Document text
0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Our View: Clean fuels debate creates odd bedfellows ... Ordinance would set standards for private fire companies in Josephine County ... Waterfowlers see 18th straight maximum duck season ... Our View: Clean fuels debate creates odd bedfellows ... Ordinance would set standards for private fire companies in Josephine County ... Waterfowlers see 18th straight maximum duck season ... GRANTS PASS State reviews Rogue Valley youth treatment program after arrests Kairos also operates treatment programs in Jackson County Comment By Ruth Longoria Kingsland Grants Pass Daily Courier MailTribune.com By Ruth Longoria Kingsland Grants Pass Daily Courier Posted Apr. 23, 2015 at 3:02 PM By Ruth Longoria Kingsland Grants Pass Daily Courier Posted Apr. 23, 2015 at 3:02 PM » Social News A pair of state agencies are reviewing the Grants Pass-based Kairos youth mental health treatment program following the arrests of two Kairos employees on sexual misconduct charges. The Department of Human Services and the Oregon Health Authority have licensing, certification and regulatory oversight of Kairos, according to Christine Stone, a communications representative for Oregon Health Authority. Stone confirmed that DHS licenses the program as a residential child care provider and has the responsibility to investigate allegations of abuse in those programs, and OHA certifies the program as a psychiatric residential treatment facility. Kairos also operates treatment programs for youths in Medford and Jackson County. The two state agencies are working "closely" with law enforcement and with each other "to review the situation," Stone said in a statement to the Daily Courier. "We are working now to make sure that the people living in the facility are receiving the care they need and in a safe environment. That is really all we can say at this time due to the legal nature of this issue," she added. Also on Friday, Kairos CEO Bob Lieberman issued a statement saying positive feedback and a track record of serving over 2,000 troubled youngsters since Kairos was founded nearly 40 years ago "suggests that overall we have been successful" in creating a "recovery-oriented culture focused on hope for the future." "When allegations of inappropriate behavior of staff come to our attention, our policy and practice is to: report immediately, take safety precautions, and respond appropriately. ... We will work hard to regain any trust that has been lost." Dewayne Sandle-Carnell, 31, and Sonia Leamons, 40, both of Grants Pass, were arrested last week, then rearrested on more charges Wednesday. The charges stem from allegations Sandle-Carnell had sex multiple times with a 17-year-old girl in Kairos' New Beginnings residential treatment facility on Nebraska Avenue near Three Rivers Medical Center. Leamons is alleged to have encouraged the abuse by sending sexually explicit photos of the girl to Sandle-Carnell. The teen was living at the facility for treatment because she had been raped and was dealing with trauma from that incident, according to the family's Bend attorney, Tim Williams. The two employees were placed on administrative leave by Kairos when the allegations surfaced, and were fired upon their arrests. They are currently out on bail. A third former Kairos employee, Jason Tesorero Morla, 34, was indicted last May on charges of first- and second-degree custodial sexual misconduct alleging he abused a youth who was in the custody of the Oregon Youth Authority, but living at a Kairos facility. That abuse allegedly occurred in July 2013. Kairos was founded in 1977 as the Southern Oregon Adolescent Study and Treatment Center (SOASTC), changing its name to Kairos — which the organization says is Greek for "The moment when change is possible" — in 2012. The nonprofit started out in the Merlin area, helping about 15 severely traumatized boys annually. In 2014 Kairos reported serving about 200 youths of both genders at facilities in Grants Pass, Merlin, Medford, North Bend, Eugene and Salem. By Ruth Longoria Kingsland Grants Pass Daily Courier MailTribune.com By Ruth Longoria Kingsland Grants Pass Daily Courier Posted Apr. 23, 2015 at 3:02 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501