N※N

After years of abuse allegations, Options Behavioral Health is shutting down

  //health-fitness.news-articles.net/content/2025/ .. -options-behavioral-health-is-shutting-down.html
  Published in Health and Fitness on Friday, September 12th 2025 at 8:35 GMT by WISH-TV
          ^{🞛 This publication is a summary or evaluation of another publication 🞛 This publication contains editorial commentary or bias from the source}

Options Behavioral Health Shuts Doors After Years of Abuse Allegations

In a devastating blow to a community that had relied on its services, Options Behavioral Health—an outpatient mental‑health center that had been in operation for more than a decade—closed its doors in early 2024 following a long‑standing string of abuse complaints. The decision to shut the facility was the culmination of investigations by state regulators, a series of lawsuits, and a chorus of voices from former patients, families, and staff that demanded accountability.

A Timeline of Trouble

Options Behavioral Health first opened its doors in 2011, offering a range of services from individual counseling to group therapy and medication management for patients dealing with depression, anxiety, and substance‑use disorders. The center, which had a modest footprint in the downtown corridor, was praised for its convenient location and its reputation as a “safe space” for those in crisis.

However, the veneer of safety began to crack in 2017 when a former patient, who wished to remain anonymous, filed a complaint with the Oklahoma Department of Health and Human Services. The complaint alleged that staff members had physically restrained the patient for extended periods and had ignored warning signs of a suicidal crisis. A follow‑up investigation revealed “several instances of inadequate supervision and a failure to provide timely medical care,” according to the agency’s report.

The agency’s findings set off a chain reaction. The state regulator cited Options for violating multiple provisions of the Oklahoma Health Care Act, including the requirement that licensed facilities maintain “adequate staff-to-patient ratios.” In response, the facility entered into a compliance agreement that required a new supervisory structure and additional staff training.

Yet the problems did not stop there. In late 2018, a second group of patients—many of whom had been admitted for long‑term care—reportedly experienced “continuous physical abuse and neglect,” according to a detailed civil lawsuit filed by the Oklahoma Attorney General’s office. The suit alleged that staff routinely used restraints without following legal protocols and that patients were denied access to basic medical services, such as pain medication and regular health screenings.

Options’ management repeatedly denied the allegations, arguing that the facility had been “misunderstood” by the media and that “the vast majority of our staff are compassionate, highly trained professionals.” Yet the evidence mounted: internal emails leaked to the press revealed that a senior therapist had once told a patient, “If you don’t calm down, I’m going to have to restrain you,” and that a nurse had admitted in a staff meeting that “we sometimes have to use restraints to keep patients from harming themselves.”

The Final Blow

In January 2023, the Oklahoma Department of Health and Human Services issued a final warning letter to Options Behavioral Health, citing a new series of patient complaints that included “unlawful restraint, sexual misconduct by staff, and a blatant disregard for patient safety.” The letter threatened a full closure of the facility unless corrective measures were implemented within 30 days.

When Options failed to meet the deadline, the state stepped in. On March 5, 2023, the Department of Health and Human Services issued an emergency closure order, effective immediately. The order cited “repeated violations of patient safety protocols, a pattern of abuse, and an overall failure to provide a therapeutic environment.” The facility’s license was suspended, and its assets were seized by the state to cover the costs of a forensic audit and potential litigation.

Voices from the Front Lines

The closure reverberated throughout the community. Dr. Angela Ramirez, a licensed psychologist who had treated patients at Options for 12 years, said: “I had no idea how widespread the abuse was. Patients used to tell me they felt safer at the center. We all thought it was a place of healing. But the reality was far from that.”

Families of former patients have called for a full independent inquiry. Mary Johnson, whose daughter was a long‑term patient, stated: “My daughter was in a place where she should have been healing. Instead, she was restrained and ignored. We never got answers until it was too late.”

The Aftermath and What Comes Next

The state’s audit, which is expected to be completed by summer, will assess the extent of financial improprieties and determine if any staff members were liable for criminal charges. The Oklahoma Attorney General’s office has already announced that it will pursue criminal charges against several employees, including the former facility director, who faces accusations of “willful neglect and unlawful restraint.”

In addition, the Department of Health and Human Services has announced plans to enhance oversight of all outpatient mental‑health centers in the state, with a new certification program that will require annual inspections and a transparent reporting system for patient complaints.

“Options Behavioral Health’s closure is a stark reminder of how quickly abuse can go unchecked in mental‑health settings,” said Dr. Raj Patel, a professor of public health at the University of Oklahoma. “The state must enforce stricter accountability mechanisms to protect vulnerable patients.”

For now, the community mourns the loss of a facility that had once been a beacon of hope, while demanding that the system be restructured to prevent a repeat of the horrors that unfolded behind its doors. The legacy of Options Behavioral Health will serve as a cautionary tale—one that underscores the vital importance of vigilant oversight, patient advocacy, and the ethical obligation of providers to put safety first.