Blue Ridge Behavioral Healthcare responded Monday to being sued by the family of a Roanoke woman who died by suicide after engaging in a romantic relationship with her therapist.
The civil lawsuit, filed in Roanoke County Circuit Court on Sept. 20, alleges the agency failed to sufficiently oversee the professionals charged with 30-year-old Amber Rose Nolan‘s care. It claims that the negligence of two doctors resulted in Nolan’s “premature death.”
Amber Nolan
Courtesy Lynn Nolan
The lawsuit, reported by The Roanoke Times last week, seeks $10 million.
Blue Ridge’s CEO, Mark Chadwick, released a statement Monday morning:
“The statements in the complaint represents behaviors and work performance that would not be tolerated. Any form of association in which the staff enters into a non-therapeutic relationship with a client is prohibited and would be subject to progressive discipline or termination. At Blue Ridge Behavioral Healthcare, the expectation is that all staff act in a professional and therapeutic manner. Our agency adheres to the applicable laws and regulations of the Virginia Department of Health Professions. Our therapists and counselors are held to the highest standards for practicing in a manner that is in the best interest of the clients we serve.”
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“There are resources and support available to anyone who is feeling depressed, anxious, and or suicidal. When individuals feel isolated, depressive symptoms can worsen. We encourage anyone experiencing thoughts of suicide, even if they are not in crisis, to call 988 (the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline). We are here to help prevent suicide and to offer support to individuals in need. Blue Ridge Behavioral Healthcare serves as the Community Services Board in the Cities of Roanoke and Salem and the Counties of Botetourt, Craig, and Roanoke. We provide services for individuals who have mental illnesses, developmental disabilities, or substance use disorders. Through our Assessment and Crisis Services division, we provide intake assessments and 24 hour crisis support. If an individual is in crisis, please call us at 540-981-9351. Blue Ridge Behavioral Healthcare is here to serve adults, children, and families.”
On Oct. 1, 2022, Botetourt County sheriff’s deputies found Nolan with a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head in the backyard of her Buchanan residence, which she had rented with plans to share with her former BRBH counselor, Erica Church, according to the lawsuit.
Nolan’s mother, Lynn Nolan, has continued to seek what she considers justice for her daughter, she’s told The Roanoke Times in several interviews.
Nolan had her first outpatient counseling appointment with Church, then a licensed professional counselor, in November 2019. Nolan had been diagnosed with “severe anxiety, major depressive disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder,” according to the lawsuit.
Nolan met with Church about five times a month for counseling through BRBH between November 2019 and April 2022, according to the lawsuit. During that time, Nolan got married, and disclosed to Church “her difficulties within this relationship and spoke about her fear of abandonment.”
Ultimately, during the course of Nolan’s treatment, Church engaged in an affair with her patient, the lawsuit claims. The “inappropriate relationship” led Nolan to move into Church’s home and led to the initiation of divorce proceedings between Nolan and her wife.”
The lawsuit also describes Nolan’s interactions with her psychiatrist at BRBH, Dr. Sarah Hazelwood. During a visit in December 2019, Hazelwood “documented that Ms. Nolan owned guns, had a suicidal intent with a plan to shoot herself, and that she had attempted suicide five years prior.”
But in the doctor’s assessment on the following page of the document, Hazelwood “listed Ms. Nolan as safe with having no suicidal intent,” according to the lawsuit. The psychiatrist advised Nolan to continue therapy with Church, according to the lawsuit.
Nolan’s death occurred about six months after her last BRBH session with Church. Nine months later, in July 2023, the Virginia Board of Counseling revoked Church’s professional counselor license “as a result of these aforementioned violations,” according to the lawsuit.
“It shouldn’t happen to anyone. It should never be swept under the rug,” Lynn Nolan said. “Anyone can be a target for any counselor or provider that doesn’t have any efficacy or any moral compass, and I don’t think people see that. I know I didn’t. I had never thought … You know, I know things happen, but to the level … I never wanted to be part of this club.”
Lynn Nolan wears a hoodie in memory of her daughter, Amber.
Luke Weir
If someone is held accountable for Nolan’s death, “it’s not going to change what happened to her,” the mother said. But the family is hoping to develop a foundation in her name that would emotionally and financially support individuals facing mental health challenges.
“If you can take a positive out of what happened, her legacy won’t be just that she shot herself in the backyard,” she said.
Attempts to reach Church for comment in the past about the allegations were unsuccessful.
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