FYI Combats Homelessness Among Former Foster Youth

HUD Program Combats Homelessness Among Former Foster Youth
Irene Luo and Jan Jekielek, The Epoch Times, February 25, 2020. 

Every year, over 20,000 foster youth age out of the foster care system. Around 25 percent of them become homeless within four years of exiting foster care, according to the National Center for Housing and Child Welfare (NCHCW). Others, although not homeless, might nonetheless be living day-to-day in a motel, vehicle, or with friends or relatives.

The Foster Youth to Independence (FYI) initiative, launched last year, seeks to end this pipeline from foster care to homelessness.

A group of current and former foster care youth with ACTION Ohio spent six years researching the problem and consulting housing experts to find a solution. In March 2019, they pitched their proposal to Secretary Ben Carson of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Just four months later, the FYI program was live.

“You can imagine what that’s like at the tender point in your life, not having the security of a place to call home,” Sec. Ben Carson said in an interview with The Epoch Times for the “American Thought Leaders” program. Such foster youth “can be tremendous contributors to our society, and we need to make sure that we give them a solid foundation from which to launch.” 

Since the start of the program in late July, HUD has awarded over $2.4 million in funding for FYI, which helps former foster youth cover the cost of their rent for up to three years after they stop being supported by the foster care system. Each public housing authority can award up to 25 vouchers per year.

So far, the funding has provided housing subsidies for 497 former foster care youth across the country. The latest round of funding was announced on Feb. 6, with $258,606 going to public housing authorities in seven states. The FYI program is available to foster youth between 18 and 23 years old who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless after aging out of the system. In addition to housing subsidies, it also provides other forms of guidance and job support to help them become self-sufficient. ‘

An Anxious Time’ 
Aging out is “an anxious time” said former foster youth Adaora Onuora. “There’s so many things going through your head.”

When you’re in the system, it’s easy to take housing for granted, Onuora said. But by the last year, “the social workers are kind of banging it into your head,” she said. “What are you going to do? Where can you go? What resources do you have? What family do you have?”

The FYI program is an extension of the Family Unification Program (FUP), which also helps former foster youth avoid homelessness. But FUP is only available to 280 of the approximately 3,400 total public housing authorities in America.

“It wasn’t anywhere near sufficient enough to deal with this problem,” said Sec. Carson. 

After jumping through bureaucratic hoops, Onuora was fortunate to receive a housing voucher with FUP just a few weeks before her 21st birthday.

Onuora has been a vocal advocate of the FYI initiative, with the hope that the housing vouchers she was fortunate to gain access to could be universalized across America for all foster youth aging out of the system. 

Jamole Callahan, a former foster youth and one of the founders of ACTION Ohio, told The Epoch Times: “Out of all the years we’ve been meeting with HUD, Secretary Carson was the first sitting secretary we physically met with.”

“He was the first one that sat down and had an honest conversation with us,” Callahan said. “As one of my sisters in care said it, we are cutting off the spigot of aging youth out into homelessness with this program,” Callahan said.

According to Ruth Anne White, Executive Director of the NCHCW and one of the main advocates for the FYI program, Sec. Carson “heard their proposal, and essentially said, this is fundable. It’s within my authority. It doesn’t require action from Congress. Let’s move.” 

“I’ve never seen anything move at that speed absent something like a natural disaster,” said White, who has worked on affordable housing policy for two decades in DC.

When the program was originally designed, it included a requirement that participants work or attend school, but this was later removed due to criticism from poverty advocates. But the program is nonetheless built with the idea of being a stepping stone to self-sufficiency, “in a similar way that we would treat our own children,” White said. “This is the only voucher that’s time-limited in HUD’s entire portfolio,” White said.

Bipartisan Bill 
While FYI makes housing vouchers far more accessible to former foster youth than before, certain limitations still remain. Only public housing authorities that are not participating in FUP can apply for the new FYI program. But unlike FYI, FUP is a competitive resource, meaning the funds may not be available to everyone and may not be available immediately when a foster child ages out of the system.

“We just kind of have to go through this limbo with the youth as they’re aging out in that last year to find out whether it’ll be available for them,” Onuora said. If they’re unlucky, they’re stuck on waiting lists for years. But that gap could be closed soon with a bipartisan bill that White, Callahan, and Onuora hope will pass in Congress.

The Fostering Stable Housing Opportunities Act would guarantee a housing voucher for foster care youth when they age out if they demonstrate need for it. The bill unanimously passed in the House and is under consideration in the Senate. 

Onuora is currently double majoring in criminal justice and communications at Bowie State University, a historically black college. After that, she plans to head to law school. “My calling is law. I want to be a politician, and I want to make changes for my community,” Onuora said.  

Columbus Dispatch Editorial Board endorses FSHO

Many thanks to the Columbus Dispatch Editorial Board for endorsing the Fostering Stable Housing Opportunities Act:

• "Brown and Grassley’s bill would offer a lifeline to former foster children who find themselves suddenly on their own and without the family support most young adults can count on."

