The Gooned – Created by writer and journalist Emma Lehman, Gooned is a podcast about the Troubled Teen Industry (TTI), a network of for-profit congregate care facilities for youth ranging from wilderness programs to therapeutic boarding schools. The podcast covers the industry from early programs like Straight, Incorporated, to the state of the hundreds […]
Hell Camp: Teen Nightmare – Out-of-control teens across America were sent to a therapy camp in the harsh Utah desert. The conditions were brutal, but the staff were even worse.
Let Us Prey: A Ministry of Scandals – Let Us Prey examines the pain of survivors’ IFB members Ruthy Heiler, Kathy Durbin and Amanda Householder. Tell their stories of abuse at the hands of church leaders and the violence, manipulation and alleged cover-ups by other members.
American Bar Association Report 2023 – This report will proceed in four parts. The first part of the report will discuss the scope of the issue, include a brief discussion of existing research, challenges with current nomenclature, and assessment of the number of youth currently impacted, and provide a rough analysis of the financial […]
The Opportunist – The Opportunist tells true stories of regular people who turn sinister by embracing opportunity. How does an everyday person turn into a thief, a scammer or a cult leader? Perhaps the most dangerous person is the one who appears the most normal. Perhaps there is a dark potential lurking inside all […]
Our Healing Journey After Residential Treatment
by Valerie Wood-Lewis
If I had known then what I know now: that wilderness and residential treatment centers – more often than not – cause trauma to the adolescents they are set up to serve; I would not have made the choice to send […]
NeuroDefiant & Unsilenced – Join our newest support group. This aims to be a creative support space for neurodivergent survivors of the Troubled Teen Industry
10 Things
You Should Know About the
Troubled Teen Industry
“We were forced to endure verified brainwashing and abusive methods. For typically two days at a time, we were deprived of sleep and water.”
– Anonymous Survivor
“Our letters were censored, read, and occasionally fully confiscated before being sent to us […]
Hidden Lake Academy:
Unveiling the Dark Reality of Institutional Abuse
If you’ve been watching the news cycle lately, you might have seen a flurry of stories published about Clarence Thomas. One of the more significant stories published was an investigative piece by Propublica that exposed Clarence Thomas’ sent his […]
Project SPEAK: Tennessee Unsilenced
Our volunteers were recently given the opportunity to set up a booth at Nashville State Community College’s Spring Fair. During the two-day event, we were able to speak with students, faculty, and staff to educate and raise awareness of the Troubled Teen Industry. The response we received was […]
