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. You think you're making progress, and then it just comes back stronger, Gelser said. Illuminating Journalism from American Public Media. University of Baltimore Merrick School of Business, according to Kansas City public radio station KCUR. But rather than get better, Laurie said, girls at Owens Cross Roads seemed to get worse. This was the first time experiencing a situation like this and Tor Hoerman law did an excellent job from start to finish. The State of Iowas placing some of these young people in this unrestricted environment is frankly absurd.. Sequel treatment centers closed since 2017. Very nice people! The latest Sequel treatment centers to close are in Idaho, Florida, and Iowa, all of which had been under government scrutiny in recent years. 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. To find out what the statute of limitations is in your state, contact TorHoerman Law for a free, no-obligation legal consultation today. Children at Sequels other facilities in Alabama Montgomery, Owens Cross Roads and Tuskegee also had stories to tell. Based on 511 reviews. Story continues. Ohio recently announced it was forcing Sequel Pomegranate to relinquish its license to operate its residential treatment facility. Most notably, the estate of Cornelius Fredricks filed a $100 million lawsuit against Sequel for his death. 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. The most common issue reported at youth residential treatment facilities is physical abuse, either at the hands of employees or other residents. Sequel Youth & Family Services has an overall rating of 2.6 out of 5, based on over 205 reviews left anonymously by employees. Before they got out, the two crossed paths at a psychiatric hospital, where they were sent after trying to harm themselves. 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. 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. The lawsuit states the boy "had a propensity to engage in . Birmingham said that seclusion which the company refers to as controlled observation and physical restraints are supposed to be last resorts and are not meant to be punitive. He named his new business Sequel because it was his second foray into the industry. Multiple lawsuits have been filed in Alabama, alleging rampant abuse in Sequels Courtland and Tuskegee facilities. 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. The operation housed a significant number of children from Oregon, which stopped sending them to Sequel treatment centers in 2020. Tevin and the other children were physically, verbally and emotionally abused., Pikes attorney stated at the time the complaint was filed: A culture of violence and abuse pervades throughout Sequel facilities across the country. Since 2016, the company has secured contracts worth more than $68 million from the states Department of Human Resources. 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 . 2. You may be entitled to financial compensation for your injuries and damages. 4. 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. 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 Officer. The company told investors it was well positioned to serve as industry consolidator, thanks in part to its clean regulatory and litigation history.. Sequel marketing agents contacted state officials in Oregon before and after a story aired on NBCs Nightly News last year detailing allegations of sexual and physical abuse at Clarinda Academy. 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 . While much of the abuse in Sequel facilities allegedly went undocumented, many other instances were well reported and even noticed by state officials responsible for ensuring the safety of youth residents. 2.6. TorHoerman Law was responsible for handling a medical case for our family. For what theyve done, and what theyre not doing. 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. The fatal restraint of Cornelius Frederick, 16, at Lakeside Academy in Kalamazoo, Michigan, led to increased scrutiny of Sequel Youth and Family Services, the for-profit company that ran Lakeside. Sequel Youth & Family Services collected hundreds of millions in tax dollars to care for vulnerable children, despite abuse and negligence allegations. Physical Abuse, Sexual Abuse, Emotional & Psychological Abuse. 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 Youth and Family Services, which operates numerous youth treatment and residential facilities in several states. The closure was voluntary, but it came at the end of a difficult period for the program. Mr. Roussos brings nearly two decades of experience building and leading healthcare organizations with vibrant service-oriented . When you think about the amount of money that these facilities and Sequel are receiving, he said, it makes you wonder: Where exactly is that money going?. 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 Training Manager is responsible for directing, planning and implementing the training program.Also, takes the lead with staff training and personnel development. We were both in a really bad place, Laurie said. Video Shows Fatal Restraint of Cornelius Frederick, 16, in Michigan Foster Facility. Can I sue a Sequel facility that is closed? Sequel declined to make Ripley available for an interview, and instead set up an interview with Birmingham, who handles compliance. It also ran outpatient programs in a handful of others. 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. 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. Do I qualify for the Sequel abuse lawsuit? If you do not feel comfortable discussing your situation with a member of our team, you can use our chatbot below to receive a free, instant online case evaluation. If they cant get qualified people to do their job, they need to shut them down.. Ratings by category. 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 . 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. Today, youth counselors at Sequel facilities start off making $12 to $15 per hour, depending on the location. Oregon state Senator Sara Gelser has spent years demanding accountability for Sequel, and she is continuing the crusade against Vivant. In a court filing last week in Alabama, it argued that the lawsuit should be moved out of state court because the Ripley family is based in Virginia and an intricate series of business entities that comprise and control Vivant are incorporated in Virginia and Delaware. The defendants, Lakeside Academy and Sequel Youth and Family Services the company that supplied the academy with management services and staff members declined to comment on the lawsuit . Members of our attorney team have first-hand experience with youth residential treatment facilities and abuse cases. 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. Multiple state departments have urged their respective states to cut ties with Sequel Youth and Family Services while some states have recently signed contracts, one in Alabama worth almost $13 million. All of my questions were answered quickly and in a way I could understand. 2-3, and app. 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. Glenda Marshall, a program coordinator for Oregons state child welfare agency, wrote in a 2016 email to Shoemaker that the state had been struggling to find placements for foster youth. Even states without a Sequel location, including California, Oregon and Washington, have done so. You can still file a Sequel abuse lawsuit against facilities that are closed. 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