NEWS FILES
Facility put on probation, but free to take new clients
By Kirsten Stewart The Salt Lake Tribune
Article Last Updated: 10/13/2007 12:55:43 AM MDT
A residential youth treatment center was cited on Friday for providing inadequate medical care to Brendan James Blum, a 14-year-old California boy who died at its Draper facility.
Utah licensers placed Youth Care of Utah on probation, requiring the center to, among other requirements, retool employee training. Youth Care was not fined and it is free to accept new clients, though no more than five every 30 days.
The disciplinary action was reached as part of a settlement between the facility and lawyers for the state Human Services Office of Licensing, which regulates Utah's teen-help industry. Licensing director Ken Stettler said he hopes Friday's action shows the state takes its watchdog role seriously. It comes a day after criminal neglect charges were filed against two former Youth Care counselors in connection with Brendan's June 28 death.
It also coincides with a congressional probe into wilderness camps, which detailed thousands of cases of abuse nationwide since 1990. Of 10 deaths detailed in the federal report, five occurred in Utah.
The cases showed a pattern of lax government oversight and medical neglect, with counselors assuming the teens were making up their symptoms. Brendan Blum's mother, Dana Blum, fears the same issues may have played a role in her son's death. Blum said she "feels" for the employees at Youth Care, but said the facility should have been shut down, at least temporarily, and the owners held accountable.
"Nothing will bring Brendan back," said Blum. "But the bottom line is that when a parent makes a difficult decision to place their child in a treatment program, the management and caretakers have a responsibility to ensure their safety. There shouldn't be any tolerance for the death of a child."
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Friday, October 12, 2007
Charges Filed in Death of Brendan Blum
2 youth counselors charged in California boy's death
14-year-old was staying at treatment center in Draper
By Pat Reavy and Rebecca Palmer
Deseret Morning News
Published: October 12, 2007
Two counselors at a residential youth treatment center in Draper where a 14-year-old boy died in June were charged Thursday in connection with the boy's death.
Deborah Cole and Jorge Ramirez, from Youth Care Inc., 12600 Minuteman Drive, each face one count of abuse or neglect of a child, a third-degree felony.
On June 27, Brendan Blum of California was suffering bowel and stomach problems. He had been vomiting and suffering from diarrhea all night, said Draper Police Sgt. Gerry Allred. Rather than contacting the on-call nurse as the facility's policy dictates, the boy was simply given some medicine and put in a separate room away from the rest of the boys, he said. The next morning, the boy, who was listed as a disabled child because he had Asperger's syndrome, was found dead on his mattress.
"There was no really good reason why they didn't take him ... no explanation except they just thought it was an upset stomach," Allred said.
An autopsy determined the boy had an obstructed bowel that deteriorated as the night went on, Allred said. The on-call nurse, who was later interviewed by police, said if she had been called to look at the boy she would have advised he immediately go to the hospital, he said.
The Utah State Medical Examiner concurred, "if medical intervention had been obtained, (the boy's) death would have been preventable," according to court documents.
The boy's mother, Dana Blum, said she is appalled that workers at the facility didn't take him to an emergency room. Any time a child dies while in the care of a licensed facility, the facility should be shut down immediately, she said.
Blum has filed a complaint with the Utah licensing board and is waiting for the investigation to be completed.
She hopes the individuals who operated the facility will be held accountable along with the workers.
"I don't wish them any ill, I would just like to see justice done for my son," she said.
The facility issued a statement shortly after the boy's death saying it was the result of a "medical condition." The group home is operated by Aspen Education Group, based in Cerritos, Calif. It is a division of the CRC Health Group, which runs boarding schools, outdoor education programs and weight-loss camps.
Ironically, the charges came one day after the Government Accountability Office in Washington, D.C., found thousands of abuse allegations at camps and other private treatment facilities around the country.
Blum hopes the national attention will result in stricter standards and more accountability across the board.
Brendan was placed in the facility following treatment at a California hospital. Blum said she researched Youth Care Inc. extensively before sending her son there.
"This is double-edged sword for me," she said. "I am not a deadbeat mom."
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Center for Troubled Youth Could Have Its License Suspended
August 31st, 2007
(KSL News) A Draper center for troubled youth could have its license suspended because staff did not follow policy the night a boy died there.
