The Rainbow's End

If your child suffers from emotional, behavioral or psychological issues, hospitalization may be the first step to a healthy recovery. But often times the hospital recommends that your child is temporarily placed in a therapeutic residential youth facility to stabilize his or her recovery. Most residential youth facilities provide a therapeutic environment along with a professional staff. But not all of them...

The purpose of this blog is to educate families in New Jersey who are dealing with a child who suffers from emotional, behavioral and/or psychological issues. There is a particular residential facility in southern New Jersey called Rainbow Of Hope (ROH) that appears to offer a therapeutic environment. However, as this blog will illustrate, this facility is lacking in multiple areas.

This blog is being generated and maintained by parents who made the mistake of entrusting the care of their children to Rainbow of Hope, as well as mental health care workers and licensed medical professionals. This blog serves to educate and inform people of the truth about this facility rather than the "smoke and mirrors".

It is worthwhile to note that ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox television news services have been made aware of the goings-on at Rainbow Of Hope. The Atlantic City Press has also been notified. Multiple-Party complaints have been lodged against Rainbow Of Hope with the offices of Institutional Abuse, Child Behavioral Management (Trenton), NJ-Abuse, Valu-Options, and the Offices of State Assembly Men Van Drew and Lobiondo. The matter is also being reviewed by 2 attorneys.

What Are The Complaints?

A parent arrived at the facility to pick up their child for a community outing. The parent observed Rainbow Of Hope staff sleeping and playing games on their cell phones rather than properly and professionally supervising the children. The child reported to the parent that another child in the group home had choked him until he turned blue during a previous episode of lack of proper supervision.

A female staff counselor was overheard telling a child, "I'm not in the mood for your shit today. I swear to God, if you start your shit today, I'll punch you in your fucking grill." ("Grill" is a slang term for "mouth") This same counselor was observed putting her hands on the child in a manner that wrenched his arm.

In March 2009, the State of New Jersey inspected the Rainbow Of Hope facility. The children complained about 2 particular counselors to the State Inspector. The complaints referenced the above incident as well as those 2 particular counselors making physical, verbal and emotional threats against the children. The State Inspector inquired about these complaints and was told by Rainbow Of Hope management that those 2 counselors were "strict" and therefore the complaints had no merit. They were not pursued at the time. They are being pursued now.

Before the March 2009 State Inspection, management coached staff about what to say to the inspectors and what not to say.

Numerous parents of the children in the facility have observed Rainbow Of Hope staff sleeping, playing video games, talking and texting on their personal cell phones and in back offices surfing the internet instead of properly supervising the children.

The manager of the Rainbow Of Hope facility does not hold a college degree in psychology, psychiatry or social work. There were witnesses present when he made remarks of a derogatory and sexually harassing nature to a female employee. He made disparaging remarks about the female employee's body and made jokes about her menopausal hot flashes. This employee complained to the manager's supervisor. The manager's supervisor was witnessed when he responded to her: "You need to relax and learn how to take a joke."

The manager has been witnessed outright lying to staff, parents, medical professionals, the children-residents and his supervisor.

An employee who suffered a Brown Recluse spider bite was told by the manager that he could only leave work to go to the Emergency Room for treatment, "Once he found coverage for his shift." The employee, suffering mild disorientation from the venomous bite and suffering from swelling, pain and discoloration as the venom progressed through his system, was forced to telephone other employees until someone was found to come in and work. This employee then drove himself to the hospital, had the bite area lanced and drained and received IV antibiotics. Management told this employee he had to come back to work immediately upon discharge from the Emergency Room. Medical documentation and witnesses verify this.

Public records prove an extremely high volume of State Police and ambulance dispatches to the Rainbow Of Hope facility.

Staff employees dispense controlled substances and psychiatric medications to the children-residents without the supervision of a licensed medical professional.

Reverse racial discrimination against employees. Employees who are Caucasian and over the age of 40 are mercilessly hounded and harassed by management. Evidence of harassment has been documented and forwarded to investigators.

The Rainbow Of Hope manager and his supervisor threatened a licensed professional nurse when she tendered her resignation. They were witnessed telling her, "If you have any contact with the parents of these kids or staff, we'll call the Medical Board and have your nursing licensed revoked!" This is an obvious attempt by management to conceal the truth about what goes on inside the Rainbow Of Hope facility.

An affidavit written by a retail store manager at the Hamilton Mall has been notarized, signed and forwarded to investigators testifying to the fact that two Rainbow Of Hope children were in her store without staff supervision. The manager learned of this only when the staff member entered the store, announced to an employee where she worked and told the manager she was "looking for two of the kids".


The above is the tip of the iceberg in the complaints against Rainbow Of Hope. Management has allowed its staff to turn the place into a high school mentality recess yard. The staff are not attentive to the needs of the children and as a result, they place the safety, security and well being of these children in grave jeopardy.

This blog will be updated with additional complaints as well as the progress of the investigation.