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The Unsilenced Investigative Research Team

The Troubled Teen Industry in Texas

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.

Texas Statistics

$439+

Million Dollars

Federal funds spent on out-of-home child placement for Texas youth in 2018

$382+

Million Dollars

State/local funds spent on out-of-home child placement for Texas youth in 2018

$400

Per Day Per Child

Texas pays facilities per day for a child in a residential treatment center

15,728

Children Under 12

placed in residential facilities through Child Welfare programs in 2019

3,699

Juvenile Justice Youth

placed in residential facilities through Juvenile Justice programs in 2019

  • 1,953 minors were committed to a residential facility as part of a court ordered disposition
  • 1,722 minors were detained in a residential facility while awaiting a court hearing, adjudication, disposition or placement elsewhere
  • 18 minors were voluntarily admitted to a residential facility in lieu of adjudication as part of a diversion agreement

Texas Statistics

$439+

Million Dollars

Federal funds spent on out-of-home child placement for Texas youth in 2018

$382+

Million Dollars

State/local funds spent on out-of-home child placement for Texas youth in 2018

$400

Per Day Per Child

Texas pays facilities per day for a child in a residential treatment center

15,728

Children Under 12

placed in residential facilities through Child Welfare programs in 2019

3,699

Juvenile Justice Youth

placed in residential facilities through Juvenile Justice programs in 2019

  • 1,953 minors were committed to a residential facility as part of a court ordered disposition
  • 1,722 minors were detained in a residential facility while awaiting a court hearing, adjudication, disposition or placement elsewhere
  • 18 minors were voluntarily admitted to a residential facility in lieu of adjudication as part of a diversion agreement

A Texas 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, Texas was home to 7,399,810 minors, including 32,642 minors in foster care.

Texas has 264 Licensed Residential Facilities with a total capacity for 9178 minors. The facility types with the highest capacity for housing minors in Texas are:

  • 107 Residential Treatment Centers with a capacity for 3,324 minors
  • 81 Multiple Service Facilities with a capacity for 3,242 minors
  • 32 Child-care facility with a capacity for 1,651 minors

Texas recently sent 106 foster children out of state after failing to find in state placement

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

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

Child Protective Caseworkers (CPI/CPS) Number of Caseworkers

  • Child Protective Investigators: 2,687
  • Residential Child Care Investigators: 84
  • Day Care Investigators: 26
  • CPS Caseworkers: 3,780

The Texas Health and Human Services is responsible for licensing child-caring institutions and residential child-care facilities that serve minors. The Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) – Chapter 745 Minimum Standards.

General Residential Operations (GRO) includes Residential portion of Therapeutic Boarding schools

  • 32 Child-care facility – 1,651 Minors
  • 44 Emergency Care Service – 961 Minors
  • 107 Residential Treatment Center (RTC) – 3,324 Minors (Includes Therapeutic Boarding schools)
  • 81 Multiple Service Facilities – 3,242 Minors
  • 2 Wilderness Therapy Camps

The Health and Human Services Commission is responsible for developing rules that establish minimum standards for licensing requirements for private psychiatric hospitals. a) Routine surveys. The department may conduct a survey of a facility prior to the issuance of a license.

Abuse and Neglect

Youth residing in Residential Facilities in Texas are at-risk for abuse, neglect and long-term harm.

Texas determined that at least 150 Group Home and Residential Facility Staff Members and 100 Foster Parents caused or knowingly allowed the maltreatment of a child in 2019.

Media Coverage

Additional Information

Unsilenced Program Database: Texas Programs

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