Sexual Abuse at Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health Facilities Went Unchecked For Years: Report
A new investigative report by The Philadelphia Inquirer highlights years of child sexual abuse at Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health facilities nationwide, which have largely gone unaddressed until very recently.
The Devereux sexual abuse cases have been identified at facilities in several states, suggesting that the problems may be the result of understaffing, low pay and failure to adequately screen new employees at the non-profit.
Founded in the early 1900s, Devereux runs 15 residential campuses in nine states, serving 5,000 children annually. Those children include those with developmental and behavioral problems, such as autism, children who have been victims of sexual abuse and sex trafficking, and migrant children who crossed the border without a parent, or were separated from their parents at the border.
According to the Inquirer report, at least 41 children, some as young as 12 years old, have been sexually assaulted by Devereaux staff members since the late 1990s. In some cases, the problems were so rampant that entire facilities have been shut down.
While Devereux officials told the Inquirer reporters that they have implemented a number of policies focused on preventing sexual abuse and assault, many of those policies were on the books, unenforced, for years before the nonprofit acted upon them. In many cases, the policies are not yet implemented, but have been put forward as plans to be enacted in the near future.
The report suggests that many of the sexual abuse problems at the behavioral health facilities could have been prevented with better staffing policies and procedures.
On night shifts, where staff is supposed to be making rounds to ensure sleeping children are safe in their rooms, many staffers told the newspaper other employees often disappear for hours to take naps, play video games or, in some cases, groom and sexually assault adolescent and teen residents.
As recently as December, a staffer in a Texas facility was charged with raping four children, including a girl as young as 12 who was a frequent victim, and a 16-year-old girl he threatened to beat if she told what had happened.
In 2000, Devereux’s Deerhaven facility in New Jersey was shut down after 16 girls reported being sexually assaulted in a period of only three years. Three staffers were charged with sexually assaulting students at the facility.
Devereux officials blamed the problem on the physical building itself, which they said had too many places where illicit activity could occur unseen. However, staff members say they had previously warned the nonprofit the facility was attracting the wrong kind of employees through its very low pay and low staffing levels.
Of the 7,500 Devereux employees working on its campuses nationwide, the majority are known as Direct Support Professionals (DSPs), who supervise the children, working one of three eight-hour shifts. The report indicates, on average, they were paid only $12.50 an hour, or about $26,000 a year. That was raised this year to $14.86 an hour this year.
Employees say they were encouraged to take on extra shifts to make up staffing short falls, that red flags over potential abuse and sexual assaults were often ignored, and sexual predators were drawn to the jobs, had time to privately groom child sexual assault victims, and often disappeared out of view for hours at a time, during which they sexually molested children at the facilities.
Company officials told the Inquirer they have been taking aggressive steps to combat the problem since late 2019. The alleged reforms have come under the new CEO, Carl Clark, who took command in January 2018. They say the facilities have added video technology to better monitor employees and children, noted the increased pay which they hope will attract higher-quality employees, are training staffers to identify abusive behavior and grooming, and plan to use new psychological testing to screen those applying to work at the nonprofit’s facilities.
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4 Comments
darleneApril 18, 2024 at 12:15 am
There was more than sexual abuse going on. The physical abuse was brutal. The restraining, being thrown into a timeout room. Being pushed in a pool by a white staff member to prove whether or not black people could swim. Not all the staff members were bad, but there were plenty who needed to be retrained and a vast majority whom should never been allowed to be around children.The behavior manage[Show More]There was more than sexual abuse going on. The physical abuse was brutal. The restraining, being thrown into a timeout room. Being pushed in a pool by a white staff member to prove whether or not black people could swim. Not all the staff members were bad, but there were plenty who needed to be retrained and a vast majority whom should never been allowed to be around children.The behavior manager who was there at the time I was thrown into that wretched , was horrible. It's been over 36 years and I still have nightmares. I hate that it got closed down because with good management I believe it would have been a great environment for troubled teenage girls to heal and flourish into well grounded adults.
RenataOctober 1, 2023 at 6:20 pm
I was in Deveruex deerhaven a lot of us including myself were sexually assaulted. It was so bad the state shut it down. Nobody will ever understand the scar it left on me
KimJanuary 29, 2022 at 11:42 am
I was a student at the Devereux Foundation March 1983 - 1985. I did see something but I didn't know it was physical abuse. However, I had several roomates. Some good roommates were really cool. Then they assigned me a roommate of the most violent nature. I didn't deserve that. Why they did that I don't know. I was scared to go in my room while was in there because she was really violent for no rea[Show More]I was a student at the Devereux Foundation March 1983 - 1985. I did see something but I didn't know it was physical abuse. However, I had several roomates. Some good roommates were really cool. Then they assigned me a roommate of the most violent nature. I didn't deserve that. Why they did that I don't know. I was scared to go in my room while was in there because she was really violent for no reason. I was scared of this teenager. Then I got moved out. Roommates were in and out so many times. I never understood why. Apparently, something was going on that I didn't know about. God has his hand on me. That is for darn sure. The restraining was brutal. I was scared then too. To think this school is considered a farm, scares me. I feel for these kids.
