Residential treatment centers play a vital role in the healthcare system of the United States. These facilities typically provide inpatient and outpatient services for vulnerable populations, especially those struggling with mental health issues, addiction, or behavioral challenges.
Since these institutions care for such vulnerable individuals, they must prioritize safety, quality services, and adherence to professional and ethical standards. Too often, residential treatment centers fail to meet these expectations. As a result, patients are placed in harm’s way and may suffer from abuse, neglect, medical malpractice, or even sexual abuse.
Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers can help victims of abuse or neglect in residential treatment centers pursue justice. Our Illinois residential treatment facility abuse lawyers build strong cases to seek compensation when patient rights are violated. By holding these facilities accountable, we help improve care standards for all patients.
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About Lake Behavioral Hospital
Lake Behavioral Hospital offers specialized psychiatric care and addiction treatment for adults and adolescents. The facility provides acute inpatient services and outpatient programs in a therapeutic environment.
Overview
Lake Behavioral Hospital is a mental health clinic at 2615 Washington Street, Waukegan, IL 60085. It has 146 licensed beds and aims to transform the well-being of all patients.
Lake Behavioral Hospital has several specialty areas, including mental illness support, dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), cognitive behavioral therapy, a partial hospitalization program (PHP), telehealth screenings, and IOP therapy.
Many patients who are treated at Lake Behavioral Hospital are facing depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, PTSD, or other mental health disorders.
Since March 2018, this clinic has served children, adolescents, and adults facing these challenges. CEO Cindy DeMarco was even honored with the David Wagner Mental Health Advocacy Award for her visionary leadership and impact on the mental health space in Waukegan.
Ownership and Affiliations
Lake Behavioral Hospital is operated by a larger healthcare network called US HealthVest. This mental health clinic network manages eight psychiatric facilities across the United States, including the Waukegan location and Chicago Behavioral Hospital in Des Plaines.
Notable Legal Actions Against Lake Behavioral Hospital
Whether you are an outpatient or inpatient at Lake Behavioral Hospital, you have the right to be treated with quality care and respect. Unfortunately, there are multiple cases where the facility and its staff failed to protect its patients from harm.
There has even been a lawsuit against the operators of Lake Behavioral Hospital for putting the community itself in danger. Here are some notable legal actions and complaints against this US HealthVest facility.
Illinois Attorney General Files Environmental Safety Lawsuit
Demolition of some buildings that are part of the Lake Behavioral Hospital complex began several years ago. This process was stopped in November 2023 after one building had been completely demolished while another was partially taken down.
After an investigation of the demolition site and the subcontractors involved, the state Attorney General’s office filed a lawsuit against the hospital and several contractors for exposing the community to dangerous substances from asbestos.
The primary contractor allegedly knew it was exposing the community to asbestos during the demolition. The lawsuit states that the hospital owners and contractors improperly handled asbestos-containing materials. Before the rest of the demolition process can be completed, the companies involved must submit a plan to decontaminate the site [1].
HRA Investigation: Patient Rights and Care Standard Violations
A woman was admitted to Lake Behavioral Hospital while experiencing intense pain. She had a history of Fibromyalgia and a recent pelvic surgery.
The patient was transferred to the adult inpatient program at the facility with notes in the intake documents about presenting a danger to herself and others. The notes also stated she should receive psychiatric care due to suicidal thoughts and increased depression from her chronic pain.
The patient made several complaints about her treatment at Lake Behavioral Hospital. Allegedly, she was denied phone access to make calls to her family. She also claimed that staff would enter her room without permission, that her food was served cold, and that she was denied pain medication for long periods.
The Human Rights Authority’s investigation could not substantiate most of these claims, though it did determine that the lack of accessibility to phones was valid [2].
Improper Medication Administration and Patient Care Violations
In 2021, the Human Rights Authority conducted another investigation into practices at Lake Behavioral Hospital. The patient who filed the complaint made multiple accusations against the staff. Some of these accusations included:
- The patient was repeatedly physically assaulted by another patient without staff intervention
- The patient’s communication rights were violated when they were restricted to one phone call per day
- The facility ignored the patient’s request for a transfer to another facility
- The staff incorrectly administered emergency psychotropic drugs
- The staff did not contact a designated family member regarding admission or treatment of the patient
- The facility did not properly assess the patient or provide intake/discharge rights upon voluntary admission
Despite all these violations listed by the patient, the HRA could only substantiate one of the claims. Staff had inappropriately administered emergency psychotropic drugs when policy allowed just one dose [3].
Inspection and Deficiency Reports at Lake Behavioral Hospital
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services conducts regular inspections of most mental health clinics across the country. This government entity publishes its findings for the general public. These inspections have revealed numerous deficiencies at Lake Behavioral Hospital, especially when compared to national and state averages.
- 52% of patients who screened positive for a drug or alcohol use disorder either received/refused medication for treatment or received/refused a referral for addiction recovery upon discharge, compared to the national average of 72%.
- 13% of patients who used tobacco received a referral for outpatient counseling and medication for addiction treatment upon discharge, compared to the state average of 22%.
- 41% of patients admitted to the facility with a principal diagnosis of a mental illness or substance use disorder had an outpatient visit for treatment within 30 days, compared to the national average of 60%.
- 22.5% of patients discharged from Lake Behavioral Hospital were readmitted to any hospital within 30 days, compared to the national average of 19.6% [4].
Understanding Your Rights
If you are a patient at Lake Behavioral Hospital and receive mental health support from the staff via inpatient or outpatient programs, you have legal rights. These include the right to quality care, personal dignity, and protection from harm.
If you have suffered from abuse, neglect, medical malpractice, or sexual abuse at Lake Behavioral Hospital, Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers can help you seek compensation for legal damages.
A qualified residential treatment facility abuse lawyer can make all the difference in winning your lawsuit. If you suffer from sexual abuse, you should seek an attorney who has recovered compensation for past victims of abuse. The same is true whether you suffer from negligence, physical abuse, improper medication management, surgical errors, or financial exploitation.
When considering legal action, you must understand the statute of limitations in Illinois. Most personal injury cases are only valid for two years after the incident date. However, if you suffer from sexual abuse with criminal misconduct, there is no statute of limitations. A lawyer from our firm can help you understand whether your case falls within these limits.
Secure Expert Legal Representation!
The team at Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers is ready to guide you through the claims process. Together, we can hold Lake Behavioral Hospital accountable for failing to protect you from harm. Although they claim to have unwavering dedication to mental health patients, the number of deficiencies and complaints indicate they have an imperfect record.
Our process starts with a free consultation, during which you can ask questions about your case or the legal process. We also work on a contingency fee agreement. Instead of making you pay upfront for legal services, our attorneys only receive payment out of the settlement if they win your case. This arrangement makes it easier to pursue legal action from a financial perspective.
If you have been harmed by Lake Behavioral Hospital’s partial hospitalization program, inpatient program, or outpatient program, you may have a case for compensation. Our law firm will help you recover damages, such as lost income, medical bills, or physical pain and suffering.
Call us today at 888-424-5757 or complete the online form to request a free consultation with a Waukegan personal injury lawyer.
Resources: [1] Lake and McHenry County Scanner, [2] GAC, [3] GAC, [4] CMS
All content undergoes thorough legal review by experienced attorneys, including Jonathan Rosenfeld. With 25 years of experience in personal injury law and over 100 years of combined legal expertise within our team, we ensure that every article is legally accurate, compliant, and reflects current legal standards.
