journey to hope health and healing

Rhode Island treatment provider accused of fraudulently billing Medicaid

by NBC 10 NEWS

(WJAR) — A former Rhode Island health group is facing legal action from federal and state prosecutors.

Earlier this week, U.S. Attorney for Rhode Island Zachary Cunha and the Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha intervened in a civil suit against The Journey to Hope, Health and Healing Inc. and its former CEO Kenneth Richardson.

The civil complaint, filed back on April 14 but unsealed just the other day, alleges The Journey and Richardson defrauded the Rhode Island Medicaid program for millions of dollars for substance use disorder treatment services that were never given to patients seeking those services.

The filing also claims The Journey and Richardson Jr. allegedly failed to provide proper treatment plans and counseling for patients receiving methadone, a medication used to treat opioid use disorder.

"These Defendants knowingly held themselves out as a certified and accredited opioid treatment provider, subject to specific federal and state requirements, including that they provide individualized treatment plans and adequate rehabilitative counseling services for patients, when, in fact, they were routinely failing to provide treatment plans and adequate counseling for patients for whom they were providing methadone," read the complaint.

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Documents allege the parties collected more than $15 million from Medicaid over a six-year span, and claim The Journey management falsified records to make it seem as if the missing services had been provided.

"...in anticipation of audits by accreditation officials and by the Rhode Island Executive Office of Health and Human Services, Journey management repeatedly directed employees to create and backdate documents in order to make it appear that updated individualized treatment plans were in place and that the required counseling sessions were occurring when, in fact, they were not," wrote the U.S. Attorney and AG. "Multiple employees followed these instructions, creating false records in order to support Journey’s continued billing."

The complaint takes over a 2020 lawsuit filed by two former The Journey employees turned whistleblower. The Journey is no longer an active Rhode Island company, having been bought by Behavioral Health Group in late 2021.

A spokesperson for BHG told NBC 10 News Tuesday it "created new legal entities, and immediately began operating as BHG treatment centers" after it bought The Journey's four Ocean State locations.

"We are in full regulatory compliance with the treatment and recovery services that we provide to our patients. The lawsuit against Journey of Hope has nothing to do with us and will not effect our patients in any way," wrote Nancy Buttyan, a BHG spokesperson.

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In a statement to NBC 10 News, Richardson Jr. objected to the lawsuit's allegations, writing, "The Government has alleged that The Journey submitted False Claims to Medicaid for reimbursement. We strongly disagree with these allegations and intend to vigorously contest them. The Journey entered into an agreement with the State of Rhode Island to provide methadone services to those in need of such medication and that is precisely what we did. Every dose of methadone billed was clinically appropriate and provided as prescribed."

Federal and state authorities say more than half of the $15 million claimed by Journey during the timeframe was false, and are seeking to get back up to three times the amount paid out.

No word on when the legal fight will resume in the courtroom.

NBC 10's Cal Dymowski contributed to this report.

Substance treatment provider accused of faking records and stealing millions from Medicaid

PROVIDENCE – For the second time in a matter of weeks, a provider of substance-use treatment in Rhode Island is being accused of Medicaid fraud for allegedly failing to properly treat patients struggling with drug or alcohol addiction.

Federal and state authorities late Monday announced they were taking action agains t Journey to Hope, Health and Healing Inc., and its CEO, Kenneth L. Richardson Jr., over accusations that they falsified records to make it appear that vital medication-assisted treatment services were being provided, all while collecting more than $15 million in Medicaid from January 2015 through July 2021. 

Former employees Sara Quaresma and Michael Delmonico filed a complaint against Journey to Hope in U.S. District Court in 2020 under provisions of the False Claims Act that allow private parties to sue on behalf of the federal government. The law allows them to share in any money recovered.

State and federal authorities this week moved to intervene in the case, which was unsealed late Monday by Chief Judge John J. McConnell Jr.

More: Feds: RI-based recovery center denied patients addiction treatment, stole millions from insurers

Journey to Hope has four outpatient treatment centers, in Providence, Johnston, Middletown and Westerly. A phone call to the Johnston office was not returned Tuesday.

