Its new law, which took effect in March 2021, marks the state’s first attempt in 15 years to bring more regulation to the industry. Utah is the troubled teen industry’s epicenter, offering a wide variety of these programs. But in many other states, there is little to no oversight. Among them is Montana, whose 2019 law led to the closure of several programs California, whose 2016 law required residential treatment programs to operate on a nonprofit basis to ensure that financial incentives do not affect the quality of care and Oregon, whose various laws have aimed to crack down on the so-called troubled teen industry, including a 2021 law that regulates “secure transport” companies hired to forcibly take kids to wilderness or residential programs. A handful of states besides Utah have passed laws to bolster protections for young people in these programs. That’s left regulation largely to the states, with mixed results. No federal laws govern these private, for-profit residential treatment programs, boot camps, and wilderness programs. Efforts to pass federal legislation that would regulate them failed every year for more than a decade, even after a 2007 Government Accountability Office report detailed allegations of abuse and neglect, along with deaths and deceptive marketing practices at programs across the country. Subscribe to KFF Health News' free Morning Briefing. Further, they say, oversight is often weak and enforcement of the new law has been lax. “If we’re still doing the same thing, there’s never going to be a change,” Leon said.įor groups pressing for more accountability for these programs, Leon’s story shows that the new law doesn’t go far enough. Leon said the dismissals show the state law isn’t enough to hold accountable an industry that makes billions of dollars treating kids with behavioral or substance use problems. Leon’s complaints about what happened to her nephew while he was at Provo Canyon School were dismissed as unsubstantiated or hit dead ends. Secluding a student from others is still allowed under the new rules, for example, but program operators must now report to regulators when they do so. Trish Leon, aunt of the 12-year-old, Logan, contacted various state agencies, the Utah governor’s office, elected officials and youth rights nonprofits - but soon discovered the law’s limits. » Private Message a moderator if you require assistance.This story also ran on USA Today. (7) No arguing with moderators and no disparaging remarks to moderators. (6) No trolling or shilling will be tolerated. No hate speech will be tolerated, and no disparaging remarks about survivors of Troubled Teen Programs will be tolerated. (5) Be mindful of your language and your audience. (4) Make sure your post is relevant to the Troubled Teen Industry, and if your post is not directly relevant, please explain its relevance. We do not endorse any program or any part of the industry as a whole. (3) Do not ask us to recommend a Troubled Teen Program for your child. If you believe you had a 'good experience' in the TTI. (2) No posts praising any Troubled Teen Program are allowed. (1) No promotion of Troubled Teen Programs, or any related Troubled Teen Industry service, is allowed. Minimum Standards for Teenage Healthcare.» If you have a child or a relative in a Troubled Teen Industry program, please ask us about the program immediately. » We strongly advise you to seek alternatives to the Troubled Teen Industry. (5) That any program that tries to make you believe your child is ‘manipulating’ you by raising complaints against the program is very likely to be an abusive program. (4) That any program that rushes you into making a placement decision by urging you to ‘act now’, must be considered suspect. (3) That any program that refers to ‘troubled teens’ must be considered suspect. (2) That the Troubled Teen Industry is riddled with abuse, fraud, deceptive marketing, and violations of medical ethics and human rights. (1) That the wilderness programs, therapeutic boarding schools, residential treatment centers, and bootcamps that comprise the Troubled Teen Industry are almost entirely unregulated, unlicensed, and uninspected by the authorities. » Are you a concerned citizen who wants to help fight against institutional child abuse? » Are you a survivor of the Troubled Teen Industry? Are you a parent that has been fooled by a program? » Are you a teenager who is troubled? Or a parent who is in crisis with their teenager? We are a community of survivors and activists who oppose the abusive Troubled Teen Industry.
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