CLAREMORE, (Okla.) — “If it was across the street from where I live, I’d certainly lock my doors and watch my kids,” said Rogers County Sheriff Scott Walton, talking about Grand Mental Health Horizons in Claremore, which recently had a walkaway two days before Christmas.
“One of the patients gets confrontational with staff there, assaults staff, throws a weight though a glass window, crawls out through the glass window, severely cuts his arm,” he said.
Authorities were able to apprehend the man, but Walton is concerned about the frequency of incidents.
“This is the second time within a three-month period, the second time in a three-month period that one of them has walked away, or got away from there, and both of those with violent pasts. I mean it’s a concern,” he said.
We reached out to Grand who told us in part, “Horizons is not a secure facility, and residents are not in custody; however, they are required to comply with all court-ordered conditions and facility guidelines as part of the reintegration process.”
“The last time I was told, ‘We’re working on it, we’re looking at better practices, we’re thinking about this, that and the other,’ but in the meantime we’re going out and doing the ugly part of a business’s job and that’s catching these people and bringing them back,” said Walton.
Grand also said that “Horizons remains committed to providing high-quality, evidence-based care while maintaining safeguards that support public safety and responsible transitions back into the community.”
But Sheriff Walton is deeply concerned that past incidents are foreshadowing a tragedy waiting to happen.
“Eventually we know what’s going to happen, one of these individuals is going to either hurt one of us or we’re going to have to severely hurt them or take a life when they don’t know when to stop aggression on law enforcement. I mean that should be a concern to anybody,” he said.
Full statement from GRAND;
GRAND Mental Health
“In accordance with HIPAA privacy protections, GRAND cannot provide specific details regarding any individual client or resident. We can confirm that an incident occurred at our GRAND Horizons facility on December 23. In keeping with established protocols when the situation escalated, GRAND staff immediately contacted the Rogers County Sheriff’s Office (RCSO) for assistance. RCSO responded promptly and assumed responsibility for the situation.
GRAND Horizons operates in partnership with the Oklahoma Forensic Center (OFC) to provide housing and supportive services for individuals determined by OFC to be appropriate for lower-level care and community reintegration. Horizons is not a secure facility, and residents are not in custody; however, they are required to comply with all court-ordered conditions and facility guidelines as part of the reintegration process.
OFC was notified of the incident, and GRAND staff continue to work closely with law enforcement and state officials. As with all GRAND programs, Horizons remains committed to providing high-quality, evidence-based care while maintaining safeguards that support public safety and responsible transitions back into the community.”