• "Currently they have to join long waiting lists for housing vouchers through a federal program, and many become homeless. The Fostering Stable Housing Opportunities Act would make the vouchers available to aged-out foster youth on demand and in more communities."

The Fostering Stable Housing Opportunities Act passed by unanimous consent in the U.S. House of Representatives, and is currently being championed in the U.S. Senate.

Jonathan Thomas and others share their voices at the NW Foster Care Forum

Residents give recommendations to state foster care council in Bowling Green

Brooks Sutherland, Toledo Blade,  December 9, 2009

Jonathan Thomas of Bowling Green was a foster-care child and knows what it’s like to feel helpless after turning 18 and “aging out” of a home that provided stability after early years of turmoil.

“I don’t know if there are a lot of young adults who are actually ready to leave home when they turn 18,” he said Monday at a state-organized foster care forum at the Wood County Department of Job and Family Services. “Even those who come from good, stable homes, often find themselves having to return for a number of reasons, such as finances, relationship trouble, and stress.”

The need to prepare foster kids for “life after foster care,” was a recommendation given by Mr. Thomas Monday and was one of many heard by members of Gov. Mike DeWine’s newly-formed Children Services Transformation Advisory Council, which was created through executive action last month.

The council in November, announced 10 planned foster-care forums, and made its way to northwest Ohio Monday night to hear how it can improve the system that houses around 16,000 kids in the state.

Kristi Burre, the director of the office of Children Services Transformation, was appointed to co-chair the council alongside LeeAnne Cornyn, the director of the Governor’s office of children’s initiatives.

Ms. Burre said the forums are a listening period for the council before they write recommendations about how to improve the foster care system in January.

“The reason that we’re doing these forums is so the advisory council can travel all around the state and hear about local challenges from those who are involved or are impacted by our system,” she said. 

Ms. Burre said the governor has “charged” his cabinet members and executives with a mission to travel around the state and hear from stakeholders. 

“A lot of it just listening,” she said. “Truly listening and then doing something with the information.”

Recommendations Monday night in Bowling Green ranged from treating family caregivers the same as foster-care parents as far as funding goes, to setting up programs for post-foster care, to providing checks and balances for state and local departments of job and family services.

A packed house listened to public testimony, some speakers getting emotional as they described their experiences in the system. 

“My problems didn’t go away,” Tryshana Garraway, a University of Toledo student, said about life after foster care. “I still had mental health issues, I still had financial issues. I didn’t know how to do things.”

Shirley Wagner, a former foster-care child who became a foster-care parent, gave four recommendations to the council, urging them to “focus on stability,” and provide checks and balances on DFS.

“I think I speak for all of us here when I say there’s a problem with our foster-care system,” she said.

Tricia Cox, a foster-care parent of nine years, who estimates she’s had 58 kids come through her home, said the state needs provide additional resources to ensure kids get to have “normalcy,” as they develop.

“I have a 17-year-old boy who wants to drive, he cannot drive because the agency won’t take the responsibility for insuring him,” she said. “That’s not normal. He wants to drive. He wants to work. Things like that need to be looked at.”

Josh Martin, a veteran and former foster-care child, who sits on the board of directors of Community Teaching Homes, a Holland-based placement and behavioral health services organization, said he’s one of the few who “broke the cycle,” and encouraged the council to not waver on funding.

Jennifer King, a former foster-care child from Bryan, said there are problems all across DFS agencies and they should be addressed with some checks and balances, potentially from the sheriff’s offices.

“I am proposing an advisory council to oversee JFS,” she said. “They need some checks and balances. They are not accountable to anybody but themselves.”

The state will host three more regional forums before the end of the year and then three more in January.

Senate version of Fostering Stable Housing Opportunities Act

 

Brown bill would help youth aging out of foster care
Tom Jackson, Sandusky Register, 12/7/2019

When Columbus resident Cloé Cooper aged out of the foster care system when she turned 18, she intended to go to college. Instead, she became homeless.

“After months of couch-surfing from one bad area of town to another, I eventually had to drop out of school and went on to work a minimum wage job full time,” Cooper told reporters on a Wednesday conference call hosted by U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio.

Cooper, a student and employee at Columbus State Community College in Columbus, said it took years for her to earn enough money to go back to college.

Brown introduced Cooper to Ohio news reporters to dramatize the need for the “Fostering Stable Housing Opportunities Act,” a bipartisan bill to help young people who have aged out of the foster care system receive a public housing voucher for up to 24 months, allowing them to get on their feet while trying to start an independent adult life. 

Brown told the reporters that across the U.S., 20,000 people age out of foster care every year. Up to a third of them are homeless at some point, Brown said.

“You don’t have the same family safety net to fall back on others have,” Brown said.