The complaint accuses Journey to Hope of billing the state Medicaid program for millions of dollars for substance use treatment services that they were failing to provide due to unmanageable caseloads of as many as 100 patients. The heavy workload left staff unable to conduct necessary counseling or adequate time to update individualized treatment plans. At times, staff met with clients for 10 minutes in a parking lot and failed for months to rework treatment plans even when patients tested positive for fentanyl or other substances while receiving methadone or suboxone. That meant some patients were left to "free fall" into substance abuse, according to the allegations.

In the meantime, the company continued to bill the government for medication-assisted treatment services, falsely claiming that they were meeting all the requirements as an opioid treatment provider, the suit says. In fact, it says, more than half of these claims were for patients who were not receiving needed services. 

In anticipation of state and federal audits, managers at Journey to Hope directed employees to create and backdate documents in order to make it appear that updated individualized treatment plans were in place and counseling sessions had occurred, though they had not, according to the suit. Other records were padded to make it appear that counseling sessions that took mere minutes encompassed an hour.

"Defendants’ conduct not only resulted in billings to Rhode Island Medicaid for services that were not provided, but it also deprived patients of critical services that they needed as part of their recovery process," the suit says.

The failure to provide the necessary treatment plans and services were brought to the attention of Richardson, but the pattern continued over the course of years, the suit says. In total, Journey to Hope received at least $7.5 million in reimbursement through Rhode Island Medicaid for false and fraudulent claims, according to the claims.

The government is seeking to recover up to three times the amount paid as a result of the alleged false claims, plus penalties, according to a news release from U.S. Attorney Zachary Cunha and Attorney General Peter F. Neronha’s offices.

Second substance-use treatment provider to be targeted by federal investigators

Journey to Hope is the second provider of substance-use treatment to be targeted by federal investigations recently. Early last month, federal authorities accused Recovery Connection Centers of America of defrauding Medicaid and other insurers out of millions of dollars and scamming as many as 1,800 patients seeking drug-treatment services.

Investigators arrested Michael Brier, 60, of Newton, Massachusetts, the CEO of Recovery Connection Centers of America , and Mi Ok Bruining, 62, of Warwick, a supervisor with the nickname “five-minute queen," officials say, for her ability to reduce a patient’s 45-minute counseling session to a bare few minutes but bill insurers for a full session. 

Both were charged with committing health care fraud. Brier, a former tax preparer who was convicted of tax evasion in 2013 for underreporting more than $1.1 million in income, is also charged with aggravated identity theft, money laundering and obstruction. 

According to court documents, plea discussions are underway between the parties.

Ripple effects

Thomas Joyce, director of East Bay Recovery Center, wondered Tuesday what impact stagnant Medicaid reimbursement rates were playing.

"I question if the Medicaid reimbursement rates are adequate enough because they haven't been raised in 15 years. Are the agencies being pushed to that? Is this partly because of the reimbursement rates?" Joyce said of the recent court actions. "It's something that's been ignored for a while."

He worried, too, about the level of treatment people were really getting or whether they were being left to spiral and possibly die in the end.

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The Journey to Hope, Health and Healing

Contacts database, contact details.

Journey to Hope Health and Healing

Journey to Hope Health and Healing is a detox center located in Providence, RI.

Additional Information

Treatment type.

• Outpatient detoxification
• Outpatient methadone/buprenorphine or naltrexone treatment
• Aftercare recovery programs
• Cocaine Detoxification
• Opioid Detoxification
• Routinely uses medication for detoxification

Payment Info

• Cash or self-payment
• State-financed health insurance plan other than Medicaid
• Federal or any government funding for substance use programs

Specialty Services

• Mental health counseling for co-occurring disorders
• Group therapy
• Family therapy
• Marital/couples counseling
• Addiction recovery education
• Pregnant/postpartum women
• Seniors or older adults
• Gay & Lesbian
• Clients referred from the court/judicial system
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Journey to Hope Health and Healing

You are here: Addiction Treatment Centers » Rhode Island Treatment Centers » Treatment Centers in Providence, RI » Journey to Hope Health and Healing in Providence, RI

Drug & Alcohol Addiction Programs

Journey to Hope Health and Healing is a located in Providence, RI.

