Employees of a multi-state rehabilitation company have been left in limbo after several facilities across the country closed following the suicides of its two top executives.
Retreat Behavioral Health, with locations in Florida, Philadelphia and Connecticut, abruptly closed its Palm Beach, Florida, location last week.
Employees told me wptv that about 100 patients with mental health and substance abuse problems were told to pack up and leave, including 30 with nowhere to go.
The facilities in Lancaster County, PA, and New Haven, CT, have also since closed following the deaths of CEO Peter Schorr and CAO Scott Korogodsky.
Korogodsky had taken over the management of the company after Schorr committed suicide in his Delray Beach home. LancasterOnline.
Days after Schorr died, Korogodsky also committed suicide, according to the Palm Beach County Medical Examiner’s Office.
Retreat Behavioral Health, with offices in Florida, Philadelphia and Connecticut, abruptly closed its Palm Beach, Florida, location last week (seen here).
Facilities in Lancaster County, PA, and New Haven, CT, have also since closed following the deaths of CEO Peter Schorr, left, and CAO Scott Korogodsky, right
Lissa Franklin, vice president of Southeast Florida Recovery Advocates, said CBS12: “I’m sure there’s more to it than that, but of the employees I spoke to, almost everyone who was there found safe and supportive discharge options.
‘It is very sad what happened to the Retreat. From my experience. it was a great program.
“They always helped everyone in the community. They treated everyone with compassion and kindness.”
According to Franklin, the facility was one of the few in the area that accepted Medicaid or VA health insurance.
Internal emails sent to staff and seen by the organization show that Korogodsky assured employees they would be paid, even though there was a delay in receiving their paychecks.
On Thursday, Alexander Hoinsky, the facility’s chief financial officer, said the company has been in deep financial trouble for at least a year.
Hoinsky told WPTV he became concerned after executives at the company stopped taking his calls.
He said, ‘I’ve left messages and emails [and] explained what was going to happen. Actually, they didn’t want to hear it.’
Internal emails sent to staff seen by the outlet show Korogodsky assured staff members they would be paid after a delay in receiving paychecks
Workers at the Palm Beach plant, pictured, are still waiting to be paid for their work after being notified of their layoffs last week
He continued: ‘These are the facts, the company ran out of money. Revenues dropped dramatically and they didn’t adjust costs.’
Meanwhile, employees at the Palm Beach facility are still waiting to be paid for their work after being notified of their layoffs last week.
One nurse said, “I don’t know what days I was scheduled to go. I just decided to show up.
‘I just wanted to be there. Because when they said everyone was going to be fired, it sounded like a huge task.”
The nurse, who asked to remain anonymous, told WPTV that the fire alarm had gone off and everyone was out of the building.
After she was let in, she said, patients started arguing and staff were unable to de-escalate the situation.
According to the employee, patients broke into nursing stations to obtain narcotics, while employees emptied refrigerators full of food.
Hoinsky believes employees will be paid for their last three weeks of work and hopes he will be paid too.
The Connecticut business center has also been closed for the past week, leaving patients without care
In addition to financial troubles, Schorr was also named in a lawsuit filed in January accusing him of holding out on a $50,000 deposit for a failed real estate sale.
Another lawsuit in New York seeks more than $5 million from the company that owns Retreat for defaulting on a 2018 loan.
Florida court records also show that Palm Beach County’s tax collector sued the site for failing to pay a $1,700 tax bill.
The company posted the following on social media following Schorr’s death: “It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Peter Schorr, the founder of Retreat Behavioral Health.
‘Peter’s unwavering dedication and compassion have transformed countless lives.
“We are committed to carrying on his legacy and ensuring his spirit continues to guide our mission at Retreat.
“Our sincere condolences go out to his family and all who had the privilege of knowing him.”
Meanwhile, tributes to Korogodsky have been shared on social media, describing him as a “wonderful person.”