Further allegations of abuse and misconduct at Acadia Healthcare (NASDAQ: ACHC) facilities have emerged in a New York Times investigation, reporting cases of patient suicide and rape.
The latest report comes just two months after the closure of the troubled Timberline Nords Residential Treatment Centre in Lemont, Illinois on February 13, claiming that the August 2024 lawsuit allegedly attacked a 24-year-old woman against the facility, Acadia Healthcare, one of the nation's largest behavioral health providers.
According to an Acadia Healthcare spokesperson, the facility “is proud to provide transformative care and has successfully treated more than 26,000 women and adolescent girls.
“The recent New York Times story about Timberline Knolls, a closed Acadia facility, includes material inaccuracies and cherry picks, blending historical events to paint false and inaccurate pictures of the safety and quality of care the facility offers. “Acadia closed Timberline Knoll earlier this year after a comprehensive review determined that the landscape of the specialized programs and services the facility offers has changed since Acadia acquired the facility 13 years ago.”
The allegations of abuse against Timberline Knolls staff date back to 2018, when another institutional counselor was accused of sexual abuse and rape by multiple women. By 2021, charges against former employees had risen to 62.
Other accounts of delays in reporting such incidents to appropriate authorities by staff, as well as multiple 911 calls to police detailing similar claims, raised concerns about patient safety and staff surveillance.
Individual findings in the Illinois Department of Human Rights report details physical peer-to-peer abuse, limited bathroom access, inadequate treatment activities, patients who have been denied meal choices, and inappropriate discharges of past patients.
“Through the operation of the Acadia facility, Timberline Knolls has always maintained a licensed and independent accreditation status and has completed dozens of audits, investigations, visits and inspections from state and local regulatory bodies, accreditors and payers.”
Similar reports and abuse allegations have been filed at Acadia facilities in Utah, New Mexico and Michigan.
“We cannot comment on the situation of a particular patient due to privacy laws, but our strict policy requires complaints and cases to be investigated promptly and acted promptly in order to protect patients and staff,” an Acadia spokesman said. “They have also been reported to the appropriate agencies required by law or regulations and will strengthen policies and procedures as necessary. If staff violate the policy, they may be subject to additional training, education or disciplinary action, including clarification.
As a system, Acadia has been accused of persuading patients to be willed in ways that violate the law, increasing doses of medication, and persuading insurance companies to cover long patient stays, claiming that patients should stay longer for adjustment, a 2024 New York Times report found.
In response, Acadia has issued a statement saying, “These experiences are completely inconsistent with Acadia's policies and protocols. Furthermore, reports on these issues do not reflect many clinical considerations that inform appropriate care for those facing a mental health crisis, including doctors, and strict state, federal and other regulations.”
Still, Acadia emphasizes that patients receiving care at the facility “experience significant clinical improvements and report high patient satisfaction scores.”
In 2023, the ju judge ruled against Acadia in a civil lawsuit involving sexual abuse of minors at the now-closed facility, demanding that the company be paid $405 million. Later that year, the company agreed to pay $400 million to resolve three lawsuits relating to abuse at the now-closed facility.
As of this week, Acadia Healthcare Company shares have fallen 11.71%, according to reports.
