INDIANAPOLIS — A former patient and the parents of a former patient filed lawsuits this week against Options Behavioral Health System in Lawrence, one of 35 state-licensed mental health facilities in Indiana.
Jason Hughes, and parents of minor A.D., both filed complaints in Marion County on March 10.
Both allege Options Behavioral Health and its parent company, Acadia Healthcare, operate the Lawrence facility “like a prison.”
A total of 10 lawsuits have now been filed since September 2024, court records show.
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After he was found outside of his home confused, Hughes was taken to an emergency room and transferred to Options Behavioral Health on July 28, 2024.
When Hughes’ fiancé visited, he appeared “heavily medicated” and “uncharacteristically not interactive with her or others,” read the lawsuit.
Hughes had a history of psychosis and schizoaffective disorder and at the time he was admitted, was taking two medications.
However, Hughes’ fiancé learned while at Options, Hughes was taking seven different medications.
She also learned during an August 10 call for an update that her fiancé had been assaulted by another patient and taken to the emergency room for his injuries, according to the lawsuit.
Within hours of returning, Hughes was in another altercation with a patient and had to be taken back to the emergency department on August 11, court documents allege.
His attorneys at CohenMalad LLP in Indianapolis say Hughes’ experience reflects broader system issues within Acadia Healthcare including:
- Drugging patients into submission
- Admitting patients even though they do not meet the criteria for treatment
- Forcing patients to stay beyond their discharge dates
- Threatening patients with Involuntary Detention Orders if they request to leave
- Not offering the promised or minimally required treatment
- Holding patients to maximize reimbursement
A.D.’s lawsuit alleges the child was held against her will, and when her mother tried to have her daughter discharged, she was told insurance wouldn’t pay for the stay and she would have to pay out of pocket, read the complaint.
The lawsuit also alleges A.D. and fellow patients received brief “therapy” sessions during which they were asked if they watched pornography and other sexually explicit questions.
“Options administered medication to A.D. which were unnecessary and unindicated and served no medical or psychological benefit,” read the lawsuit. “Rather, the medications only put A.D. in a foggy and sedated state.”
WRTV Investigates contacted attorneys for Options Behavioral Health as well as a spokesperson for Acadia Healthcare about the newly filed lawsuits. They said:
While we cannot discuss specific patient situations due to patient privacy laws, the dignity and well-being of our patients is at the center of all we do, and we have a zero-tolerance policy for behavior that could endanger our patients and staff. As is our protocol, Options actively collaborates with our regulators to ensure ongoing compliance with regulatory and clinical care requirements.
We understand the trust and responsibility placed in us to uphold the highest standards, and Options continues to serve patients and the community by providing the very latest in evidence-based behavioral healthcare.
As we reported in October, father Craig Inman filed a lawsuit on behalf of his daughter, who was 12 years old at the time she was a patient.
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In a statement on the Acadia Healthcare website, the company says: “To be clear: we patently reject claims that Acadia places profits over patients - including inferences that we systematically hold patients longer than is medically necessary for financial reasons."
Acadia Healthcare also points out that their average length of stay at acute hospitals, like Options, is 9.3 days — in line with national averages.
Acadia Healthcare also previously provided a written statement to WRTV.
“While we cannot comment on active litigation, Options Behavioral Health takes the well-being and quality care of our patients seriously as we strive to provide assistance in recovery from mental health and addiction concerns,” read the statement from Options Behavioral Health.
35 private mental health institutions are licensed by the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration’s Division of Mental Health and Addiction.
WRTV Investigates found getting public information about mental health hospitals in Indiana can be downright difficult.
FSSA may conduct annual inspections and investigate complaints, however, FSSA does not post inspection reports or summaries online as they do for childcare facilities.
In fact, if the public wants to view inspection reports for a mental health hospital, they have to request copies through a formal records request under the Indiana Access to Public Records Act.
It took WRTV Investigates four months to receive inspection reports for Options Behavioral Health. We requested them on July 15 and received two reports on November 13.
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“We are talking about folks who are in a crisis moment. A crisis can't wait,” said State Senator Andrea Hunley. “The public needs to be able to have access to these reports in an easy format. The only way to request records is through a cumbersome records request process.”
Sen. Hunley represents parts of Marion County and serves on the Behavioral Health Commission, a group of state leaders who make recommendations on the overall improvement of Indiana residents' behavioral and mental health.
“At the end of the day, we have to have a system that is transparent and is being held accountable,” said Hunley.
WRTV Investigates also found to file a complaint against an Indiana mental health facility, you can’t do it online. You have to call 1-800-901-1133.
"It feels antiquated in 2024 that's the only way you can file a complaint,” said Hunley. “We definitely need to have a portal. We have complaint portals for other agencies for other purposes."
The MHS (Managed Health Services) Indiana Ombudsman, an office separate from the state, can help resolve patient issues.
MHS Indiana has not responded to questions WRTV sent on November 1 asking for annual reports and statistics for the ombudsman office.
On March 18, WRTV Investigates received a statement from an MHS Indiana spokeperson.
"MHS Indiana has partnered with Mental Health America Indiana (MHAI) for the last 10 years. MHAI is responsible for providing Ombudsman services as an Enhanced Benefit to MHS Medicaid members, not all state Medicaid enrollees. We recommend that you contact the Division of Mental Health and Addiction to address your questions."
The spokesperson went on to say MHS Indiana is not responsible for providing ombudsman services.
"Mental Health America of Indiana provides ombudsman services as an enhanced benefit to MHS Medicaid membership, and not to all state Medicaid enrollees," read a statement to WRTV provided on March 18, 2025.
While FSSA says it may conduct inspections of 35 licensed mental health institutions, Hunley said it does not appear those inspections are required by law.
