By Rebecca Gaunt
Two former employees of Highland Rivers Behavioral Health filed a lawsuit against the agency and its CEO, Melanie Dallas, alleging widespread mismanagement that contributed to the death of a patient and retaliation against them for speaking up.
The lawsuit was filed in July 2024 in the United States District Court of Northern Georgia by the attorney for Melissa O’Brien and Trevino Snowden.
According to legal documents, O’Brien and Snowden allege that they were fired for whistleblowing after they spoke to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution for the December 2023 article Whistleblowers: Woman’s death in rehab shows public agency’s mismanagement.
The lawsuit states that both plaintiffs approached Dallas with their concerns that the residential addiction center failed to meet standards prior to the death of 42-year-old Kimberly Ellis Loy. It further alleges no improvements were made even after Loy’s death.
Highland Rivers is one of Georgia’s largest behavioral healthcare providers serving a 13-county region, including Cobb County, following the 2022 merger with the Cobb County Community Services Board. Services are provided via ten outpatient centers, four crisis stabilization/detox units, men’s and women’s residential treatment programs, youth clubhouses, and other community-based services. It serves people with addiction, mental health issues, and developmental disabilities.
The AJC reported that the state found Highland Rivers neglectful in an investigation...
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