Popular on TelAve
- Garage Door Scam Alert: Superior Overhead Doors Warns Tulsa Homeowners About Red Flags
- Century Fasteners Corp. Exhibiting at the 2025 International Paris Air Show
- Pregis Empowers Foam-in-Place Customers to Fight Water Insecurity with Inspyre Film
- Fusion Marketing Group Celebrates 15 Years of Transforming Healthcare Recruitment Marketing
- Western Carolina Emergency Network Accepts 2025 ReadyCommunities Partnership/CCROA National Service Award for Collaboration to Augment Local Response
- Shelter Structures America Appoints Shannon Heller as New Inventory Manager, Bolstering Operational Excellence in the Commercial Tent Industry
- Kaplan Morrell Applauds Passage of Landmark Workers' Compensation Reform in Colorado
- Experience Trembling Firsthand with the New AgeMan® Tremor Simulator
- A World First: The Global Naturism & Nudism Index Launched by NaturismRE™
- TEDxInglewood Returns to The Miracle Theater on August 9, 2025 — Celebrating Bold Ideas and Community Energy
Similar on TelAve
- AI-Based Neurotoxin Countermeasure Initiative Launched to Address Emerging National Security Needs: Renovaro, Inc. (N A S D A Q: RENB)
- Despite Global Calls for a Ban, US Child Psychiatry Pushes Electroshock for Kids
- Preliminary.online Introduces Short-Term Job-Readiness Courses with Employer-Verified Certifications
- Hamvay-Lang and Lampone.hu Join Forces with AIMarketingugynokseg.hu to Elevate Hungarian Lifestyle Brands on the Global Stage
- Byrd Davis Alden & Henrichson Launches Independence Day Safe Ride Initiative with 500 Free Uber Credits
- IRF Builders Forum Brings Global Leaders to Washington, D.C. to Advance Religious Freedom Through Cooperative Engagement
- $328 Million Global Stroke Rehab Market Opportunity Awaits AI Telehealth Leader Following Selection for NIH Funded Phase 3 Clinical Study: VSee Health
- New AI Academy Helps Therapists Embrace Tech Without Losing Their Humanity
- Coker Completes Acquisition of Healthcare Cost Solutions, a Leading Expert in Technology-Enabled Compliance Services
- Keepy Uppy™ by Ollyball Wins Prestigious 2025 Influencer Award from Clamour & The Toy Association; Announces Fall 2025 Launch at Target Stores
Urgent Reform Demanded to Stop Child Abuse in Youth Behavioral Facilities
TelAve News/10865426
Despite decades of investigations, fines, and federal mandates, abuse continues in psychiatric and behavioral institutions for youth. CCHR calls for immediate government action—not another three-year study—before more children are harmed.
LOS ANGELES - TelAve -- Amid a surge of reported abuse and deaths in psychiatric and behavioral residential programs for youth, the Citizens Commission on Human Rights International (CCHR) is urging immediate and sweeping federal intervention. CCHR warns that continued inaction by state and federal agencies endangers lives and enables a mental health system where vulnerable children and adolescents are subjected to trauma, neglect, and avoidable harm.
In December 2024, Congress passed the bipartisan Stop Institutional Child Abuse Act, calling for a study by the National Academies of Sciences into the state of youth in institutional programs. However, the legislation granted a three-year window to complete the investigation—a delay CCHR deems unconscionable now, given ongoing reports of harm.
"Children are dying. Others are being restrained, secluded, forcibly drugged, or sexually abused," said Jan Eastgate, president of CCHR International. "How many more cases of tragedy must occur before regulators respond with urgency? A three-year timeline is a death sentence for some of these children."
A 2024 peer-reviewed study in Psychiatric Services confirmed that the use of seclusion and mechanical restraints remains widespread in U.S. psychiatric hospitals, despite the documented trauma and risk of death. The study called on the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and The Joint Commission to implement reforms to end the practice.
A previous New York Times investigation estimated at least 86 deaths in youth behavioral programs from 2000 to 2015, noting that children in these institutions are often subjected to conditions that would be unlawful for prisoners—including isolation, and physical and chemical restraint.[1]
In just the past few weeks, a string of new incidents has surfaced from across the U.S. involving youth facilities, including:
Although multiple federal investigations have led to substantial fines and civil settlements, CCHR asserts these penalties have failed to deter misconduct, patient harm, and deaths. "Financial penalties are clearly not enough. Many of these settlements are treated as the cost of doing business," Eastgate noted. CCHR also emphasizes that current tools used by government agencies—such as consent agreements or Corporate Integrity Agreements (CIAs)—do not work. These measures allow institutions with a history of serious violations to remain operational after promising internal improvements. "Voluntary promises are violated again and again, and children suffer the consequences," Eastgate said. "These agreements create a dangerous illusion of accountability."
