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TrailsCarolinaLetter2 12 24 Docx12

This letter from North Carolina health officials outlines several measures that a residential therapeutic camp called Trails Carolina must implement following the death of a child in their care. The measures include ceasing new admissions, discontinuing the use of bivy bags, requiring awake staff at night, removing staff from the cabin where the death occurred, permitting unlimited access to investigators, and reporting requirements. Officials are working jointly with local law enforcement and social services to investigate the death and ensure safety. The measures are not exhaustive and licensure actions may also be taken.

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5K views2 pages

TrailsCarolinaLetter2 12 24 Docx12

This letter from North Carolina health officials outlines several measures that a residential therapeutic camp called Trails Carolina must implement following the death of a child in their care. The measures include ceasing new admissions, discontinuing the use of bivy bags, requiring awake staff at night, removing staff from the cabin where the death occurred, permitting unlimited access to investigators, and reporting requirements. Officials are working jointly with local law enforcement and social services to investigate the death and ensure safety. The measures are not exhaustive and licensure actions may also be taken.

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kc wildmoon
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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DocuSign Envelope ID: 8089065D-08F5-4FBF-BE68-1309857FE128

ROY COOPER • Governor


KODY H. KINSLEY • Secretary

Office of General Counsel

February 12, 2024

Sent via e-mail only


Jeremy Whitworth, Executive Director
Trails Carolina
500 Winding Gap Road
Lake Toxaway, NC 28747

Dear Mr. Whitworth:

Trails Carolina is licensed and operating as a Residential Therapeutic Camp for children
and adolescents who have mental illness, developmental disabilities or substance use
disorders under Chapter 122C of the North Carolina General Statutes and rules found at
10A NCAC 27G.5200. That license for Trails Carolina is issued by the North Carolina
Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS), Division of Health Services
Regulation (NCDHSR). In addition, NCDHHS’ Division of Social Services (NCDSS)
oversees child welfare services in North Carolina in partnership with the local county
departments of social services. Core to our mission is for children in North Carolina to be
healthy and live in safe and appropriate placements.

On Saturday, February 3, 2024, you notified NCDHHS that a child in your care at Trails
Carolina died. No person should ever experience harm while in the care of a health care
facility, and we take seriously our role to ensure the life and safety of individuals at health
care facilities. Our staff from NCDHSR and NCDSS are working jointly with local law
enforcement and the Transylvania County Department of Social Services, including active
oversight and providing technical assistance. Local DSS staff were onsite the following
day (February 4), but Trails Carolina prevented access to the camp’s children until
February 6. Local and state staff have been onsite since, including unannounced visits
made this past weekend. These agencies have been focused on ensuring the safety of the
remaining youth while diligently investigating the child’s death and reviewing all aspects
of the camp’s operations.

While these investigations are on-going, NCDHHS has several measures that Trails
Carolina must put in place to ensure that any children remaining at the camp are safe and
protected. Several of these actions have already been implemented by Trails Carolina as
part of the investigation, and those remaining should be implemented immediately:

NC DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES • OFFICE OF GENERAL COUNSEL


LOCATION: 101
Blair Drive, Adams Building, Raleigh, NC 27603
MAILING ADDRESS: 2001Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-2001
www.ncdhhs.gov • TEL: 919-855-4890 • FAX: 919-733-3854
AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY / AFFIRMATIVE ACTION EMPLOYER
DocuSign Envelope ID: 8089065D-08F5-4FBF-BE68-1309857FE128

 Cease new admissions until NCDHSR completes its investigation;


 Discontinue use of bivy bags for any purpose for all children or adults at the camp
through the conclusion of all investigations in this matter;
 Require at least one staff member to remain awake while one or more children are
asleep;
 Staff who were in the cabin where the decedent resided cannot return to the cabin
or campsite(s);
 Permit unlimited and unannounced access by local county DSS staff, law
enforcement and NCDHSR investigators to the cabin(s), campsite(s), staff and
clients;
 Provide by 10 am (EST) each morning (Mon-Sun) to Transylvania County
Department of Social Services (DSS) a list of all clients, their group assignment
and location at Trails Carolina, and whether a restraint of any type was used against
that child in the previous 24-hour reporting period;
 Thoroughly complete and update the Incident Report provided to NCDHHS in
accordance with Incident Response and Reporting (IRIS) Manual found at
(https://files.nc.gov/ncdhhs/documents/files/incidentmanual2-25-11.pdf); and
 Provide NCDHSR and Transylvania County DSS the names and contact
information for parents or guardians for all children at the camp, including their
state and/or county of residence.

Further, we want to remind you that the use of restrictive interventions must be reported as
outlined in the IRIS manual for which Trails Carolina is subject and must adhere to.

This recommended list of actions is not exhaustive, and we encourage you to implement
any others that you may deem necessary and appropriate to ensure the safety of the
children. Lastly, this list of actions does not preclude, delay, or supersede any licensure
actions NCDHSR may take during the course of its ongoing investigation.

Sincerely,

Mark T. Benton
Chief Deputy Secretary, NCDHHS

Susan Osborne
Deputy Secretary, NCDHHS

cc: Amanda Vanderoef, Director, Transylvania County DSS

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