Troubled Teen Industry Timeline
In 1912, Helen T. Devereux, a special education teacher, founded the first Devereux school in Philadelphia. She began to acquire properties and expand her operation until she officially established the Devereux Foundation as a nonprofit organization in 1938. It expanded through the years to 13 U.S. States and is one…
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Founded in 1915, The Sonia Shankman Orthogenic School, also known simply as the Orthogenic School or informally as the O’School, is a residential treatment center a day school, and a therapeutic school for children and adolescents typically classified as emotionally challenged. The Orthogenic School specialized in the treatment of youth…
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Mr. and Mrs. Bert Brown found the Brown Schools in San Marcos, TX. Mr. Brown was an accomplished writer at the time and Mrs. Brown was a former school teacher. Their goal was to establish a school for “children who had not developed normally.” In a newspaper article, Mr. Brown…
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Campbell Loughmiller was hired by the Dallas Salesmanship Club to run a camp for underprivileged and troubled teens. It is unknown what credentials that Campbell Loughmiller had to run such a camp at the time. He later went on to write a book on his experiences running the program. According…
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Lester Roloff incorporates the Roloff Evangelistic Enterprises to pursue full-time evangelism. Most notably, Roloff preached against homosexuality, communism, television, alcohol, tobacco, drugs, gluttony, and psychology.
Roloff began ministering to alcoholic and homeless men. During this time, he established his first mission house in 1954. He eventually added additional children’s homes throughout Texas, Oklahoma, and Georgia. In 1968, he started establishing Roloff homes for females. Below is a list of some of the Roloff homes for…
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Synanon was founded by Charles E. “Chuck” Dederich Sr. as a drug rehabilitation program. Dederich was an alcoholic high school dropout who was inspired by utopian notions put forth by Henry David Thoreau and BF Skinner. In Synanon, members were required to take part in a practice known as “The…
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Daytop Village was founded by Monsignor William B. O’Brien and Daniel Harold Casriel as a drug and alcohol rehabilitation center for adults. Prior to Daytop Village, Casriel had spent time in Synanon in 1962 and was so impressed that he gave several Synanon members funding to start a community on…
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During his undergraduate studies at BYU, Larry Dean Olsen was promised $90 to teach survival skills without modern gear to his fellow students. After an influx of students showed up for his month-long course, the school increased his pay to continue these courses. The university noticed that the students had…
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Hyde School was founded by Joe Gauld in 1966. Joe Gauld previously worked as an educator and has a degree in business and math. Hyde is marketed as a behavior modification program for teenagers with emotional or behavioral problems and caters to children between the ages of 14-18. Throughout its…
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In 1967, Mel Wasserman and his wife Brigitta founded CEDU Educational Services, Inc in California. Mel Wasserman had previously sponsored recovering addicts at nearby Synanon and highly regarded Charles E. Dederich. The name, CEDU, was thought to be an acronym for “Charles E. Dederich University.” Several Synanon acolytes worked at…
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Elan School was founded in 1970 by psychiatrist Gerald Davidson, investor David Goldberg, and college drop-out Joseph Ricci. Joseph Ricci was a former heroin addict and former resident of Daytop Village – a direct Synanon spin-off program. In Elan’s infancy, it housed primarily adults with a sole emphasis on addiction.…
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The Seed was founded by Arthur Robert Barker in 1970 as a drug rehabilitation center. During its time in operation, The Seed had locations throughout Florida. Prior to his time at Seed, Barker was a stand-up comedian and recovering alcoholic with no prior qualifications or credentials. He modeled The Seed…
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The Judge Rotenberg Educational Center (JRC) was founded in 1971 by Matthew Israel. Similar to Provo Canyon School, it is a behaviorist program that is inspired by Skinnerian ideas. JRC relies heavily on aversion therapy with aversive such as contingent food programs, long-term restraints, sensory deprivation, and electric shock. The…
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Provo Canyon School was founded in 1971 by Dr. Robert Crist and Jack Williams. Initially, it was a boys-only school with a campus located in Provo, Ut. Later, they expanded to open a girls’ program in nearby Orem, UT (which later moved to Springville, UT in the mid-2000s). Provo Canyon…
