Throughout the United States, residential treatment centers play an essential role in improving public health. These facilities offer inpatient and outpatient programs for vulnerable populations, such as those struggling with mental health issues, addiction, or behavioral health challenges.
Residential treatment centers are tasked with providing safe, quality care while adhering to professional standards. Unfortunately, staff members at these institutions often fail to meet these obligations, placing patients in danger of abuse, neglect, medical malpractice, or even sexual abuse.
As a patient in a residential treatment center, you have the right to quality care, a nurturing environment, personal dignity, and protection from harm. If these rights are violated, and you suffer abuse, neglect, or harm, the Illinois residential treatment center abuse attorneys at Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers can help you pursue justice and seek compensation.
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About The Pavilion Behavioral Health System
The Pavilion Behavioral Health System provides acute psychiatric and substance abuse treatment for children, adolescents, adults, and seniors. The facility offers both inpatient and outpatient programs focused on mental health recovery.
Overview
The Pavilion Behavioral Health System is a residential treatment center in Champaign, Illinois. It is located at 809 W Church Street, Champaign, IL 61820, and has 84 licensed beds. The Pavilion Behavioral Health System serves children, adolescents, adults, and senior adults with psychiatric concerns.
The staff is dedicated to helping these individuals and families find hope and heal from emotional, behavioral, and addictive diseases. Attached to the facility is the Pavilion Foundation School, which helps adolescents reintegrate into normal life after traumatic events or psychiatric treatment.
Ownership and Affiliations
The Pavilion Behavioral Health System is owned and operated by a massive healthcare network called Universal Health Services, Inc. This company oversees 333 behavioral health facilities across the United States. In addition to The Pavilion Behavioral Health System, UHS manages several Midwest clinics, including:
- Forest View Hospital (Grand Rapids, MI)
- Cedar Creek Hospital (Saint Johns, MI)
- Havenwyck Hospital (Auburn Hills, MI)
- Rock River Academy (Rockford, IL, now closed)
- Hartgrove Hospital (Chicago, IL)
Notable Legal Actions Against The Pavilion Behavioral Health System
Many individuals and families have been positively affected by the psychiatric services, substance abuse treatment, and addiction treatment at The Pavilion Behavioral Health System. However, some have suffered immensely at the hands of the staff or other residents.
Here are some notable complaints and lawsuits that have involved The Pavilion Behavioral Health System.
Record-Breaking Settlement for the Rape of a Minor at The Pavilion
In a relatively recent case, one of the largest settlements ever recorded for claims of this nature was levied against The Pavilion Behavioral Health System. In 2020, a 13-year-old female patient was raped by a 16-year-old male patient in the facility. Champaign sexual abuse lawyers filed a claim on behalf of the victim and her mother.
Allegedly, the perpetrator covered hallway cameras with toothpaste to distract the staff members, and invited the girl into his room, where the assault took place.
The lawsuit claims that The Pavilion Behavioral Health System was negligent due to understaffing and inability to monitor the facility. The jury awarded the plaintiff $20 million for her loss of normal life and $40 million for pain and suffering. The Pavilion was fined an additional $475 million, bringing the total settlement to $535 million.
However, experts estimate UHS may need to pay up to $385 million to resolve these claims against its subsidiary [1].
Human Rights Authority Investigates Multiple Complaints Against The Pavilion
The East Central Region Human Rights Authority is a division of the Illinois Guardianship and Advocacy Commission. In response to several complaints against The Pavilion Behavioral Health System, this entity investigated whether the allegations could be substantiated.
Some complaints that were referenced in the report include:
- A recipient being admitted to an uncleaned room
- A recipient not receiving needed medication
- The facility’s failure to complete the required medical tests
- The facility staff behaved unprofessionally
The HRA could not substantiate these claims due to a lack of evidence. However, the commission ordered that regular updates from the facility be filed to ensure practices were prioritizing patient care and safety [2].
Female Patient Complains About Inadequate Treatment for PTSD
The HRA also investigated The Pavilion Behavioral Health System for multiple complaints from one female patient. In the report, the woman accused the facility of failing to treat her PTSD, not adhering to her care preferences, and threatening her with court for signing a five-day notice of discharge.
The HRA found that the first complaint could be substantiated and that the facility was not providing appropriate treatment for her PTSD based on the lack of treatment documentation found at the facility. The other two complaints could not be substantiated during the investigation due to a lack of evidence [3].
Inspection and Deficiency Reports at The Pavilion Behavioral Health System
The Pavilion Behavioral Health System vows to provide substance abuse treatment, mental health support, and other care services to patients. Regular inspections of the facility have revealed that this standard is not always met.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has compiled a report of these deficiencies, many of which compared unfavorably to state and national averages.
- 62% of patients discharged with antipsychotic medications had BMI, blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol level screenings in the past year, compared to the national average of 79%.
- 56% of patients with an alcohol use disorder received a brief intervention during their stay, compared to 77% nationally.
- 54% of patients who screened positive for a drug or alcohol use disorder either received medication for addiction treatment or a referral for addiction recovery upon discharge, compared to the national average of 61%.
- 0% of patients who use tobacco received a referral for outpatient counseling and a prescription medication to help them quit upon discharge, compared to the national average of 16% and state average of 22% [4].
Understanding Your Rights
The Pavilion Behavioral Health System has served many patients and families since 1989, providing essential care for those struggling with mental and behavioral health challenges. However, when this facility fails to uphold professional standards, victims could suffer from abuse or neglect.
Working with an experienced residential treatment facility abuse lawyer is the key to winning your case. If you have suffered sexual abuse at The Pavilion Behavioral Health System, you need an attorney who has experience with other abuse victims. The same is true whether neglect, medication errors, improper restraints, or emotional abuse caused your suffering.
Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers can help you seek compensation for legal damages, such as medical bills, future medical costs, lost income, emotional distress, pain and suffering, and loss of enjoyment of life.
Our specialized legal team handles various abuse cases at treatment centers. Sexual abuse attorneys work with victims of assault and misconduct, while medical malpractice lawyers address surgical errors and improper care. Personal injury attorneys manage cases involving physical abuse and neglect.
You can hold staff members accountable by filing a lawsuit against the facility. In Illinois, the statute of limitations for most personal injury cases is two years. For criminal sexual conduct, there is no statute of limitations. In the most egregious cases, staff members who harm patients may face immediate termination and professional consequences.
Secure Expert Legal Representation!
When patients suffer from abuse, neglect, or other medical malpractice, the abusive or negligent party must be held accountable. Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers can help you build a strong case against The Pavilion Behavioral Health System by assessing damages, collecting evidence, and negotiating for fair compensation.
Our process starts with a free consultation for every potential client. You can ask questions about your specific case and receive feedback about your grounds for a lawsuit. An attorney from our team can also help you understand how the legal process works before you commit to pursuing legal action.
Our law firm works on a contingency fee arrangement. Our clients pay no upfront legal fees, and we only receive payment from the settlement if we recover compensation on their behalf. This structure makes it easier to pursue legal action without additional financial losses.
If you believe you have a case against The Pavilion Behavioral Health System and want to know more, call us today at 888-424-5757 or complete the online form to request your free case evaluation with a Champaign personal injury lawyer.
References: [1] Healthcare Dive [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.
