Disability Rights Arkansas

United Methodist Children's Home Dacus / United Methodist Children's Home (Bono)

*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: Bono, Arkansas

Population Served: Children and adolescents in need of out of home psychiatric care in a residential setting

# of residents per unit: 25 Residents per room: 3-4 Capacity: 25

Contact with family (Calls and visit schedule): Clients have regularly scheduled phone call opportunities. The number of actual calls depends on the clients wish to utilize these opportunities. In person visitation (assuming no quarantine precautions) is available every weekend and can be scheduled at other times as needed by the family or guardian.

Restraint utilized? Yes Chemical Restraint utilized? Yes Seclusion utilized? Yes

Treatment Components:

Clinical Director - In process of hiring.

Therapists: 2 full-time therapists (1 LCSW, 1 LPC)

Treatment modalities offered: Facility declined to identify any specific modalities available

# of individual therapy sessions/week: Minimum 1 per week scheduled. May vary upon the treatment plan of the client.

# of group therapy sessions led by a licensed mental health professional/week: minimum of 1 with 2 preferred.

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Police Report

Assault Third Degree

Staff member reported that she tried to get the juvenile to leave the dayroom and when he got to the door where she was, he hit her with a closed fist in the chest area leaving a red mark. Officer advised Juvenile Officer that juvenile was in solitary confinement away from the others. Staff involved stated the juvenile is leaving the facility tomorrow to go to a different facility, and she was just wanting him gone today.

PRLU or OLTC

Notice of Incident

  • Suicidal Behavior, Injury, & Disturbance
    • Resident attempted to choke themselves with a sweatshirt. After the sweatshirt and all clothing were removed from the resident’s room, resident became upset and hit staff several times.
    • Licensing follow-up on 8/4/22: Facility visited.

Police Report

Assault Second Degree

Staff member reported an assault that occurred on 07/16/22. Staff stated while working at facility, juvenile tried to break a sprinkler with his shoe. When staff took his shoe, juvenile grabbed staff by the arm leaving scratches on him.

PRLU or OLTC

Disturbance, Notice of Incident

  • Disturbance
    • Resident became combative with staff after attempting to get into an office that is off limits to residents. Resident used socks to choke themselves in which staff removed from resident’s neck. Resident then took the socks and came behind staff and choked staff with the socks. Resident was assessed by nurse, and no bruising was noted.
    • Licensing: Incident report received on 7/19/22.

PRLU or OLTC

Monitor Visit, Visit Compliance Report

  • Licensing Specialist: Kendra Rice.
  • Facility visited from 9:45am – 11:15am. Licensing discussed 06/21/22 incident received regarding resident and peer sexual contact. Facility reported the residents are on a 10-foot restriction and received room reassignments. Younger residents have been educated and informed to report sexual harassment. Licensing Complaint is unfounded.
  • Licensing discussed 7/3/22 incident received regarding maltreatment by staff. Camera footage was reviewed and showed resident swinging at staff, then staff in return grabbed resident and shoved them to the floor with staff’s hand around resident’s neck. It appeared that staff was pushing resident’s head to the floor. Resident was assisted by other employees while staff member walked towards the door.

Police Report

Assault Third Degree

Two staff members advised that juvenile lost control of temper and began throwing shoes and pushing on staff members. Officer observed no injuries. No charges requested.

PRLU or OLTC

Maltreatment, Notice of Incident

  • Maltreatment
    • Staff members completed critical incident/hotline reports due to incident in which resident and peer were in an altercation and resident became aggressive with staff. It was reported that a staff member shoved resident to the ground and put their hand on resident’s neck, bouncing their head 3-4 times against the floor. Staff member then used obscene language and grabbed resident by the neck, shoving them towards the wall. Facility reported the staff member will not return to the facility until the investigation is complete.
    • Child Abuse Hotline was called and accepted. Investigation pending. Licensing follow-up on 7/11/22: In-person visit conducted, and camera footage reviewed. Licensing complaint is founded. On 7/18/22, Licensing received notification that staff was terminated from employment on 7/14/22.

PRLU or OLTC

Maltreatment, Notice of Incident

  • Maltreatment
    • Resident reported peer was inappropriately touching resident in bedroom away from staff observation. Resident reported peer has touched their buttocks repeatedly and pulled down their pants. Resident stated peer has verbally threatened resident if they report it. Facility reported both residents are on a 10-foot distance precaution.
    • Child Abuse Hotline was called and accepted. Investigation pending. Licensing follow-up on 6/22/22: Requested the referral number, assigned investigator, and corrective action plan. Licensing visited facility on 7/11/22 and discussed the incident; No licensing concerns noted.

PRLU or OLTC

ER Visit, Notice of Incident

  • ER Visit (Peer Altercation)
    • Client reported pain in right hand after punching a peer in the back of the head. Resident was taken to the ER for x-ray.
    • Licensing follow-up on 6/20/22: Program Coordinator emailed the facility to determine what safety precautions were put in place for residents. The facility reported the residents will be on a ten-foot assault precaution.

