State cited “deficiencies” at Rainbow House in 2022

No in-person inspection in 2021 due to COVID-19

In April 2022, state licensing officials cited several “deficiencies” at the Rainbow House children’s shelter in Jonesboro, including failure to get one child dental care necessary to preserve the child’s front teeth, failure to plan for two children to take part in school extracurricular activities, incomplete child medication records, failure to report one child’s attack on another to state regulators, a hole in the wall, and failure to complete a room, board, and watchful oversight (RBWO) plan for two children, among other issues.

Following revelations about an alleged child sexual abuse coverup at the facility, The Clayton Crescent checked the Georgia Department of Human Services Office of Inspector General’s residential child care licensing system for more information about Rainbow House. We found deficiency reports from 2021 and 2022. We have redacted the address due to concerns about the safety of children at the facility.

The facility is licensed as a “child caring institution” or CCI. During Rainbow House’s last re-licensure survey was April 12, 2022.

The Residential Child Care Licensing (RCCL) database only contains 24 months of records for each state-licensed facility. At present, that database effectively accounts for only the past 12 months because state regulators conducted virtual inspections during COVID-19. The database does not indicate how virtual inspections were conducted, nor does it note any rubric or standards for what constitutes an effective virtual inspection.

Violations marked “Severity D,” according to the state Inspector General’s office, “are violations which indirectly or over a period of time had or are likely to have an adverse effect on the physical or emotional health and safety of a person or persons in care or are violations of administrative, reporting, or notice requirements.” Severity D violations require a Plan of Correction to be filed with the state.

Violations marked “Severity A” include “citations that even if allowed to continue over a period of time are not likely to have an adverse effect on the physical or emotional health and safety of a person or persons in care. Facilities with violations in this category are still considered to be in substantial compliance with the rules and regulations.” Severity A violations do not require a Plan of Correction to be filed with the state.

We quote the following deficiencies cited:

• Severity D, Survey Type 2: Based on record review and staff interview, the facility failed to document a health screening examination within thirty (30) days of hiring in one of two personnel records reviewed. Findings include:
  • Review on April 12, 2022 at approximately 10:30 a.m. of Staff B’s record revealed a document, not titled, dated February 26, 2020 that provided a statement that Staff B may work without limitations.  Staff B was hired on September 27, 2021.  During an exit interview on April 12, 2022 with Staff A and Staff B at 1:45 p.m., Staff A acknowledged the findings.  Staff B indicated that because he/she was a re-hire, he/she wasn’t aware that another health screening was needed. 
• Severity D, Survey Type 2: Based on record review and staff interview, the facility failed to document staff training prior to working with children in two of two personnel records reviewed. Findings include:
  • Review on April 12, 2022 at approximately 10:30 a.m. of Staff A’s record revealed no documentation that Staff A received orientation. Staff A was hired on July 8, 2021.  
  • Review on April 12, 2022 at approximately 10:30 a.m. of Staff B’s record revealed the New Employee Orientation form was completed on February 28, 2020.  Staff B was hired on September 27, 2021.  
  • During an exit interview on April 12, 2022 with Staff A and Staff B at 1:45 p.m., Staff A acknowledged the findings. Staff B indicated that because he/she was a re-hire, he/she wasn’t aware that a new orientation was needed.
• Severity D, Survey Type 2: Based on record review, staff interview, and resident interview, the facility failed to submit a detailed written summary report to Residential Child Care Licensing (RCCL) within 24 hours concerning one (1) serious occurrence.   Findings include:
  • Review on April 12, 2022 at approximately 10:30 a.m. of Resident #2’s record revealed an Incident Report dated March 17, 2022 indicating that Resident #2 backed Resident #1 into a corner, asked Resident #1 if he/she had a boyfriend/girlfriend and then grabbed Resident #1’s buttocks after Resident #1 pushed Resident #2 away and attempted to walk off.  Further review of the report revealed that law enforcement was contacted and took statements from Resident #1 and Resident #2 regarding the incident.  Review on April 12, 2022 of the RCCL Trails Tracking System revealed that no incident report was received from the facility related to the incident involving Resident #2. During an exit interview on April 12, 2022 at 1:45 p.m. with Staff A, he she acknowledged the findings.  Staff A indicated that he/she was not aware that the serious occurrence was supposed to be reported to RCCL.
• Severity D, Survey Type 2: Based on record review and staff interview the facility failed to document a complete room, board, and watchful oversight (RBWO) plan in two of two resident records reviewed. Findings include:
  • Review on April 12, 2022 at approximately 10:30 a.m. of Resident #1’s record revealed a 30-Day Room Board and Watchful Oversight Service Plan dated February 23, 2022; however, the plan did not include the following:
  • 1) results of assessments and identified needs
  • 2) time-limited goals & objectives for the child and the methods of achieving them and methods of evaluating them
  • 3) activities to be completed by the child towards achievement of goals and activities by staff towards achievement of goals
  • 4) activities to be completed by the child towards achievement of goals and activities by staff towards achievement of goals
  • 5) preliminary plans for discharge 
  • Resident #1 was placed at the facility over two months ago. 
• Review on April 12, 2022 at approximately 10:30 a.m. of Resident #2’s record revealed a 30-Day Room Board and Watchful Oversight Service Plan dated December 3, 2021; however, the plan did not include the following:
  • 1) results of assessments and identified needs
  • 2) time-limited goals & objectives for the child and the methods of achieving them and methods of evaluating them
  • 3) activities to be completed by the child towards achievement of goals and activities by staff towards achievement of goals
  • 4) activities to be completed by the child towards achievement of goals and activities by staff towards achievement of goals
  • 5) preliminary plans for discharge 
  • Resident #2 was placed at the facility over five months ago. 
  • During an exit interview on April 12, 2022 with Staff A and Staff B at 1:45 p.m., Staff A acknowledged the findings. 
• Severity D, Survey Type 2: Based on record review and staff interview, the facility failed to document involvement of the child, parents and/or guardian and state representative in the development of the service and room, board, and watchful oversight plan in two of two resident records reviewed. Findings include:
  • Review on April 12, 2022 at approximately 10:30 a.m. of Resident #1’s record revealed a 30-Day Room Board and Watchful Oversight Service Plan dated February 23, 2022; however, the plan did not include verification that the child and his/her parent/guardian, or placing agency participated in the development of the case plan.  Resident #1 was placed at the facility over two months ago.  
  • Review on April 12, 2022 at approximately 10:30 a.m. of Resident #2’s record revealed a 30-Day Room Board and Watchful Oversight Service Plan dated December 3, 2021; however, the plan did not include verification that the child and his/her parent/guardian, or placing agency participated in the development of the case plan.  Resident #2 was placed at the facility five months ago.  
  • During an exit interview on April 12, 2022 with Staff A and Staff B at 1:45 p.m., Staff A acknowledged the findings. 
• Severity A, Survey Type 2: Based on record review and staff interview the facility failed to document a statement regarding extracurricular [school] activity participation in the service and room, board, and watchful oversight plan two of two resident records reviewed. Findings include:
  • Review on April 12, 2022 at approximately 10:30 a.m. of Resident #1’s record revealed a 30-Day Room Board and Watchful Oversight Service Plan dated February 23, 2022; however, the plan did not include extracurricular activities.  
  • Review on April 12, 2022 at approximately 10:30 a.m. of Resident #2;s record revealed a 30-Day Room Board and Watchful Oversight Service Plan dated December 3, 2021; however, the plan did not include extracurricular activities.  
  • During an exit interview on April 12, 2022 with Staff A and Staff B at 1:45 p.m., Staff A acknowledged the findings. 
• Severity D, Survey Type 2: Based on record review and staff interview, the facility failed to ensure timely, qualified medical care in cases of medical emergencies in one of two records reviewed. Findings include:
  • Review on April 12, 2022 at approximately 10:30 a.m. of Resident #1’s record revealed that the Dental Treatment Report dated January 27, 2022 revealed that Resident #1 would lose front teeth if he/she didn’t get a root canal and that he/she also needed an evaluation for a crown, a root canal and the removal of root tips.  Further review of the record revealed no other documentation of dental treatments provided to Resident #1. 
  • During an exit interview on April 12, 2022 with Staff A and Staff B at 1:45 p.m., Staff A acknowledged the findings. 
• Severity D, Survey Type 2: Based on record review and staff interview, the facility failed to document a complete medication administration record in one of one records reviewed. Findings include:
  • Review on April 12, 2022 at approximately 12:00 p.m. of the medication administration record dated April 1, 2022 for Resident #2 did not include the following:
  • 1) Prescribing physician
  • 2) Date of the script
  • 3) Dosage taken
• During an exit interview on April 12, 2022 with Staff A and Staff B at 1:45 p.m., Staff A acknowledged the findings. 
• Severity D, Type 2: Based on physical plant inspection and staff interview, the facility failed to maintain walls in good repair. Findings include:
  • Observation of the physical plant on April 12, 2022 at approximately 12:30 p.m. revealed a hole in the wall of a vacant resident room in the 2nd area of the girl’s unit. During an exit interview on April 12, 2022 with Staff A and Staff B at 1:45 p.m., Staff A acknowledged the findings. 
• Severity D, Type 2: Based on record review and staff interview, the facility failed to document participation of all areas of the facility in quarterly fire drills. Findings include:
  • Review on April 12, 2022 at approximately 10:30 a.m. of facility records revealed no documentation of quarterly fire drills.  During an exit interview on April 12, 2022 with Staff A and Staff B at 1:45 p.m., Staff A acknowledged the findings.
• Severity 0, Type 2: An exit conference was conducted with Staff A and Staff B on April 12, 2022 at approximately 1:45 p.m.  A preliminary report was emailed to the facility on April 20, 2022.  A formal written plan of correction is due to this surveyor 10 days after receipt of this final inspection report.  All deficiencies are expected to be brought into compliance immediately.

In 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic, state regulators did not conduct an on-site inspection.

According to that report, “The purpose of this survey was to conduct an annual relicensure inspection. However, a virtual visit was conducted in lieu of a site visit due to restrictions imposed in response to the Covid-19 Pandemic. An exit conference was conducted on April 20, 2021 at 10:45 a.m. with Staff A and Staff D. There were no deficiencies identified, therefore a plan of correction is not required.”

According to the Georgia Department of Human Services, the top five violations for facilities in 2020 were “insufficient documentation of references in personnel files, incomplete service plans, insufficient or untimely health screenings of personnel, insufficient documentation of the involvement of the child’s guardian in the service plan, and insufficient development, implementation, and/or compliance with policies and procedures.”

We’ll follow up on the nature of Rainbow House’s 2021 virtual visit, as well as on the outcome of the deficiencies cited above.