Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health: Ownership, Violations, and Lawsuits

Michael Hill and the team at Michael Hill Trial Law investigate abuse, neglect, and wrongful-death cases involving group homes and intermediate care facilities (ICF/IIDs), and we represent families nationwide. The firm focuses on neglect and abuse in group homes, ICF/IIDs, nursing homes, and assisted living facilities. Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health is a nonprofit, headquartered in Villanova, Pennsylvania, that operates residential, educational and behavioral-health programs for children and adults with emotional, behavioral and developmental disabilities across multiple states.

If someone you love was injured or died in a group home or ICF operated by Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health or one of its brands, you may have legal options, and time limits can be short. Case reviews are free and confidential. Start your case or call (800) 659-2712.

Last reviewed: November 12, 2026. Ownership and financial figures are drawn from public filings, state and federal records, and news reporting; regulatory and lawsuit items are from government records and court filings, each cited at the end of this page. Lawsuits and criminal charges are allegations unless a court has ruled; state findings may be appealed.

Group Home & ICF/IID Case Types We Handle

The injuries and neglect we investigate in group homes and intermediate care facilities.

Wrongful DeathPhysical & Sexual AssaultUnderstaffingChokingMedication ErrorsFalls & FracturesBedsores & Pressure InjuriesWandering & ElopementDehydrationMalnutritionBowel Obstruction & Fecal ImpactionInfections & SepsisGroup Homes & ICF/IID

What Group Homes and ICF/IIDs Are — and Why Harm Happens

A group home is a residential setting where a small number of people with intellectual or developmental disabilities (I/DD) live together with staff support. An intermediate care facility for individuals with intellectual disabilities (ICF/IID) is a federally certified, Medicaid-funded facility that must meet federal standards for active treatment, health care, and client protections. Many residents cannot fully protect themselves or reliably report what happens to them, which is exactly why staffing, supervision, and training decide whether people are safe.

The injuries that recur in these settings are rarely mysterious. They include falls and fractures; bedsores and pressure injuries; choking on the wrong diet texture; dehydration, malnutrition, and bowel obstruction and fecal impaction; medication errors; wandering and elopement; physical or sexual assault by staff or other residents; and, in the worst cases, wrongful death. The common thread is understaffing — a home that accepts residents it is not staffed or trained to care for makes the harm foreseeable.

Who Owns Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health?

Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health, legally The Devereux Foundation, is a nonprofit founded in 1912 and based in Villanova, Pennsylvania. It is governed by a board and led by President and CEO Carl E. Clark II. It reported revenue of $507.9 million for the fiscal year ended June 2025 and has operated at deficits in several recent years.

Devereux is bond-financed rather than private-equity owned. In September 2026, Fitch affirmed an A- rating with a stable outlook but assigned an 'asymmetric risk' for litigation, noting that professional and liability charges have recurred every year since fiscal 2024. About 95% of Devereux's revenue has come from government programs.

Devereux is financed through tax-exempt bonds and other borrowings, including about $7 million of Series 2016 bonds, roughly $17.6 million of unrated loans and bonds, $7.4 million in mortgages and a new $10 million bank loan after fiscal year-end 2026.

Revenue, Public Funding, and Finances

Devereux reported revenue of $507.9 million for the fiscal year ended June 2025, with a net loss of about $40.6 million, which Fitch attributed in part to elevated insurance expense and professional and liability charges. Medicaid is about half of revenue. CEO Carl E. Clark II received about $871,000 in total compensation in fiscal 2025.

Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health Leadership

Carl E. Clark II has been President and CEO since January 2018 and also chairs the board. The senior team includes COO Rhea Fernandes, Chief Medical and Clinical Officer Yolanda Graham, CFO Robert C. Dunne, General Counsel John Kane and Chief Risk and Safety Officer Kelsey Lawson.

Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health Brand Names and the Entity on the License

The name on a state license, inspection report, or court filing is often a subsidiary or brand. Families searching state records should look for these names:

Where Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health Operates

Devereux operates in Pennsylvania (including Chester County campuses at West Chester, Glenmoore and Malvern) and in New Jersey, Massachusetts, Florida, Georgia, Texas, Arizona and other states. On New Jersey's FY2026 report card, Devereux New Jersey held 68 homes with a capacity of 271.

Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health Lawsuits, Government Findings, and Regulatory Record

Devereux's record includes a 2020 Philadelphia Inquirer investigation reporting that at least 41 children were sexually assaulted by staff over about 25 years; a 2019 Georgia jury verdict in Taylor v. The Devereux Foundation (admitted breach of duty; $10 million compensatory and $50 million punitive, the punitive award capped at $250,000 and upheld by the Georgia Supreme Court in 2023); a 2024 U.S. Senate Finance Committee report; putative class-action abuse claims in federal court; and state-substantiated neglect in a 2022 New Jersey elopement case. Several staff members have been criminally convicted in connection with resident abuse over the years.