More on TelAve News
The organization is calling on Congress and the Administration to take such actions as:
In June 2024, a U.S. Senate Finance Committee report into several for-profit youth behavioral hospital chains described the harms children experienced resulted, in part, from financial models that prioritize revenue over safety. The Committee urged "bold intervention" to prevent further tragedies.
Prominent legal professionals agree. KBA attorney Kayla Ferrel Onder stated: "More effective oversight systems need to be in place to protect patients. This includes stricter penalties for facilities found guilty of abuse or fraud. Jail time for executives and significantly larger financial penalties may be necessary to curb misconduct prevalent in the behavioral healthcare industry."[7]
Attorney Tommy James cites horrendous physical abuse and emotional trauma in behavioral residential facilities, stating, "those responsible must be held accountable."[8] Another attorney, Kayla Ferrel Onder, said the abuse is so extensive that it reflected a "systemic failure," which needs to stop.[9]
CCHR maintains an extensive record of documented youth abuse in psychiatric facilities, including seclusion, restraint, sexual assault, and forced drugging. "Children should not be warehoused, abused, or silenced," said Eastgate. "What is happening now is a humanitarian crisis hiding in plain sight."
Quoting lawmakers who have supported the Stop Institutional Child Abuse Act, Rep. Ro Khanna stated: "The industry has gone unchecked for too long."[10] Senator Tommy Tuberville added: "We need more sunlight… to stop the waste, fraud, and abuse in the system."
"This is not a policy debate—it is a moral imperative," Eastgate concluded.
"We are calling on legislators, prosecutors, and health agencies to act now. No more broken promises. No more promises of avoidable deaths. No more children forgotten in the system."
About CCHR: The government-acclaimed watchdog and award-winning advocacy group was established in 1969 by the Church of Scientology and Professor of Psychiatry, Dr. Thomas Szasz.
More on TelAve News
Sources:
[1] Alexander Stockton, "Can you punish a child's mental health problems away?" The New York Times, 11 Oct. 2022, www.nytimes.com/interactive/2022/10/11/opinion/teen-mental-health-care.html
[2] Jeffery Collins, "Residential treatment school closes in North Carolina after deaths of 2 girls," AP News, 3 June 2025, apnews.com/article/therapy-school-closes-north-carolina-asheville-academy-9854c3ca7cda11cc06f05d9fccef4112
[3] "California watchdog finds for-profit psychiatric hospital abused patients," San Francisco Chronicle, 19 May 2025
[4] "Suit alleges teen repeatedly abused by worker at former youth residential treatment center," Santa Fe New Mexican, 29 May 2025, www.santafenewmexican.com/news/local_news/suit-alleges-teen-repeatedly-abused-by-worker-at-former-youth-residential-treatment-center/article_be37888c-4bbe-41db-bd35-c76f3c8eb6c1.html
[5] "Youth in Vermont custody have been physically restrained hundreds of times in recent years," VT Digger, 22 May 2025, vtdigger.org/2025/05/22/youth-in-vermont-custody-have-been-physically-restrained-hundreds-of-times-in-recent-years/
[6] legiscan.com/MD/text/SB400/id/3232730
[7] kbaattorneys.com/acadia-abuse-behavioral-health-facilities/
[8] Erica Thomas, "Tuskegee youth facility dubbed 'House of Horrors' in latest lawsuit," 1819 News, 27 Aug. 2024, 1819news.com/news/item/tuskegee-youth-facility-dubbed-house-of-horrors-in-latest-lawsuit
[9] "Letter: The alarming pattern of abuse at Acadia Healthcare facilities," Springfield Daily Citizen, 29 May 2025, sgfcitizen.org/voices-opinion/letters/letter-the-alarming-pattern-of-abuse-at-acadia-healthcare-facilities/
[10] www.cchrint.org/2024/12/27/paris-hilton-congress-praised-for-teen-behavioral-treatment-abuse-prevention-and-oversight/ citing khanna.house.gov/media/press-releases/khanna-merkley-cornyn-tuberville-and-carter-joined-paris-hilton-celebrating
In December 2024, Congress passed the bipartisan Stop Institutional Child Abuse Act, calling for a study by the National Academies of Sciences into the state of youth in institutional programs. However, the legislation granted a three-year window to complete the investigation—a delay CCHR deems unconscionable now, given ongoing reports of harm.