Brown said the measure was approved in the House and is awaiting action in the Senate. It’s co-sponsored by a Republican, U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, and Brown said he hopes that will aid the measure’s chances of passing the Senate, too.

More than 80 organizations have endorsed the bill, including the Ohio Youth Advisory Board, ACTION Ohio and the Ohio Children’s Alliance.

Brown’s bill comes as the number of children in foster care in Ohio has risen, largely in response to the ongoing drug addiction epidemic. Ohio had 16,185 children in foster care in October 2019, including 80 in Erie County, according to statistics on the website of the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services.

That’s up from 12,511 young people in foster care in October 2009. Foster care cases rose in Erie County, too, spiking to more than 100 in 2014, but officials worked to bring the number down with a concerted effort to find permanent homes for children, reducing foster care cases to 74 by December 2018.

Ohio's top three counties that have the most foster youth are Franklin, Cuyahoga and Hamilton

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine announced an effort to look into improving foster care in Ohio, starting with meetings statewide. The three counties with the most kids in foster care -- Cuyahoga, Franklin and Hamilton -- will not host any meetings. Most foster kids lack driver's licenses and cars to get to the rural ares where they will be held.

To improve Ohio’s foster care system, Gov. Mike DeWine assembled an advisory council, which has scheduled seven meetings across the state to listen to kids, parents, advocates and others.

The problem, advocates say, is no meetings have been scheduled in or near Cleveland or Cuyahoga County – which in October, accounted for over 17% of the state’s 16,186 children in foster care. Nor are any scheduled for Cincinnati or Columbus. Together, Ohio’s three largest urban areas have 45% of the state’s foster kids – not to mention nonprofits and other agencies heavily involved in the system.

Nor are there any meetings scheduled in Summit, Lucas and Montgomery counties, which also top the state in the number of children in care.

Teens in foster care usually do not have driver’s licenses.

The nearest meeting to Cleveland is scheduled in Medina on Dec. 11.

“That would definitely be a concern because we have a large population and many of the people aren’t necessarily able or willing to venture that far,” said Jackie McCray, deputy director of the Cuyahoga County Division of Children and Family Services. “However, they have legitimate suggestions, legitimate concerns, and I think their voices need to be heard.”

Overall, McCray and others are happy that DeWine is turning his attention toward improving the system. In the two-year budget passed over the summer, hundreds of millions of dollars were directed at services to help children, including those in the foster system.

But the concerns voiced at the meetings will likely be skewed toward those in rural Ohio, said Amber Donovan, executive director of Community of Hope, a Cleveland organization that helps people who have aged out of foster care.

“Urban and rural settings have unique challenges and it is essential that all voices are heard and represented in the discussion around solutions,” Donovan said. “Youth voice matters, and written testimony is a good starting point, but meeting people where they are impacted matters.”

People who are unable to attend in person can submit comments online.

Donovan already submitted hers, unable at this time to attend the Medina meeting. The state responded to her comments, telling her she should share her thoughts in person at a Dec. 19 meeting in Canton.

The state selected meeting sites that were regional centers, said Dan Tierney, a spokesman for DeWine.

“This is a problem in all 88 counties,” Tierney said. “By having them in the locations that we chose it does highlight the fact that it’s an 88-county problem, and not limited to the majority urban areas of the state.”

Tierney said the state is not hosting 88 forums, yet it wanted to have meetings outside of Columbus, since the drive to the state capital would take even longer.

Tierney said that the Children Services Transformation Advisory Council also has a good mix of rural and urban members, including former foster kids, adoptive and biological parents, judges, advocates and others.

That includes Jeff and Rhonda Mays, parents whose children were placed into foster care in Cuyahoga County until they could recover from drug and alcohol addiction. They are now advocates and mentors.

Chip Bonsutto, executive director of Ohio MENTOR, which offers therapeutic foster care and mental health services, is also on the advisory council. Ohio MENTOR has locations in Akron, Elyria, Independence and Willoughby Hill.

Senate version of Fostering Stable Housing Opportunities Act is introduced

The Senate version of the Fostering Stable Housing Opportunities Act was introduced this week by Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Senator Charles Grassley (R-IA).

Senator Grassley is the Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, and Senator Brown serves as Ranking Member of the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee.

The bill was introduced with no changes. The wording of this bill has been honed by foster youth for years, and they wanted to maintain its integrity.

1. Press Release
2. Thank you letter to Senator Brown
3. Thank you letter to Senator Grassley
4. Proponent testimony by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities

State agency director tours Sequel Pomegranate after reports by 10 Investigates exposed problems

Channel 10 News, 7/26/2019
Bennett Haeberle is an Emmy-winning journalist who serves as the Chief Investigative Reporter with 10TV. 

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Governor Mike DeWine acknowledged Thursday that it was reporting by 10 Investigates that prompted him to direct the head of a state agency to personally visit Sequel Pomegranate, a privately-run psychiatric and behavioral health treatment facility for teens.

