Officials study children's stay at adult psychiatric unit

Officials study children's stay at adult psychiatric unit

By TOM FAHEY
State House Bureau Chief
6 hours, 50 minutes ago


CONCORD – A report on how two children were sent to an adult psychiatric unit two weeks ago has yet to make it to the desk of Health and Human Services Commissioner Nicholas Toumpas.

HHS spokesman Kris Neilsen said yesterday a report has been completed, but Toumpas has not yet seen it. A short-lived policy that called for children to be moved from a children's facility when patient count was low has been rescinded.

"He plans to take a good hard look at the report when he gets it," Neilsen said.

She said the delay does not indicate a lack of interest on Toumpas's part.

"He has a lot of on his plate. This issue is a priority and he wants to give it the time it deserves, once he has an opportunity to review it in depth," she said.

On the weekend of Dec. 12, children aged 6 and 12 were transferred for two nights from the Philbrook Center, which is meant to handle children with severe emotional and behavioral disturbances.

They were placed on a ward at New Hampshire Hospital meant for adolescents and young adults. Each was accompanied by a mental health worker for the entire time they were at the hospital, HHS has said. They were at the hospital overnight, but returned to Philbrook for day programs.

HHS has said the children were kept apart from other patients at the adult facility, known as the F Unit. Their transfer was made based on a decision, made just days before, to empty the Philbrook Center when the number of patients there dropped to three, according to HHS officials. Philbrook can handle up to 20 children. HHS stopped the practice when the children's transfers became public.

The incident has drawn the attention of Richard Cohen, director of the Disabilities Rights Center, and Rep. Cindy Rosenwald, D-Nashua, the chairman of the House Health, Human Services and Elderly Affairs Committee.

Cohen said he doesn't know how it could be considered appropriate to have a child on an adult ward for psychiatric patients. He said he is waiting to read through the HHS report before deciding his next step.

"We're going to do a full investigation," he said. "We'll review their report and see if we think this needs further inquiry."

Cohen said he suggested to Toumpas and his staff areas that the report ought to cover. He said they include a description of the process that led to the decision to make the transfers, the names of officials involved, "and other legitimate questions any good investigation should cover."

Rosenwald said she, too, is waiting to see the finished report. At this point, she said she's confident the review will be thorough.

"I have spoken with the department and the department is, I think, diligently looking into it," she said. "I think they've been responsive. I think they were wise to rescind the practice even though they hadn't finished the review."

Rosenwald said she has been told that a treatment team that included a psychiatrist made the decision to move the two youngsters.

Rosenwald said that since Philbrook staffers accompanied the two children throughout their stay at the hospital, it may not have saved any money.

"I don't see what the benefit to doing it was in the first place," she said.



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