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The Unsilenced Investigative Research Team

The Troubled Teen Industry in Alabama

Impact Report

2022

Impact Report

2022

Introduction

The ‘troubled teen’ industry is a network of residential programs that claim to provide treatment for the behavioral and developmental needs of youth. The industry’s lack of transparency and accountability has led to widespread abuse of youth, resulting in hospitalizations, prolonged trauma and death.

Today, there are an estimated 120,000 – 200,000 minors in residential programs across the United States. These youth are placed each year by state child welfare agencies, juvenile justice courts, mental health providers, refugee resettlement agencies, school districts’ individualized education programs, and by parents.

Many of these youth have trauma histories, which are only exacerbated by being removed from their communities and institutionalized. Youth with lived experience describe these programs as being carceral, harsh, and abusive.

An estimated $23 billion dollars of public funds annually are used to place youth in residential programs. Daily rates for residential treatment ranges from $250-$800, costing up to $292,000 per year, per child.

It is overwhelmingly clear that our communities and agencies are over-relying on residential placements that are negatively impacting the youth they serve.

Introduction

The ‘troubled teen’ industry is a network of residential programs that claim to provide treatment for the behavioral and developmental needs of youth. The industry’s lack of transparency and accountability has led to widespread abuse of youth, resulting in hospitalizations, prolonged trauma and death.

Today, there are an estimated 120,000 – 200,000 minors in residential programs across the United States. These youth are placed each year by state child welfare agencies, juvenile justice courts, mental health providers, refugee resettlement agencies, school districts’ individualized education programs, and by parents.

Many of these youth have trauma histories, which are only exacerbated by being removed from their communities and institutionalized. Youth with lived experience describe these programs as being carceral, harsh, and abusive.

An estimated $23 billion dollars of public funds annually are used to place youth in residential programs. Daily rates for residential treatment ranges from $250-$800, costing up to $292,000 per year, per child.

It is overwhelmingly clear that our communities and agencies are over-relying on residential placements that are negatively impacting the youth they serve.

Alabama Statistics

$68+

Million Dollars

Alabama spends every year placing youth in Residential Facilities despite evidence indicating that these facilities are ineffective.

3,132

Foster Care Youth

placed in residential facilities through Child Welfare programs in 2019.

798

Juvenile Justice Youth

placed in residential facilities through Juvenile Justice programs in 2019.

  • 444 minors were committed as part of a court-ordered disposition
  • 306 minors detained while awaiting a court hearing, adjudication, disposition, or placement elsewhere
  • 45 minors were voluntarily admitted to a residential facility in lieu of adjudication as part of a diversion agreement

Alabama Statistics

$68+

Million Dollars

Alabama spends every year placing youth in Residential Facilities despite evidence indicating that these facilities are ineffective.

3,132

Foster Care Youth

placed in residential facilities through Child Welfare programs in 2019.

798

Juvenile Justice Youth

placed in residential facilities through Juvenile Justice programs in 2019.

  • 444 minors were committed as part of a court-ordered disposition
  • 306 minors detained while awaiting a court hearing, adjudication, disposition, or placement elsewhere
  • 45 minors were voluntarily admitted to a residential facility in lieu of adjudication as part of a diversion agreement

An Alabama Problem

A team of researchers reviewed 230 studies of residential treatment facilities from around the nation and found there was no evidence that they were effective.

In 2019, Alabama was home to 1,088,306 minors, including 5,756 minors in foster care.

Alabama requires Residential Facilities serving minors to obtain a license but does not provide adequate oversight.

Alabama sends minors out-of-state despite evidence indicating youth are best served in their communities. 

Alabama lacks the necessary community resources to keep minors out of residential facilities.

Despite the requirement to register, there is not a list of providers available to the public.

  • January 2018, the department shall register any religious, faith-based, or church nonprofit, other nonprofit, or for-profit affiliated youth residential facility, youth social rehabilitation facility, community treatment facility for youths, youth transitional care facility, long term youth residential facility, private alternative boarding school, private alternative outdoor program, and any organization entrusted with the residential care of children in any organizational form or combination defined by this section, whenever children are housed at the facility or location of the program for a period of more than 24 hours

Illustration by Spencer Holladay, USA Today Network; Getty Images

Many kids don’t get help. Others never needed institutional care in the first place.”

Fred Clasen-Kelly, Amritpal Kaur Sandhu-Longoria, Rachel Berry, Brad Zinn, Kristen Johnson, Brian Gordon
The Fayetteville Observer

Current Oversight

The Department of Human Resources is responsible for prescribing and publishing minimum standards for licensing and approving all child-care facilities. “Minimum Standards for Residential Child Care Facilities,” are applicable to:

FACILITY FOR CHILD CARE OR CHILD CARE FACILITY

A facility established by any person, group of persons, agency association or organization, whether established for gain or otherwise, who or which receives or arranges for care replacement of one or more children, unrelated to the operator of the facility, apart from the parents, with or without the transfer of the right of custody, in any facility as defined in this chapter, established and maintained for the care of children.

