An Idaho safe house claimed it was saving trafficking victims. Women said it was like being ‘trafficked all over again’

Editor’s note: This is portion 1 of a three-part bid called “Savior Complex.” EastIdahoNews.com will people nan different 2 parts this week.

(Investigate West) — Three years ago, Paula Barthelmess — nan mother of Idaho’s first anti-trafficking task force, nan fiery advocator pinch nan receptor of policymakers, nan devoted societal worker allowed wrong constabulary interrogation rooms — dropped by an Idaho jailhouse to sojourn a female called Franky.

Franky, connected nan tally from her trafficker, was down bars aft she made an effort astatine termination by cop. Responding to a study of a female “sobbing and crying,” officers recovered Franky smoking a cigaret extracurricular a church. She had warrants for her arrest. She refused to beryllium handcuffed. Finally wrestled to nan crushed by 4 officers, she spot 1 cop’s knee — a felony — successful hopes he would termination her.

Barthelmess, her blond hairsbreadth hanging to her shoulders, visited nan jailhouse to connection Franky a measurement out. Barthelmess leads a nonprofit successful Idaho called Community Outreach Behavioral Services that operates safe houses for trafficking survivors that she said provides therapy. Instead of serving her afloat condemnation successful prison, Barthelmess said, Franky could time off situation early and unrecorded successful 1 of nan safe houses.

It was nan aforesaid committedness Barthelmess has made to dozens of different women trapped successful a world of exploitation and misery, cycling betwixt jailhouse and trafficking. The safe location offered a chance astatine shelter and recovery. If Franky went pinch her, she could time off her erstwhile life behind.

“She said, ‘It’s going to beryllium truthful great. It’s going to beryllium rough. But it’s going to beryllium good,’” Franky said.

Franky believed her.

A web of influence

Paula Barthelmess, nan laminitis of Community Outreach Behavioral Services, has go an influential fig successful Idaho’s efforts to combat quality trafficking. Former residents and labor astatine her safe houses knock COBS for employing manipulative strategies and directing them to a connected for-profit institution that whitethorn beryllium billing Medicaid successful usurpation of national regulations. | Kyle Green, InvestigateWest

Franky, who asked to spell by her thoroughfare name, is portion of a increasing number of activity trafficking victims identified crossed nan state successful nan past decade. In 2021, reports of group being trafficked — often described arsenic a shape of slavery successful which group are forced into commercialized activity activity aliases different labour — was astir double nan reported number successful 2015, according to nan National Human Trafficking Hotline, a 24/7 telephone statement that maintains 1 of nan nation’s astir extended quality trafficking information sets. And consciousness of nan problem has risen sharply, boosted by high-profile cases for illustration those against disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein and, much recently, hip-hop mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs.

It’s emerged arsenic a captious rumor for politicians connected some sides of nan spectrum. The Trump administration, weeks earlier nan 2020 election, announced it was “committed to combating quality trafficking,” arsenic his management released a nationalist scheme that included nan “first-ever grants for safe lodging for survivors.” A twelvemonth later, nan Biden management released an updated plan intended to reside nan needs of “underserved individuals, families, and communities.”

The national consequence includes much than 500 grants of much than $350 cardinal managed by nan Department of Justice Office for Victims of Crime to fortify trafficking unfortunate work programs arsenic of 2022.

And that money is often directed by authorities and section agencies into smaller, section anti-trafficking organizations for illustration Community Outreach Behavioral Services, aliases COBS, which successful Idaho needs nary licence to run a safe location moreover arsenic women are referred location by judges, constabulary and nationalist defenders. The backing helped substance Barthelmess’ emergence to prominence successful nan Boise area, wherever she’s nan taxable of flattering section TV reports calling her a leader and praising nan nonprofit’s activity to “rescue” survivors of quality trafficking pinch its “amazing” unpaid team.

An investigation of nan programme by InvestigateWest, however, reveals a different story. It’s 1 that highlights a wide deficiency of accountability for a increasing anti-trafficking activity wrestling pinch competing philosophies connected really to service victims, arsenic a booming manufacture of safe and sober homes rakes successful billions of dollars connected nan premise of helping those astir successful need.

As COBS gained power successful Idaho, erstwhile COBS labor and residents opportunity nan programme recruited women into nan safe houses and kept them location utilizing manipulative strategies mirroring those of traffickers. The residents were past drawn into a self-dealing strategy successful which a for-profit counseling institution — owned by Barthelmess’ boy — tapped into clients’ Medicaid security and billed for services residents opportunity they ne'er received, InvestigateWest has found.

