Disability Rights Arkansas

Little Creek Behavioral Health

*Photos taken by DRA staff during onsite monitoring visits. Photos reflect the most recent conditions observed by DRA staff but may not reflect the current conditions at the facility. If you are associated with a facility and have updated information or photos you would like to share, please contact DRA at [email protected]

Location: Conway, AR                       Population Served: Non-Arkansas residents ages 6-21. Deaf and hard of hearing unit.

# of residents per unit: up to 8 Residents per room: 1-2 Capacity: 64

Contact with family (Calls and visit schedule): Weekly to Bi-weekly calls. Visits with families are scheduled (no additional details were provided).

Restraint utilized? Yes Chemical Restraint utilized? Yes Seclusion utilized? No

Treatment Components:

Clinical Director: LPC-S                    Therapists:4 full-time therapists (2 LMSW, 1 LCSW, 1 LAC)

Treatment modalities offered: “Trauma-informed Care, Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT), Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) and Reality Therapy, Person-Centered and Deaf Mental Health.”*

# of individual therapy sessions/week: 1-2

# of group therapy sessions led by a licensed mental health professional/week: 2-3

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PRLU or OLTC

Licensing Complaint, Notice of Incident

  • Licensing (Complaint)
    • Licensing (Complaint)
      • Licensing received a complaint, stating information reported by the facility regarding elopements on 10/09/22 was not accurate. The complaint states 2 residents who eloped were potentially missing off the unit for approximately 3 hours before a call was made to the police, and staff were unaware of the elopement.
      • Licensing follow-up: Specialist visited facility on 10/28/22. Staff reported the residents eloped at 7:30am based on nightly visual observations they produced, documenting staff viewing them in their rooms until 7:30am. Both residents who eloped were interviewed and reported they eloped around 5am; They stated staff were off the unit leaving them alone, so they went to the restroom, got dressed, and used a staff key card to elope off the back entrance to the unit. Resident reported he found the key card after a staff member dropped it during a restraint hold earlier in the day, however, the DON and CEO report the key card was from a previous staff who left the agency approximately 2-3 weeks ago. The nurse who reported the elopement to police stated staff were unaware when the residents eloped, and it was reported to her they went missing around 7:30am – 7:45am when they began to look for the residents. Staff who reviewed camera footage reported the residents did elope from the unit at 5:30am and the staff was off the unit, not conducting mandatory visual bed checks and falsifying the documents. The staff member quit after this incident. 
      • Licensing complaint founded; Facility cited for 907.2 and 907.6. Facility reported they have instituted a new process to expedite the deactivation of staff key cards and will retrain night shift staff regarding supervision. 

PRLU or OLTC

Elopement, Licensing, Notice of Incident

  • Licensing (Elopement) 1
    • Client and peer kicked the back door down, jumped the fence, and ran from the facility at approximately 5:35am. Law enforcement was contacted and had the residents in custody. Client and peer returned to the facility with no injuries.
    • Licensing follow-up: Facility has magnetic doors that can be kicked open with enough force. Residents returned and remain at facility.

PRLU or OLTC

Elopement, Licensing, Notice of Incident

  • Licensing (Elopement) 2
    • Client and peer kicked the back door down, jumped the fence, and ran from the facility at approximately 5:35am. Law enforcement was contacted and had the residents in custody. Client and peer returned to the facility with no injuries.
    • Licensing follow-up: Facility has magnetic doors that can be kicked open with enough force. Residents returned and remain at facility.

Police Report

Call Card, Missing Juvenile

Staff reported 2 runaway juveniles at approx. 2:30pm. Upon officers arrival, staff advised J2 was located and brought back to the facility. During officers search for J1, J1 was located by facility staff and brought back to the facility at approx. 3:40pm. Staff advised one of the juveniles was getting a shower, and was cut up and dirty. No medical attention needed.

PRLU or OLTC

Accidental Injury, Licensing, Notice of Incident

  • Licensing (Accidental Injury)
    • While outside for rec therapy, client saw 2 peers trying to elope from the facility and began to chase after them. Client stomped his foot on a rock and felt his ankle shift. “His foot appears to look broken.”
    • Licensing follow-up: Staff indicated during a phone call on 10/12/22 that an x-ray was performed on-site. Licensing informed staff that on-site x-rays need to be reported to licensing.

PRLU or OLTC

Elopement, Licensing, Notice of Incident

  • Licensing (Elopement) 1
    • While outside during rec therapy, client was catching grasshoppers and staff repeatedly asked client not to go too far from facility. Client then ran into the woods and eloped. Client was found and brought back to the grounds by police.
    • Licensing follow-up: Client was brought back by police in about an hour. Client remains at facility.

PRLU or OLTC

Elopement, Licensing, Notice of Incident

  • Licensing (Elopement) 2
    • While outside during rec therapy, client was catching grasshoppers and staff repeatedly asked client not to go too far from facility. Client then ran into the woods and eloped. Client was found and brought back to the grounds by police.
    • Licensing follow-up: No licensing concerns noted.

Police Report

Call Card, Theft

Staff (CEO) advised officer that the facility smoker trailer (worth $7000) was stolen on 9/25/22. Staff and officer reviewed camera footage of the smoker being stolen. BOLO was issued for the smoker.

PRLU or OLTC

Monitor Visit, Visit Compliance Report

  • Licensing Specialist: Clayton DeBoer.
  • Buildings & Grounds conducted from 6pm – 7pm. Census: 54. Areas checked: Guppies, Minnows, cafeteria, and new gym. MARs checked for 5 residents.
  • Regs out of compliance –
    • 9.907.3 – Ratio was 1:7 in Guppies area. Staff/child ratio shall be at least 1:6 during waking hours and 1:8 during sleeping hours.