Police Report

Assault Third Degree

Staff advised officer that juvenile woke up and started cussing/yelling, then grabbed a sock and went toward staff member to choke him. Juvenile then tried to do the same with a blanket after the sock was taken away. Juvenile struck staff member with a sock that had been rolled up with knots in it. No injuries reported.

Police Report

Disorderly Conduct

Officer responded to facility for possible poisoning from a fire extinguisher that some juveniles opened and sprayed each other with. Upon arrival, facility nurse stated the kids were acting fine and their blood pressure was good. Nurse stated she needed dispatch to call Poison Control to see if there was anything she needed to do for the juveniles. Dispatch advised nurse would need to contact Poison Control.

Police Report

Disorderly Conduct

Officer dispatched for juvenile acting up and threatening to hit everyone. Upon arrival, the teacher stated he had spit on her and charged her with a stick. Officer spoke with juvenile who stated he wanted to kill himself and did not want to hurt anyone. Teacher advised officer they would evaluate him there at the facility. Juvenile calmed down.

PRLU or OLTC

Buildings and Grounds, Visit Compliance Report

  • Licensing Specialist: Chelsea Vardell.
  • Facility visited from 10:20am – 11:15am. Census: 14. MARs reviewed for 3 residents. Licensing Specialist viewed staff attempting to de-escalate a resident in which staff was responding appropriately to the resident in attempt to keep him and other resident’s safe.
  • Regs out of compliance –
    • R912.4 – Bathroom on the resident unit was visibly clogged with toilet paper. Maintenance was called to unclog the toilet on site. Corrected 5/17/22.
    • R911.15.d – Bedroom 119 was viewed to have a pair of shorts with strings still attached. Staff removed the clothing item on site. Corrected 5/17/22.

PRLU or OLTC

Notice of Incident

  • ER Visit (Swallowed Foreign Object)
    • Client swallowed a Lego and was taken to the ER due to throat pain. No further details.

PRLU or OLTC

Non-Standard Review, Visit Compliance Report

  • Licensing Specialist: Chelsea Vardell.
  • No site visit conducted. Licensing received a late incident report notification on 5/3/22.
  • Regs not correctable –
    • R110.17 – The incident report was not sent to Licensing by the next business day following the event.

PRLU or OLTC

Notice of Incident

  • ER Visit (Self-inflicted Injury)
    • Client was in a verbal altercation with a peer when he punched a door. Client was taken to ER for an x-ray due to his hand being red and painful. No further details.

PRLU or OLTC

Notice of Incident

  • ER Visit (Peer Altercation)
    • Client was in an altercation with peer in which he injured his hand. Client was taken to ER for further evaluation. No further details.
    • Agency was cited for R110.17 due to reporting the incident 12 days after the event occurred.

Medicaid Inspection of Care

Inspection of Care Report

  • Included: IOC
  • No deficiencies noted.

PRLU or OLTC

Notice of Incident

  • ER Visit (Accidental Injury)
    • Client was playing basketball when a peer threw him the ball and hit him in his genital area. Client was taken to ER for further evaluation. No further details.

PRLU or OLTC

Notice of Incident

  • Arrest
    • Client became aggressive and assaulted staff. Police were called and client was arrested for assault.
    • Specialist followed up on 4/7 to determine whether client will return to facility or be discharged.

Police Report

Battery Third Degree

Two staff members stated juvenile had choked and punched them. Both staff had redness to face. The second staff member also said she had her head slammed into a metal door. Both refused EMS. Juvenile told officer he was “pissed over them talking about his brother” and said he did punch them. Juvenile was arrested and booked into Craighead County Juvenile Jail.

PRLU or OLTC

Background Check Review, Visit Compliance Report

  • Licensing Specialist: Chelsea Vardell.
  • Specialist completed a virtual review of background checks for staff. Agency will follow up with the Regulatory Check unit to resolve the pending status of 2 staff members.
  • Regs not correctable –
    • R103.8 – Staff member was hired on 11/1/21, but her maltreatment central registry check was not initiated until 11/16/21. Please ensure all required regulatory checks are initiated within ten days of hire.

PRLU or OLTC

Notice of Incident

  • Elopement
    • Client eloped from facility by climbing fence while he was outside playing basketball. Local police were notified of elopement. No follow-up details.

PRLU or OLTC

Visit Compliance Report

  • Census: 15. Buildings and grounds walkthrough conducted (gym not able to be viewed due to ice/snow accumulation blocking the entrance). MARs reviewed for 3 residents.
  • TA –
    • R910.1 – Please ensure ice/snow accumulation is removed on the walkway and in front of the gym door to ensure the safety of residents.

PRLU or OLTC

Children's Records Review, Visit Compliance Report

  • Specialist reviewed 5 children’s records.
  • TA –
    • R904.1.n – No nightly visual observations are documented in the chart for November – December 2021. Ensure these are uploaded in resident’s EMR.
    • R904.1.m – No daily behavioral observations are documented in the chart for November – December 2021. Ensure these are uploaded in resident’s EMR.