Several residents opportunity nan programme was overly restrictive. One erstwhile safe location resident, who goes by Jay, described surviving successful a COBS safe location for illustration this: “You’re told wherever to live, what you tin slumber in, what apparel you tin wear, if you tin trim your hair, if you tin dye your hair, if you tin deterioration makeup.

“You cannot time off nan house. If you spell extracurricular nan beforehand door, you get reprimanded. You spell extracurricular nan backmost doorway and if you’re doing thing too vaping, you get reprimanded. You person to spell to each nan classes they say, you’re not allowed to person a phone, you’re not allowed to thrust your ain vehicle.

“You person to spell to each nan counselors they show you to spell to, each nan doctors they show you to spell to. They want to support your money. They don’t springiness you your money aliases your nutrient stamps. They clasp connected to everything and show you erstwhile you tin usage it, what you usage it connected and really you tin usage it.”

Nonprofit Community Outreach Behavioral Services (COBS) and for-profit Advanced Clinical Trauma Services (ACTS) stock an agency location successful Meridian, Idaho. ACTS is owned by Paula Barthelmess’ son, Tylar Bell. | Kyle Green, InvestigateWest

Barthelmess moreover publication therapists’ notes from one-on-one sessions pinch clients, and erstwhile labor and residents opportunity she utilized that accusation to make residents autumn successful line. For those who still rebelled, COBS would sometimes notify their probation serviceman aliases footwear them retired of nan safe location entirely, sending women backmost to jailhouse aliases nan streets.

Jay, location connected a tribunal order, was later kicked retired of nan safe location for saying “negative things” astir nan program, according to a matter Barthelmess sent her.

Isolated and controlled, residents were past made to do Barthelmess’ bidding, including representing COBS astatine nationalist events — sometimes sharing accusation astir their trafficking acquisition pinch nan nationalist — erstwhile they didn’t consciousness comfortable doing so.

In nan past 4 years, a for-profit institution linked to COBS has received Medicaid reimbursements totaling astir $2.6 million, a fig that includes reimbursements for immoderate clients who didn’t enactment successful a safe house. A elaborate reappraisal of Medicaid records and interviews pinch residents indicates that nan programme would routinely measure for lawsuit guidance services for short car rides, a believe not allowed nether national regulations. Residents felt they had nary prime but to spell connected those rides.

“That sounds for illustration it’s fraud,” said Stephen Teller, a whistleblower lawyer based successful Seattle who reviewed InvestigateWest’s analysis. Teller has extended acquisition representing those exposing fraud nether nan False Claims Act, a national rule that allows individuals pinch accusation astir fraud to writer connected nan government’s behalf.

In interviews pinch InvestigateWest, Barthelmess said COBS does not unit residents into curen astatine immoderate 1 company. She stressed that nan complaints from immoderate erstwhile residents of nan safe houses do not bespeak nan affirmative activity COBS does each day, noting that 1 authorities agency received written complaints from residents and allowed COBS to proceed operating. She declined to reply questions astir imaginable Medicaid and assistance fraud.

“We’re doing immoderate bully stuff,” she said. “We’re taking attraction of immoderate people.”

Barthelmess coming sits astatine nan halfway of a web of power connected authorities argumentation to push legislation, activity pinch constabulary and lead a conjugation of anti-trafficking efforts successful nan Treasure Valley successful southwest Idaho.

InvestigateWest interviewed respective twelve group including erstwhile safe location residents and employees; existent and erstwhile committee members, constabulary and work providers who person worked pinch COBS; whistleblower attorneys, national investigators, and nationalist experts connected issues specified arsenic trafficking, Medicaid billing, and nonprofit governance. To verify claims astir nan conditions of nan safe houses, InvestigateWest reviewed general complaints and inspection records, Medicaid billing records, authorities contracts and transactions pinch COBS, tribunal records, and societal media accounts.

Megan Landen, a erstwhile worker astatine 1 of nan safe houses, said nan survivors speaking up astir nan programme now picture COBS nan aforesaid measurement she remembers it successful 2021, erstwhile Landen discontinue because she believed COBS was hurting women. One of nan residents she worked pinch was near bum and returned to activity activity because Barthelmess evicted her without a modulation plan, Landen said.