Address: 160 Narragansett Avenue Providence, RI , 2907

Phone: (401) 941-4488

Website: Visit Website

Type of Treatment

Drug & Alcohol Addiction Treatment

Offers methadone maintenance regimen

Offers methadone taper programs

Offers Buprenorphine maintenance

Offers Buprenorphine maintenance for predetermined time

Offers Buprenorphine used in treatment

Prescribes/administers methadone

Every client is apart of an opioid treatment program

Certified by SAMHSA as an Opioid Treatment Program

Addiction Treatment Approaches

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)

Addiction treatment counseling therapy

Brief intervention approach

Motivational interviewing

Relapse prevention planning

Treatment Facility Smoking Policy

Smoking is allowed in certain areas

Treatment Service Setting

Outpatient addiction treatment services

Outpatient medically assisted treatment services (e.g. methadone, buprenorphine or naltrexone)

Intensive outpatient (IOP) addiction treatment services

General outpatient addiction treatment services

Treatment Facility Operation

Privately owned

License/certification/accreditation

State substance abuse agency

State department of health

Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities

Payment & Insurance Policy

Accepts cash or self-payment

Accepts medicaid

Accepts state financed health insurance plan other than Medicaid

Accepts private health insurance plans (call center for specific plans accepted)

Special Addiction Treatment Programs

Pregnant/postpartum women

Adult women

Other Treatment Services

Offers individual counseling

Offers group counseling

Offers counseling for families

Offers couples counseling

Ages Accepted

Young adults ages 18 to 35

Adults ages 36 to 64

Genders Accepted

Unique services offered.

Only serves Methadone and buprenorphine clients

Fifty Years Forward: NYPCC’s Journey of Hope and Healing

by Elliot Klein, MBA | May 16, 2024

Reflecting on the 50th anniversary of the New York Psychotherapy and Counseling Center (NYPCC) evokes a profound sense of pride and gratitude in me. Having been an integral part of this organization for 40 of those years, with two decades as CEO, I have been privileged to witness and contribute to our evolution and impact. Our journey, rooted in a single office in Queens, has blossomed into a beacon of hope , illuminating paths to wellness for countless individuals across New York City.

From Humble Beginnings to Far-Reaching Impact

Our story began with a simple yet powerful conviction: access to quality mental health care is a right, not a privilege. This belief has guided every step we have taken, from our early days in a modest Briarwood, Queens office to our expansion across the city’s boroughs. Today, our reach extends to over 25,000 individuals annually through facilities that have become synonymous with healing and hope.

This growth is not just a measure of our success but a reflection of the increasing need for compassionate and comprehensive mental health services. Each of our centers, now spanning buildings up to 75,000 square feet, is more than just a space for therapy; they are sanctuaries where individuals and families can find solace, understanding, and pathways to recovery.

Investing in Our Greatest Asset: Our Staff

The backbone of NYPCC’s enduring legacy is our dedicated team. Understanding the intrinsic link between caregiver well-being and patient care, we have cultivated an environment that supports our staff’s professional growth and personal wellness. Wellness initiatives promoting work-life balance, ongoing training and development, and mental health awareness ensure that our team is not only equipped to provide exceptional care but also feels valued and supported.

The establishment of the NYPCC Academy exemplifies our commitment to excellence. By offering Continuing Education credits and fostering a culture of learning, we empower our employees and extend our reach beyond our walls, impacting the broader mental health community. This focus on education ensures that our employees remain at the cutting edge of mental health practice, benefitting both those we serve and the field at large.

Embracing Diversity, Cultivating Inclusion

NYPCC’s strength lies in our diversity. Over 85% of our employees are bilingual and bicultural, which enables us to offer culturally sensitive treatment, bridging language barriers and fostering a deep sense of trust with our clients. This approach is not just about providing services in multiple languages; it is about respecting and understanding the cultural nuances that shape one’s experience with mental health treatment. This inclusivity is crucial for effective care and is a cornerstone of our practice.

Championing Mental Health Awareness and Advocacy

Our commitment to mental health extends beyond individual care. Through community outreach and educational programs, we have taken an active role in challenging the stigma that still surrounds mental health. Initiatives like our annual anti-bullying coalition community fairs demonstrate our proactive approach to societal issues, showing that our commitment to well-being extends to creating safer, more supportive communities.