A months-long investigation by 10 Investigates found both staffers and teens there have been exposed to incidents of violence and sexual abuse, according to a review of hundreds of police records and children’s services records.

In an interview with 10 Investigates Thursday, DeWine said, “If there is a doubt in the public's mind, you all have done a good job bringing this matter up, the fastest way to resolve any doubt is for the director to go out there and inspect herself. I've found out through public life that when the boss comes out and does something himself or herself -- it gets people's attention. So the mere fact of going out there means we are watching, we are going to continue to watch - the safety of these young people is important.”

Hours after that interview, 10 Investigates was notified that Lori Criss, the director of the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, visited the facility Thursday.

She told us Wednesday that she planned to visit the facility in early to mid-August.

In a statement released to 10 Investigates, Criss said, “The health, safety and well-being of patients served in Ohio’s behavioral health care system is our number one focus. Today’s visit was reassuring and consistent with what I learned from our licensure and certification team and other state partners and referral agencies about the operations of Sequel Pomegranate. We found the kids to be engaged with staff and actively participating in programming. The environment was clean, safe, therapeutic, and consistent with our regulations. I was impressed to learn of their program that has a ‘no reject/no eject’ policy, so that if they have capacity, they will take the hardest to place youth into care 24/7 and support their readiness for community living and services. I saw no reason today for the Department to modify its course of action at this time.”

Director Criss had promised to follow-up with 10 Investigates after her visit. A spokesman told 10 Investigates Thursday evening regarding the statement, “this is the follow up.”

The statement did not answer our questions regarding what teens were interviewed, what staffers were interviewed, if anyone was interviewed or what the scope of the tour was and what – if any - records were reviewed.

Stay with 10 Investigates for updates.

DeWine orders tour of Columbus psychiatric facility for teens after reports of violence, sexual assaults

Channel 10 News, 7/24/2019
Bennett Haeberle is an Emmy-winning journalist who serves as the Chief Investigative Reporter with 10TV. 

COLUMBUS (WBNS) — Ohio Governor Mike DeWine has asked the director of a state licensing agency to personally tour Sequel Pomegranate; the move follows reports by 10 Investigates that exposed incidents of violence and sexual abuse inside the psychiatric and behavioral health facility for teens.

DeWine made those remarks during a reporter gaggle Wednesday morning at the Ohio State Fair.

“I've asked my director to take a visit. She and I talked yesterday and I said ‘look, I feel that you are doing everything that you need to be doing but I think it's probably appropriate for you to go personally visit yourself,’” DeWine told 10 Investigates.

10 Investigates’ months-long investigation into the privately-run facility found issues of teen-on-teen violence, staff-on-teen violence and teen-on-staff violence. Additionally, there were substantiated cases of sexual assault and more than 125 incidents of kids who went absent without leave.

Parents, teens and former staffers have also come forward in interviews and expressed concerns about the issues of violence and sexual abuse, lack of supervision and understaffing, which they allege contributes to the problems.

Lori Criss, Director of the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, told 10 Investigates she hopes to tour the facility next month.

When asked directly if her agency was doing enough to address the issues there, she said: “I think we have a strong regulatory structure we always have the opportunity to continue to look and always improve quality to make sure that people in the state of Ohio get the highest quality services safest quality possible in any organization that we regulate.”

Since 2017, records from OHMAS show there have been 18 incidents reported to Criss's department, far fewer than hundreds of police runs and dozens of allegations we found submitted to Franklin County Children's Services in the same time period.

Records show FCCS officials have also requested discussions with Sequel Pomegranate officials in the past to discuss the reporting of incidents.

And 10 Investigates’ analysis of allegations found unsubstantiated cases of improper restraint or abuse on behalf of staffers still sometimes resulted in employees being fired or retrained. In 24 incidents we reviewed, 11 staffers were either fired or disciplined.

The governor and Criss said that they believe the incidents are being reported, and that the troubled teens there deserve the best care.

When asked if teens at Pomegranate were getting the best care, Criss declined to answer.

She also would not directly answer when asked if Sequel Pomegranate would be shut down.

A Sequel-owned facility in Utah announced this month that it would be closing following incidents of violence and sexual abuse.

Sequel Youth and Family Services - the parent company for Sequel Pomegranate - did not answer 10 Investigates’ questions but provided a statement saying:

“We remain committed to helping the young people at Sequel Pomegranate who come to us struggling with behavioral health issues go on to lead healthy, independent, and fulfilling lives.”

Governor DeWine said he had a conversation with Criss yesterday about taking a tour.

The announcement comes after a series of reports by 10 Investigates.

Violence, sexual abuse reported at other Sequel properties across the U.S.

Channel 10 News, 7/23/2019
Bennett Haeberle is an Emmy-winning journalist who serves as the Chief Investigative Reporter with 10TV. 

COLUMBUS (WBNS) – 10 Investigates has found there have been allegations of violence and sexual abuse at other psychiatric and behavioral health facilities across the U.S. that are owned by Sequel Youth and Family Services – the parent company of Sequel Pomegranate.