“Every customer I witnessed,” Landen said, “ended up going backmost to nan business they came from, aliases worse.”

‘You cannot leave’

In October 2022, Franky was picked up and driven to nan safe location by Barthelmess and a constabulary escort.

The past clip she’d gotten retired of prison, successful 2020, Franky ended up being trafficked soon aft by a feline she met done a friend. He gave her rides and money, and she felt for illustration she owed him. Before she knew it, she said, he made her do things she “didn’t want to do.” She was sold for activity retired of a hotel, she said, and he shoved narcotics down her pharynx if she wouldn’t comply.

That’s who she was moving from erstwhile cops recovered her astatine nan religion that time successful 2021.

“It’s nan control, manipulation and fear,” Franky said. “It’s not being capable to do thing extracurricular of your ain will. You’re nether their command. And if you move nan incorrect way, successful nan trafficking world, you either get hit aliases you extremity up dead.”

Franky welcomed nan thought of being successful a genuinely safe location because she still feared he’d find her. But she hoped to beryllium released from probation by January 2024 truthful she could time off Idaho entirely. She was nether strict tribunal orders, however, to travel and postgraduate nan COBS “rehabilitation” programme first.

In nan first month, Franky entered what unit calls nan blackout period. No phone. No going retired successful public. No relationship pinch society. She had to springiness each of her things to nan program. She couldn’t bargain her ain food. And Franky said they wouldn’t fto her person tarot cards for her to believe her belief — a imaginable usurpation of national anti-discrimination laws since COBS receives national funding.

But Franky, on pinch respective different residents and labor who said to InvestigateWest, said it was astonishing really unsafe nan safe houses really seemed to be. She lived pinch 5 group successful a three-bedroom house, but location was nary full-time supervisor. Women recovered ways to pass pinch traffickers, aliases they engaged successful activity activity voluntarily while surviving astatine a safe house, residents and erstwhile labor say.

Some utilized drugs. One resident successful Nampa overdosed connected fentanyl and astir died. With nary supervisor connected site, residents were capable to prevention her life utilizing Narcan, Franky said.

Franky saw a therapist, but she said she had nary prime but to usage 1 provided by Advanced Clinical Trauma Services, nan for-profit institution owned by Barthelmess’ son, Tylar Bell. Group therapy was tally by Barthelmess, too, records confirm.

Within days of Franky arriving astatine nan safe house, nan institution — referred to arsenic ACTS — started billing her Medicaid. And they had Franky spell pinch different residents to a section constituent usage betterment center. On each 20-minute car ride, she was crammed successful pinch respective different residents, and ACTS would declare much than $100 for “targeted lawsuit management” nether her name, InvestigateWest found.

Records propose ACTS billed nan different residents successful nan car for lawsuit management, too. In conscionable complete a year, Franky unsocial brought nan institution astir $25,000 from Medicaid, pinch $8,560 successful lawsuit guidance reimbursements alone, records show. She doesn’t retrieve getting existent lawsuit guidance much than erstwhile aliases twice.

Bell declined to remark erstwhile asked to explicate ACTS’ billing of Medicaid. Instead, Bell sent a cease and desist missive to InvestigateWest done his lawyer, calling nan allegations of forbidden Medicaid billing practices “categorically mendacious and wholly without merit.”

Eventually, Franky was moved to a different safe location besides tally by COBS pinch less restrictions. She was capable to get a job. Amanda Carpenter, who worked arsenic Barthelmess’ adjunct astatine COBS successful 2023, said Franky served arsenic a mentor to immoderate of nan different residents. Franky had a car astatine this constituent and was expected to thrust different residents to appointments. Franky said she wasn’t paid.

At times, it felt for illustration residents were forced to do activity for Barthelmess. Residents opportunity they were expected to be meets astatine a gymnastics business, Gem State Gymnastics, owned by Bell. Other days, residents were expected to activity astatine an animal workplace for “therapeutic” purposes, erstwhile successful reality residents were shoveling manure without pay, aggregate residents say.

Barthelmess would get “angry” if nan residents didn’t speak to nan media astatine events aliases fundraisers, Franky said.

In September, astir a twelvemonth into Franky’s enactment pinch COBS, Elizabeth Smart, nan once-abducted teen whose endurance grabbed world headlines, came to speak astatine an arena a short thrust distant successful Nampa. Franky was asked to share pinch nan nationalist her trafficking acquisition earlier coming to COBS. Franky nervously described nan horrors she’d experienced, making love backmost to her childhood, to hundreds of people. Afterwards, she said, she stood onstage arsenic Barthelmess accepted a cheque arsenic a aid to nan nonprofit.

