LINCOLN — With time ticking on an aging youth treatment facility in Lincoln, some state lawmakers remain concerned about a proposed transition plan from the state’s Department of Health and Human Services.
The Nebraska Legislature’s Health and Human Services Committee held an interim study hearing Tuesday to examine long-term options for youth residing in Lincoln’s Whitehall Psychiatric Residential and Treatment Facility. State officials say the building is falling into disrepair, posing risks to the 67 staff and 15 boys currently housed there.
According to State Sen. Brian Hardin of Gering, chair of the HHS Committee, Whitehall has operated for more than 30 years providing rehabilitation to male adolescents who have committed sexual violence. In 2020, the facility expanded to also serve male teens who engaged in substance abuse, with participants housed separately based on their program.
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Earlier this year, DHHS reported several maintenance concerns at Whitehall, noting that some are in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Kelli Schadwinkel highlighted flooding in the basement, which is regularly used for laundry and acts as shelter during severe weather. She also said the facility’s bathrooms lack proper ventilation, and found evidence of mice and cockroach infestations in the building.
Hardin argued the state should be proactive in response to these concerns, wanting to avoid a situation like what happened in Geneva, when a former Youth Rehabilitation and Treatment Center (YRTC) location closed due to understaffing and poor conditions.
“We do have what feels like a lit wick on a stick of dynamite,” Hardin said about Whitehall. “That facility’s not going to last forever.”
The amount of repairs needed to keep Whitehall in operation would cost an estimated $6.3 million, according to Thomas Janousek, director of DHHS’ division of behavioral health. As a cost-saving measure, officials with DHHS and the state Department of Corrections have proposed vacating Whitehall entirely, and transitioning the participants to different YRTC locations.
The plan could involve more than just Whitehall residents. Under the agencies’ proposal, youths housed across several YRTC locations and state prison facilities would switch to different locations. The plan includes moving female participants at YRTC-Hastings to YRTC-Kearney.
Sen. John Fredrickson of Omaha, who sits on the HHS Committee, raised concerns with this part of the plan, noting that YRTC-Kearney has a recent history of reported sexual abuse by staff. State officials have denied that the proposed transition plan is related to these reports.
Janousek said he couldn’t comment on this aspect of the plan, as it doesn’t involve his division, but indicated YRTC-Kearney is just one option for where to send the girls.
Several committee members mentioned that the areas of disrepair at Whitehall sound like issues that would be covered by routine maintenance, and questioned why DHHS did not act sooner. Bo Botello, chief legal officer for DHHS, said because the department doesn’t own the building, it doesn’t budget for maintenance, and said the question would be better suited for the state’s building administrator.
“We are basically a tenant in their buildings,” Botello said.
Brent Flachsbart, the state’s building director with the Department of Administrative Services, was invited to testify at Tuesday’s hearing, but fell ill and didn’t attend.
Fredrickson had concerns with Botello’s explanation. Just because the department doesn’t own Whitehall, DHHS staff are working there daily, and he said it is incumbent on them to report maintenance issues to the building division.
Though Botello said none of the youths at Whitehall can be moved until their new destinations are properly staffed and licensed, and the Legislature lacks the authority to halt the transition. DHHS spokesperson Jeff Powell confirmed no youths across YRTC locations have been moved as of Tuesday.
Whitehall’s programming for youth who have engaged in sexual harm is unique in Nebraska, Janousek said, and because of this the facility has a Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facility (PRTF) license that is not held by the state’s YRTC locations.
Because of this, Janousek said he would prefer to move the Whitehall boys to YRTC-Hastings, which he said is the closest to meeting PRTF requirements and would require the fewest changes. Similar to Whitehall, he said YRTC-Hastings offers a more residential and “friendly” feel, and is less prison-like than other YRTC locations.
This led Fredrickson to question why the state was designing YRTC locations to be similar to prisons when the youths housed there are not inmates.
Sen. Merv Riepe of Ralston, another member of the committee, expressed doubts that the state’s proposed transition plan was truly the only option available. He said Janousek’s testimony focused largely on “facility-driven planning,” as opposed to addressing the needs of the youth or staff.
“I feel like today, all of you may be here to try to convince us, or as you … said the word ‘educate’ us, as to why your way is the best way,” Riepe said. “I’m not convinced of that.”
Janousek said he is confident that Whitehall is adequately staffed to respond to the needs of the youth there, but argued that the maintenance issues do have an impact on the quality of service.
“Physical safety is the foundational element of safety in the program, and I want to make sure that our youth are having the best and safest facility possible,” Janousek said.
This story is provided by States Newsroom, a nonprofit state news network and Blox Digital content partner.