Sequel Youth and Family Services operates 21 other secure facilities across the U.S.

10 Investigates found issues at those facilities, including:

In New Jersey, where a former employee alleges in the pending federal lawsuit that "there were several reportable incidents where (the facility) did not report the incident or submitted reports that contained false information..." She also alleged "There was a no snitching policy" and that "...staff would offer juveniles incentives to corroborate false narratives about reportable incidents. In response to the suit, attorneys for Sequel Family and Youth Services deny these allegations.

• In Iowa, a youth advocacy group from Washington state stopped sending children to a Sequel-owned property known as Clarienda Academy after there were concerns raised in 2018 about the use of restraints.
• In Utah, 10 Investigates found that state’s Department of Human Services threatened the license of a Sequel-owned facility there in May. The state found "understaffing has negatively impacted the program's ability to address violence and sexual misconduct within the program. Some of the staff and residents reported feeling unsafe in the program." In response, Sequel Family and Youth Services issued a statement on July 9 that it would be closing the facility in wake of what’s happened there:
  • “Sequel Youth and Family Services has decided to initiate a plan to take the Red Rock Canyon School student census to zero. We are passionate about providing excellent programs that make permanent, positive changes in the lives of the people we serve. Over the last few months, in working with the Utah Department of Human Services (DHS), we have recognized that we have not consistently delivered on our mission. As a result, we’re taking this action proactively to do what’s in the best interest of our students and staff, while we address the identified deficiencies and make the program consistent with our standards for the future.”

A months-long investigation by 10 Investigates found both staffers and teens at Sequel Pomegranate in Columbus have been exposed to repeated incidents of violence and sexual at the privately-run psychiatric and behavioral health facility for teens.

Our investigation found that since 2017, there have been 125 incidents of teens going absent without leave; in addition to that there were more than 400 calls for police service, and dozens of documented cases of disturbances, fights, assaults and sexual assaults.

Both Franklin County Children’s Services and the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services say that they have dealt with the issues individually.

As of 4 p.m. Tuesday, Sequel Family and Youth Services had not responded to questions regarding the incidents at Sequel Pomegranate or at its other facilities.

A spokeswoman for Sequel Pomegranate and its outside legal counsel also did not respond to questions seeking comment.

Franklin County Children’s Services did not respond to follow-up questions Tuesday.

10 Investigates also asked the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services if any action had been taken by the state following our initial reports. A spokesman said no.

We also asked what action Ohio is taken given that Utah threatened to pull a Sequel facility there.

The spokesman referred us back to his department’s original statement, which noted that it addresses these incidents individually and that "Sequel Pomegranate has been receptive to corrective action ...."

A spokesman for Governor Mike DeWine said that the governor’s office had been briefed on our reporting.

Pomegranate investigation continues...

Children Services: Sequel Pomegranate incidents ‘unacceptable,’ but will continue partnership
Channel 10 News, 7/12/2019
Bennett Haeberle is an Emmy-winning journalist who serves as the Chief Investigative Reporter with 10TV. 
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Franklin County Children Services, which pays Sequel Pomegranate about $5 million each year to care for children in its custody, says the incidents of violence and sexual abuse at the psychiatric facility are “unacceptable” but that it has no plans to sever its contractual agreement with Sequel Pomegranate.

“Certainly those situations are not acceptable. They are very serious and as a child protection agency, we take each concern, each complaint seriously. We do what we need to do on our part as a child protection agency to make sure that child's need is met,” said Deborrha Armstrong, a communications manager at Franklin County Children Services.

10 Investigates sat down with Franklin County Children Services to ask them about what we discovered that children inside Sequel Pomegranate have been subjected to incidents of violence and sexual abuse. We also found 125 incidents in the past two years of teens going absent with leave from Sequel Pomegranate — a secure, privately-run psychiatric facility.

Hundreds of records reviewed by 10 Investigates also showed that since 2017, there have been hundreds of calls for police service, including 77 disturbance runs, 36 alleged assaults and 14 alleged sexual assaults.

10 Investigates asked FCCS that given the number of incidents happening here, people at home will wonder if this is acceptable and why one would still contract with this company.

Elisha Cangelosi, the clinical director at FCCS, said: “I would echo what everyone else has said that we find the incidents to be unacceptable. And we do look at them on an individual basis. We are making sure that intake is following up on those and that they follow mandates and guidelines for screening.”

10 Investigates also found instances where staffers had been accused of improperly restraining teens at Pomegranate. 10 Investigates found 26 reports of such claims turned over to FCCS. In 11 of those cases, the staffers were either fired or disciplined and retrained.

“These children, as I’m sure you know, have complex trauma, complex behavioral issues. It would be our hope that one day, these children could be served in a family-like setting,” Cangelosi said, adding that right now, the community isn’t prepared for that, which is why there is a need for facilities like Pomegranate. “Right now, our community is not there yet, but it is our hope that we would not always have to use facilities like this for children, that we would have them come out and live in a family like setting.