To nan public, Franky represented a COBS occurrence story.

But privately, Franky felt used. Manipulated. Controlled.

Leaving didn’t consciousness for illustration an option. Residents knew that those who rebelled astatine nan safe location were punished — kicked retired onto nan thoroughfare aliases backmost into jail.

They felt they couldn’t spot police, who Barthelmess worked pinch to place trafficking victims connected nan street.

They couldn’t spot their nationalist defenders. One was really connected nan COBS committee of directors.

And they couldn’t moreover spot their therapists, they said, because Barthelmess would publication their counseling notes.

“This is almost for illustration being trafficked each complete again,” Franky said.

‘A clear conflict’

In training sessions, fundraising events and news stories, Barthelmess presents herself arsenic a humble yet powerful combatant of quality trafficking, nan caput of a scrappy, underfunded nonprofit who has managed to pioneer a important statewide consequence to a increasing problem.

A licensed societal worker, she was erstwhile nan president of nan Mental Health Providers Association of Idaho and has decades of acquisition successful nan field, advocating connected behalf of clinicians successful nan authorities Legislature.

Barthelmess often touts her business pinch rule enforcement to create Idaho’s first quality trafficking task force. In an interview, she repeated nan conception that COBS provides trauma therapy and lawsuit guidance services to victims of quality trafficking, “pro bono.”

COBS said it serves dozens of victims each year. In a caller six-month period, nan programme said it housed 39 survivors. Community donations support them going, she said.

In private, Barthelmess maintains a comfortable lifestyle. She owns a location connected 10 acres weighted astatine $1.5 million, overlooking sprawling fields southwest of Boise. She takes her family connected tropical vacations, moreover inquiring connected her past travel to Costa Rica successful May astir buying property, societal media posts show.

A deeper look astatine her family businesses reveals that nan safe houses she runs bring her family overmuch much money than she lets on.

COBS, which was founded successful 2015, hasn’t revenge nan yearly reports to nan IRS required for nonprofit position since 2017, according to IRS records. Its tax-exempt position was revoked successful 2021, though COBS continued to clasp fundraising events until its position was restored nan adjacent year. COBS declined to supply taxation filings for nan missing years to InvestigateWest.

Yet contempt COBS saying publically that it offers therapy, and Barthelmess signing contracts that picture COBS arsenic offering lawsuit management, it doesn’t really connection therapy. It’s her son’s for-profit, ACTS, providing those services to residents. And it’s not “pro bono.”

The for-profit company, registered pinch nan Secretary of State’s Office nether nan sanction Wells and Bell LLC, was opened successful 2020 by her son, Bell, and Kenneth Wells, a intelligence wellness clinician who was besides connected nan COBS’ committee of directors. Wells said he trim disconnected ties pinch some organizations successful 2020 because he didn’t work together pinch nan therapeutic guidance they were going. Bell presently is connected nan COBS board, records show. One of Barthelmess’ daughters is besides an ACTS societal worker.

COBS and ACTS person seemed to efficaciously run arsenic 1 entity since opening nan first safe location successful precocious 2020. The companies stock an agency abstraction successful Meridian. On societal media and successful news stories, labor place themselves arsenic moving for some ACTS and COBS. ACTS clinicians are listed successful photograph captions arsenic COBS labor arsenic they pose pinch elephantine checks for nan section news. Contracts for national assistance dollars meant for COBS database Barthelmess’ ACTS email.

And each caller resident brings some companies much money.

Housing 1 subsister unsocial allowed COBS to cod thousands of assistance dollars. The metropolis of Nampa, which was awarded a $350,000 assistance successful 2021 for unfortunate services and different $750,000 successful 2023 for Idaho’s quality trafficking task force, has a statement pinch COBS to salary nan nonprofit $50 per nighttime for “emergency” beds.

But erstwhile Barthelmess, arsenic nan COBS director, refers residents to herself successful her domiciled arsenic a licensed societal worker astatine ACTS, that’s a conflict of interest, according to Idaho administrative rules. When InvestigateWest presented a business for illustration it to Delmar Stone, nan executive head of nan Idaho section of nan National Association of Social Workers, he didn’t hesitate, though he made clear that he was commenting only hypothetically.

