ST. GEORGE, Utah (KUTV) — Crimson Heights, a mental health treatment and therapy center in St. George, can no longer accept new patients after an employee injured a client, according to the Utah Department of Health and Human Services.
The department issued a Notice of Agency Action stating that the facility at STG-Pad 7 “failed to ensure a client was free from abuse.” The letter outlined a seven-step plan that Crimson Heights must immediately follow, including implementing staff behavioral management training and increasing inspections.
According to the report, the incident occurred on Aug. 3, when “a staff member engaged in conduct that caused physical harm to a client, including multiple lacerations to the client’s torso and a fractured elbow that required surgery.”
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The client involved is described as “developmentally delayed and dysregulated”. The report stated that the incident began after the client asked for space and threw rocks at the staff member. It said that “instead of disengaging, the staff member initiated a physical restraint. The restraint was not the least restrictive option. The staff member restrained the shirtless client in a prone position on landscaping rocks, causing the client multiple injuries and unnecessary pain.”
2News reached out to Crimson Heights via phone call and in person. While an executive state director initially said she would meet, she did not respond to follow-up calls or arrive at the St. George office.
According to DHHS standards, all congregate care programs must use behavioral management techniques that are “trauma-informed and appropriate for the client’s age, behavior, needs, developmental level, and past experiences,” and must “defer to the least restrictive method of behavior management available to control a situation.” The restraint must also only be used “if it does not cause undue physical discomfort, harm, or pain to the client.”
If Crimson Heights disagrees with the department’s findings, it may request an administrative hearing.
The facility is also required to notify parents of all clients and post information on its website regarding these changes within the coming days.
Crimson Heights will be allowed to accept new patients again on Jan. 28.
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