A Youth Care counselor found the 14-year-old California boy dead on the morning of June 28. Authorities say he'd been sick with stomach flu-like symptoms. A spokesperson for the state's human services department said today Youth Care staff did not contact an on-call nurse the night the teen died.
Youth Care says they will appeal the notice of suspension and work closely with state officials. They also say they are conducting their own review of procedures.
They called the death an unfortunate accident and an unexpected loss.
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Youth's death is still under review
July 18, 2007
DRAPER — The Salt Lake district attorney will be asked to decide what, if any, charges should be filed in connection with the death of a 14-year-old boy at a youth treatment facility in Draper.
The Southern California boy, whose name was not released, was found dead at the Youth Care of Utah on June 28. He had been suffering from stomach and bowel problems and placed in a room separate from the others. In the morning, he was found dead on his mattress.
Draper Police Sgt. Gerry Allred said Monday an autopsy had been completed, but he did not want to comment on it until all factors were looked at.
"We're looking at it really hard to make sure we're not missing anything," he said.
Allred said the case was suspicious only because a teenager in the care of adults died.
"We want to make sure no negligence was involved," he said.
In a statement released by the Youth Care & Pine Ridge Academy shortly after the death, they declared the boy died of a "medical condition."
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Medical condition' blamed for death
June 30, 2007
Associated Press
A Southern California boy who died at a group home in Draper had a "medical condition," the group home's director said Friday.
The 14-year-old boy awoke early Thursday complaining of stomach and bowel problems, was placed in a separate room from other children and was found dead the next morning, said Carol Sisco, spokeswoman for the Utah Department of Human Services.
"We are interviewing everyone involved who was in the unit at the time," Draper Police Sgt. Gerald Allred said.
Allred and other police officials were unavailable Friday to comment on whether an autopsy had revealed a cause of death for the boy, who entered the group home in February. His name was not released.
The boy died of a "medical condition," Trina Packard, executive director of the Youth Care & Pine Ridge Academy, said in a statement issued Friday. Packard didn't specify the medical condition or say why she was certain he died of it, and she didn't return a message left by The Associated Press.
The group home is operated by Cerritos, Calif.-based Aspen Education Group, a division of CRC Health Group that runs boarding schools, outdoor education programs, weight-loss camps and "weight- loss residential high schools," according to its Web site.
Copyright C 2007 Deseret News Publishing Co. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning
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Boy found dead at Draper group home
June 30, 2007
Assoiciated Press
SALT LAKE CITY -- A southern California boy died at a group home in Draper, apparently in his sleep.
The 14-year-old boy awoke early Thursday complaining of stomach and bowel problems, was placed in a separate room from other kids and found dead the next morning, said Carol Sisco, spokeswoman for Utah Department of Human Services.
"We are interviewing everyone involved who was in the unit at the time," Draper police Sgt. Gerald Allred said.
Allred and other police officials were unavailable Friday to comment on whether an autopsy had revealed a cause of death for the boy, who entered the group home in February. His name was not released.
The boy died of a "medical condition," Trina Packard, executive director of the Youth Care & Pine Ridge Academy, said in a statement issued Friday. Packard didn't specify the medical condition or say why she was certain he died of it, and she didn't return a message left by The Associated Press.
"We are extremely saddened" by the boy's death, she said, pledging to cooperate with authorities. "We are providing therapeutic services to the boy's family, as well as counseling services for our own staff and students."
The state division that licenses the group home will inspect the facility after police are finished, Sisco said.
Among things inspectors will look at is whether the group home had adequate staff on duty, she said.
The group home is operated by Cerritos, Calif-based Aspen Education Group, a division of CRC Health Group that runs boarding schools, outdoor education programs, weight-loss camps and "weight-loss residential high schools," according to its Web site.
Corporate officials didn't return telephone and e-mail messages left Friday by the AP.
"It sounds like he woke in the night and was having diarrhea and vomiting," Sisco said. "They took him into a separate room, and within a few minutes he went asleep. They checked on him a couple of times, but he was dead by the morning."
The group home takes troubled children 11 to 17 years old sent voluntarily by their parents, Sisco said.
It does not take any court-assigned children, she said.
"The program notified us (of the death) within 24 hours as they are required to do. We'll be looking at reports from the program, law enforcement, the medical examiner and then going out and checking the program physically to see if there is anything they could have done differently," Sisco said.
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