Complaint Investigation Report

Allegation: Staff demonstrated inappropriate form of punishment towards a client while in care. It is alleged that staff/Assistant Administrator (S1) sat former client (C1) outside in the backyard patio area when they had a behavior during a meal time. It alleges the incident occurred 4 months prior to former client (C1) moving out of the facility. The client moved out on August 12, 2022. Based on record review and interviews conducted, the aforementioned incident occurred the year prior; September 1, 2021. Per interviews conducted and file notes, former client (C1) was at the dining table eating breakfast with other clients and then began to have an aggressive behavior i.e. hitting other clients with the dining chair and swinging hands towards clients. Staff (S1) stated that it asked C1 to step outside to the backyard patio area in order to de-escalate C1's aggressive behavior. The client stayed outside for approximately 5 minutes. Staff (S1) stated that when clients are actively having behaviors they are trained to separate the clients from one another, and denied punishing C1 in an inappropriate manner. According, to staff (S1) client (C1's) family was notified of the incident. Staff (S2 & S3) denied that allegation. They stated that former client (C1) had frequent aggressive behaviors that required staff to separate them from other clients in order to de-escalate the incident.

Client (C1) was interviewed and acknowledged hitting other clients in the home, and stated that staff (S1) was strict and had a bad temper. Client (C1) stated that on the day of the incident staff (S1) asked them to go outside to take a break and calm down. Family (F1) stated that it did not think asking C1 to go outside to calm down was mistreatment or punishment. The only expressed concern was whether C1 was supervised while outdoors. Clients (C2-C5) were interviewed and confirmed that former client (C1) had frequent aggressive behaviors i.e. hitting and verbal aggression towards them. All clients denied inappropriate treatment or punishment by all facility staff. Most of the clients did not remember details of the alleged incident.

Per review of Individual Program Plan (IPP), the findings indicate that former client (C1) engages in threatening behaviors toward peers without antecedents. There is insufficient evidence to corroborate the allegation.

Based upon record review and interviews conducted the findings indicate that, although the allegation may have happened or is valid, there is not a preponderance of evidence to prove the alleged violation did or did not occur, therefore the allegation is Unsubstantiated. Exit interview was conducted & report was issued.