Mother seeks changes at center

Allentown woman takes case to Capitol. Her son died while at SummitQuest Academy after being restrained.
By John L. Micek
Call Harrisburg Bureau

HARRISBURG | An Allentown woman whose son died at a residential treatment center after being restrained for disruptive behavior took her case to the Capitol on Wednesday.

Flanked by her fiance, sister and an oversize photo depicting a smiling Giovanni ''Joey'' Aletriz, bereaved mother Cynthia Allen said she had a simple message for lawmakers and state regulators.
''My son is dead,'' she said. ''I don't want to see anyone else's child die.''

Aletriz, 16, died Feb. 4 at the SummitQuest Academy in Ephrata, Lancaster County. Authorities declined to file charges in connection with the death.

But last week, a nonprofit advocacy group recommended changes at the behavioral treatment center, including elimination of the so-called ''prone restraint'' technique that apparently cost Aletriz his life.

Aletriz sought treatment at the center for bipolar disorder, a condition that can often be controlled by medication. On Wednesday, his mother said her son was a gentle soul who did not deserve his fate.

''My Joey needed help, and this is what he got instead,'' she said, calling for an end to such restraint practices.

An autopsy determined Aletriz had an undiagnosed heart condition that might have contributed to his death, Lancaster County District Attorney Donald Totaro said last week. That's a finding Allen vigorously disputed on Wednesday.

''My son was fine,'' she said. ''He had an EKG done. He was fine.''

Allen's sister, Denise Soto, described the family as tightly knit, and said Aletriz's death was devastating. ''Every day is a harder day,'' she said. ''He was loved.''

State Public Welfare Secretary Estelle Richman and a deputy spoke with Allen on Wednesday, agency spokeswoman Stacy Ward said. In that conversation, department officials expressed condolences for Aletriz's death and reassured Allen that the agency's probe of his death was ongoing.

''At this point, [Richman] is still waiting for a final report on how the incident took place … and we are still reviewing our policies and procedures when it comes to the use of restraints,'' Ward said.

Aletriz's death was the second in two months at the residential facility. Another resident, James White, died last December of what the Lancaster County coroner determined were natural causes.

The Department of Public Welfare has placed SummitQuest on a six-month provisional license because of ''significant health and safety concerns.'' SummitQuest has since appealed that decision.

john.micek@mcall.com

717-783-7305

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