The Echo

A for-profit company that runs group homes for the developmentally and intellectually disabled has changed its name from AdvoServ to Bellwether Behavioral Health, following ProPublica articles on three teenagers’ deaths and staff’s frequent use of physical holds and mechanical restraint devices.  - Heather Vogel, ProPublica, March 28, 2017, https://www.propublica.org/article/bellwether-behavioral-health-is-controversial-group-home-operator-advoserv

Reporters in New Jersey cracked the code for an anomaly that occurred with tremendous frequency at Delaware's Advoserv/Bellwether's residences.

According to the Record, New Jersey officials have logged hundreds of 911 calls from homes owned by Bellwether. During early research, Echo found that in the old days, when the News Journal published fire calls, the Gingerbread House often had dozens if not more during the week.  Why? Why did a facility staffed by people supposedly trained to care for the most severely disabled need to call 911 so often?

Ringwood New Jersey Police Chief, Joseph Walker, explained in the Record expose that his office receives 911 calls from the four Bellwether homes in its jurisdiction at least four times per week. The most frequent request is for officers to restrain clients.  Walker urged officials for the residences to hire more experienced staff that could assist his officers.

This is the dilemma faced by police agencies responding to these 911 calls: HIPAA prevents first responders from knowing the diagnosis of the resident in crisis. Thus, responders enter the home without critical information that could inform how they deal with a particular client. Walker believes that better trained staffed would be an asset to his force when responding to these calls.


From January 2017 to March 2019, 10 homes and one day program in New Jersey made more than 360 911 calls according to NorthJersey.com and USA today. The Longhouse Dr. residence accounted for approximately 100 of those crisis calls. Often, police were informed first by concerned resident before the Bellwether facility responsible for that client contacted the police. On at least one instance, a helicopter search had to be performed in order to located a lost client.

Other police reports accuse Bellwether employees of speeding, being on drugs or alcohol while on
the job and possession of illegal substances. NorthJersey.com also found one incident in which a resident was left for 45 minutes on a van on day with temps that met or exceeded 93 degrees.

What concerns officers like Ringwood's Walker is that the townships rely on volunteers to staff their fire houses and ambulances. Some only have one ambulance. The Bellwether calls are burden that can be addressed without outside intervention if basic security measures were installed in homes and staff were properly trained.

But, Bellwether's lack of effort provides little hope to local departments.

And it reinforces a pattern started first in Delaware decades ago. Understaffed? Undertrained? Call 911. It's far cheaper for a care provider to call 911 than to train and staff facilities in a manner that ensures clients receive the proper and most appropriate interventions when needed.

Former employee, Edward "James" Boyle, filed a whistle blower lawsuit against Bellwether after his sudden termination in March. Prior to his separation from the company, Boyle, a home manager, became aware of a sexual assault of one client by another. Per state laws, he made the proper notifications. Bellwether, in turn, chastised him for notifying the victims guardian. He was let go shortly thereafter. Bellwether insists the termination was non-retaliatory, although the company provided an excuse for it's decision - Boyle had allegedly told staff at his previous home that they should not call 911 if a client was choking on food. According to the New Jersey record Boyle strongly disputes this claim. He also shares much more information about the status of the management of the New Jersey residences.

As a house manager, Boyle had a daunting job - ensuring his home was fully staff.  However, according to The Record, Bellwether often refused to provide the minimum number of employees to meet client needs. Boyle's home required 16 staff members, yet Bellwether only provided up to eight employees. Unable to leave his clients unattended, Boyle often spent the night or weekends at the home to ensure there was at least one adult present.

Boyle's account of staffing shortages was verified by a second employee who asked to remain anonymous due to a non-disclosure clause. However, this individual described arriving for work to find clients wandering about with no staff on site. Family members also echoed these sentiments. The truth was further confirmed by residents of the town of West Milford, who, in March, announced they were being "terrorized" by residents of a nearby residence. According to the New Jersey Record, residents recounted how in the previous November in the middle of the night, a naked man broke four garage windows, damaged a door, and tried to rip out a lighting fixture in his effort to break into a home located near his residence. In March the same Bellwether client was found in the neighboring community slamming his body into a door in an effort to gain entry. When the resident tried to intervene, the client turned violent. A similar incident recently occurred.  The frequent interruptions have caused many homeowners to invest in home security camera systems. At least one family intends to sue Bellwether; another home owner has security camera footage of a resident during a nighttime elopement.
https://www.northjersey.com/story/news/passaic/west-milford/2019/03/22/west-milford-neighborhood-terrorized-escaped-bellwether-group-home-patients/3222467002/