“We are not condoning the incidents. We care about our children… and other youth struggling with mental health,” she said.

10 Investigates also pointed out to FCCS that there have been instances in which Pomegranate has not reported incidents to the county, which is spelled out in the contract between the two entities.

Despite repeated requests, Pomegranate has not agreed to do an interview with 10 Investigates. An attorney representing them sent 10 Investigates a statement Thursday night, saying:

“Sequel Pomegranate takes every allegation of assault or violence seriously and strictly complies with its legal and ethical responsibilities to report and investigate such incidents. Sequel Pomegranate always cooperates with regulatory, law enforcement, and oversight agencies charged with investigating such allegations. However, Sequel Pomegranate’s obligations to the children and adolescents in their care prohibit them from publicly commenting on such allegations.

As a covered entity under HIPAA, Sequel Pomegranate is prohibited from disclosing an individual’s protected health information without consent of the individual or, if the individual is a minor, their parents. Obviously, this includes information about diagnosis and treatment, but it also includes information that would confirm the specific child is receiving, or has received, care in one of its facilities. As such, if an allegation includes any information that could be used to identify an individual, Sequel Pomegranate is legally prohibited from making any comment without proper authorizations or releases…”

Channel 10 is investigating Pomegranate

Records reveal tales of violence, sexual assaults and escapes at Columbus psychiatric facility for teens
Channel 10 News, 7/11/2019Bennett Haeberle is an Emmy-winning journalist who serves as the Chief Investigative Reporter with 10TV.
A months-long investigation by 10 Investigates has found children have been subjected to acts of violence and sexual abuse inside a facility meant to help them.

The incidents have occurred inside Sequel Pomegranate - a privately-run psychiatric and behavioral treatment facility for children ages 12 to 17.

10 Investigates’ review of police, fire and children’s services records from both state and county agencies revealed there have documented, substantiated cases of children assaulting or sexual abusing other children while staying at Sequel Pomegranate.

There have also been confirmed instances of staffers attacking youth and youth attacking staffers.

As part of our research, 10 Investigates combed through more than 400 calls for police service to Sequel Pomegranate dating back to 2017. In addition to that, we reviewed lawsuits, police body-camera footage, 911 calls and conducted interviews with families, both past and current employees and children’s services officials.

What we found:

• Documents show there have been substantiated cases of violence and sexual abuse including - teens attacking other teens; staffers improperly restraining and assaulting teens, and teens assaulting staff members.
• There have been more than 400 calls for police service dating back 2017 – most of these called in by Pomegranate employees or social workers.
• There have been at least 125 incidents of teens going AWOL from Sequel Pomegranate, which boasts on its website that it “stresses a safe and secure environment”
• Police have responded to 77 disturbances runs
• 36 reported assaults
• 14 reported sex assaults
• We found 26 incidents of staffers accused of improperly restraining or assaulting teens; 11 of them were either fired or re-trained

​
Through our interviews with parents, employees, child advocates and social workers, most have been blamed the incidents on a lack of supervision and insufficient training of staff members to deal with a young population who are troubled and in need of help.

Despite these incidents, millions of public dollars have continued to flow into the facility.

In 2018, financial records show Sequel Pomegranate received $13.5 million dollars – that includes money from Medicaid reimbursements and Department of Youth Services and Franklin County Children’s Services contracts. In 2017, Sequel Pomegranate took in approximately $15 million, the records show.

Sequel Pomegranate, which sits south of downtown Columbus, serves about 90 children – more than half of which are placed there while under the care of Franklin County Children’s Services, records show.

Despite repeated requests over a month’s time, Sequel Pomegranate would not agree to an on-camera interview but did respond to questions submitted over email.

Here are some of 10 Investigates’ questions sent via email:

• The facility boasts online that it “stresses a secure and safe environment” but we’ve found repeated incidents of teens going AWOL from this secure psychiatric facility.
• Our review of state inspection reports, police and court records also found both teens and staffers have been repeatedly subjected to assaults and sexual assaults inside Pomegranate within the past two years.
• Based on that review of reports and interviews with staff, parents and youth, it appears some of these crimes could be attributed to lack of supervision or inadequate staffing.
• What does Pomegranate say to this?

Sequel Pomegranate, through a hired public relations firm, sent this response:

“We are committed to helping young people who are the most troubled and in-need lead healthy, independent, and fulfilling lives. Pomegranate clients are youth who come to us with histories of prior hospitalizations for mental and/or behavioral health issues, court charges, domestic violence, abuse, and challenging histories. We have remarkable success with the most challenging clients who present as suicidal, homicidal, psychotic and may be a danger to themselves or others.

