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Report highlights bungled aftermath of Sexual Abuse claims at teen rehab center

report highlights bungled aftermath of sexual abuse claims at teen rehab center
Holly Kays

Leadership at Unity Healing Center in Cherokee failed to properly investigate or report allegations that an employee of the federally run rehab center for Native American teens had sexually abused one of its residents in fall 2016, a newly disclosed report  concludes.

The quality assurance review was completed by third-party consulting firm Milam Consulting in May 2020 and released last week in response to a 2019 Freedom of Information Act request from The Smoky Mountain News. It paints a scathing picture of incompetence, disregard for chain of command and a toxic workplace culture that created a “perilous environment” for staff and residents alike. 

“The review found that multiple staff at Unity failed to comply with mandatory abuse reporting requirements,” reads a statement from the U.S. Indian Health Service, which operates the center. “Unity Health Center staff did not recognize and report signs of possible abuse and suspicious behavior, and that left our patients vulnerable. The IHS acknowledges that it did not handle this incident appropriately.”

One of five healthcare facilities under the jurisdiction of the Indian Health Service’s Nashville Regional Office, Unity is the only such facility that focuses solely on Native American youth ages 13-17. Teens typically stay at the residential facility for 80-90 days, and treatment is aimed at “breaking the cycle of addiction and restoring hope and wellness to Native American youth, their families and communities,” according to the facility’s website .

Though heavily redacted, the newly released review backs up the version of events related in SMN’s August 2019 story  about the sexual abuse allegations and in the June 2019 Wall Street Journal article  that brought the situation to the public eye. 

Allegations surface

Unity was in crisis for years before the events of fall 2016, with former employees describing a chronically understaffed workplace where employees regularly came to work under the influence of drugs or alcohol and behaved in ways inappropriate to a professional environment.

Authored by Holly Kay via Smoky Muntain News June 15th 2022

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