The state Department of Health has notified Daybreak Youth Services of its intent to revoke the Brush Prairie facility’s licenses, following allegations earlier this year of sexual assault, problems with client and staff safety, and a pattern of inadequate reporting as required by law.
Earlier this month, the state’s Residential Treatment Facilities and Behavioral Health Agencies programs notified the youth outpatient and inpatient mental health and substance abuse treatment facility, 11910 N.E. 154th St., of their intent to revoke the licenses, according to a health department news release issued Wednesday.
The programs received a report alleging “Daybreak’s staff and patients were potentially unsafe because of numerous youth resident elopements, physical altercations and sexual assaults,” the disciplinary notification states.
In September, Clark County sheriff’s deputies served a series of search warrants at the Brush Prairie facility as part of an investigation into allegations of unlawful sexual contact between clients, between a staff member and client, and for failure to report criminal conduct as required. The sheriff’s office has been investigating the allegations since early June.
At the time of the searches, Daybreak’s board said in a statement that it takes the allegations seriously and intends to work with the sheriff’s office.
Undersheriff Mike Cooke said Wednesday that the investigation is ongoing and that no arrests have been made. He said he could not comment further.
The sheriff’s office provided notice of its investigation on June 8 to the Department of Social and Health Services, the facility’s regulatory agency at the time. DSHS opened its own investigation June 11, which included an on-site visit June 19, according to Kenny Coleman, communications specialist manager with the department of health. When oversight of behavioral health agencies shifted from DSHS to the Health Care Authority and Department of Health on July 1, the health department took over the investigation, Coleman said.
A total of six investigations were conducted by the Department of Health into Daybreak’s Brush Prairie facility. The investigations concluded in the last week of September and entered into legal review, Coleman said.
According to the disciplinary notification, “Daybreak allegedly didn’t comply with a staff-to-patient requirement, didn’t comply with a personnel training policy, didn’t have current legal citations in its policies and procedures, and didn’t report or follow up on incidents that took place at the facility.”
Daybreak was served Nov. 19, Coleman said, and the notification gives the agency 28 days, or until Dec. 17, to either accept the revocation or appeal. Coleman said Daybreak has not yet responded to the notification. In the meantime, the facility’s licenses remain active.
Efforts to reach a spokesperson with Daybreak were unsuccessful Wednesday afternoon.