This is not a complete litigation history, and the existence of a lawsuit or complaint is not proof of wrongdoing. A settlement is not an admission of liability. Findings by state agencies may be appealed.

Notable matters

• 2020 — Investigative finding (journalistic): Philadelphia Inquirer investigation into decades of staff sexual assaults. A Philadelphia Inquirer investigation published in August 2020 reported that at least 41 children, some as young as 12 and some with IQs as low as 50, were raped or sexually assaulted by Devereux staff over about 25 years, at campuses in Pennsylvania and seven other states. The investigation cited understaffing and weak oversight. Source
• 2023 — Verdict (compensatory affirmed; punitive capped by statute): Taylor v. The Devereux Foundation (Georgia). A Cobb County jury in November 2019 found that a 15-year-old resident was sexually assaulted by a Devereux employee at the Kennesaw, Georgia facility, awarding $10 million in compensatory and $50 million in punitive damages. Devereux admitted it breached its duty of care. The trial court reduced the punitive award to $250,000 under Georgia's statutory cap, and in 2023 the Georgia Supreme Court upheld the cap as constitutional. Amount: $10,250,000. Source
• 2020 — Jury verdict (gross negligence); insurer later denied coverage: Johnson / Homeland Insurance v. Devereux (E.D. Pa.). After a man was shot in 2011 by a Devereux resident, a jury found Devereux grossly negligent and awarded $11,031,000. Devereux assigned its insurance rights to the plaintiff as part of a settlement. A federal court later ruled that the insurer owed no coverage because Devereux gave late notice. Amount: $11,031,000. Source
• 2021 — Class action filed (allegations); motion to dismiss denied in part: Class-action sexual-abuse claims (E.D. Pa.). A putative class action filed in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania in January 2021 alleged abuse of at least six children, ages 8 to 17, from 2003 to 2019 at campuses in Pennsylvania, Florida and California. In a related case (Roe v. Devereux and QualityHealth Staffing), the court denied the motion to dismiss certain injunctive-relief and Title IX class claims. These are allegations; the class outcome was not found. Source
• 2024 — Congressional report: U.S. Senate Finance Committee report 'Warehouses of Neglect'. A June 2024 U.S. Senate Finance Committee report examined four youth residential-treatment operators, including Devereux. On October 9, 2024, the committee chairman sent an abuse, neglect and fraud referral covering the four operators to the U.S. Department of Justice. Source
• 2026 — State neglect substantiation (affirmed on appeal): H.Z. v. New Jersey DHS (elopement and frostbite). A resident walked out of the Longhouse Two group home overnight on February 13-14, 2022 and was found 3.2 miles away, barefoot and partially clothed, with frostbite in 9-degree weather. New Jersey substantiated neglect by three direct-support professionals, who were fired and placed on the state's Central Registry; an appellate court affirmed in March 2026. Source
• 2012 — Criminal conviction of staffer; civil summary judgment for Devereux: Davis v. Devereux Foundation (New Jersey). A counselor scalded a resident with boiling water in 2004 and was convicted of aggravated assault and bias intimidation. In a related civil case, the New Jersey Supreme Court reaffirmed a duty of reasonable care but granted summary judgment for Devereux on vicarious liability. Source

Complaint and Harm Types in the Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health Record

Across the public records reviewed, these are the kinds of harm that recur — the same kinds our firm investigates in group homes and ICF/IIDs. If your loved one experienced any of these, it may support a claim:

Who May Be Legally Responsible

Because Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health operates through separate state entities and brands — and because the parent company, the licensed operator, the employer of the staff, and in some cases the property owner may be different companies — a lawsuit may need to name more than one defendant. Names that have appeared in records involving these homes include:

• The Devereux Foundation
• Devereux New Jersey
• Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health
• QualityHealth Staffing LLC

What to Do If You Suspect Neglect or Abuse in a Group Home or ICF

• Get medical care. Call 911 or go to the hospital for any serious injury, sudden decline, or unexplained bruising, fracture, or weight loss.
• Report it. Notify the home’s administrator in writing, the state or county developmental disabilities agency that receives incident reports, adult protective services, and law enforcement for any suspected crime.
• Find the licensed entity. Ask for the license or check your state’s provider lookup; the company on the license is often a state subsidiary or brand name rather than the parent company.
• Document everything. Take photos, write down dates, times, and names, and save texts and emails.
• Request records. Ask for incident reports, the individual service or program plan, medication administration records, and staffing schedules. Guardians and authorized representatives usually have access rights.
• Be careful with statements and documents. Do not give recorded statements to insurers or sign releases or arbitration agreements before talking to a lawyer. Deadlines can be short.

