Residential Treatment Programs: Concerns Regarding Abuse and Death in Certain Programs for Troubled Youth

Book excerpt: Residential treatment programs (RTP) provide a range of services, including drug & alcohol treatment, confidence building, military-style discipline, & psychological counseling for troubled boys & girls with a variety of addiction, behavioral, & emotional problems. This testimony concerns RTP referring to themselves as wilderness therapy programs, boot camps, & academies, among other names. Many cite positive outcomes assoc. with specific types of RTP. There are also allegations regarding the abuse & death of youth enrolled in RTP. This report: verifies whether allegations of abuse & death at RTP are widespread; & examines the facts & circumstances surrounding selected closed cases where a teenager died while enrolled in a private program.