Police Report

Medical

Staff reported juvenile had been in seizure for 2 minutes. Juvenile transported via ambulance to Baptist hospital.

PRLU or OLTC

Personnel Record Review, Visit Compliance Report

  • Licensing Specialist: Clayton DeBoer.
  • Follow up for personnel record background checks reviewed. All were accounted for and present in file. HR reports that other than 3 employees awaiting background results from out-of-state, all background checks are completed with results placed in the personnel file.
  • TA –
    • 1.103.8 – Child Maltreatment Central Registry Checks and Arkansas State Police and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Criminal Record Checks shall be initiated within 10 days of employment.

Police Report

Theft of Property

Staff (CEO) called the facility to report an employee had stolen items from the facility and was trying to put a facility smoker in his name. Staff stated the employee was suspended pending investigation. Officer made contact with employee and collected items staff needed back and paperwork for the smoker, and took statements.

PRLU or OLTC

ER Visit, Notice of Incident

  • ER Visit (Self-inflicted Injury)
    • Client became upset after being bullied by a peer. Client began screaming and cussing, trashed room, and threw their belongings everywhere. Client punched a wall several times, causing swelling to hand. Client received an x-ray on 8/9/22: Salter II fracture distal fifth metacarpal with angulation vertex dorsal suggestion boxer fracture component. Client transported out on 8/10/22. No follow-up details.

PRLU or OLTC

Personnel Record Review, Visit Compliance Report

  • Licensing Specialist: Clayton DeBoer.
  • Regs out of compliance –
    • 1.103.10 – Several personnel records were missing background check results in personnel files. HR staff member was counseled and shown examples of background check results needed for all personnel files.
  • TA –
    • 1.103.1 – Several personnel records were missing background check results in personnel files. HR staff member was counseled and shown examples of background check results needed for all personnel files.

Police Report

Call Card, Missing Juvenile

Officer made contact with Alaska Juvenile Probation Office, in which staff stated missing juvenile was being held at Mat-su Juvenile Health Facility in Palmer, AK, and is in their custody (ran from facility on 6/5/22). Juvenile has warrants and will possibly have additional charges from incidents on morning of 7/30/22.

Police Report

Call Card, Suspicious Person

Staff reported suspicious person on the property in his car, “watching the juveniles”.

PRLU or OLTC

ER Visit, Notice of Incident

  • ER Visit (Enterocolitis)
    • Client was admitted to hospital due to Enterocolitis.
    • Licensing follow-up: Email sent on 8/3/22 states that client returned to Little Creek from the hospital on 8/2/22 around 1614.

PRLU or OLTC

Buildings and Grounds, Monitor Visit, Visit Compliance Report

  • Licensing Specialist: Clayton DeBoer.
  • Buildings & Grounds conducted from 10am – 11am. Census: 51. Areas checked: Minnows, Guppies, cafeteria, and outdoor enclosed gym. MARs checked for 5 residents. No licensing concerns noted during visit.
  • On 7/12/22, Little Creek Risk Management received a report involving a client, who reported that a staff member hit them on the head. Licensing visited the facility on 7/18/22 from 10:30am – 12:00pm, and interviews were conducted. No definitive evidence to support violation of minimum licensing standards at this time.

PRLU or OLTC

ER Visit, Notice of Incident

  • ER Visit (Accidental Injury)
    • Client was outside during recreational time and jumped off a rock, landing on the metal landscape border. Client sustained laceration to foot and was transported to the hospital. Client received 6 stitches and returned to the facility.
    • Licensing visit on 7/18/22: Client remains at facility. Continued monitoring by nursing.

PRLU or OLTC

Maltreatment, Notice of Incident

  • Maltreatment
    • Client reported that staff member hit them in the head. Client was interviewed and assessed by the nursing department for injuries; None noted.
    • Child Abuse Hotline was called and accepted. DHS will take over the external investigation and send the findings. The alleged staff member was placed on administrative leave until further notice. Internal investigation: Camera review and interviews were conducted. The allegation of physical abuse will be unfounded. Upon information gathered, the facility found that the client fell to the ground and hit their head on the wall to avoid being placed into a restraint.
    • Licensing follow-up: Licensing visited facility on 7/18/22 and interviewed client. When asked to demonstrate what happened, the client stated that other kids were “coming after me and I fell in another kid’s room” and that staff member “hit me on the head”. No definitive evidence to support violation of minimum licensing standards at this time.

PRLU or OLTC

ER Visit, Notice of Incident

  • ER Visit (Muscle Cramps)
    • Client visited the hospital due to an EPS episode, however, was diagnosed with muscle cramps. At 8:00am, the client was shaking, couldn’t turn neck to the right, face drooped, and blood pressure was elevated. The client received an IM of Benadryl at the facility and was calm. The symptoms presented again around 11:30am, and the client was sent to the hospital.
    • Licensing follow-up on 7/5/22: Client remains at facility. Will continue to monitor.

PRLU or OLTC

ER Visit, Notice of Incident

  • ER Visit (Dizzy & Lightheaded)
    • Client was transported to hospital for dizziness and lightheadedness. Client received one bag of fluids at the hospital and returned to facility.
    • Licensing follow-up on 6/24/22:  Client received bag of fluids and returned to Little Creek.

Police Report

911 Hang Up

No answer on call back. Officers made contact with staff at facility, no concerns noted.

Police Report

Supplement Report

Runaway juvenile was located and transported back to facility by officers.

Police Report

Call Card, Runaway

Staff advised officers that 2 juveniles ran away from facility at approx. 1910 hours. Officers were unable to locate. On 6/13/22, J1 was located and transported back to facility custody.