CHILD CARE INSTITUTION OR INSTITUTION FOR CHILD CARE

  • A child care facility where more than 10 children are received and maintained for the purpose of providing them with care or training or both, or a transitional living program services, but does not include:
  • Any institution for child care which is under the ownership or control, or both, of the State of Alabama, or which is operated or certified or licensed by another agency or department of the state of Alabama;
  • Any juvenile detention home established and operated by the state of Alabama;
  • Any bona fide boarding school in which children are primarily taught branches of education corresponding to those taught in schools, grades 1 through 12, or taught in public elementary schools, high schools, or both elementary and high school.

MATERNITY CENTER

A facility in which any person, agency or corporation receives or cares for one or more minor pregnant girls, except that the term does not include hospitals

GROUP HOME

A child care facility where at least seven but not more than 10 children are received and maintained for the purpose of providing them with care or training or both, or transitional living services.

SHELTER CARE

The temporary care of children in group homes, foster care or other non-penal facilities. (Acts 1975, No 1205, §5-101.)

TRANSITIONAL LIVING FACILITY

A child care facility where at least seven but not more than 10 children are received and maintained for the purpose of providing them with care or training or both, or transitional living services.

INTENSIVE RESIDENTIAL SERVICES FOR CHILDREN

The Alabama Department of Human Resources intends to negotiate contracts with the Vendors to provide Intensive Residential Services in Alabama.

THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH

  • Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facilities (PRTF) A psychiatric hospital enrolled as a Medicaid provider or a psychiatric residential treatment facility (RTF) which is accredited by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO), the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF), the Council on Accreditation of Services for Families and Children (COA), or by another accrediting organization with comparable standards that is recognized by the State, that meets pertinent regulations and provides a range of comprehensive services to treat the psychiatric condition of residents under the age of 21 on an inpatient basis under the direction of a physician. The purpose of such comprehensive services is to improve the resident’s condition or prevent further regression so that the services will no longer be needed.
  • Therapeutic Boarding Schools

ALABAMA DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH

Requires licensing and applies to hospitals. The Division of Health Care Facilities certifies facilities for participation in the Medicare and/or Medicaid programs; works to ensure the level of care being delivered complies with state and federal standards and is continually upgraded; and makes sure patients/residents are protected from abuse and neglect.

ALABAMA DEPARTMENT OF YOUTH SERVICES

DYS is the licensing agent for justice-involved residential programs and follows American Correctional Association (ACA) Standards when approving facilities for licensure. There are currently 62 licensed programs in the state which adhere to ACA standards in the development of policy and practices. Categories monitored include: Contract Providers, Detention Facilities, Short-term Detention, Residential Facilities, Day Treatment Programs, and Outdoor Adventure Treatment Programs.

RESIDENTIAL CONTRACT PROVIDERS – 10 Facilities Including:

  • Secure residential treatment centers
  • Non-secure residential treatment centers
  • Group homes

INSTITUTIONAL SERVICES – 3 Facilities Including:

  • Mt. Meigs – The Mt. Meigs facility is the most secure and houses older youth
  • Vacca
  • Autauga Campuses

DETENTION CENTERS – 12 Facilities Including:

  • Detention Centers
  • Group Homes and
  • Residential Facilities

Abuse and Neglect

Minors residing in Residential Facilities in Alabama are at-risk for abuse, neglect and long-term harm

Alabama determined that at least 8 Group Home and Residential Facility Staff Members and 9 Foster Parents caused or knowingly allowed the maltreatment of a child in 2020

Monitoring for Courtland reveals unsafe, squalid living conditions and a disturbing cultural and problematic environment that further traumatizes extremely vulnerable children.

– Alabama Disabilities Advocacy Rights

Additional Information

Unsilenced Program Database: Alabama Programs

Contact: info@unsilenced.org

There are over 100+ residential facilities for minors in Alabama documented in the Unsilenced Archive. Listings include news articles, incident reports, lawsuits, and personal accounts from former attendees.

The information provided within UnSilenced.org is for general informational purposes only. All information is provided in good faith. However, we do not warrant, endorse, guarantee, or assume responsibility for the accuracy or reliability of any information offered by third-party posters, testimonials, comments, or submissions. Most information posted reflects the opinion of the writer and does not directly reflect the views, or positions of the owners of UnSilenced.org
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