Trinity Services: 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. Trinity Services is a nonprofit that operates community homes (CILAs) and day programs for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities across Illinois. State regulators have substantiated neglect findings against it, including one that a state oversight agency concluded contributed to a resident's death.
If someone you love was injured or died in a group home or ICF operated by Trinity Services 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.
Trinity Services at a Glance
- Legal name: Trinity Services, Inc.
- Headquarters: New Lenox, Illinois
- Founded: 1950
- Ownership: Nonprofit (501(c)(3))
- Scale: ~100 group homes (CILAs) plus 2 ICF/DD homes; Illinois Auditor General lists Trinity with the most agency-controlled CILA sites (109)
- Revenue: $104.5M (FY ending June 2025)
- Brands: Trinity Services, Inc.; Trinity Living Center; Trinity Foundation
- Headline issues: IDHS OIG substantiated neglect contributing to a resident's death; OSHA respiratory-protection citation after a staff COVID-19 death; multiple substantiated supervision and guardian-notification findings
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 Trinity Services?
Trinity Services, Inc. is a nonprofit based in New Lenox, Illinois. Its Form 990 filings show revenue nearly doubling from $54.9M in FY2018 to $104.5M in FY2025, with total assets of $81.6M and liabilities of $31.1M at FY2025. A related entity, the Trinity Foundation, handles fundraising and the organization's endowment.
Leadership passed from father to son in 2018, when Thane Dykstra, Ph.D., became President and CEO; his father, Arthur Dykstra, had led the organization from 1987 through 2017 and now chairs the Trinity Foundation. Thane Dykstra's reportable compensation was $285,982 in FY2025.
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 1950 | Trinity Services founded (Illinois) |
| 1987 | Arthur Dykstra becomes CEO |
| 2018 | Thane Dykstra, son of Arthur Dykstra, becomes President and CEO |
Revenue, Public Funding, and Finances
Trinity's revenue grew from $54.9M (FY2018) to $104.5M (FY2025). No public bond ratings or debt instruments were identified in Form 990 filings or ProPublica records.
Trinity Services Leadership
Thane Dykstra, Ph.D., has been President and CEO since January 2018. The current executive team includes COO Christina Chavez and Chief Program Officer Stephanie Behlke Leigh, Ed.D. The board is chaired by Raymond D. McShane.
Trinity Services 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 |
|---|---|
| Trinity Services family | Trinity Services, Inc.; Trinity Living Center; Trinity Foundation |
Where Trinity Services Operates
Trinity operates throughout Illinois, with a concentration in the southwest suburbs of Chicago and the Joliet area. Its homes are licensed by the Illinois Department of Human Services as Community Integrated Living Arrangements (CILAs); it also operates ICF/DD homes.
Trinity Services Lawsuits, Government Findings, and Regulatory Record
The clearest public measure of Trinity's record is the Illinois DHS OIG CILA portal, which showed 4 substantiated findings out of 35 closed cases as of July 2, 2026. Separate from that count, the OIG has posted several named substantiated findings, and the state Human Rights Authority has substantiated additional supervision and guardian-notification failures. Trinity holds Council on Quality and Leadership accreditation. No current-era civil wrongful-death verdict was located.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| IDHS OIG cases closed (total) | 35 |
| IDHS OIG substantiated | 4 |
| IDHS OIG unsubstantiated | 29 |
| IDHS OIG unfounded | 2 |
| OSHA serious citations | 1 |
| As of | July 2, 2026 |
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
- 2018 — Substantiated (IDHS OIG finding): State-substantiated neglect contributing to a resident's death. The Illinois Department of Human Services Office of the Inspector General substantiated (case 1116-0364; report dated April 2018) that staff failed to properly supervise a resident, allowing him to ingest several coins, and failed to take him to mandated medical examinations, which it found contributed to his subsequent death. OIG findings are made by a preponderance of the evidence. Source
- 2021 — Citation (settled): OSHA respiratory-protection citation after a staff COVID-19 death. Federal OSHA issued one serious respiratory-protection citation (29 CFR 1910.134) at Trinity's Wheeling, Illinois site following the November-December 2020 COVID-19 death of a 65-year-old Independent Living Coach. The initial $12,288 penalty was resolved by formal settlement at $11,059 (closed April 2022). Amount: $11,059. Source
- 2016 — Substantiated (Human Rights Authority): Guardian not notified of resident's injuries. The Illinois Guardianship and Advocacy Commission's Human Rights Authority substantiated (case 16-040-9003) that Trinity failed to notify a guardian of a resident's facial bruises, in violation of a CILA rule. Trinity accepted all recommendations. Source
- 2010 — Substantiated (Human Rights Authority): Service-plan and injury-notification failures. An HRA report (case 10-040-9011) substantiated that CILA staff failed to implement residents' service-plan goals and that a guardian was not timely notified of injuries; the report references a May 2009 altercation in which a resident required stitches and a staff member was arrested. Trinity accepted the recommendations. Source
Complaint and Harm Types in the Trinity Services 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 Trinity Services 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:
- Trinity Services, Inc.
- Trinity Living Center
- Trinity Foundation
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 Trinity Services
Is Trinity Services for-profit or nonprofit?
It is a nonprofit organization based in New Lenox, Illinois, with about $104.5M in revenue in its 2025 fiscal year.
Has the state substantiated abuse or neglect at Trinity homes?
Yes. The Illinois DHS Office of the Inspector General substantiated 4 of 35 closed cases as of July 2026, including a finding that staff neglect contributed to a resident's death. The state Human Rights Authority has substantiated additional supervision and guardian-notification failures.
Has Trinity been cited by OSHA?
Yes. OSHA issued one serious respiratory-protection citation at Trinity's Wheeling, Illinois site after a staff member died of COVID-19; the penalty was settled at $11,059.
How large is Trinity Services?
Trinity runs roughly 100 community homes (CILAs) plus ICF/DD homes in Illinois, and the Illinois Auditor General has identified it as the provider with the most agency-controlled CILA sites.
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.
- Trinity Services Form 990 (ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer)
- Illinois DHS OIG - Trinity substantiated cases
- Illinois DHS OIG CILA closed-case portal
- OSHA inspection 1506363.015 (Wheeling, IL)
- Human Rights Authority report 16-040-9003
- Human Rights Authority report 10-040-9011
- Illinois Auditor General CILA performance audit (2024)
- Trinity Services - About/History
- The Herald-News (Shaw Local) 75th-anniversary profile
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.
