Clinic submits plan to fix violations
State to review report of girl's death
BY KEVIN HARTER
July 22, 2006
Northwest Counseling and Guidance
officials submitted a detailed plan Friday to correct "serious
violations" at its Rice Lake treatment center raised in a report by
Wisconsin officials investigating the death of a 7-year-old girl.
"We have submitted our response. … It
is thorough and comprehensive," wrote Denison Tucker, Northwest
Counseling and Guidance Centers president.
Stephanie Marquis, communications
director for the Wisconsin Health and Family Services Department,
said state officials had received Northwest's response but could not
comment because they had not yet read the entire report, which is
several hundred pages.
Once officials have reviewed it, and
when they determine whether it complies with their directives, it
will be made public. It was too early to estimate when that decision
would be made, she said.
Angellika Arndt, who had attended the
day treatment center five days a week for a month for behavioral
problems, had been restrained on nine separate occasions, according
to the state Health and Family Services Department report released
June 22.
She suffered severe injuries from
being restrained May 25 and died the next day.
The Hennepin County medical examiner
ruled her death a homicide caused by "complications of chest
compression asphyxiation" leading to "cardiopulmonary arrest while
restrained by another person."
An investigation into her death by
the Rice Lake Police Department and Barron County District Attorney
— assisted by the state Justice Department — is expected to conclude
this month.
The Health and Family Services
Department report also cited "multiple violations" of state law at
the Northwest Counseling and Guidance Clinics, including the law
governing physical restraint of clients.
Kevin Harter can be reached at
kharter@pioneerpress.com
or 800-950-9080, ext. 2149.
|