Pomegranate is a secure and locked treatment facility, not a corrections or detention center. Youth are permitted to leave campus when approved by the treatment team for recreational outings, as well as to visit family, a doctor or attend a court hearing. Some of our youth with behavior and conduct disorders may feel a need to push the limits at times and leave the facility’s campus without permission. We maintain round-the-clock staffing ratios in accordance with state licensing regulations. We conduct 15-minute bed checks throughout the night, which are documented in each child's case history. In addition, we have security cameras throughout the building and sensors in each room. Over 80% of AWOL incidents occur when students have a pass to leave campus for a specific purpose and then leave that setting without permission. In the majority of AWOL instances, the youth come back within 24 hours.

Due to the nature of the services we provide and the fact that many of our students are under our care involuntarily, it is not uncommon to receive unfounded allegations and complaints. In many cases, this involves students who incorrectly believe they can get dismissed from the program or can be excluded from some of the more rigorous aspects of our programming by making allegations against the program and its staff. We recognize that goes with the territory of turning these young lives around; but it does not change the fact that we take any allegations seriously.

Any time an allegation is made, we immediately conduct an internal investigation of the facts; all of our employees are mandatory reporters and work in a culture of transparency. We promptly notify child protective services, law enforcement, the student’s referring case worker and legal guardian, as well as document and report the findings as required by federal and state guidelines. We will terminate any employee who is in violation of our practices or policies.”

10 Investigates wrote back Wednesday night to the public relations firm fielding questions for Sequel Pomegranate, pointing out that the cases we cite in our report were substantiated cases of assault or sexual abuse.

We also asked for clarification to Pomegranate’s response, specifically asking if they meant to imply that some of the allegations were made up by youth attending Sequel Pomegranate.

We received this statement Thursday morning, which did not answer our questions:

“We are prohibited from providing the facts, responding to questions regarding any particular student, or confirming that any individual is or has been a student in one of our facilities. Not only would doing so violate the law, but doing so could unreasonably harm the reputation of the students involved. It is a priority to preserve and protect our students’ privacy while providing the services and support they require to be responsible members of society when they leave our campuses.”

Sequel Pomegranate also told 10 Investigates that it promptly investigates incidents and reports them. 10 Investigates wrote back pointing out that this is not always true, citing these examples:

• There’s a 6/27/17 assault case where Franklin County Children’s Services expressed concern that the youth was injured and this was not reported to FCCS’s hotline and no report was submitted.
• There’s also a 6/30/17 AWOL case where nothing was submitted to FCCS nor leave entered into the Statewide Automated Child Welfare Information System.

Pomegranate responded by saying:

“As we stated previously, any time an allegation is made, we immediately conduct an internal investigation of the facts; all of our employees are mandatory reporters and work in a culture of transparency. We promptly notify child protective services, law enforcement, the student’s referring case worker and legal guardian, as well as document and report the findings as required by federal and state guidelines.

Residential programs including Pomegranate do not have access to the Statewide Automated Child Welfare Information System (SACWIS).”

Attorney Catherine C. Cowine, whose firm serves as outside legal counsel to Sequel Pomegranate, sent an additional statement:

"Sequel Pomegranate takes every allegation of assault or violence seriously and strictly complies with its legal and ethical responsibilities to report and investigate such incidents. Sequel Pomegranate always cooperates with regulatory, law enforcement, and oversight agencies charged with investigating such allegations. However, Sequel Pomegranate’s obligations to the children and adolescents in their care prohibit them from publicly commenting on such allegations.

As a covered entity under HIPAA, Sequel Pomegranate is prohibited from disclosing an individual’s protected health information without consent of the individual or, if the individual is a minor, their parents. Obviously, this includes information about diagnosis and treatment, but it also includes information that would confirm the specific child is receiving, or has received, care in one of its facilities. As such, if an allegation includes any information that could be used to identify an individual, Sequel Pomegranate is legally prohibited from making any comment without proper authorizations or releases.

As demonstrated by Sequel Pomegranate’s initial response, they are happy to answer general questions about their operations that do not implicate protected health information. Please let us know if we can facilitate the answer of any of these types of questions."

10 Investigates also obtained records showing that in June of 2017, Franklin County Children’s Services requested a meeting to discuss the increase in allegations and their plan for it. Sequel Pomegranate’s response: “We meet with FCCS every quarter to discuss a variety of topics.”

On Thursday, 10 Investigates also sat down with representatives from Franklin County Children’s Services. They told 10 Investigates that they take these incidents seriously, that they found many of them are “unacceptable.” The FCCS officials also added that they intend to work with providers to fix and address problems. When asked if Sequel Pomegranate would be a provider for Franklin County Children’s Services in 2020, a spokeswoman said: “yes.” Look for more on that interview in follow-up reports by 10 Investigates.

The Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, which licenses Sequel Pomegranate, declined 10 Investigates’ request for an on-camera interview. Instead, they sent us this statement:

“The Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (OhioMHAS) exists to provide statewide leadership of a high-quality mental health and addiction prevention, treatment and recovery system that is effective and valued by all Ohioans.

