By CHRIS HARRIS, CJ Staff Writer
Commonwealth Journal
Somerset —
Two employees of a local mental health facility have been summoned to court on abuse-related charges, according to the state Attorney General’s Office. Sean Brennan, 41, and Kacie Carlson, 25, both of Somerset and both caregivers at Community Alternatives of Kentucky (CAKY) in Somerset, have been charged with one count each of failure to report suspected abuse. According to a statement released by the AG’s office, the complaint against the two charges that on or about August 10, Carlson and Brennan became aware of numerous scratches and marks of an unknown origin on the back of a male resident at CAKY. They then allegedly failed to immediately notify the Cabinet of Health and Family Services about the signs of potential abuse. By virtue of KRS state policy (KRS 209.030), reporting suspected abuse of this nature is required. Thus, while Brennan and Carlson are not accused of actually committing the abuse, they are accused of not following correct protocol after noticing the wounds. While Community Advantages of Kentucky does serve clients with mental difficulties, unlike Oakwood — which had its own run-ins with the law in terms of abuse cases in the past — it does not fall under the umbrella of the Office of the Inspector General, which handled the Oakwood citations. Community Advantages is licensed under the Department for Behavioral, Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. Beth Fischer, a spokesperson for the Cabinet for Health and Family Services, said that she could confirm an investigation related to reports of abuse or neglect, but couldn’t provide any further information. The investigation into the incident was conducted by the AG’s Office of Medicaid Fraud in conjunction with the Department of Community Based Services. Summonses were issued for Carlson and Brennan, and they are required to appear in Pulaski District Court on September 20 at 9:30 a.m. The Pulaski County Attorney’s Office is handling the prosecution of this case. Dan Thompson of the County Attorney’s Office said that Brennan and Carlson were cited to court and “we’re just waiting for the court to see if they want a plea agreement or if it will be set for trial.” Thompson noted that these are misdemeanor charges.