Abusive Residential Care of Youth: Professional and Advocacy Response – This group of professionals and Advocates will introduce the audience to the phenomenon of abuse and maltreatment of youth in programs within the United States. These programs are either not regulated at all by states, or are “below the radar” of existing regulations. The audience will be treated to an example of collaboration between professionals and advocates that has begun to produce results. The chair, Dr. Huffine, will open with a brief overview of the problems in the “teen-help industry.” A representative of the Government Accountability Office will outline their investigation of this industry to date (or an alternate from Rep Miller’s EdLabCommittee)