There is poor supervision, staff bullying and intimidation of the children. 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. In December 2021, Sequel closed both locations of its Forest Ridge Youth Services treatment program in Iowa. We have been lucky to have Sequel programs available to serve our kids, Marshall wrote. No information shared in consultations is shared unless first approved by our clients. 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. The company collected over $200 million in annual revenue at the time, he said, and turned about $30 million in profit, which he attributed to keeping staffing costs low. That is our motto and that will always be our reality. 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. He returned to youth treatment in 1999, taking over a former YSI treatment center in Iowa. Ohio announced recently that it was forcing the Sequel Pomegranate location to relinquish its license to operate the treatment facility. Iowa's Department of Corrections rents buildings and land to its owner, Sequel Youth and Family Services. Sequel Youth & Family Services specializes in treating children with mental disorders, intellectual disabilities and trauma, which makes . The company told investors it was well positioned to serve as industry consolidator, thanks in part to its clean regulatory and litigation history.. 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! Toys litter the floor at Sequel's Courtland facility. 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 . Children were abused, neglected at house of horrors psychiatric facility, suit says. Instead, these children are suffering from abuse, and from the reports, Sequel isn't taking responsibility. Oregon state Senator Sara Gelser has spent years demanding accountability for Sequel, and she is continuing the crusade against Vivant. 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. 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. Most notably, the estate of Cornelius Fredricks filed a $100 million lawsuit against Sequel for his death. 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 . That means sending out marketing agents to get more states to send children to its facilities. 2. 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 . Tommy James is an attorney representing a 16-year-old named Hunter who lived at a Sequel facility in Courtland for 10 months. Toxic chemicals in Aqueous Film-Forming Foam (AFFF Firefighting Foam) have been linked to numerous types of cancer, including: AFFF Firefighting Foam lawsuits aim to hold manufacturers accountable for putting peoples health at risk. Though their marketing and public statements espouse an aura of care and reverence for the well-being and progression of the residents they house, their company has been named in lawsuits that allege rampant physical, sexual, and mental/verbal abuse. She said she could not speak in detail about the companys finances, but argued that Altamonts support including nearly $40 million invested over the past three years has allowed Sequel to provide extra training for its employees, upgrade infrastructure and install additional security cameras at its facilities. The Alabama Department of Youth Services contracts with the facility as a private provider, placing boys there for a maximum stay of 120 days. A majority stake in Sequel was bought by Altamont Capital, a private equity firm located in California, in 2017. "At Sequel Youth & Family Services, we have dedicated our careers to helping this nation's most vulnerable youth. For more of NBC News' in-depth reporting, download the NBC News app. An SEC filing that year pegged Sequels value at an estimated $421 million. Sequel declined to make Ripley available for an interview, and instead set up an interview with Birmingham, who handles compliance. The company later said in an email that in cases where a child's safety is threatened, "we take all necessary actions from employee termination, to policy and process changes, to staff-wide retraining to ensure we live up to our high standards of care for the youth we serve.". The company is more dysfunctional than the clients they try to serve. 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. We are passionate about what we do and delight in providing the individuals we are privileged to serve and instill permanent, positive change and propel them toward their best and full potential. 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 . This was the first time experiencing a situation like this and Tor Hoerman law did an excellent job from start to finish. A number of new lawsuits are currently being filed nationwide against both currently operational and closed Sequel facilities. 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. Sequel Youth & Family Services specializes in treating children with mental disorders, intellectual disabilities and trauma, which makes these findings disturbing. 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 company dreamed of dominating Americas $220 billion behavioral health care industry. Officers frequently were called to investigate peer-on-peer assaults, sexual assault allegations, staff-on-resident misconduct, and runaways, the state report on Martens complaint noted. How can the same people continue to be trusted with what they say are the most vulnerable kids that we have? 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. Sequel Youth & Family Services. Since 2016, the company has secured contracts worth more than $68 million from the states Department of Human Resources. Sequel markets itself as a national leader in providing specialized care for at-risk youth. We focused on public pay because we figured kids are always going to have issues and they're always going to get in trouble, and again, the government has to figure out a way to take care of them, Ripley explained, according to a video recording. He was physically restrained by workers putting their full body weight on his torso, leading to a cardiac arrest and his death two days later. Marianne Birmingham, Sequels compliance director, said in an interview that the company has worked with the state to improve conditions in its Alabama facilities. 