WARREN, Ark. (10-17-25) — The Arkansas Department of Human Services (DHS) is investigating the death of an adult resident at the Southeast Arkansas Human Development Center in Warren following what the agency described as a “behavior incident” on September 7 that led staff to use both physical and chemical restraints.
According to a DHS news release, a review determined that staff at the Warren facility did not follow proper protocol during the incident. Eleven DHS employees have been placed on administrative leave, one additional employee has been terminated, and DHS has appointed an interim superintendent to oversee operations while the investigation continues.
DHS Secretary Janet Mann issued the following statement:
“The loss of one of the residents entrusted to our care at the Southeast Arkansas Human Development Center was wholly unacceptable and is not reflective of the level of care we work to provide Arkansans every day. We offer our deepest sympathies to the individual’s family and are working to both hold accountable those responsible for this incident and make changes throughout our system to prevent future tragedies.
“While we are limited in the specific information we can provide because of ongoing investigations and to respect the privacy of the resident who died, the information we have shows that there were significant issues throughout the handling of this case. As a result, we have placed multiple employees on administrative leave, already fired one employee involved, named an interim superintendent, and are working to implement reforms so our residents receive the proper and safe care they deserve.”
The department said additional steps will be taken as the investigation proceeds, including disciplinary measures for any employees found to have violated policy and system-wide implementation of recommended reforms across all five of Arkansas’s Human Development Centers.
Full DHS Press Release (Verbatim)
(LITTLE ROCK, Ark.) — On September 7th, an adult resident of the Southeast Arkansas Human Development Center passed away after a behavior incident that led staff to use physical and chemical restraints. A review found that staff did not follow protocol, and the Department of Human Services (DHS) has taken action to discipline employees and investigate the incident.
Eleven DHS employees have been put on administrative leave, one additional employee has already been terminated, and DHS has named an interim superintendent at the Southeast Arkansas Human Development Center. As DHS’ investigation continues, the agency will take additional steps to hold staff who did not follow procedure accountable and to implement recommended changes at this facility. The recommendations will also be applied to the other four Human Development Centers in the state to ensure best practices are followed throughout the system.
DHS Secretary Janet Mann released the statement below:
“The loss of one of the residents entrusted to our care at the Southeast Arkansas Human Development Center was wholly unacceptable and is not reflective of the level of care we work to provide Arkansans every day. We offer our deepest sympathies to the individual’s family and are working to both hold accountable those responsible for this incident and make changes throughout our system to prevent future tragedies.
“While we are limited in the specific information we can provide because of ongoing investigations and to respect the privacy of the resident who died, the information we have shows that there were significant issues throughout the handling of this case. As a result, we have placed multiple employees on administrative leave, already fired one employee involved, named an interim superintendent, and are working to implement reforms so our residents receive the proper and safe care they deserve.”
