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 [email protected]

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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Police Report

Assault Second Degree, Battery Third Degree, Theft of Property

Officers responded to scene for report of runaway juveniles. Juveniles 1,2, & 3 caused a disturbance in the common room with other residents and staff. 3 Residents were able to get the keys from a staff member and left the scene. All were apprehended by officers after a short pursuit. After resisting officers, they were able to transport them back to facility. 2 Juveniles stated they wanted to commit suicide; MEMS was requested. Several injuries from juveniles were recorded. Juveniles who ran away were taken to Children’s Hospital.

PRLU or OLTC

Notice of Incident

  • Other
    • IC1 was sitting at table and picked up a walkie talkie when IC2 began striking her. Staff intervened and separated them.
    • IC2 put on all precautions.

PRLU or OLTC

Notice of Incident

  • Injury
    • Resident hurt his arm during a game of basketball with his peers. Resident twisted his arm; He was assisted by nurse and received an x-ray.
    • Resident given x-ray and placed on U.R. from the gym for two weeks.

Police Report

Disturbance

QRTP – Staff reported resident was refusing to go to school, and threw a bowl of apples at a wall near other staff. No injuries reported. Arrangements were being made to get resident to an acute treatment center in Maumelle.

PRLU or OLTC

Notice of Incident

  • Other – Self Harm
    • Resident was upset due to not being able to go back in her room and sleep. Resident started hitting staff, then took her shirt off trying to choke herself. After shirt was taken, Resident took marker and started to scratch her forearm.
    • Client was given two chemical restraints and put on precautions.

Police Report

Battery Third Degree

QRTP – Juvenile1 & Juvenile2 began to argue; Juvenile1 stated Juvenile2 placed them in a headlock and began to choke Juvenile1. Juvenile2 stated Juvenile1 bit their left ear and tried to choke Juvenile2. Juvenile1 had scratches to the left side of his neck and right eye. Both refused medical; Juvenile1 advised to seek a pick up order.

Police Report

Information Report, Stored Property

QRTP – Caller advised a subject had forced their way into the building. When officers arrived, they found the subject in the corner inside the boys dormitory. Subject advised officers they had been shot at and someone was coming for them. Officers located subjects backpack by gym, and found 2 syringes inside; Subject advised someone had planted them there. Officers advised subject was banned, and if they came back they would be arrested for criminal trespass. Another syringe was found in the common room believed to belong to subject. Subject was picked up from facility.

PRLU or OLTC

Visit Compliance Report

  • Regs out of compliance:
    • R907.2 – Specialist visited facility after received Incident Report regarding client. Specialist viewed video footage (no audio available for most of video); Specialist viewed staff member pushing client to keep him from coming through a door, while trying tokeep him separated from another client, causing the client to fall. Specialist also viewed that it seemed the staff members were not using proper de-escalation techniques. Please ensure that involved staff members are re-trained on proper handling of children and de-escalation techniques. Specialist made report to hotline, but it was not accepted.

Police Report

Assault Second Degree

Staff reported they were attempting to administer medication to suspect1, juvenile2, and juvenile3 & place them in seclusion until they calmed down since they were assaulting staff & damaging facility property. Suspect1 advised staff had slapped him into the floor earlier during an altercation; Officers did not note any signs of this occurring. Staff stated there was an altercation with all 3 and suspect1 grabbed facility keys around staff’s neck. Facility video footage supported staff’s story. Officers also noticed damage to several areas inside facility.

Police Report

Disturbance

QRTP – Upon arrival, officers observed several juveniles in a verbal disturbance. Juvenile1 advised Juvenile2 became angry after calling them a name, and then Juvenile2 threatened to stab Juvenile1 with the fork they were holding. No injuries were observed. Juveniles were advised to stay away from each other and go to their rooms for the night.

PRLU or OLTC

  • 2-hour incident where resident reportedly tried to attack another resident and then staff. He hit the walls, chased staff, and crawled on his hands and knees. Smashed forehead and nose on wall causing both to bleed. “Turned over to nursing and received a chemical restraint.”
    • Injuries: nose and forehead bleeding. Nose considerably swollen from fight previous day – x-ray after this incident showed an acute fracture involving the nasal bridge. Taken to ACH and then Methodist Acute.
  • PRLU Follow Up – specialist watched video. “At one point while trying to keep IC on the other side of the door, staff member pushed IC, causing IC to fall to the floor.” Requested staff member be retrained in proper handling of children.

