State pulling youths from facility

Concerned about a rash of violence at Tampa Bay Academy, a residential treatment facility for youths, some with severe behavioral problems, the state Department of Children & Families is removing about a dozen from the program.

Nick Cox, regional director of DCF in the Tampa Bay region, said three children under his agency's supervision have been removed from the Statewide Inpatient Psychiatric Program at the Riverview facility. About a dozen others, who are in a separate facility on the same site, are still there but won't be much longer, he said.

The academy is home to youths 7 to 17 with behavioral or psychological issues that range from treatable to severe.

The academy's website says it accepts children experiencing depression, family conflicts, abuse, anger, mental health problems and sexual abuse.

Cox said that in the past few months, his investigators have noticed a surge in incidents involving violent behavior, particularly among SIPP students. Cox said there appears to be a big enough staff to handle such behavior, but the staff is not adequately trained or deployed.

None of the incidents has resulted in serious injury, and the dozen DCF children in the residential treatment side of the facility are not in immediate danger, he said.

On Aug. 20, Florida's Agency for Health Care Administration put a moratorium on admissions. After that, Cox decided to move the DCF children out of the facility.

Parents of all children in the SIPP program were notified by the state, he said, but none responded by taking their children out.

Cox said Tampa Bay Academy, which has a capacity to house 80 youths, is trying to fix the staffing deficiencies, but not to his satisfaction.

Some of the incidents involved escapes, scrapes with staff members and between youngsters. In one incident, a youth trying to run away was bumped by a van driven by a staff member, the report states. Witnesses said the youth fell.

More serious complaints deal with youths being hospitalized after suicide attempts.

Academy administrator Paul Hickling says in a statement issued late Monday afternoon:

"Tampa Bay Academy is committed to the safety and wellbeing of our patients. After making very good progress with a management team over the last 18 months, we recently encountered issues which we are addressing and will be corrected. Tampa Bay Academy is cooperating fully with the state of Florida and the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration to resolve these matters.

"We provide treatment to children and adolescents with complex and serious mental illnesses. Tampa Bay Academy strives to provide quality care to all of our patients."

Shelisha Durden, spokeswoman for the Agency for Health Care Administration, which licenses the academy, said the agency is aware of the increase of incidents at the academy.

"We did do an investigation, and the facility did submit a plan of correction," she said. "But we rejected it."

The agency is awaiting a revised plan.

Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office Maj. Rob Bullara, who oversees the child protection unit, said deputies have opened an investigation at the academy, but he wouldn't elaborate, saying the probe is ongoing.

Early last year, the state had recommended pulling the academy's license after finding "substandard" conditions and "gross mismanagement."

The academy was given another chance, though, after its top administrator said sweeping changes had been made.