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Others at the facility talked about being shoved to the ground by staff and having personal items like family photographs taken away.
The report says students were often improperly restrained and secluded at the Academy. Staffing at the private, for-profit facility was inadequate, and staff members were insufficient in reporting incidents. Equip for Equality said they lacked meaningful programming and treatment planning.
“We are an incredibly institutional state,” said Zena Naiditch, the president of Equip for Equality. Her organization has been investigating state-run facilities and providing legal assistance to people with disabilities for over 30 years.
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State takes action against academy that serves children with disabilities: Report details long-running issues of poor treatment, services at Northern Illinois Academy
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By Peter Hancock & Capitol News Illinois
• 3 hours ago
Officials from multiple state agencies said Friday that they are cutting ties with a residential school that serves children in state care with mental and developmental disabilities after an independent review documented reports of mistreatment of youth at the facility.
Northern Illinois Academy, in Aurora, is an 87-bed private residential facility that serves children with co-occurring mental illnesses or autism, mood disorders and developmental delays. It is owned and operated by Sequel Youth and Family Services and receives funding from the Department of Children and Family Services, the Department of Healthcare and Family Services and the Department of Human Services.