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 . After Cornelius death, Sequel was forced to shut down facilities in 18 states and earmarked for further criminal investigations and civil lawsuits. Employee at Teen Behavior Facility Arrested for Sexual Battery, Showing Porn to Minors. Since 2019, 10 Investigates has found at least a half dozen facilities operated by Sequel Youth Family Services that have either closed or faced other sanctions like having their admissions . January 24, 2020 How Our Alabama Law Firm Investigates Nursing Home Abuse. Lawsuit: Teen screamed 'I can't breathe' during restraint WEST . For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. Patricia took photos during a visit showing Hunter, a thin, slight child, sitting on a couch at the facility in a Spider-Man T-shirt. Following a barrage of abuse scandals and media attention, including a 2020 investigation by APM Reports, the company has shut down close to half of its treatment centers and sold most of the rest to a new company called Vivant Behavioral Healthcare. 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. You can make money in this business if you control staffing, said Ripley, who at the time made $104,167 per month from Sequel as chairman, according to a financial disclosure. Sequel Youth & Family Services is now in the national spotlight after NBC Nightly News ran an investigative report on the company Wednesday night. Ohio recently revoked the license of a Sequel psychiatric facility in Columbus over multiple instances of violence. Government regulators and the media took notice. I dont want any other kid to have to go through that, Tristan said. Sequel cares for more than 9,000 clients across the U.S., including foster children, children whose parents are unable to handle their behavior and children in the states juvenile justice system. OWENS CROSS ROADS, Ala. (WAFF) - The Sequel TSI facility in Owens Cross Roads will close on Saturday. Before they got out, the two crossed paths at a psychiatric hospital, where they were sent after trying to harm themselves. Instead, it responded with a written statement saying, Jay Ripley and his family formed Vivant with the goal to help youth and adult consumers of behavioral health services and that the company was committed to providing ethical and quality treatment services to its clients and their families and communities.. At that point, I was so depressed I didnt know what to do, Laurie said. 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 . Get a free online case evaluation and find out if you qualify for compensation instanly. The latest Sequel treatment centers to close are in Idaho, Florida, and Iowa, all of which had been under government scrutiny in recent years. TorHoerman Law is an extraordinary law firm a firm that truly makes the clients best interests the primary concern. He named his new business Sequel because it was his second foray into the industry. Neither side disclosed the terms of the settlement. Five years ago, Sequel Youth & Family Services ran a chain of treatment programs that took in and tried to help troubled kids from all over the United States. And Sequels Capital Academy in New Jersey is now controlled by a local company called Willow Grove LLC. They still struggle with anxieties, nightmares and the feeling that theyre behind their peers. Turn to us when you dont know where to turn. Forms of abuse that qualify for the Sequel lawsuit are: If you have suffered the loss of a loved one due to abuse at a Sequel facility, or you represent the estate of a victim, or you are the legal guardian of an underaged victim, you may be able to represent the victim in a lawsuit. We've recovered over $4 Billion in verdicts & settlements, 16 Camp Lejeune Water Contamination Diseases & Symptoms, Sequel Youth and Family Services Abuse Lawsuit. That national corporation also owns Woodward Academy and Forest Ridge Youth Services in . 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. You can also sue facility staff members who are no longer working for Sequel. A typical bedroom at Sequel's Courtland facility. Hunter is now receiving psychiatric treatment at a hospital, she said. It also ran outpatient programs in a handful of others. California, Maryland, Oregon and Washington have also stopped placing children in programs run by the company. Can I represent a loved one or family member in a Sequel abuse lawsuit? Sequel Youth & Family Services collected hundreds of millions in tax dollars to care for vulnerable children, despite abuse and negligence allegations. 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. Pros. After their release, they stayed in touch and fell in love, they said. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. The agency declined to explain what action it took in response to the email. All consultations are completely confidential and discrete. They severely underpay their staff! The treatment centers were run by Sequel Youth & Family Services, a "for-profit, $500-million company backed by Bay Area investors." . We took the feedback from the report, we identified areas for improvement, we worked with the state to come up with a manageable plan to make those areas of improvement, Birmingham said. Sequel TSI in Owens Cross Roads emailed a statement reading "TSI . It was valued by investors at more than $400 million. I worked at Sequel Youth & Family full-time and the best day was my last! Contact TorHoerman Law for a free, legal consultation today. SHERIDAN Normative Services Academy, Inc. will close its doors March 22 "after an evaluation of viability of the Normative Services program," according to a press release sent Wednesday morning by NSI Executive Director Clayton Carr. The lawsuit states the boy "had a propensity to engage in . 