North Carolina shuts down mental health group home after stabbing

From NBC 17 in N.C.:

RALEIGH, N.C. - North Carolina Department of Health officials said shutting down a mental health group home like one in Holly Springs is a rare step.

State officials shut down Vagap Health, a group home that cared for adults with mental illness.

Feb. 6, police said Gregory McClain, 22, stabbed another man, who was later released from the hospital.

Both were residents of the home at the time.

That prompted an investigation by state officials, who issued their decision Monday, saying they were suspending the operator's license because "the facility has neglected to provide services to assure the health, safety and welfare of the clients."

The administrator, Obi Achumba, said Monday that he plans to appeal.

State officials said revoking a license is a move they rarely take. Of the 3,000 similar facilities across the state, they shut down four of them last year.

Neighbors had been concerned because of the people who were living there. Police said one resident was a sex offender, and records show McClain had recently spent ten months in prison.

State officials said convicted criminals are allowed into the homes as long as they complete their sentences.

"If a client has a mental illness and they think they can provide care and treatment, that's typically all you look at," said Jeff Horton with the Division of Health Service Regulation.

Horton said before a home opens, town officials are notified, but neighbors are not.

A supervisor must be at the home 24 hours a day, he said.

Mental health advocates said these homes provide residents with a sense of independence and stability.

"All the studies have shown that supportive housing means they are less likely to have a crisis," said Jennifer Mahan, Director of Policy and Advocacy Initiatives with the Mental Health Association In North Carolina.

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