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Straight, Inc was founded in 1976 by Mel and Betty Sembler in Florida after their son attended a Synanon spin-off program called The Seed.” It was created as a drug treatment program for children aged 12-21. Straight, Inc modeled much of its program after The Seed. It expanded quickly and…
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Founded in 1979, Universal Health Services, Inc. (UHS) provides hospital and healthcare services. It is based in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania. In 2020, its annual revenues were $11.6 billion. In 1983, UHS purchased Qualicare, Inc. for more than $116 million. The purchase included 11 acute care hospitals and four behavioral…
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KIDS Centers of America were a chain of drug treatment centers for teenagers founded by anthropologist Miller Newton. Previously, Miller Newton was the National Clinical Director for Straight, Inc in Florida. He left Florida in the midst of abuse allegations being lobbed against Straight, Inc and would later form KIDS…
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In 1987, three former Provo Canyon School employees – Robert Lichfield, Karr Farnsworth, and Brent Facer – opened Cross Creek Manor which would be the first of many schools. Later, Robert Lichfield incorporated the World Wide Association of Specialty Programs and Schools (WWASP) and programs operating under the Cross Creek…
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Aspen Education Group (AEG) was formed in 1997 as a spin-off of College Health Enterprises. In late 2006, Bain Capital acquired Aspen Education Group for $300 million and became a subsidiary of Bain Capital’s CRC Health Group. In the 2009 timeframe, Aspen closed six programs. In March 2011, Aspen announced…
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The National Association of Therapeutic Schools and Programs (NATSAP) is a United States trade organization of therapeutic schools, residential treatment programs, wilderness programs, outdoor therapeutic programs, young adult programs, and home-based residential programs for adolescents and young adults with emotional and behavioral difficulties. It was formed in January 1999 by…
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HEAL (Human Earth Animal Liberation Mission) first appeared at UW in 2002 as a registered student organization and later became COPE Ministries – a registered nonprofit church in the state of Washington. HEAL is headed by the Reverend Angela Smith who is a survivor of the infamous Provo Canyon School. …
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Sequel Youth and Family Services is a private for-profit firm based in Huntsville, Alabama that runs a nationwide system of residential treatment, private pay residential, therapeutic group homes, community-based programs, and alternative education services in the United States. Sequel operates programs out of over a dozen states catering to troubled…
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The Community Alliance For the Ethical Treatment of Youth (CAFETY) was an advocacy group for people enrolled in residential treatment programs for at-risk teenagers. The group’s mission includes advocating for access to advocates, due process, alternatives to aversive behavioral interventions, and alternatives to restraints and seclusion for young people in…
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The SIA Organization is a survivor and advocacy support nonprofit organization that was formed by survivors in 2011. Over the course of 10 years, SIA hosted a number of rallies, newsworthy events, and campaigns. Most notably, SIA supported and promoted private alternative boarding schools and outdoor programs legislation in California…
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After emotional testimony from advocate Jen Shaw and program survivor Emily Carter, SB 267 passes in Montana. SB 267, sponsored by Sen. Diane Sands, D-Missoula, terminated the Board of Private Alternative Adolescent Residential or Outdoor Programs (PAARP) under the Department of Labor and Industry and moved programs under the state…
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After emotional testimony from advocate Jen Shaw and survivors, SB 267 passes in Montana. The bill protects vulnerable persons in residential and outdoor programs from sexual predators by declaring in law that persons under the care of employees for the program cannot consent to a worker affiliated with the program.
Amanda Householder, daughter of Circle of Hope owners Boyd and Stephanie Householder, bravely speaks out on TikTok about the abuse at her parent's program. On her Tiktok, she releases a secretly recorded video of her father ordering someone to hit one of the girls. This video quickly becomes viral and…
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Paris Hilton releases her documentary, “This is Paris.” In her documentary, she discloses about her time in the infamous Provo Canyon School and the abuses she suffered there. During the course of the film, she meets with friends from the former program and advocates with the hopes of bringing public…
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After at least 24 children were removed by local child protective services in August 2020 and multiple lawsuits were filed against the Householders in September, Boyd Householder stated to the Kansas City Star that the ranch was closed for good.