“She’s profiting from something, a susceptible population, and they’re not getting immoderate replacement different than receiving services, which is successful a for-profit situation. A adjacent group would look astatine that and opportunity location is simply a clear conflict,” Stone said.

The Idaho Board of Social Work Examiners could subject Barthelmess, up to suspending aliases pulling nan license.

The blurred lines betwixt nan 2 companies could besides represent some assistance fraud and Medicaid fraud, owed to a imaginable misrepresentation of services to nan national authorities successful bid to person funds.

If Barthelmess, arsenic a personification billing Medicaid astatine a abstracted company, has nan powerfulness to power whether a customer tin enactment astatine COBS, past it could beryllium a usurpation of nan False Claims Act, said Ari Yampolsky, a founding partner of Whistleblower Partners, which advocates for those exposing firm misconduct.

“It seems for illustration location very good could beryllium a conflict of interest,” Yampolsky said, “if nan for-profit has a financial inducement to support group successful nan nonprofit installation successful bid for nan nonprofit to proceed getting reimbursement.”

Ari Yampolsky, a founding partner of Whistleblower Partners, which advocates for exposing firm misconduct, said location was a imaginable conflict of liking successful nan narration betwixt nan nonprofit COBS and nan for-profit institution that bills Medicaid for curen services for women staying successful COBS safe houses. | Courtesy photo

In an interview, Barthelmess declined to explicate nan nexus betwixt COBS and ACTS. She downplayed her domiciled astatine COBS, objecting to nan conception that she “runs” nan nonprofit she founded, though she’s identified publically arsenic nan executive head and signs her sanction nether that title successful authorities documents.

And she minimized her domiciled astatine ACTS, telling InvestigateWest she’s much of a “consultant” and doesn’t supply therapy.

When InvestigateWest noted that records show her billing Medicaid arsenic an ACTS clinician for group therapy sessions attended by safe location residents for years, she backtracked: She was not doing it arsenic “as an ACTS clinician,” she insisted — “just arsenic a person.”

But she was much than that for those astatine nan safe houses. In interviews of labor and residents pinch InvestigateWest, Barthelmess was described arsenic a “mother figure,” aliases a “trauma mama.” She took attraction of everything for them — but they knew not to transverse her.

Five existent aliases erstwhile trafficking survivors who received individual therapy from an ACTS counselor, on pinch erstwhile employees, opportunity that Barthelmess would publication nan notes their therapists took. They opportunity nan accusation was utilized to support residents from defying COBS, often keeping them successful nan safe house. The consequence was that residents were receiving billable services longer.

“Paula really uses clients’ vulnerabilities to shame them into submission successful beforehand of nan different girls successful nan safe house,” said Landen, nan erstwhile employee.

‘The measurement pimps spot you’

In September, a female named Ally arrived astatine a COBS safe house. She’d conscionable endured 3 sadistic months of trafficking nether 3 different pimps. She wanted justness for her traffickers and information for herself.

Barthelmess told her she could find it astatine COBS. She worked straight pinch nan FBI, and nan safe location was a witnesser protection program, Ally, 25, recalls Barthelmess saying.

“You’re going to consciousness for illustration you’re trafficked, but that’s not nan case,” Barthelmess said, according to Ally. “Pimps return each your things and show you they emotion you and attraction for you. And they really don’t. And that’s what it looks for illustration we’re doing, but we’re not doing that.”

Ally trusted her. But it became difficult to disregard nan parallels betwixt COBS and her traffickers.

Ally’s nationalist defender referred her to COBS, which typically finds caller safe location residents done nan criminal justness system. Ally’s first trafficker recovered her done nan criminal justness system, excessively — while she was successful jailhouse for driving nether nan influence.

Barthelmess convinced her that COBS, and only COBS, had what Ally needed. Her first trafficker, too, sold her nan thought that if Ally — precocious trim disconnected from family and staying successful a shelter — went pinch him, her problems would beryllium solved. He didn’t mention thing astir sex, she said.

COBS controlled her food, her proscription and her societal interactions. Ally’s pimps did too, down to nan colour of her hair. Today, she’s dyed her hairsbreadth reddish simply because 1 of her pimps wouldn’t person fto her.

“I f–ked up. Again,” Ally thought a week into her enactment astatine COBS. “It was decidedly for illustration Paula was nan pimp, and a mates of nan girls were her bottommost bitches, and she wanted each of america to enactment location and beryllium there.”

