Disability Rights Arkansas

United Methodist Children's Home Little Rock

*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 rstanford@disabilityrightsar.org

Methodist Children’s Home operates multiple programs on a single campus. Police responses to this campus often do not identify the program they are responding to. All reports plausibly related to the PRTF or Qualified Residential Treatment Program/Group Home (QRTP) have been included here. Where we can be certain the response was to the QRTP it is noted.

Location: Little Rock, AR                   Population Served: Children and adolescents in need of out of home psychiatric care in a residential setting

# of residents per unit: 20 Residents per room: 1 Capacity: 40

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: LCSW                    Therapists: 1 full-time therapist (LCSW)

Treatment modalities offered: Facility declined to identify any specific treatment 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.

UMCH LR Report (combined)

Photo Appendix to report

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PRLU or OLTC

Licensing Follow Up, Maltreatment, Notice of Incident

  • Dual (Maltreatment)
    • Staff reported an altercation with clients resulted in a fight. Upon camera review, there were irregularities regarding what was reported to the supervisor. Staff member was removed from the boy’s floor due to not following policy and procedure. Upon further investigation, client stated staff hit him. Client can be heard yelling “you hit me” in video footage. The male staff member involved quit, and the female staff was suspended.
    • Licensing follow-up: UMCH staff was made aware of this incident on 9/8/22, and Licensing was notified on 9/9/22. Licensing visited facility on 9/14/22 and reviewed video footage; Client was observed entering his room visibly upset, and staff member proceeds to remove client’s mattress without any seen or heard threat of client’s well-being. At no time is either staff seen hitting client. Facility cited (905.4.a: removal of mattress). CACD investigation unfounded.

Police Report

Runaway

QRTP – At approx. 7:15pm, officers responded for a runaway report. Upon arrival, staff stated juvenile was last seen around 7:05pm. Staff advised he had ran away last night but returned this morning. J1 was located on 9/6/22 at approx. 12:45am after officers were dispatched for suspicious activity, and J1 was returned to facility. Facility then called at approx. 2:03am to advise he had left the premises again. Officers located J1 again and MEMS transported him to hospital.

Police Report

Runaway

QRTP – At approx. 8pm, officers responded for a runaway report. Upon arrival, staff stated juvenile was last seen around 6:30pm. Staff stated some of the other residents will go to nearby gas stations and return within a few hours, but J1 has not returned as of 8pm. J1 was located on 9/4/22 at approx. 1:45pm.

PRLU or OLTC

Monitor Visit, Visit Compliance Report

  • Licensing Specialist: Clayton DeBoer.
  • Facility visited from 5:30pm – 6:30pm. Census: 21. MARs checked for 5 residents. No licensing concerns noted during visit.

Police Report

Battery Third Degree

QRTP – Staff stated 3 juveniles were in a fight. J1 stated J2 and J3 jumped him because he was yelling at another worker in the facility. J2 and J3 had already been moved upon officers arrival. J1 had a bloody lip and nose, and was transported via MEMS to hospital.

Police Report

Criminal Mischief Second Degree, Terroristic Threat

QRTP – Staff stated 2 juveniles were in a disturbance which required his intervention. Staff stated he had to remove J1 from the building and while J1 was outside, he threw several rocks at a window, breaking 2-3 glass panels. Staff stated J1 threatened to stab and kill him when confronted about the window. Officers advised staff to seek a pick up order regarding J1.

PRLU or OLTC

Licensing, Notice of Incident, Sexual Contact

  • Licensing (Sexual Contact)
    • Client reported a peer touched her at Methodist Behavioral Hospital. No follow-up details

Police Report

Criminal Mischief Second Degree

QRTP – Staff advised officers that juvenile broke a window of the group home and also had a stick and was scaring the other children. Juvenile advised officers he used the stick to break the window in an attempt to come inside the building and was not trying to scare anyone. Officers retrieved the stick and observed a minor cut to juveniles hand; Juvenile denied medical.

Police Report

Battery Third Degree

QRTP – Staff advised 2 juveniles were in an altercation. Officers observed a red swollen lip on J1. Officers spoke with J2 who admitted his temper got the best of him and he punched J1. Officers suggested staff keep juveniles in separate sleeping quarters; J1 denied medical.

Police Report

Assault Third Degree

QRTP – Staff advised 2 juveniles were in a physical altercation. Upon officers arrival, J1 stated he and J2 were in a verbal altercation and J2 threw his food tray in J1s face, so J1 threw food back and began throwing chairs. J2 advised officers that J1 had been picking on him for awhile and began to throw food and chairs at him for an unknown reason. Neither juvenile had any visible injuries. Staff stated J1 appeared to be the aggressor in several incidents and was suspended from school that day. Staff spoke with J1s caseworker who wanted J1 transported to hospital for evaluation; MEMS transported J1.

