Nevada official resigns after squalid conditions for mentally ill revealed

The state administrator in charge of the agency that allowed squalid conditions to persist at homes for its severely mentally ill clients has resigned after allegations she provided false testimony at a legislative hearing earlier this week.

Amy Roukie, the administrator of the Division of Public and Behavioral Health, resigned in lieu of termination, according to Richard Whitley, the director of the Health and Human Services Department.

In a letter to the legislative audit committee, Whitley said Roukie intentionally provided false information during a hearing Wednesday on the findings of an audit of her agency's handling of the housing program for mentally ill clients.

Roukie told lawmakers that the deputy administrator in charge of the state's mental health agencies had been replaced because of the audit's findings. Whitley said that is not true.

"While the division is committed to correcting all deficient practices noted in the audit report..., the division had not taken any disciplinary action against any employee at the time of Ms. Roukie's testimony," Whitley wrote.

"I am disappointed a division administrator in the department would intentionally make false statements before the commission and offer you my sincerest apologies. Ms. Roukie has been relieved of her duties as administrator effective today and has elected to resign in lieu of termination."

Providing false testimony to a legislative committee is a misdemeanor under state law. Rick Combs, director of the Legislative Counsel Bureau said no decision has been made on whether to pursue any charges under that statute.

According to a video of the meeting, Roukie was answering a question from Assemblyman Jim Wheeler, R-Gardnerville, who wanted to know what her division would do going forward.

"I am working very closely with my staff," Roukie said. "We actually are replacing the deputy administrator over that division because there are significant concerns."

Dr. Julie Kotchevar will be named interim administrator for the agency and will lead the investigation into why squalid conditions were allowed to continue at these homes.

Roukie was named administrator in July. Previously, she was the deputy administrator in charge of the state's two adult mental health agencies. In both roles, she oversaw the housing program.

The audit report released Wednesday showed filthy, unsafe conditions existed at nearly all of the 37 homes visited by legislative auditors. Those conditions had been allowed to persist despite a Reno Gazette Journal investigation in 2016 that revealed similar problems with the program.

At the time Whitley and Gov. Brian Sandoval had vowed to fix the problems. The homes were inspected, changes to the program were implemented and a new law was passed giving health officials broader authority to regulate the private providers that operate the homes.

Despite those changes, the squalid conditions continued.

Late last year, the state's chief medical officer, Dr. John DiMuro, resigned, accusing Roukie of subjecting him to "bullying behavior." DiMuro's allegations were investigated. The results of that investigation have not been released.

Editor's note: This story was updated with new information from the Legislative Counsel Bureau.