The Indiana State Board of Nursing ordered an emergency suspension of Rose Watson’s license to practice nursing at its hearing in Indianapolis yesterday.

Watson is the owner of a drug rehabilitation facility in Goshen called New Day Home, which is accused of operating illegally and jeopardizing residents’ health and safety.

The Indiana Attorney General’s Office filed a petition with the Board of Nursing earlier this week calling for the emergency suspension following its investigation of New Day Home, which began after family members of two former residents filed consumer complaints with the AG’s Office.

New Day Home has been operating as an addiction treatment facility since 2009. At the time the Attorney General’s petition was filed, New Day was advertising itself as a drug rehab and addiction treatment center that had expert staff on site to provide treatment services such as the AA twelve-step program and Harm Reduction Therapy.

According to the Attorney General’s petition, Watson has no specific training in addiction counseling and there is no licensed addiction counselor on staff at New Day, both of which state law requires in order to operate such a facility. Additionally, New Day has never been certified by the Indiana State Department of Health as an in-patient facility.
Beyond the certification violations, the petition alleges several other health and safety concerns regarding the operation of New Day.

According to the petition, the facility’s “sober coach,” Watson’s son, routinely provided alcohol to residents. Watson’s daughter and grandson also allegedly dispensed medications to residents, neither of whom hold a health-care provider license. Watson is also accused of offering residents an antidepressant called Trazodone and other prescription drugs that had not been prescribed by a physician to the residents.

During yesterday’s hearing, the board approved the Attorney General’s petition and voted to suspend Watson’s nursing license for 90 days while the Attorney General’s Office completes a formal licensing complaint. Once a complaint is filed, the board has the authority to determine what, if any, further disciplinary action will be taken.

“The information uncovered in this investigation clearly posed an immediate danger to the health and safety of the residents who believed they would receive appropriate addiction counseling and help on the road to recovery,” Attorney General Greg Zoeller said. “Unfortunately, there could be more harm than good done which is why the Board took swift action today to protect these individuals and others seeking addiction treatment from additional harm.”

According to Watson, New Day Home has ceased operation.

Members of the public who have information to report about New Day Home can contact the Attorney General’s Office at 1-800-382-5516.

The Attorney General’s Office has notified mental health and addiction facilities in Goshen and the surrounding community that potential patients may be at risk. The Indiana Family and Social Services Administration offers an online database of certified facilities across the state that offer mental health and/or addiction services. To search this database, visit: in.gov/fssa.