Just days after Trump was inaugurated, Mindsprings’ interim CEO, and CEO at Larkin Health Services, Nicholas Torres held a zoom meeting with staff at Mindsprings and their inpatient hospital, West Springs.
During the course of the meeting, which has since been leaked, Torres proposes a “new service-line,” to shore-up Mindsprings financial woes.
Torres states that as soon as March, Building D at West Springs Hospital in Grand Junction may be used to house unaccompanied minors from around the Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention system.
Torres explains that ICE wants to immediately transfer six minors; four of these children are in New York, one is in California and one in Texas to receive long-term care at Westsprings. These minors are not currently in a mental health crisis but rather are needing long-term care.
“They are not actively harming themselves or trying to harm themselves, so it does not need to be a full inpatient level of care, but there has to be safe guards to prevent them from eloping or getting out,” said Torres. Torres also notes that that the children would receive only one service provider meeting per week
The line between treatment and detention is being blurred. Are they free to leave? No. Are they in crisis? No. Are they going to be held long term? Yes, 170 days on average according to Torres.
After weeks of rumors, media stories, and a blog post from The Rev detailing the contents of Torres’ meeting with Mindsprings staff. Mindsprings sent us statement:
“The potential contract between West Springs Hospital and Immigration and Customs Enforcement to offer inpatient services to unaccompanied minors in Building D is not happening.”
The conversation has now “shifted” to provide adult in-patient services for ICE. Torres told Aspen Public Radio that this contract with ICE could bring in $100,000 to 300,000 per month.
Alex Sanchez, president of Voces Unidas, told Aspen Public Radio: “We already have lots of scandals with Mind Springs and lots of hesitation from members of our community in going to Mind Springs. The general public, not just those that are being detained by ICE, would be more fearful that their information, their data would then be shared with a federal agency that would be hostile to our community.”
Larkin Health Systems Mindsprings’ managing company, has long worked with ICE especially in south Florida, providing mental health services to detainees at the South Florida Reception Center (prison). Between 2002 and 2017, Larkin brought in $47 million worth of federal contracts to provide mental healthcare to ICE and the Federal Bureau of Prisons.
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