“It absolutely concerns me,” said Hunley. “We have an agency that is responsible for licensing that is responsible for ensuring that we have high-quality care, that may not be happening.”
STATEMENT ON ACADIA HEALTHCARE WEBSITE:
To be clear: we patently reject claims that Acadia places profits over patients – including inferences that we systematically hold patients longer than is medically necessary for financial reasons.
Here are some important facts you should know:
- Patient care decisions, including whether treatment is necessary and for how long, are medical decisions made by licensed providers, based on medical necessity and adhere to all associated legal requirements.
- The average length of stay at Acadia’s acute hospitals is in line with national averages.
- In most cases, the decision to involuntarily commit a patient for psychiatric evaluation in a behavioral health hospital is initiated by emergency room providers, law enforcement personnel, or other individuals as designated by state statutes. Those independent third parties make the initial determination that a patient requires hospitalization and evaluation.
- Our hospitals are highly regulated and are required to meet policies and standards set by federal, state, and local governments. Acadia’s acute care hospitals have been inspected and surveyed by The Joint Commission (TJC), the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and various state agencies nearly 300 times per year on average over the past five years.
- It is widely recognized within the medical community that discharging patients too early can result in catastrophic consequences, including serious injury – and even death – for the patient or others. Determining the appropriate level of care for acutely ill patients is a complicated and highly individualized decision that psychiatrists across the industry face every day.
Acadia follows industry-standard, clinically driven admission and discharge criteria
To reiterate: we patently reject claims that Acadia places profits over patients – including inferences that we systematically hold patients longer than is medically necessary for financial reasons. Notably, the average length of stay at our acute hospitals is in line with national averages.
Average Length of Stay in Days: Acadia Acute Hospitals vs Industry*, FY2023
*Healthcare cost reporting information system (HCRIS) from CMSPatient care decisions, including whether treatment is necessary and for how long, are medical decisions made by licensed providers, based on medical necessity, and adhere to all associated legal requirements.
In addition, multi-disciplinary teams work with patients, guardians, and family members during their treatment and in preparation for discharge. Discharging a patient too early can result in catastrophic consequences, including serious injury – and even death – for the patient or others. When making discharge decisions, physicians lead with the best interests of our patients and weigh a variety of factors including ongoing treatment needs and the risk of discharging before adequate stabilization.
Acadia is proud of the support we provide to those requiring acute psychiatric care
In 2023, 81% of our patients who responded to a survey – including involuntarily admitted respondents – reported feeling hopeful as a result of the care they received in our hospitals. Since 2016, Acadia has provided over $500 million in uncompensated care to help deliver the best outcomes for patients regardless of ability to pay. We remain steadfast in our commitment to ensuring patients, families, and their communities have access to the highly specialized treatment delivered at our hospitals.
Acadia hospitals are highly regulated, independently accredited and uphold stringent standards
Our hospitals are highly regulated and are required to meet policies and standards set by federal, state, and local governments. All 54 of Acadia’s acute hospitals are licensed in each state, accredited by TJC, and overseen by independent, respected third-party organizations and government entities such as CMS. This oversight helps ensure compliance with policies governing reimbursement and care quality, including from all government healthcare programs.
These independent bodies regularly visit – unannounced – to evaluate our compliance and ensure we provide high-quality, effective care for our patients. Acadia’s acute care hospitals have been inspected nearly 300 times per year on average over the past five years. In addition, we are routinely subjected to other federal, state, and local inspections as well as independent audits by third-party firms. We also regularly welcome third parties into our hospitals on a daily basis – from case managers to payors and other independent healthcare professionals – to review patient progress and collaborate in discharge planning.
Recent media reports lack important facts and context about involuntary commitment cases
Involuntary commitment to a psychiatric hospital is a complex issue with profound implications for individuals and their families. While some stories have portrayed commitment as a means of trapping individuals against their will, the process is far more complicated. In most cases, the decision to involuntarily commit a patient for psychiatric evaluation in a behavioral health hospital is initiated by emergency room providers, law enforcement personnel, or other individuals designated by state statutes. Those independent third parties make the initial determination that a patient requires an urgent psychiatric assessment. Once admitted, a psychiatric evaluation is then conducted to determine a treatment or discharge plan.
It is important to emphasize that involuntary commitment includes a legal process that generally involves many parties, such as a patient's attorney, family members, the court system, case managers, law enforcement, and outside referring clinicians.
We understand the tremendous responsibility that comes with supporting patients admitted involuntarily to our hospitals. These are serious decisions, and our clinicians fiercely advocate for our patients’ best interests.
Inaccurate portrayals of Acadia hospitals in the media perpetuate harmful beliefs about behavioral healthcare
Inaccurate and incomplete reporting about behavioral healthcare may unfortunately reinforce the fear and misconceptions some may have about seeking treatment. These reports may even perpetuate the myth that psychiatric care is ineffective or even harmful.
As part of our commitment to deliver technology-driven quality care, Acadia continues to invest millions of dollars annually into our hospitals. We also partner with many of the most highly respected, well-established health systems throughout the country to expand access to life-saving behavioral health care in local communities. Additionally, it is important to acknowledge the dedication of our 23,500 Acadia employees who come to work every day living our purpose to Lead Care with Light in support of patients, families and communities seeking hope for brighter futures.
Acadia remains focused on addressing our country’s mental health crisis
Our country is facing a severe mental health crisis. According to Mental Health America, over half of adults with a mental illness receive no treatment. Given our nation’s record level of suicide rates, it is critical to ensure patients needing behavioral healthcare can receive proper treatment.
Acadia is committed to improving access to care and making the system easier to navigate for patients. We remain focused on providing the supportive, collaborative and compassionate care that is so desperately needed.