These efforts are vital not only for changing perceptions but also for advocating for policies that support mental health care accessibility and equity. As we engage with local communities, policymakers, and other stakeholders, we aim to build a more informed and compassionate society where mental health is prioritized and supported.

Reflections on Leadership and Legacy

Leading NYPCC through decades of change and challenge has been the honor of my lifetime. The landscape of mental health care has evolved dramatically during this time, influenced by advancements in research, changes in public policy, and shifts in societal attitudes. Navigating these changes has required resilience, innovation, and an unwavering commitment to our core values.

As I reflect on our journey, I am struck by the countless stories of transformation and healing that have unfolded within our centers. These stories are a testament to the power of compassionate care and the resilience of the human spirit. They inspire us to continue our work, pushing boundaries and exploring new ways to serve our communities.

The Road Ahead: NYPCC’s Vision for the Future

Looking to the future, I am filled with optimism and resolve. The challenges facing mental health care are significant, but they are matched by our passion and dedication to meeting them head-on. Our vision for the next 50 years is bold and expansive, driven by the belief that everyone deserves access to the care and support they need to thrive.

This vision includes expanding our services to reach even more individuals and communities, leveraging technology to enhance access and efficacy, and continuing to advocate for systemic changes that support mental health wellness. We are committed to being at the forefront of mental health care, pioneering new approaches, and building partnerships that amplify our impact.

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The Nectar Healing Journey: How Dulcie Overcame 10 Years of Chronic Pain The Migraine Heroes Podcast

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From childhood, Dulcie battled with migraines, masking her pain with a facade of 'okayness.' But beneath the surface, the struggle was real. In her courageous story, she shares invaluable insights on navigating trauma and migraines, offering hope and guidance to those with similar struggles. Take the migraine Diagnostic Test Learn about Nectar Health  Book a 1:1 Diagnostic Consultation with Diane Ducarme - Booking link  Highlights: 🔗  Calming the Storm: Dulcie discusses the challenge of calming migraine headaches and the relief of experiencing fewer attacks. 🔗 Importance of Slowing Down: Learning to slow down and give oneself rest becomes crucial in the journey towards healing. 🔗  Coping Mechanisms: Hobbies like reading became difficult, yet finding new ways to cope with pain was essential. 🔗  Finding Safety in Fear:  Dulcie emphasizes the importance of feeling safe, especially when fear is overwhelming. 🔗 Understanding Trauma: Exploring the connection between trauma and the vagus nerve sheds light on the complexities of healing. 🔗 Resilience and Healing: Despite setbacks and frustrations, Dulcie found the courage to leave the darkness behind and embrace healing. Dulcie's journey is a testament to resilience, courage, and the power of perseverance in the face of adversity. "Migraine Heroes" podcast stands as a testament to the strength of the human spirit and the transformative power of holistic approach, understanding, and support. 🔗 Follow Diane on Instagarm  🔗 Follow Migraine Heroes on Instagram Whether you're a migraine warrior on a quest for relief or simply curious about migraine or holistic approaches, hit play and subscribe to help us spread the #migraineawareness.

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BHG Middletown Treatment Center

26 Valley Road Suite 202 Newport East, RI 02842

401-552-4673

Clinic Description

The Journey to Hope, Health & Healing utilizes medication-assistance treatment. The Journey to Hope, Health & Healing has an effective specialized treatment of outpatient recovery. The individualized treatment has a track record of proven success. The methadone clinics in Rhode Island provide their patients with a complete treatment that combines medication with therapy and continued support. These treatments are conducted under the supervision of the medical team and are customized to fit each patient’s needs. The Journey to Hope, Health & Healing offers other core treatment services outside of MAT such as personalized treatment plans, individual and group counseling, medical and functional assessment.

Newport East methadone clinic also offers specialized programming for Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Relapse Prevention, general life skills, contingency management, Motivational Interviewing, case management, among others. The combination of medical treatment, one-on-one counseling, and behavioral therapies, is a holistic treatment approach that bolters its patients’ chances of living cleaner and more productive lives.

Treatment Programs

• Adult (18+)
• LGBTQ Friendly
• Opioid Rehab
• Alcohol Rehab

Levels of Care

• Outpatient Rehab

Accreditations

• Joint Commission
• Self-pay options

Medications Offered

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