In 2018, Timberline Knolls, a high-end mental health facility for women that once drew attention from celebrities like Demi Lovato, faced serious issues. At least four residents reported that a therapist had sexually assaulted them on the facility’s wooded grounds near Chicago.
The therapist was apprehended, and Acadia Healthcare, the facility’s corporate owner, stated it had implemented changes “to ensure such incidents do not occur again.”
However, an investigation by The New York Times revealed that unsafe conditions continued at Timberline Knolls for years, largely due to pressure to admit more patients without adequate staffing.
Last year, two former residents filed a lawsuit against Timberline Knolls, claiming they were raped by a staff member who had a criminal history that included domestic violence and firearm charges.
Another resident, a state ward, nearly died from an overdose after medication was left accessible in a shared area, as recounted by former staff. Additionally, two other women took their own lives after being left unsupervised, which is unusual in mental health facilities.
“We were critically understaffed,” stated Cecilia Del Angel, a former behavioral health aide at Timberline Knolls until last July. Several other ex-employees echoed this view. Ms. Del Angel remarked that the deaths were “completely preventable.”
Acadia decided to shut down Timberline Knolls this year, which had previously been praised by the company’s CEO as a “shining star,” following a “thorough review” of its operations.
Regulators in Illinois did not investigate the suicides. A spokesperson for the state health department mentioned that Timberline Knolls was not subject to their regulation, and the Division of Substance Use Prevention and Recovery had not inspected the site since 2019. These oversights allowed Acadia to evade accountability, despite managing individuals at a greater risk of self-harm or harm to others, according to The Times.
In response to The Times’s findings, the state’s substance use agency expressed being “deeply concerned about the alleged conduct at the facility” and announced it would “conduct a review to determine whether additional measures could have been implemented.”
Tim Blair, a spokesperson for Acadia, emphasized in a statement that the company enforces a zero-tolerance policy for any behavior that endangers staff or patients. “We deny any suggestion that we prioritize profits over patient safety,” he stated, adding that “complaints and incidents are thoroughly investigated and resolved.” He noted that most Acadia patients reported satisfaction with their care.
Mr. Blair refuted claims that Timberline Knolls had unsafe conditions, asserting that staffing levels were sufficient. He also mentioned that industry accrediting bodies had conducted multiple inspections of the facility and that all staff underwent “thorough background checks.”
The issues persisted at Timberline Knolls reflect a wider pattern of deficiencies at Acadia, one of the largest for-profit mental health service providers in the U.S. with over 260 facilities in 39 states, as uncovered by The Times.
Over the past decade, Acadia has closed facilities following reports of sexual abuse. Numerous patients reported sexual assaults at an Acadia psychiatric center in Utah. At a youth treatment facility in New Mexico, allegations arose of staff engaging in sexual conduct with patients and coercing them into “fight clubs.” In Michigan, three women claimed they were sexually assaulted by a supervisor at a youth treatment center.
Last year, The Times reported that several of Acadia’s psychiatric hospitals detained patients against their will to maximize insurance claims. The company’s network of methadone clinics — the largest in the U.S. — billed the government for services such as counseling that they did not deliver. Federal investigators and regulators have initiated multiple inquiries into the company.
Located on 43 acres in Lemont, Illinois, Timberline Knolls catered to women and girls dealing with eating disorders, mental health challenges, and substance abuse issues. Throughout its operation, the facility treated approximately 26,000 patients, including the pop stars Kesha and Demi Lovato.
Some individuals stayed for weeks or months. The center also had a contract with the State of Illinois, which provided nearly $2 million since 2021 to treat seven children in foster care, as reported by the state’s Department of Children and Family Services.
In the summer of 2018, patients warned Timberline Knolls employees that therapist Michael Jacksa had sexually abused them on-site. However, the facility delayed notifying the police for over three weeks, only doing so after patients reported the issue to the state’s substance use agency, as court records indicate.
Sari Abromovich, Timberline’s director at the time, testified that an Acadia executive instructed her not to inform the authorities, as indicated in a deposition related to a lawsuit filed by one of the assaulted women. (The lawsuit was later settled for an undisclosed sum.)
Ms. Abromovich, who was terminated in 2018, claimed she faced constant pressure from corporate management to maximize patient admissions and minimize staffing costs.
Mr. Jacksa later admitted to sexually abusing patients. He and his legal counsel did not respond to requests for comments.
“We were seriously alarmed by Mr. Jacksa’s predatory actions and initiated policy changes and modifications to the campus environment,” stated Mr. Blair, the Acadia spokesperson, countering Ms. Abromovich’s assertions.
Patient enrollment declined following the revelation of Mr. Jacksa’s arrest. In subsequent years, Acadia urged staff to discover alternative methods to fill beds, as reported by eight former employees who requested anonymity due to their continued work in the mental health field.
Recruiters informed potential patients that Timberline offered horseback riding therapy, despite the fact that this service was no longer available, according to former patients and staff. Additionally, Timberline began accepting patients with more severe conditions, such as autism and dementia, whom they had previously turned away due to their need for more intensive care, former employees reported.
Mr. Blair rejected the claim that Acadia pressured staff to improperly admit patients, stating that Timberline Knolls “turned away hundreds of patients each year who did not meet the clinical criteria for admission.” He emphasized that the company was “transparent with prospective patients and their families.”
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