Hope Network: 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. Hope Network is a Michigan nonprofit that operates licensed adult foster care and specialized residential homes for people with disabilities. State regulators have established violations at its homes, including a financial-exploitation finding at a Grand Rapids home.
If someone you love was injured or died in a group home or ICF operated by Hope Network 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.
Hope Network at a Glance
- Legal name: Hope Network (group return EIN 90-0805115; parent EIN 38-6108186)
- Headquarters: Grand Rapids, Michigan
- Founded: Michigan nonprofit, founded in the early 1960s
- Ownership: Nonprofit (501(c)(3))
- Scale: The organization reports more than 100 homes; residences are licensed adult foster care/specialized residential homes, not federally certified ICF/IIDs
- Revenue: $175.0M (group return, FY2025)
- Brands: Hope Network Rehabilitation Services; Hope Network Behavioral Health Services; Hope Network, S.E.
- Headline issues: Michigan LARA financial-exploitation finding at a Grand Rapids home; additional established licensing violations; wrongful-death suit resolved in Hope Network's favor
Group homes and ICF/IIDs are licensed and inspected mainly by the states and, for ICF/IIDs, by federal CMS — there is no federal five-star rating like the one for nursing homes. Counts below are from public records and are not a complete litigation history; they do not by themselves indicate the quality of any individual home.
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 Hope Network?
Hope Network is a Michigan nonprofit headquartered in Grand Rapids that serves people with brain and spinal-cord injuries, mental illness, and developmental disabilities. Its group return (EIN 90-0805115) reported revenue of $175.0M in FY2025 with net assets of $131.2M; a separate parent filing (EIN 38-6108186) reported negative net assets of $43.0M that have widened since FY2015, a condition ProPublica records do not explain.
Robert Von Kaenel Jr. has been President and CEO since 2022, with reported compensation of $404,268 plus $19,082 in FY2025. Hope Network's homes are licensed as adult foster care or specialized residential homes; ICF/IID certification was not confirmed.
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 1960s | Hope Network founded in Michigan |
| 1976 | First residential program opens |
| 2022 | Robert Von Kaenel Jr. becomes President and CEO |
The parent filing (EIN 38-6108186) has reported negative and widening net assets since FY2015 (negative $43.0M at FY2025); the cause is not explained in public records.
Revenue, Public Funding, and Finances
The group return grew from $145.7M (FY2018) to $175.0M (FY2025), with program services about 92% of revenue. Medicaid share is not stated; services are largely funded through Michigan's public behavioral-health system.
Hope Network Leadership
Robert Von Kaenel Jr. has been President and CEO since 2022. Other leaders include CMO Kiran Taylor, MD, COO Tim Becker, and CFO Nathan Ter Beek.
Hope Network 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:
| Family | Names you may see |
|---|---|
| Hope Network family | Hope Network Rehabilitation Services; Hope Network Behavioral Health Services; Hope Network, S.E. |
Where Hope Network Operates
Hope Network operates throughout Michigan. Its residential homes are licensed by the state Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA) as adult foster care or specialized residential homes.
Hope Network Lawsuits, Government Findings, and Regulatory Record
Michigan LARA has established multiple licensing violations at Hope Network homes, the most serious being an April 2026 financial-exploitation finding in which a resident's funds were depleted and Hope Network agreed to reimburse $15,311.73. A 2017 wrongful-death suit (Riahi) was resolved in Hope Network's favor when the Court of Appeals affirmed judgment for the organization on causation. No criminal conviction of Hope Network or its staff was identified in the records reviewed.
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
- 2026 — Established violation (Michigan LARA): State finding of financial exploitation at a Grand Rapids home. A Michigan LARA special investigation (April 2026) established a rule violation at Hope Network's Baltimore House in Grand Rapids after a resident's bank balance fell from more than $13,000 to about $70, with repeated withdrawals including at casinos. Hope Network calculated $15,311.73 owed to the resident and agreed to full reimbursement. The former licensee designee who had sole access to the account had resigned; local police did not pursue charges. Amount: $15,312. Source
- 2020 — Dismissed (judgment for Hope Network): Wrongful-death suit over a resident's death. In Estate of Ali R. Riahi v. Hope Network, the family alleged staff failed to send an adult foster care resident to the emergency room before he died in February 2017 after days of vomiting and diarrhea. The Michigan Court of Appeals affirmed summary disposition in Hope Network's favor on causation (2020). Source
- 2026 — Established violation (Michigan LARA): State finding on a resident charge increase. A LARA investigation (August 2026) established a violation at the Bay Valley home in Bay City after a resident's monthly charge was raised before the guardian signed a new care agreement; a related Adult Protective Services complaint was not substantiated. Source
- 2022 — Established violation (Michigan LARA): State finding after a group-home mattress fire. LARA established a violation at the New Hope Behavioral Services I home in Flint after an October 2022 mattress fire, finding residents had not been restricted from carrying lighters; no injuries were reported. Source
- 2006 — Settled: State whistleblower suit by a former employee. A state whistleblower claim by a former employee settled for $45,000 in 2006; related federal claims were later barred by res judicata (Schulz v. Hope Network Rehabilitation Services, 6th Cir. 2007). Amount: $45,000. Source
Complaint and Harm Types in the Hope Network 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 Hope Network 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:
- Hope Network Rehabilitation Services
- Hope Network Behavioral Health Services
- Hope Network, S.E.
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.
Why Families Bring Group Home and ICF Cases to Michael Hill Trial Law
These cases are won by lawyers who try them. Michael Hill and the team at Michael Hill Trial Law focus on neglect and abuse in group homes, ICF/IIDs, nursing homes, and assisted living facilities, and the firm has obtained record results, including $26 million, the highest recorded verdict against a nursing home in Ohio history. The firm’s main office is in Cleveland, Ohio; it practices nationwide, its attorneys are licensed in numerous states, and it works with affiliate firms across the country. The review is free, and you owe nothing unless we recover for you.
Start your free, confidential case review | Call (800) 659-2712
Frequently Asked Questions About Hope Network
Is Hope Network for-profit or nonprofit?
Hope Network is a Michigan nonprofit headquartered in Grand Rapids, with about $175M in group-return revenue in FY2025.
Has the state found financial exploitation at a Hope Network home?
Yes. A Michigan LARA investigation established a violation at the Baltimore House in Grand Rapids in April 2026 after a resident's funds were depleted; Hope Network calculated $15,311.73 owed and agreed to reimburse it in full.
Has Hope Network been sued for a resident's death?
Yes. In Estate of Ali R. Riahi v. Hope Network, a family alleged staff failed to seek emergency care before a resident's 2017 death. The Michigan Court of Appeals affirmed judgment in Hope Network's favor on causation in 2020.
Are Hope Network's homes ICF/IIDs?
No federally certified ICF/IID certification was confirmed. Its residences are licensed by Michigan LARA as adult foster care or specialized residential homes.
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.
- Hope Network group return Form 990 (ProPublica)
- Hope Network parent Form 990 (ProPublica)
- Michigan LARA report - Baltimore House (financial exploitation)
- Michigan LARA report - Bay Valley
- Michigan LARA report - New Hope Behavioral Services I (fire)
- Estate of Ali R. Riahi v. Hope Network (CourtListener)
- Schulz v. Hope Network Rehabilitation Services (CourtListener)
- Hope Network - About
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.
