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Presented at the 19th Annual Research Conference

Unregulated Residential Treatment Facilities: A Present-Day Threat to Youth, Families and the Field of Children’s Mental Health

We're sorry, handouts are not available for this presentation.

Session Number: 46 Room: Salon J

Presentation Type: symposium

Chair: Discussant:

Synopsis: In the fall of 2004, a multi-disciplinary group of mental health and child-serving professionals was formed through a collaboration between the Florida Mental Health Institute and the Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law, in response to rising concerns about reports from youth, families and journalists describing mistreatment in unregulated residential programs. This symposium will provide a review of the information gathered and the efforts supported by this group, the Alliance for the Safe, Therapeutic and Appropriate use of Residential Treatment (A START), with recommendations for future research and policy to address the ongoing concerns.

Date: Friday, February 24, 2006

Session Time: 1:15 PM - 2:15 PM

Presentation Time: 1:15 PM - 2:15 PM

The Exploitation of Youth and Families by Unregulated Residential Treatment Facilities: A Dangerous Consequence of Unmet Needs

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Presenting: Robert Friedman; Allison Pinto; Kathryn Whitehead

All Authors for this paper: Robert Friedman; Allison Pinto; Kathryn Whitehead

Presentation Type: element of symposium

Synopsis: Over the past decade, the number of private residential facilities for U.S. youth has grown exponentially, and many are neither licensed as mental health programs by states, nor accredited by recognized national accrediting organizations. Unregulated residential programs have been linked to reports of youth mistreatment, abuse, and death, as well as exploitation of families. This presentation will provide a description of the phernomenon in terms of common program features and the range of mistreatment reported, including harsh discipline, inappropriate seclusion and restraint, substandard psychotherapeutic interventions conducted by unqualified staff, medical and nutritional neglect, and rights violations. The presenters will then describe the conditions that seem to have facilitated the proliferation of such programs, in terms of unmet need, modern-day marketing strategies, adjunctive service industries including educational consultation and "escort" / transport services, the lack of existent and consistent regulation, and the absence of research. Finally recommendations regarding the coordination of a response to this complex phenomenon will be outlined.

Presentation Time: 1:15 PM - 2:15 PM

Transformation through Advocacy for Reform: Grass Roots Efforts to Respond to Concerns Regarding Unregulated Residential Treament Facilities

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Presenting: Nicki Bush; Paul Lewis; Allison Pinto; Christina Kloker Young; Kathryn Whitehead

All Authors for this paper: Nicki Bush; Paul Lewis; Allison Pinto; Christina Kloker Young; Kathryn Whitehead

Presentation Type: element of symposium

Synopsis: The Alliance for safe, Therapeutic and Appropriate use of Residential Treament (ASTART) formed in response to growing concerns regarding unregulated residential treament facilities, and as such can serve as a case study of cross-sector efforts to transform children's services through advocacy for reform. The presentaion will review the course of this group's development, as mental health professionals and advocates joined with former program participants, families, and former program employees to affect change. The power of shared passion to fuel effective group planning and action will be described, and then advocacy for reform will be discussed from the perspectives of program participants, families, and professionals, with an emphasis on issues relating to information flow and strategies for effectively "getting the word out." Examples of efforts to engage other former program participants, mental health professionals, legislators, policy makers and the media will be provided, as a means of illustrating concrete efforts to increase public awareness and create a network of concerned citizens. Implications and recommendations for research regarding grass roots to transform services and systems will be presented.

Presentation Time: 1:15 PM - 2:15 PM

Fidelity to Core Values -- Easier Said than Done: Navigating How and When to Respond to Concerns in the Absence of Data

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Presenting: Lenore Behar; Nicki Bush; Amy Green; Monica Epstein

All Authors for this paper: Lenore Behar; Nicki Bush; Amy Green; Monica Epstein

Presentation Type: element of symposium

Synopsis: Unregulated residential programs have been linked to youth abuse and death in accounts published by investigative reporters and in reports from former residents, staff and parents. To date, there have been no descriptive or outcome studies by independent evaluators outside the industry providing comprehensive data on the types or effectiveness of services provided by these facilities. This lack of data poses a problem for social scientists, policy makers, systems of care leaders, pracitioners, and family members. Although scientific data collection is imperative to this issue, recommendations are provided for these key stakeholders regarding how to proceed without data, specifically with regard to identifying best practices, stimulating research and evaluation, and prompting corrective action in the field.

Presentation Time: 1:15 PM - 2:15 PM