Editor’s note: This article discusses allegations of sexual assault and child abuse. If you need help, call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-4673; the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-422-4453; or look to Mirror Indy’s resource guide.
Mirror Indy’s investigation into abuse allegations at Options Behavioral Health Hospital was named a winner in the 2024 Awards for Excellence in Health Care Journalism.
The contest, organized by the Association of Health Care Journalists, recognizes the year’s top reporting on health care issues. Mirror Indy won the investigative category’s small division, which contains newsrooms that have 100 or fewer editorial employees.
In “Out of Options,” health reporter Mary Claire Molloy and art director Jenna Watson reported on the troubling experiences of former patients and employees in the Lawrence facility — who said patients were detained even when it wasn’t medically necessary as part of a company culture that prioritized profits over patient care.
The three-part investigative series also revealed:
- Police had been called to the facility at least 560 times since 2020, responding, on average, to an incident every three days.
- Nine rapes had been reported at the facility, including cases involving children.
- At least four Acadia employees in Indianapolis had been accused of child sex abuse.
The investigative project was one of 14 first-place winners chosen out of more than 438 entries across 14 categories, according to an Association of Health Care Journalists announcement.
It marks the first national investigative award for Mirror Indy, which launched in December 2023 to fill local coverage gaps and to ensure everyone has access to local news.
“Recognition for our hard work, especially on a national level, is a remarkable accomplishment for such a young organization,” said Oseye Boyd, Mirror Indy editor in chief. “‘Out of Options’ is one example of how Mirror Indy continuously strives to serve Indianapolis through journalism.”
“Out of Options” is also a finalist for an investigative reporting award in the Best in Indiana Journalism Awards organized by the Indiana Society of Professional Journalists.
All told, Mirror Indy has at least 20 finalists in those awards, which will be announced May 2.
Mirror Indy, a nonprofit newsroom, is funded through grants and donations from individuals, foundations and organizations.
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