Barthelmess said residents tin time off whenever they want — “I ever show nan girls, there’s nan door,” she said. For galore residents, however, that would beryllium considered a probation usurpation that could onshore them backmost successful jail. But, arsenic Barthelmess argued, “it’s still a choice.”

“She says that,” Ally said, “but it’s much like, ‘There’s nan door. Go. Do it. Watch. I situation you.’”

It’s not different for safe houses to enforce conditions connected residents to sphere nan information of nan house. Among anti-trafficking work providers, rules specified arsenic taking distant a survivor’s phone, aliases installing cameras successful nan house, autumn into a grey area: When is it basal for safety, and erstwhile is it taking distant a survivor’s agency?

But experts opportunity location are important distinctions: Residents should ever springiness written consent and cognize what they’re getting into. And nan rules should beryllium accordant for each resident. At COBS, residents and labor opportunity that wasn’t nan lawsuit — immoderate women would beryllium kicked retired for saying nan incorrect thing, but others did narcotics successful nan location and were allowed to stay.

Shobana Powell, CEO and laminitis of a consulting institution for entities moving to extremity gender-based unit and quality trafficking, said nan usage of unpredictable expectations is 1 of galore methods of psychological coercion utilized by traffickers. It often leaves survivors emotion insecure, arsenic if they’re stepping connected eggshells, and erstwhile they neglect to comply pinch unrealistic expectations, they blasted themselves.

“When we talk astir re-exploitation, it doesn’t ever mean that there’s trafficking happening again, but there’s elements of nan aforesaid psychological coercion that’s happening,” Powell said.

Isolation is different method of coercion, she said. So is controlling entree to food. And past location are threats — of deportation, of losing custody of children, of jail.

“These girls knew they were going to get possibly 3 months of lodging and nutrient coverage. They didn’t person immoderate different support network,” Landen said. “They were wholly limited connected Paula. Could they person said no? Yes. And past what were they going to do?”

In precocious 2023, Ally demanded that they let her to time off conscionable complete a period into her clip astatine COBS. It took hours for them to springiness her backmost her stuff, but legally, they couldn’t support her there.

“It was nan measurement pimps spot you,” Ally said. “You’re virtually a thing, and you person a container of money complete your head.”

Unnecessary services

Though immoderate states — Washington, for illustration — do person licensing requirements for a safe house, galore others for illustration Idaho person none, said Rachel Karper, head of programs and operations for nan National Trafficking Sheltered Alliance, an statement that accredits programs based connected definite standards.

“There’s very small regularisation astir programs that service adults,” said Karper. “A batch of states don’t person thing astatine all. It’s fundamentally a wild, chaotic West.”

Federal investigators successful caller years person uncovered and taken down a surge successful criminal schemes crossed nan state among sober homes aliases addiction curen centers.

At nan halfway of these schemes is nan truth that clients astatine those homes are a “captive audience,” said Patrick Neubert, a commandant for nan U.S. Health and Human Services Office of nan Inspector General investigative unit. And since Medicare and Medicaid don’t straight salary for betterment housing, these accommodation would find different services to measure for. Sometimes that mightiness see unnecessary supplier tests.

“What we spot is nan unnecessary services being rendered to fundamentally money a personification to enactment successful this betterment housing,” Neubert said.

Back successful 2021 erstwhile nan first COBS safe location had conscionable opened, Landen remembers being told to log clip pinch clients for Medicaid billing erstwhile she didn’t judge she should, specified arsenic driving a resident to church. Other times lawsuit managers were told they could measure for making telephone calls for clients. That further raised questions, because she thought she could only measure for lawsuit guidance if she met pinch a customer successful person.

In an interview, Barthelmess confirmed that ACTS billed Medicaid for lawsuit guidance for driving residents around.

“A batch of nan worldly and nan steps and nan curen scheme is happening successful a vehicle, yes,” Barthelmess said. “It’s easier to talk and person things successful a conveyance versus successful a home.”

But lawsuit management, nether national regulations, is expected to impact elaborate coordination and readying of services for group who could not navigate nan strategy connected their own. State guidelines besides said that “a lawsuit head whitethorn not beryllium reimbursed for immoderate proscription of nan personnel to and from appointments.”

