JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A Jacksonville residential substance abuse facility abruptly closed earlier this month, according to current and former employees of River Region Human Services.
Sources told News4JAX that years of poor leadership at the non-profit led to clients being turned out in the middle of treatment and the non-profit also missed payroll in recent weeks.
A letter obtained by News4JAX showed the CEO of five years was replaced earlier this week.
River Region Human Services receives taxpayer dollars to provide services helping people with critical issues, such as substance abuse, mental health and housing.
According to former River Region employee, now-former CEO Jaqueline Dowdy addressed employees in 2020 the first time the non-profit missed payroll in a video shared with the I-TEAM.
“You know why we exist is because of those clients. If we were not open, we would have death all over this city and I’m determined to keep it open,” she is heard saying in the video.
Sources said clients were notified of the closure only days before the residential treatment center closed.
Two current employees and three former employees told the I-TEAM it’s the latest consequence of years of mismanagement.
“What I want to know is where is the money? And what did you do with it?” said former employee Tawana Chance.
She told the I-TEAM she was the director of revenue cycle management until 2019. She said she started seeing problems with finances before she left the job.
Emails obtained by the I-TEAM show River Region employees haven’t been paid on time in recent weeks.
Earlier this month, News4JAX learned the non-profit’s residential treatment facility abruptly closed because of a safety issue. A spokesperson with the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department said when the facility didn’t pass a recent fire inspection, the Department of Children and Family Services pulled its license.
Dowdy was replaced as CEO this week, according to a letter from the chair of the River Region. It’s not clear why she left her position.
News4JAX went to River Region’s headquarters to learn more, but a security guard said there would be no comment.
News4JAX also tried to reach out to Dowdy but has not yet heard back.
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