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 . They helped me when I needed expert legal representation! The lawsuit alleges: Tevin did not receive the necessary mental health treatment he needed but was instead physically abused and emotionally traumatized at Sequel Tuskegee. Investigation reveals appalling conditions at for-profit Alabama youth home, Michigan facility 'lost all control' of children before staff fatally restrained teen, police say, 'They told me it was going to be a good place': Allegations of abuse at home for at-risk kids, Loosening the grip of restraint: Investigating allegations of abuse at youth homes. I would recommend TorHoerman Law for any personal injury litigation needs. 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