Police Report

Information Report

QRTP – Officers were dispatched in regards to a runaway juvenile report. Upon arrival, officers located the juvenile walking away from facility and transported juvenile back to facility. Staff stated juvenile refused to go to school and wouldn’t take their medication. Juvenile was transported to Maumelle Behavioral Center.

PRLU or OLTC

Notice of Incident

  • Maltreatment – Staff Abuse
    • Investigation accepted for Abuse – Cuts, Bruises, Welts, and Failure to Protect on staff member. Resident stated that when he got into a fight at facility, staff members laughed at him. He also stated that he had bruises from them pushing him.
    • Employees were moved to different unit, pending investigation. Employees were required to have behavior management training.
    • Child Abuse Hotline was called and accepted. Results from investigation were unsubstantiated.

Police Report

Rape

Officers received referral that advised Juvenile3 disclosed they were sexually assaulted by Juveniles 1 & 2 a few weeks prior to the referral date. Juvenile3 was interviewed by an investigator from state police. Juveniles 1 & 2 were not interviewed due to them being in DHS custody. Investigation is ongoing.

PRLU or OLTC

Incident Report

  • IC2 involved himself in an altercation that did not involve him. IC1 hit and pushed a peer and IC2 jumped in and struck IC1 and pulled his hair. They began to fight, staff intervened but they were still trying to fight and fell to the floor. Both clients were hit several times, IC1 and IC2 were placed on precautions and 10 ft restriction.
    • IC2’s nose was bleeding and his eye was bruised.
  • PRLU F/u – no other f/u required at this time.

Police Report

Runaway

Staff reported juvenile ran away in unknown direction. Officers searched area with negative results. On 1/27/2021 officers responded to England, AR & met officer from Stuttgart who had juvenile in custody. Officers transported juvenile back to facility.

Police Report

Criminal Mischief Second Degree

QRTP – Officers responded in reference to a disturbance with a weapon. Staff reported that juvenile had used window blind & rocks to break 3 windows at facility. Officers escorted juvenile to their room; Therapist at facility was able to calm juvenile down.

PRLU or OLTC

Incident Report

• IC in altercation earlier that morning. IC continued with negative behavior and started punching the door with his closed fist. No injuries reported.

PRLU or OLTC

Incident Report

  • IC1 walked up to IC2 while he was sitting in his chair and started physically assaulting him. Reported verbal confrontation led to physical altercation. In-house x-ray for IC2 revealed no further injury.
  • PRLU Follow up: no other follow up required.

PRLU or OLTC

Incident Report

  • IC1 hit IC2 in back of head in cafeteria. No injuries reported.

PRLU or OLTC

Incident Report

  • While in Cafeteria, IC1 was attacked by IC2. IC2 hit IC1 in the back of the head. Staff separated and called for other staff to further de-escalate. No injuries reported.
  • UMCH reported to hotline due to four-year age difference – not accepted. Clients remain on precautions with 10-foot restrictions.

Police Report

Battery Third Degree

QRTP – Staff reported that Juvenile2 restrained Juvenile1 because they weren’t following rules. A fight broke out between the two. Juvenile1 sustained a minor abrasion to his bottom lip and a cut to his hand. After staff was able to separate them, Juvenile1 ran outside upset, trying to break window and pull pole out of the ground. Juvenile1 later calmed down.

PRLU or OLTC

Visit Compliance Report

  • Person in charge: Lakia Aytch
  • 10 personnel records viewed. Background checks pending on 5.
  • Regs out of compliance:
    • R911.15.f – Ensure drawstrings are removed from clothing. Corrected on site.
    • P105.5.h – Ensure employee has 3 references. No correction date.
  • Regs needing TA –
    • 104.1 – criminal backgrounds have been submitted and are awaiting results
    • 104.2 – ensure address history for past 5 years is in file.

Police Report

Criminal Mischief Third Degree

QRTP – Staff reported juvenile broke out all the windows in their bedroom. Supervisors want to press charges; Damages approximately $1000-1500. Citation was issued; MEMS arrived to transport juvenile to another temporary living facility.

Police Report

Assault Third Degree

QRTP – Staff reported that resident was being irate, disrespecting staff, cursing, and hit staff’s hand knocking phone out of it. Juvenile stated they were irate because staff took tablet away from juvenile.