Troubled Teen Industry Lawsuit

A troubled teen industry lawsuit seeks justice and compensation from residential programs that abused those in their care. These programs, which placed profits over the well-being of the vulnerable children they were supposed to protect, are now facing allegations of physical and sexual abuse. See if we can help you take legal action against the facility that caused you harm.

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Why Take Legal Action?

By filing a lawsuit, you can pursue financial compensation and justice from those who caused you or a loved one harm.

Fact-Checked and Legally Reviewed by: LawFirm.com

Last updated: Jul 01, 2024

Allegations of Abuse at Youth Residential Treatment Programs

A Senate Finance Committee report released in June 2024 has sounded an alarm over the risk of abuse at residential treatment facilities in the United States. The report, called “Warehouses of Neglect,” says children sent to residential treatment facilities are not receiving proper care.

Instead, companies are filling their programs to capacity and reducing the number of qualified staff in order to maximize their profits.

The two-year government investigation revealed that children in these programs were at risk of physical, sexual, and emotional abuse by staff and peers.

“These harms amount to acute safety concerns and have long-term effects, including suffering, trauma and even death.”

– U.S. Senate report, Warehouses of Neglect

The Senate report concluded that these issues are integral to how the treatment facilities operate, rather than isolated incidents that occurred at specific programs.

Many survivors are taking legal action to make their voices heard and hold the companies that caused them harm accountable.

LawFirm.com has partnered with troubled teen industry lawyers who have secured over $9 billion for victims of injustice across the country. See if we can connect you with a top attorney who can fight for you.

Types of Abuse That Troubled Teens May Experience

Children placed in residential treatment programs “suffer routine harm,” according to the Warehouses of Neglect report.

Common harms endured at troubled teen industry programs include:

Inadequate medical care
Lack of supervision
Medication errors
Mental and emotional abuse
Neglect
Overmedication
Physical abuse
Restraints
Seclusion
Sexual abuse
Sleep deprivation
Suicide and other self-harm
Unsanitary conditions
Wrongful death

Untrained staff at residential treatment facilities often use restraints and isolation as punishment in a way that causes personal injury.

For example, at Piney Ridge Treatment Center in Acadia, Arkansas, staff simultaneously chemically restrained (overmedicated) and isolated children, which violates federal laws. In one 30-day period, 110 restraints and seclusions occurred.

The troubled teen industry documentary “The Program: Cons, Cults, and Kidnapping” exposes the horrors of the system. Directed by a survivor of Academy at Ivy Ridge, a boarding school in Ogdensburg, New York, the Netflix docuseries details alleged incidents of physical and sexual abuse.

“The program was so traumatizing, a lot of us tried to forget about it and pretend it didn’t happen. But now, people are starting to speak out.”

– Katherine Kubler, director of “The Program: Cons, Cults, and Kidnapping”

Call (888) 726-9160 right now to find out if you may be able to file an exploited teen industry lawsuit. There’s no cost to speak with a member of our team.

Who Can File a Troubled Teen Abuse Lawsuit?

You may be able to file a troubled teen abuse lawsuit if you:

Suffered mistreatment during your time in a youth residential program
Are the family member of someone who was injured or died due to abuse at a program

Victims only have a limited amount of time to file a lawsuit against a troubled teen program. State laws called statutes of limitations set deadlines for taking legal action, so it’s important to act quickly.

Our team is standing by ready to help anyone who may have been harmed by the troubled teen industry.

You can call (888) 726-9160, fill out our form, or start a chat with our case managers— whatever you’re most comfortable with. We’re here to support you in any way we can.

Qualifying Youth Residential Facilities

As many as 200,000 young people are currently living in some type of youth residential program in the U.S., according to the American Bar Association.

Youth residential programs include:

Boarding schools
Boot camps
Conversion therapy
Drug rehabilitation programs
Residential treatment facilities
Wilderness therapy camps
Youth rehabilitation centers

Troubled teens may be placed in these facilities by their parents or guardians, child welfare agencies, or the juvenile justice system. Some children living in troubled teen industry programs face abuse on an ongoing basis.

Did you know?

In one case, a jury awarded $38 million to a man who said he suffered more than 100 incidents of abuse while a resident at the Youth Development Center in Manchester, New Hampshire. Although the verdict is being contested, it shows courts are willing to hold negligent facilities accountable.

Get Help From a Troubled Teen Industry Lawyer

LawFirm.com works with troubled teen industry lawyers who can help survivors nationwide hold those who caused them harm responsible.

Our legal partners:

Are able to file lawsuits in all 50 states
Can stand up to powerful companies and level the playing field
Never charge any upfront costs or out-of-pocket fees

We believe that everyone who has been a victim of corporate greed and negligence deserves justice.

Call (888) 726-9160 now or fill in our contact form for a free, no-obligation case review.

Troubled Teen Industry Abuse Lawsuit FAQs

What is the troubled teen industry?

The troubled teen industry (TTI) is an unregulated billion-dollar business in which companies get paid to hold children with behavioral issues in residential treatment facilities (RTFs).

Troubled teen industry programs include boot camps, residential schools, and wilderness therapy programs.

Some programs have been accused of abusing the children in their care instead of providing them with the treatment, support, and safe environment promised. In some cases, dangerous practices have even resulted in troubled teen industry deaths.

How is the troubled teen industry still legal?

While the troubled teen industry is still legal, a scathing government report released in June 2024 may result in more oversight, as well as new systems to care for kids with behavioral needs.

In the meantime, some survivors are speaking out and taking legal action to hold negligent troubled teen industry corporations accountable for the suffering they’ve endured.

What’s the update on the troubled teen industry lawsuit?

Many survivors of abuse at troubled teen industry wilderness camps, residential schools, and other youth rehabilitation centers have begun filing lawsuits against the companies running these programs.

The lawsuits generally allege that the programs failed to provide adequate care and put children at risk of physical, sexual, and emotional abuse. In some cases, the abuse tragically resulted in troubled teen industry deaths.

One troubled teen industry class action lawsuit alleges that Trinity Teen Solutions, a therapeutic ranch in Wyoming, required the girls in its care to perform forced labor and subjected them to physical and emotional abuse.

How do I get help with a troubled teen abuse lawsuit?

The best way to get help with a troubled teen abuse lawsuit is to reach out to LawFirm.com.

We’ve partnered with troubled teen industry abuse lawyers who can help survivors in all 50 states.

Our legal partners have the resources to stand up to powerful teen industry companies and hold them accountable. Together, they’ve secured over $9 billion for victims of injustice nationwide.

See if we can connect you to a lawyer during a free case review.

What companies are involved in the troubled teen industry?

The Senate Committee on Finance investigated allegations of abuse and neglect at troubled teen residential treatment facilities run by four companies.

Those providers are:

Acadia Healthcare
Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health
Universal Health Services (UHS)
Vivant Behavioral Healthcare

The government group found that these companies filled facilities to their capacity and reduced the number of qualified staff in order to maximize their profits. As a result, children in their care were at risk of physical, sexual, and emotional abuse.

Even if the corporation that ran your program isn’t listed above, you may still be able to file a troubled teen industry lawsuit and hold the program that caused you to suffer accountable.

What is the Elevations lawsuit in Utah?

An 18-year-old man sued Elevations RTC, alleging that the Utah residential treatment facility kidnapped him from his Washington, D.C., home when he was 15 and abused and neglected him once he was in the program’s care.

Similar lawsuits have been filed against residential treatment programs like Elevations, which are considered part of the billion-dollar troubled teens industry.