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. Sequel Youth & Family Services provides a broad spectrum of treatment programs to people of all ages with behavioral, emotional, and physical challenges. If you or a loved one suffered from abuse at a Sequel facility, camp, boarding school, or treatment center, consider contacting TorHoerman Law for legal help. Here's everything you need to know about "The Grinch" sequel, plus the best books your kid can check out now. Theyre worth nearly $13 million. Ask a question about working or interviewing at Sequel Youth and Family Services. Alabama Sequel Facility a House of Horrors for Foster Child, Lawsuit Claims. You deserve to be heard and we believe you. 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 . Kate Snow is a national correspondent for NBC News. 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. Washington, California, Oregon and Minnesota stopped sending kids to the companys treatment centers. In an article from APM Reports analyzing Riverside Academy in Kansas, a former Sequel operation, it was found that: In the four years before it closed, the facility had been cited 38 times by Kansas officials for problems including excessive force by staff, poor supervision, under-qualified medical personnel, neglect and bullying by residents, according to state licensing records.. Parents, guardians, and the state expect these children to have positive peer culture, get back on track with school, and have intensive therapy. 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. 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. SOURCE: The list of residential treatment facilities run by Sequel was assembled from public records and information from Sequel's websites. These children are re-traumatized daily by continuous abuse and neglect.). 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?. Children at Sequels other facilities in Alabama Montgomery, Owens Cross Roads and Tuskegee also had stories to tell. To find out what the statute of limitations is in your state, contact TorHoerman Law for a free, no-obligation legal consultation today. 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. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. 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 . Contact us today to see if you qualify for the Paraquat Parkinsons Disease Lawsuit! Those contracts, which Ivey signed, allow Sequel to continue to run Courtland through September 2022. Sequel Youth & Family Services has also faced criticisms. Tristan, now 18, was placed into foster care on his 12th birthday and bounced between group homes until 2018, when he landed at Tuskegee, an intensive psychiatric treatment facility. Our team of attorneys include: Continue reading to learn more about the Sequel Youth & Family Services investigation. It's a hard industry.. Youth Counselor Supervisor (Former Employee) - Courtland, AL - August 17, 2022. Captured on silent surveillance camera video, the death of Cornelius Fredrick Jr. was compared by some to the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police that same year, and the public pressure on Sequel increased. That's not what we saw.". 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. 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University of Baltimore Merrick School of Business, according to Kansas City public radio station KCUR. When Johnson and her colleagues visited, the children recounted how staff encouraged them to kill themselves and made vulgar comments; one child said staff members make fun of my name, which upsets me because it is my dads name and he passed away.. Nineteen-year-old Tevin Pike filed a civil lawsuit against TSI Sequel of Tuskegee and several other entities Wednesday, alleging that he was abused and treated with negligent care during his . Story continues. Our community is ready to answer. And the company vowed to reduce the use of physical restraints on children. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. The advocacy organizations monitors interviewed about 100 children, some as young as 12, and documented their findings in a report this summer. 2020 AbuseGuardian.com. When Tristan was 16, he tried to run away, and when he was caught, he said, Sequel employees put him in solitary confinement as a punishment. 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. The leadership is the problem.. They contacted me the next day. According to reporting, Alabama pays Sequel about $330 per day to house each child and has paid Sequel in excess of $30 million since 2018. Laurie didnt know it at the time, but her future husband, Tristan Broadrick, was also struggling in Sequel facilities in Alabama. The most common issue reported at youth residential treatment facilities is physical abuse, either at the hands of employees or other residents. 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 . Ripley did not return a voicemail message seeking comment, and Altamont didnt answer an email inquiry. 1:07. C-Suite Team Hired to Accelerate Growth of Industry Leading Behavioral Health Company. Records show that the problems at Sequel facilities go beyond Alabama. Enter your email below to receive notifications of new stories. 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. 2.9. Sequel disputes the findings and the facility remains open. Falcon Ridge Academy, where these crimes occurred, is meant to house teenage girls with behavioral issues usually resulting from trauma. 95. 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. 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. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. 2.8 out of 5 stars for Work/Life Balance. Laurie Broadrick, 19, arrived at Owens Cross Roads, a residential treatment facility for girls in northeast Alabama, in 2016. Then children began to talk. Potential defendants in the Sequel Youth and Family Services abuse lawsuit may include one or more of the following parties: To best determine potential defendants, consult with an experienced attorney. Responsibilities of Executive Director: Manages 5 - 10 subordinate supervisors who supervise a total of 50 - 55 employees. After helping launch YSI, Ripley became the chief executive of Precision Tune Auto Care. And we're ready to start right now. . 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.