LawrenceOctober 21, 2020 at 11:26 pm
16 patients sexually assaulted, Devereux NJ. That means Devereux is hiring sexual predators! The entire organization needs to be investigated by the Attorney General‘s office, staff assaulting children that’s the highest moral crime this nation has other than rape taking advantage of a child means your stripped of your licenses and your either indicted or you cut a deal and as part of that deal y[Show More]16 patients sexually assaulted, Devereux NJ. That means Devereux is hiring sexual predators! The entire organization needs to be investigated by the Attorney General‘s office, staff assaulting children that’s the highest moral crime this nation has other than rape taking advantage of a child means your stripped of your licenses and your either indicted or you cut a deal and as part of that deal you spend time in the state penitentiary in gen pop. Devereux tax exempt status should be excised immediately. The Governor needs to be involved. I am appalled that Devereaux would blame this problem on architecture, it scares me to think the people running this place have absolutely no qualifications whatsoever all their state licenses need to be checked in every single facility this is a breeding ground for sexual predators. I spent 18 months in the farm unit. Glenmore PA. I watch kids get the crap knocked out of them the environment has nothing to do with anything other than taking advantage of a tax shelter. I remember one kid was an epileptic and through grandmal seizures, come on where is this kids medication, what did they do for him. I was placed there when I was 13 I was the youngest person on the farm. The rest of the kids range15 to 18 and tough, kids from Boston and although there was the possibility of sexual assault on the boys side most of the boys nobody would ever go near let alone and although there was the occasional, black and white stand off most of these guys stuck together. On the girls side possibly more than likely and if the boys found out it would’ve been a big problem for the worker. I encourage anyone at Devereaux that was sexually assaulted to seek help and an attorney and drive Devereux underground into bankruptcy. I remember some names ;Couple first names; John G. David D. Howard J. Yvonne Spence. Floyd M. Barbara B. I never had any problem with any of the guys I was the youngest kid there however, they protecting me what am I saying they sort a respected me. I was not a tough guy I volunteered a lot. Wrestled, participated in a aerobic conditioning. program. Not exactly like what… Aerobics became later over the years. Both Barbara and I won top slot Americans presidents physical fitness program, I believe we scored in the 97 percentile not that we know what that really meant. I was so proud of Barbara she was some athlete much better than myself. I think the rest of the guys thought it was pretty cool as well. I never said much about it afterwards. I always regretted not making a bigger deal out of it with her Barbara she was a good person I remember afterwords years later I went to see her, Stone MNT GA. she did not really want much to do with me I was not sure why maybe it had something to do with Devereaux However that is pure speculation on my part she was a real beautiful kid I hope nothing happened to her while she was there that we would’ve broken my heart. I got lucky other”s were not so lucky I was removed from the environment and sent to a locked mental facility Park Lodge, I believe the name of it was and there was also another one I think it was called Greentree I ended up in Park Lodge about 30 days and do not let the name fool you this was no park here they started forcing psychiatric meds on me. I was removed from there and put in a long-term facility in Boston I left the Devereux system when I was 15. I was sexually abused when I was much younger at saddle River country Day school in New Jersey. The headmaster he like to pull down my pants and spank my naked ass. He told me that it hurt him more than it hurt me, then he expelled me, thank God before it excalated, That was a real experience, growing experience as a seventh grader and I know this school is one of the most prestigious prep schools in the country, it’s interesting because I went from saddle River prep school to the Devereux Farm unit, PL, Mclean hospital for three years. I often wonder those men that like to play with little boys if that had an affect on me, what do you think? Before saddle River there was Ted Meyers the head of children’s activities Christmas at the Doral hotel, Miami Beach Florida. I was about eight, this guy liked to have you naked sit on his lap and he played with you in the mirror and said stuff I don’t remember what stuff just stuff and I do remember the following summer he was given recommendations by kids parents that he molested and did not know what he had done and he got a job in this summer camp I attended. Something about sexual predators and being sexually assaulted as a child you do not know what to do you do not know if it’s right or wrong you do not know anything they completely captivate your world and turn it inside out forever!