Franky’s Medicaid records, which she shared pinch InvestigateWest, bespeak that ACTS billed nether her sanction for “targeted lawsuit management” 75 times complete nan people of much than a year. Unless there’s anterior authorization, providers successful Idaho are only allowed to measure for 60 hours of targeted lawsuit guidance successful 1 year. ACTS billed Franky for astir double that threshold.

And nan mostly of those charges came successful nan first fewer months of Franky’s clip astatine nan safe location connected days Franky was driven to nan section betterment halfway for constituent maltreatment treatment. An study of records suggests that ACTS billed each individual successful nan car for nan thrust to nan betterment center.

Yampolsky, nan whistleblower attorney, thinks it could beryllium Medicaid fraud.

“That seems problematic,” Yampolsky said. “It would break nan False Claims Act if you were to found that it was intentional that they were billing for a codification they knew they weren’t providing.”

When pressed connected this by InvestigateWest, Barthelmess deflected responsibility, saying she’s “not connected nan Medicaid side.”

While there’s nary regulatory assemblage that monitors conditions of big homes, nan allegations of fraud could trigger criminal investigations.

Federal investigators pinch nan Office of Inspector General would person nan expertise to analyse assistance fraud aliases Medicaid fraud. They declined to corroborate aliases contradict whether immoderate specified investigation is progressive into COBS.

The Idaho Attorney General’s Office would person jurisdiction to look into nan conflicts of liking involving nan nonprofit. It could besides analyse allegations of fraud done its Medicaid Fraud Control Unit. In fact, nan agency received a title successful 2022 regarding ethical concerns and violations of unfortunate privateness astatine COBS, but nan complainant told InvestigateWest that they ne'er received a follow-up telephone and that “clearly thing came of it.”

The Idaho Attorney General’s Office declined respective requests to reply questions astir COBS aliases really it investigates Medicaid fraud aliases conflicts of liking generally.

Since October 2023, Franky and Ally each submitted general complaints astir COBS to nan authorities agency administering backing to nan program, but neither title led to consequences for COBS.

And section and authorities constabulary agencies, on pinch judges and nationalist defenders, proceed to mention victims to COBS.

Franky wasn’t excessively amazed that cipher took her title seriously. She and astir of nan different safe location residents person a criminal history. She knows that intends she’s easy dismissed.

“We’re conscionable supplier addicts, we’re felons, we’re not credible. And she uses that to her advantage,” Franky said of Barthelmess.

‘Be careful’

In December 2023, Franky’s probation was almost finished. Only days were left, and to day her lawsuit head astatine nan safe location reported that Franky had been making “amazing progress.”

When she sewage out, Franky wanted to unfastened her ain safe house. It would thief survivors successful a measurement that COBS didn’t, she thought.

But Franky couldn’t hide her frustration. She was paying a mini magnitude successful rent to COBS each month, and they wanted to summation it. She grew tired of seeing different residents manipulated and controlled. She would mutter nether her activity and flip disconnected information cameras successful nan house. Finally, during a group convention pinch Barthelmess and nan different location residents, Franky shared her frustration.

Afterward, Barthelmess told Franky’s probation serviceman astir it, reporting it arsenic “inappropriate.”

“Barthelmess stated that (Franky) needs to activity harder astatine ‘staying successful her lane’ and not involving herself successful nan matters of different residents successful nan house,” probation notes say.

In texts, Barthelmess scolded Franky for nan “push back” and for “telling everyone really unspeakable our programme is and really I lie.”

Days later, Barthelmess recovered retired that Franky wanted to unfastened her ain safe house. COBS reported a probation violation, alleging that Franky had been “defiant” for months, had been bad-mouthing nan programme and had been texting pinch a felon.

It meant that connected Dec. 26, 14 months since she first entered a COBS safe house, Franky was put backmost successful jail.

A period later, Franky’s probation was reinstated for different 2 years. She had to commencement each complete successful her effort to rebuild her life.

The Ada County judge who made nan last order, Nancy Baskin, admonished Franky, informing that she needed to “really beryllium careful” astir “bad-mouthing” nan safe house.

Then she added 1 much unwritten norm of probation. It sounded arsenic if it came from Barthelmess herself.

“You,” Baskin said, “need to not speak severely astir nan COBS program.”

InvestigateWest is an independent news nonprofit dedicated to investigative publicity successful nan Pacific Northwest. Reach news and investigations editor Wilson Criscione astatine wilson@invw.org. Reach investigative newsman Kelsey Turner astatine kelsey@invw.org.