For years, the at-risk youth industry has been under fire for its treatment of vulnerable children, with numerous reports of abuse, mistreatment, and systemic harm emerging from residential treatment facilities across the nation. In a recent report released by the U.S. Senate Finance Committee, these longstanding issues have been formally recognized, prompting a renewed call for oversight, regulation, and reform. This scathing report highlights the entrenched patterns of abuse that have plagued the industry and calls for bold intervention to prevent further harm to at-risk youth.
The Findings of the Senate Finance Committee Report
The Senate Finance Committee’s report, unveiled on Wednesday, takes a close look at the at-risk youth industry, detailing the ways in which large players in the field—such as Universal Health Services (UHS), Acadia Healthcare Co., Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health, and Vivant Behavioral Healthcare—have been involved in mistreatment and systemic abuse. The report confirms what many survivors and critics have long known: harm, abuse, and indignities are not just isolated incidents but are routine parts of the industry’s business model.
At the core of the findings is the assertion that the business model of many residential treatment facilities (RTFs) incentivizes the mistreatment of children. These facilities, which provide long-term care for children with behavioral or mental health issues, are often operated with a primary goal of profit maximization. This financial motivation leads to understaffing, inadequate treatment, and a general lack of oversight, all of which contribute to the widespread abuse and neglect within the system.
The report states, “The harms, abuses, and indignities children in [residential treatment facilities] have experienced and continue to experience today occur inevitably and by design: they are the direct causal result of a business model that has incentive to treat children as payouts and provide less than adequate safety and behavioral health treatment in order to maximize operating and profit margin.”
The Role of Paris Hilton in Bringing Attention to the Issue
One of the most powerful moments in the report’s release was the involvement of Paris Hilton, a high-profile media personality who has become an outspoken advocate for reform in the at-risk youth industry. Hilton, who is a self-described survivor of the at-risk youth system, has used her platform to bring attention to the mistreatment she endured at a residential treatment facility during her youth. She has become a symbol of resilience for many who have suffered in the system and has worked tirelessly to expose the industry’s flaws.
Hilton’s personal experience with abuse in a treatment facility was a key motivating factor in her advocacy. In a video statement released on the same day as the report’s unveiling, Hilton expressed how the report’s findings validated her own experiences and echoed her call for change. “After reading it, I honestly have never felt so seen and heard: it validates everything that I’ve been fighting for over the past four years,” Hilton said. “As a survivor, please do something. I am begging you to protect your constituents before it’s too late.”
Hilton’s support for the Senate Finance Committee’s investigation and her participation in the proceedings helped amplify the voices of countless survivors and bring much-needed attention to the systemic issues within the at-risk youth industry. Her personal testimony serves as a powerful reminder that the victims of these facilities are not just numbers or faceless statistics—they are real people whose lives have been impacted by the failures of a broken system.
The Calls for Reform
In the wake of the report’s release, both lawmakers and advocacy groups are calling for significant changes to the way the at-risk youth industry is regulated and monitored. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, emphasized the need for bold action to ensure that children are no longer subjected to the abuse and neglect that have been allowed to persist in these facilities. Wyden, along with other experts and advocates, argues that current laws and oversight mechanisms are woefully inadequate and that Congress must act swiftly to protect vulnerable youth.
Wyden’s Republican counterpart, Senator Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), also voiced his concern about the findings of the report, describing them as “deeply disturbing.” He stressed that the chronic patterns of failure within the at-risk youth system must be addressed and that the industry’s flaws cannot be ignored any longer.
The Senate Finance Committee’s report includes several key recommendations for reform, which focus on improving oversight, prioritizing community-based services, and ensuring that children receive care in safe, dignified environments. These recommendations can be broken down into three main points:
- Ensuring Safe and Dignified Treatment in Home-Like Settings: The report calls for a shift away from institutionalized care and toward a system that prioritizes home-like settings for children. This would allow children to receive the care and support they need in a more nurturing, less restrictive environment.
- Government Prioritization of Community-Based Services: The report urges state governments to prioritize community-based care options for at-risk youth, moving away from the historic reliance on residential treatment facilities. By emphasizing community-based services, children can receive the care they need in their own communities, which can be less traumatic and more effective.
- More Effective Oversight of Facilities: The report calls for increased scrutiny of residential treatment facilities and greater enforcement of standards. It also recommends that the U.S. Department of Justice step in to ensure that the provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) are upheld within the industry, particularly the Olmstead decision, which mandates that individuals with disabilities be treated in the least restrictive setting possible.
The Financial and Legal Consequences for At-Risk Youth Providers
The Senate Finance Committee’s report also highlights the significant financial and legal consequences faced by major players in the at-risk youth industry. Companies such as Acadia Healthcare and Universal Health Services (UHS) have been subject to multimillion-dollar settlements and court rulings in recent years due to the abuses that have taken place within their facilities.
For example, in July 2023, Acadia Healthcare was ordered to pay $405 million in damages following a civil lawsuit involving the sexual abuse of a minor at a now-defunct facility. In October 2023, the company agreed to settle three additional cases related to abuse at the same facility, totaling $400 million. Similarly, UHS was ordered to pay $535 million in April 2023 after a court ruled that a child sexually abused another child at one of its facilities in Champaign, Illinois.
These financial settlements, while significant, do little to address the systemic problems within the industry. The report suggests that these legal consequences, though painful, are not enough to drive the necessary changes in the way the industry operates. In fact, the report argues that these types of settlements may only serve to exacerbate the industry’s reliance on a profit-driven model that places children at risk.
The Future of the At-Risk Youth Industry
In light of the Senate Finance Committee’s findings, some companies in the at-risk youth industry are already making changes to their business models. For instance, Embark Behavioral Health, a major care provider based in Chandler, Arizona, has announced that it will abandon wilderness therapy in favor of residential treatment facilities and outpatient services. While this shift may seem like a positive step toward improving care, it also underscores the growing concern that the at-risk youth industry is focused on expanding institutionalized care rather than shifting toward more community-based solutions.
The committee’s report is clear: if these systemic issues are to be addressed, bold intervention is necessary. The report calls on Congress to act swiftly and decisively to ensure that the children in these facilities are no longer treated as mere commodities, and that their safety and well-being are prioritized over corporate profits.
Conclusion
The Senate Finance Committee’s report has brought much-needed attention to the deeply ingrained issues within the at-risk youth industry. It underscores the need for reform and highlights the serious consequences of the profit-driven model that has allowed abuse and neglect to flourish. With the support of survivors like Paris Hilton and a growing chorus of advocates, lawmakers are now facing pressure to take swift action to protect vulnerable children from further harm. The road to reform will not be easy, but the time to act is now. If Congress fails to intervene, the cycle of abuse and mistreatment will likely continue, leaving generations of children to suffer in silence.