Police Report

Assault Third Degree

QRTP – Staff advised 2 juveniles were in an altercation and J2 had a stick. Upon officers arrival, J1 did not want to make a statement. J2 advised officers he was in the bathroom when J1 walked in and J2 then asked J1 if he was gay. J1 spit on J2 and called him a “bitch”, and they began fighting. J2 stated he picked up a stick to defend himself but didn’t use it. No injuries were observed, and officers advised staff to split the juveniles up.

PRLU or OLTC

Licensing Follow Up, Notice of Incident, Sexual Contact

  • Licensing (Sexual Contact)
    • Client wrote a grievance on 8/23/22, reporting that a peer touched her and made her feel uncomfortable and violated. Client stated the peer touched her hip down to her buttock area. The grievance was given to a supervisor on 8/26/22.
    • Licensing follow-up: The incident reportedly occurred at Methodist Acute Hospital.

Police Report

Disturbance

QRTP – Staff advised 2 juveniles were in a verbal altercation. Due to J1s behavior, on call DHS employee was contacted and advised to have J1 transported to hospital for mental evaluation. Officers escorted MEMS to hospital where J1 was released to hospital staff and social worker.

Police Report

Terroristic Threatening Second Degree

QRTP – Staff advised juvenile was upset after receiving corrective action for an incident that occurred between another juvenile. Staff advised juvenile stated “I am going to fuck you up” and began punching the walls. Juvenile told officers he became upset after receiving corrective action for something he did not do.

Police Report

Information Report

QRTP – Staff stated juvenile was having an outburst about going to bed and hygiene related tasks. Juvenile cursed at staff and threw paper and clothes around (no damage noted). Facility supervisor stated juvenile could no longer stay at facility; Caseworker was contacted and juvenile was transported to hospital without incident.

Police Report

Non Police Incident

Staff advised individual was breaking the rules and needed to leave. Individual agreed to leave and officer transported her to a gas station.

PRLU or OLTC

Notice of Incident

  • Emergency Medical Care
    • Resident reported foot pain to staff due to stepping on their own foot. Resident’s right big toe was bruised. Resident was assessed by nurse and x-ray completed; There were no findings.
    • Licensing follow-up on 8/8/22: X-ray showed no findings. 

Police Report

Disturbance

QRTP – Juvenile climbed into the fenced construction site, began yelling at people and picked up bricks and a pole and started threatening. Juvenile told officers he was tired of being bullied so he was thinking of running away, but went into the construction site to look around. He denied threatening anyone but stated he did yell at them because he was upset. Staff stated they would talk to juvenile and handle it per facility policy.

PRLU or OLTC

Buildings and Grounds, Visit Compliance Report

  • Licensing Specialist: Clayton DeBoer
  • Facility visited from 11:00am – 12:00pm. Census: 21. MARs checked for 5 residents.
  • TA –
    • R901.3 – Facility was asked to show a posted copy of client rights. No posted client rights could be located. A copy of client rights was produced and posted before the conclusion of today’s visit.

Police Report

Criminal Mischief First Degree, Runaway

QRTP – Staff stated juvenile was in a verbal altercation with peers over the TV remote and threw the remote, then went outside and threw 3 large rocks through 3 windows of the building. Juvenile left the location before officers arrived. Officers issued broadcast.

Police Report

Resisting Arrest, Terroristic Threatening First Degree, Use of Force

QRTP – Upon officers arrival, juvenile 1 came outside before officers entered and stated “ya’ll not taking me” and got into a fight stance while holding scissors as if he was going to attack officers. After refusing officers commands, juvenile was tased. MEMS responded to assist juvenile after he was handcuffed. Juveniles 2 & 3 advised officers that J1 threatened to stab them with the scissors. J1 was charged with Terroristic Threatening and officers transported him to JDC.

Police Report

Runaway

QRTP – Staff advised officers a juvenile had ran away from the facility and provided a description. Officers circulated the area with negative results. Approximately 7 hours later, officers were dispatched to verify the return of the juvenile. Officers made contact with juvenile and confirmed he returned.

Police Report

Disturbance

QRTP – Staff stated that juveniles 1 & 2 were in a verbal disturbance but did not come to blows. No further action taken.

Police Report

Stored Property

Staff discovered a small baggie containing 0.8 grams of an unknown crystal-like substance among the property of a patient.

Police Report

Runaway

Staff member stated she was transporting children from the West Helena Methodist Children’s Home to the listed address and upon arrival, juveniles 1 & 2 jumped out of the van and took off running. Juveniles were located shortly after officers broadcast. Upon their return, J2 became combative and she was taken to hospital where DHS would take custody of J2.