Facility profile New Mexico
Bernalillo Academy
Bernalillo Academy was a residential treatment center in Albuquerque, New Mexico, operated by Sequel TSI. It operated from 2009 to 2021.
Lawsuits
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Kristina Martinez, as guardian ad litem for a 5-year-old, v. Sequel (Bernalillo Academy), the New Mexico Children, Youth and Families Department et al.
Outcome: No reported outcome found.
In October 2024 the guardian ad litem for a 5-year-old filed suit in Santa Fe over his time at the former Bernalillo Academy, a home for children with disabilities that a Sequel subsidiary ran until December 2021. The complaint alleges staff punched and beat the boy and a peer sexually abused him, and that the academy put enrollment revenue ahead of children's safety. It also alleges the state children's agency and its former secretary knew of ongoing abuse and did not protect the children. The suit cites a Disability Rights New Mexico report that staff told children to fight each other, and says Bernalillo was Sequel's 14th program to close in three years amid abuse allegations.
Federal funding
Federal money this program received, as government records, congressional reports and news coverage show it.
Federal foster care funds (Title IV-E)
- 2021: Housed children in the custody of New Mexico's Children, Youth and Families Department, the state foster care agency, until it closed in December 2021. source
News coverage
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Another Sequel-run Facility Closes Amid Abuse Claims
A New Mexico residential facility operated by Sequel Youth & Family Services is scheduled to close after state investigators documented physical abuse, inadequate care, and peer violence among children. The closure follows a settlement with the state and follows similar shutdowns of other Sequel-run programs where staff misconduct and neglect were reported.
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Sequel to close New Mexico youth facility amid more abuse allegations | APM Reports
Sequel Youth & Family Services agreed to close Bernalillo Academy in Albuquerque, New Mexico, after a state investigation documented physical abuse, excessive restraints, and inadequate supervision of autistic residents. The closure follows multiple prior investigations and the shutdown of several other Sequel facilities nationwide.
Staff
Administration
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Trudy Nodgaard
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Melinda Heller-Nellos
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Amir Rafiei
Elsewhere in the industry
- Acadia Healthcare director of pharmacy
- Embark at Hobble Creek executive director
Notable staff
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Larry D. White
Former Medical Director
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Mark L. Rubin
Former Psychiatrist
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J. Spencer Helsell
Former Psychiatrist
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Priscilla Garcia
Former Admissions
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Carly Gallegos
Former Human Resources
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Sara Spitlerl
Former Nursing Director
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Melinda Heller-Nellos
Former Clinical Director
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Jeanette Rodgers
Former Quality Director
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Brian Paolini
Former Program Director, Group Living Director
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Yvonne Gurule
Former Community Development and Marketing
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Jafet Emniro Gonzalez Zakarchenco
Former Psychiatrist
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Rene Gonzalez
Former Psychiatrist
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Nicholas Lovland
Former Human Resources
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Lynette Cordova
Former Clinical Director
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Alison C'de Baca
Former Admissions
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LaShonda Sutopka
Former Human Resources
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John N. Russo
Former Medical Director
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Brenda Perry
Former Admissions
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Vance Hutchison
Former Human Resources
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Paul King-Miller
Former Clinical Director
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Shannon Sedillo
Former Medical Records Manager
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Charles Vigil
Former Facility Manager
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Amanda Miller
Former Nursing Director
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Rick Hernandez
Former Customer Development and Marketing
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Sharon Guerra
Former Nursing Director
Connections on the network map
The companies, people and programs our research map ties to this program. Open it on the network map.
Ownership
- Sequel Youth and Family Services
Documents
From the Unsilenced archive
3 documents about Bernalillo Academy that Unsilenced collected and Kids Over Profits does not hold a copy of. They open on Unsilenced's Google Drive. Their whole folder: Bernalillo Academy.
Materials and links
External links
Reference and research
Archived pages
- substantiated incidents of violence and sexual abuse along with allegations of other mistreatment and improper restraints
- the facility failed to background check employees or ensure that they had adequate training, and local media reported incidents involving abuse of children
- confiscated business cards from Disability Rights New Mexico and prevented children from exercising their legal right to contact the protection and advocacy agency