Paris Hilton joins survivors and peaceful protesters for ‘Breaking Code Silence.’ Hilton and others shared experiences and talked about the legal action moving forward. “Just walking outside in Provo right now with hundreds of people holding signs, it’s just an incredible feeling and I know that we are going to…
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Paris Hilton and Breaking Code Silence Senior Government Coordinator, Caroline Cole, testify at a state Senate committee hearing at the Utah Capitol in favor of the bill that would require more government oversight of youth residential treatment centers and require them to document when they use restraints. The measure passed…
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On March 9, 2021, Boyd and Stephanie Householder were taken into state custody. The Missouri Attorney General's office announced that Boyd is being charged with 79 felony counts and 1 misdemeanor, including charges for child molestation and sodomy. Stephanie was also charged with 22 felony counts; all for child abuse…
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On March 22nd, 2021, Breaking Code Silence was incorporated as a non-profit corporation in California. The mission of Breaking Code Silence is to prevent institutional child abuse in residential facilities and to empower adult survivors to engage in positive self-advocacy. We utilize education, outreach, research, and community organizing to protect…
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Paris Hilton and Caroline Cole of Breaking Code Silence returned to Salt Lake City for a ceremonial bill signing for a law that regulates treatment centers for troubled teens in Utah. The legislation for facilities that treat teens with behavioral and mental health issues gained final approval in the Legislature…
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Missouri state agencies gain more oversight authority over religious private facilities for troubled teens under a new law written in response to former students’ complaints of abuse. The law was drafted after women who had been placed at the Circle of Hope Girls’ Ranch in rural Missouri came forward with…
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Oregon State Senator Sara Gelser and advocates had previously rallied to pass her bill, SB749, which would regulate the educational consultant industry that refers children to wilderness and residential programs. On July 23rd, 2021, the governor of Oregon signed the bill into law and made Oregon the first state to…
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Oregon State Senator Sara Gelser and advocates had previously rallied to pass her bill, SB710, which would prohibit deadly prone and supine restraints in Oregon residential programs. On August 6th, 2021, SB710 was signed into law on the same day that would have been Cornelius Frederick’s 18th birthday if he…
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Caroline Cole, the former Legislative Director of Breaking Code Silence, and Paris Hilton travel to Washington DC to unveil the Accountability for Congregate Care Act (ACCA). The Accountability for Congregate Care Act will lay the groundwork for what Hilton and Cole refer to as a “bill of rights” for young…
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We Warned Them officially launches as a national coalition that consists of survivors of the TTI, activists, advocates, like-minded organizations and allies. Their goal is to show up to hold elected officials accountable for the continued civil rights violations, exploitation and abuse that at-risk youth are forced to endure in…
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Unsilenced (US) is a survivor-led non-profit organization that was born out of a grassroots movement to stop institutional child abuse that has spanned over multiple decades. US has evolved from a hashtag (#BreakingCodeSilence) to a social movement, to a groundbreaking nonprofit corporation!
Trapped In Treatment is a docu-style podcast series from Paris Hilton, London Audio, iHeartMedia, and Warner Bros. Unscripted Television in association with Telepictures, that examined and exposed the dark secrets of the “Troubled Teen Industry.” Beginning with Provo Canyon School, each season focuses on the story of one youth treatment…
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Unsilenced is officially a 501c3 non-profit organization! While we had been an organization for a few months, we had been operating under a fiscal sponsorship which limited our organization's access to important resources and funding. In just 13 days after applying, we were able to be approved for 501c3 status.
A team of reporters from three news organizations has spent the last year digging into the untold stories of Utah's massive teen treatment industry. Some 20,000 teenagers facing depression, delinquency and other problems have been sent there from every state in the country over the last six years. Sent Away…
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Unsilenced leads an in-person survivor gathering in Washington DC to rally for legislative change. Over 200+ survivors, allies, and advocates gathered in DC for several days to meet with officials to rally support for legislative change. Events in DC included: Group sign-making A press conference near the Capitol Building Survivor…
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Sens. Patty Murray, D-Wash., and Ron Wyden, D-Ore., sent letters Thursday to the heads of four of the largest companies and organizations operating residential treatment facilities across the country — Vivant Behavioral Healthcare, Universal Health Services, Acadia Healthcare and Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health — requesting information about each location and…
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Utilizing our extensive networks of survivors and allies, Project SPEAK will enter communities, both physically and virtually, to educate school and judicial systems, child placing agencies, healthcare professionals, and insurance companies on the Troubled Teen Industry. Project SPEAK will arm decision makers with the knowledge they need to promote equitable…
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This initiative provides Survivor Independent Packs for survivors who have aged out of a facility and are re-entering society after leaving the program. The packs contain a laptop and extensive resources surrounding education, careers, reintegration into society, mental health, and life skills. The Survivor Empowerment Initiative also facilities monthly support…
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The program archive reaches over 75,000 items spanning over 3,500+ facilities. This is the single largest database of current and historical facility information on the internet.
We Warned Them becomes an official non-profit. To learn more about the We Warned Them Coalition, visit wewarnedthem.org
The program archive reaches over 100,000 items spanning over 3,500+ facilities. This is the single largest database of current and historical facility information on the internet.