As part of that mission, the Department has regulatory authority over providers of behavioral health services to Ohio consumers. To obtain and maintain a license to provide services, an agency must demonstrate compliance with the applicable regulations.

At all times, our primary focus is the health, safety, and well-being of individuals served in Ohio’s behavioral health care system.

The Department reviews reportable incidents and complaints to determine if follow up or investigation is indicated. In some cases, other entities such as law enforcement or a children services entity has the responsibility to investigate. In such cases, we cooperate fully with local law enforcement and other investigative bodies.

When the Department identifies noncompliance, the agency is required to submit a corrective action plan which must be approved by the Department. If they do not meet the corrective action plan, the Department can take the required steps toward license revocation.

A provider is given a deadline to correct deficiencies and act to prevent future recurrences. These actions are supplemental to any actions taken by law enforcement (e.g. criminal charges) or the provider (e.g. employee discipline).

Sequel Pomegranate has been receptive to corrective action and has cooperated with our survey staff to correct identified compliance issues.

OhioMHAS has worked diligently within our established regulatory framework in handling these matters.”

Dispatch article about Ohio's 2019-2014 Plan for Education

Ohio’s new education plan moves away from testing

By Catherine Candisky, The Columbus Dispatch, Aug 28, 2018   

Each day, second-graders in Robert Goetz’s class at Etna Road Elementary School in Whitehall play a greeting game. Tuesday, they put one of their shoes in a pile, selected one belonging to a classmate, and then returned it to the owner.

“Happy afternoon,” one boy politely told another student as he handed back her shoe.

“Remember eye contact,” Goetz gently reminded. The teacher said such exercises will help students succeed, teaching them about manners, how to introduce themselves and other interactions.

“It teaches a lot of the social aspect to learn how to talk to each other, get to know each other’s feelings and emotions, and be able to share with each other,” Goetz said. “If you can get the social stuff, the academics will come.”

Development of social skills — in addition to reading and math — is precisely what’s called for in a new five-year education plan launched by the Ohio Department of Education that shifts away from test results to focus on helping students succeed after graduating from high school.

The goal is to increase annually the percentage of graduates who, one year after earning their diploma, are enrolled in college, enrolled an adult career-technical education program or apprenticeship, serving in the military, or in a job that pays a living wage.

“The goal statement shies away from the traditional academic measures that we are using and says what we’re trying to do is prepare students for success, and let’s think about what those students are doing one year out from graduation,” said state Superintendent Paolo DeMaria.

It’s unknown how many recent graduates meet the goal. Department of Education officials say they are working on a way to track it.

The 35-page plan aims to develop the “whole child.” Beyond academics, it calls for social and emotional development, including leadership skills, problem-solving, self-awareness, and responsible decision-making.

DeMaria said the plan, Each Child Our Future, is a “roadmap” for all schools on how to tend to the needs of each child. The approach recognizes practices being followed in Whitehall schools and many other classrooms across the state. “So many times, we’re looking at averages and numbers of students that are proficient or better, and we clump students together when we really need to recognize that each child is different, each child has their own potential, their own inspiration, their own passions, their own interests and pathway to success,” he said.

Led by DeMaria and the Ohio Board of Education, the plan was developed over the past year by more than 150 educators, parents, lawmakers, business leaders and community officials. Tuesday’s daylong rollout began with a press conference at the Statehouse, followed by visits to the Tolles Career & Technical Center in Plain City, Etna Road Elementary School and the Columbus Museum of Art.

“Traditional academics are equal to a well-founded content, leadership and social-emotional learning in development of students as human beings,” said Jonathan Juravich, a teacher at Olentangy’s Liberty Tree Elementary School and Ohio’s 2018 Teacher of the Year.

The plan identifies three challenges for the state: preparing students for rapidly changing jobs and needed skill sets; meeting the needs of an increasingly diverse student body, particularly English learners and those with disabilities; and a growing number of poor children facing a host of difficulties.

More than half of Ohio’s’ 1.7 million students are considered economically disadvantaged, an increase of 37 percent in the past decade. And the number of homeless students has more than doubled to more than 20,000.

Silent on the long-debated issue of school funding, the plan stresses that the education system must be built on equal learning opportunities for all students, partnerships with parents and caretakers, health-care providers, business and community leaders and others, and quality schools, both public and private.

The plan includes 10 strategies to help students reach the state’s goal, including effective teachers, supportive principals, expanded quality preschool, literacy skills and more paths to graduation.

As for student testing, which currently is key in measuring success, the plan calls to “move toward a varied system of assessments to appropriately ... allow students to demonstrate competency and mastery in ways beyond state standardized tests.”

Learn more about the plan at: http://education.ohio.gov/getattachment/About/Ohios-Strategic-Plan-for-Education/Final-Strategic-Plan-Board-Approved.pdf.aspx?lang=en-US