By Holly Ramer
Associated Press
CONCORD, N.H. — The remaining patients at New Hampshire’s only youth substance use treatment center have been moved out of the facility after another teenage resident was hospitalized, officials said Thursday.
Authorities were called to the Granite Pathways center in Manchester just after noon Wednesday after a 15-year-old girl drank a bottle of hand sanitizer, said Assistant Fire Chief Brendan Burns. She was conscious and alert by the time she was taken to the hospital, he said.
The state announced last week it is terminating its contract with Granite Pathways after several other problems. Officials said at least two residents overdosed Nov. 24 and 25, and three others were taken to a hospital Nov. 25 after showing signs of drug impairment.
Jake Leon, spokesman for the Department of Health and Human Services, said Thursday that all patients have been moved out and that additional information will be released once the agency completes its review.
“This is a serious situation,” he said in a statement. “It is clear that Granite Pathways is not equipped to deal with the necessary level of services that were required for the individuals they admitted for treatment.”
Patricia Reed, state director for Granite Pathways, said in a written statement that staff members worked with state officials to address Wednesday’s incident.
“Our highest and first concern is always for the safety and well-being of our residents,” she said. “The resident’s family was quickly informed and of course a full review of the facts leading the situation is underway.”
The center, which opened last year, accommodated up to 36 youths ages 12-17 who are struggling with drug or alcohol problems, with an average stay of 48 days. In July, two men were charged with sexually assaulting three teenage girls who walked away from the center.
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