Acadia Healthcare has reached a settlement agreement to pay nearly $20 million after a federal Justice Department investigation into practices at its psychiatric inpatient facilities. The investigation highlighted significant problems, including the prolonged and unnecessary detention of patients and the admission of individuals who did not require hospitalization.
The company, which operates one of the largest chains of for-profit psychiatric hospitals in the United States, has also been criticized for understaffing and a lack of adequate treatment, conditions linked to a series of assaults and suicides of patients within their facilities.
The settlement includes payments to the federal government and four states — Florida, Georgia, Michigan and Nevada — to address allegations that Acadia violated several state health regulations.
This case highlights current concerns regarding the operation of for-profit mental health facilities and the protection of patients’ rights within such institutions.