Frequently Asked Questions About Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health

Who owns Devereux?

Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health (The Devereux Foundation) is a nonprofit founded in 1912 and based in Villanova, Pennsylvania. It is financed through tax-exempt bonds rather than private equity.

What did the Philadelphia Inquirer report about Devereux?

In August 2020, the Inquirer reported that at least 41 children, some as young as 12, were raped or sexually assaulted by Devereux staff over about 25 years at campuses in Pennsylvania and seven other states, citing understaffing and weak oversight.

Has a jury found Devereux liable for abuse?

Yes. In Taylor v. The Devereux Foundation, a Georgia jury in 2019 found a 15-year-old was sexually assaulted by a Devereux employee and awarded $10 million compensatory and $50 million punitive damages, with Devereux admitting it breached its duty of care. The punitive award was later reduced to $250,000 under Georgia's statutory cap, which the state Supreme Court upheld in 2023.

Is Devereux facing class-action claims?

A putative federal class action filed in 2021 alleges abuse of children at campuses in several states. A court allowed certain claims to proceed in a related case. These are allegations, and the class outcome was not found.

Did Congress investigate Devereux?

A June 2024 U.S. Senate Finance Committee report examined Devereux and three other youth residential-treatment operators, and the committee referred the operators to the U.S. Department of Justice later that year.

Can I sue a group home or ICF operator for neglect or abuse?

Generally, families may bring civil claims against a group home or ICF operator when neglect or abuse causes injury or death, and the parent company and the licensed entity may both be proper defendants. Deadlines, damage rules, and required pre-suit steps vary by state, and arbitration clauses and Medicaid liens can matter. A lawyer licensed in your state can explain your options. Michael Hill Trial Law offers free, confidential case reviews for families nationwide.

Who is legally responsible when someone is harmed in a group home?

Often more than one company. These operators frequently run each home through a separate local entity that holds the license, while the building may be owned by another company and staff employed by a third; for-profit owners and investors can sit above all of them. The right defendants depend on who held the license, who employed the staff, who managed care, and who owned the property at the time of the harm.

What if we signed an arbitration agreement?

Courts do not always enforce these arbitration clauses. Whether one applies depends on who signed it, the authority that person had, and the state's law. Keep a copy of everything you signed and have a lawyer review it before assuming you cannot bring a claim.

How do I check a group home or ICF's inspection and complaint record?

Group homes are licensed and inspected mainly by state developmental-disabilities and health agencies; ICF/IIDs are also certified and inspected under federal CMS rules. Use the state agency's provider lookup for the state where the home is located, and ask the agency for inspection reports and substantiated complaints.

About Michael Hill Trial Law

Michael Hill Trial Law represents families in group home, ICF/IID, nursing home, and assisted living abuse and neglect cases. The firm’s main office is in Cleveland, Ohio; it practices across the country, its attorneys are licensed in numerous states, and it works with affiliate firms throughout the United States. The firm has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for clients, including a $26 million jury verdict for wrongful death, the highest nursing home verdict in Ohio history. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Learn more about group home and ICF/IID neglect cases, wrongful death, and physical and sexual assault, or meet our team.

Sources

Information on this page comes from government records, court filings, regulatory reports, company statements, and news reports, linked below. Lawsuits and criminal charges are allegations unless a court has ruled. Findings by state agencies may be subject to appeal.

1. Devereux IRS Form 990 (ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer)
2. Disability Scoop: report uncovers sexual assaults at Devereux (Inquirer investigation)
3. Taylor v. The Devereux Foundation (Georgia Supreme Court, 2023)
4. Johnson / Homeland Insurance v. Devereux (federal court opinion)
5. Roe v. Devereux and QualityHealth Staffing (CourtListener)
6. U.S. Senate Finance Committee: 'Warehouses of Neglect' (2024)
7. H.Z. v. New Jersey DHS (elopement/frostbite; Casemine)
8. Davis v. Devereux Foundation (NJ Supreme Court, 2012)
9. NJ DHS FY2026 licensed-provider report card
10. Fitch affirms Devereux Corporation rating (Sept. 2026)

This page provides general information about a company that operates group homes and intermediate care facilities. It is not legal advice and does not mean that any particular home or employee did anything wrong. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Last reviewed November 12, 2026.