OPTIONS BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SEXUAL ABUSE LAWSUITS

Fighting for Survivors of Sexual Abuse at Options Behavioral Health Hospital in Indiana

Options Behavioral Health Hospital is meant to provide psychiatric and substance abuse services for adolescents and adults.  The facility has come under fire in recent years, however, due to allegations of widespread sexual abuse and misconduct perpetrated against patients.

If you or a loved one has experienced abuse at Options Behavioral Health Hospital, it’s important to take action. Contact experienced attorneys who are committed to seeking justice and holding those at fault accountable. You deserve support, advocacy, and the chance to fight for what’s right—reach out to us today.

History of Sexual Abuse at Options Behavioral Health Hospital in Indiana

Examples of alleged abuse, and of conditions likely to lead to abuse, include the following:

• In 2024, widespread allegations of physical and sexual abuse at the facility were reported.  One nurse at the facility described a male patient raping a female patient without the capacity to consent in the bathroom of the facility, even after the nurse sounded the alarm about the patient’s violent sexual history and the need to protect other patients from him–a warning that was not heeded.  It was further reported that, according to police records, nine patients have alleged they were raped at the facility since 2020, and officers have been called at least 560 times to the facility for numerous problems — responding, on average, to an incident every three days.

• The report also described allegations of inadequate training and staffing issues at the facility, including that staff members were reportedly sleeping while on duty and that some staff members would abandon their posts to smoke marijuana.

• Additional troubling reports by former patients of the facility include that seven former patients alleged they were denied therapy and mental health treatment, were assaulted by staff, and were coerced into taking nude photos. They alleged being held only for insurance money and threatened with court orders when they attempted to leave.

• It was further reported that in 2020, facility therapist Erika Atkinson was arrested and charged with child seduction for her relationship with a 17-year-old boy she was treating at the facility.

Do I Have a Case?

You may have grounds to file a civil legal action if:

• You were sexually abused by a guard, counselor, nurse, or other youth residential treatment or juvenile detention center staff member.
• The abuse occurred at any youth residential treatment or juvenile detention facility.

Levy Konigsberg represents survivors in civil lawsuits that aim to hold youth residential treatment facilities,  juvenile detention centers, private healthcare companies, and other facility operators accountable for their failures to stop abusive staff members and protect young residents.

As civil claims, these cases are separate from any criminal proceedings that may arise from abuse and focus instead on holding institutions liable for damages. This means you may still have a claim even if:

• Your abuser is no longer alive.
• Your abuser was never charged with or convicted of a crime.

Recoverable Damages in Sexual Abuse Claims

In addition to providing accountability and a sense of justice, civil sex abuse lawsuits allow survivors to recover financial compensation for their damages, which may include:

• Past medical and mental health expenses
• Future mental health expenses, including therapy, medications, etc.
• Pain and suffering
• Emotional anguish and psychological harm
• Lost income
• Other economic and non-economic damages

Indiana Sexual Abuse Attorneys

The statute of limitations is a law that limits the amount of time you have to start a legal case after something wrong or illegal has happened. Under current Indiana law, survivors of childhood sexual abuse typically have seven years after the abuse occurred or until age 20, whichever is later, to file civil lawsuits. 

This limitation highlights the urgency for survivors and families to act promptly in seeking justice.

Levy Konigsberg is actively investigating allegations of sexual abuse at Indiana youth residential treatment facilities.

We are committed to protecting the most vulnerable members of our society and seeking justice for survivors of sexual abuse in juvenile detention centers and youth residential treatment facilities. Our experienced team is dedicated to providing legal representation and support to survivors, and we are actively investigating allegations of abuse. We are working tirelessly to ensure that survivors have access to justice and that future generations of young people are safe from harm within these institutions.