"Children are dying. Others are being restrained, secluded, forcibly drugged, or sexually abused," said Jan Eastgate, president of CCHR International. "How many more cases of tragedy must occur before regulators respond with urgency? A three-year timeline is a death sentence for some of these children."
A 2024 peer-reviewed study in Psychiatric Services confirmed that the use of seclusion and mechanical restraints remains widespread in U.S. psychiatric hospitals, despite the documented trauma and risk of death. The study called on the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and The Joint Commission to implement reforms to end the practice.
A previous New York Times investigation estimated at least 86 deaths in youth behavioral programs from 2000 to 2015, noting that children in these institutions are often subjected to conditions that would be unlawful for prisoners—including isolation, and physical and chemical restraint.[1]
In just the past few weeks, a string of new incidents has surfaced from across the U.S. involving youth facilities, including:
- Two girls, aged 12 and 13, died by suicide in May in a North Carolina behavioral treatment facility, forcing its closure.[2]
- Reports of hundreds of prolonged restraint incidents in a single California psychiatric facility within months.[3]
- A teenage boy was repeatedly sexually abused by staff at a New Mexico behavioral facility.[4]
- Seclusion and restraint of children as young as five; Vermont state authorities confirmed over 500 cases.[5]
- New legislation was passed in Maryland restricting the use of physical restraints during youth transport to psych facilities.[6]
Although multiple federal investigations have led to substantial fines and civil settlements, CCHR asserts these penalties have failed to deter misconduct, patient harm, and deaths. "Financial penalties are clearly not enough. Many of these settlements are treated as the cost of doing business," Eastgate noted. CCHR also emphasizes that current tools used by government agencies—such as consent agreements or Corporate Integrity Agreements (CIAs)—do not work. These measures allow institutions with a history of serious violations to remain operational after promising internal improvements. "Voluntary promises are violated again and again, and children suffer the consequences," Eastgate said. "These agreements create a dangerous illusion of accountability."
More on TelAve News
- AceMQ Unveils Advanced Containerization Solutions to Accelerate Digital Transformation
- $796,000 in Q2 Revenue Marks Highest Earnings to Date on 3 Trailing Quarters of Profitability in Multi-Billion Homebuilding Sector: Stock Symbol: IVDN
- Cybersecurity is THE Hot Market Sector; Revenues, Earnings & Profit matter; Only 33 Million Shares + a Huge Short Position Equal an Undervalued Stock
- Despite Global Calls for a Ban, US Child Psychiatry Pushes Electroshock for Kids
- Franco Polished Plaster Celebrates 35 Years of Bringing Walls to Life in the UK
The organization is calling on Congress and the Administration to take such actions as:
- Accelerate the Stop Institutional Child Abuse Act investigation
- Withhold CMS and Medicaid funding from facilities with substantiated abuse records
- Freeze new licenses or bed expansions for companies under investigation
- Establish criminal penalties for executives and staff found complicit in systemic abuse
- Prohibit the use of further Corporate Integrity or improvement agreements for known violators.
In June 2024, a U.S. Senate Finance Committee report into several for-profit youth behavioral hospital chains described the harms children experienced resulted, in part, from financial models that prioritize revenue over safety. The Committee urged "bold intervention" to prevent further tragedies.
Prominent legal professionals agree. KBA attorney Kayla Ferrel Onder stated: "More effective oversight systems need to be in place to protect patients. This includes stricter penalties for facilities found guilty of abuse or fraud. Jail time for executives and significantly larger financial penalties may be necessary to curb misconduct prevalent in the behavioral healthcare industry."[7]
Attorney Tommy James cites horrendous physical abuse and emotional trauma in behavioral residential facilities, stating, "those responsible must be held accountable."[8] Another attorney, Kayla Ferrel Onder, said the abuse is so extensive that it reflected a "systemic failure," which needs to stop.[9]
CCHR maintains an extensive record of documented youth abuse in psychiatric facilities, including seclusion, restraint, sexual assault, and forced drugging. "Children should not be warehoused, abused, or silenced," said Eastgate. "What is happening now is a humanitarian crisis hiding in plain sight."
Quoting lawmakers who have supported the Stop Institutional Child Abuse Act, Rep. Ro Khanna stated: "The industry has gone unchecked for too long."[10] Senator Tommy Tuberville added: "We need more sunlight… to stop the waste, fraud, and abuse in the system."
"This is not a policy debate—it is a moral imperative," Eastgate concluded.
"We are calling on legislators, prosecutors, and health agencies to act now. No more broken promises. No more promises of avoidable deaths. No more children forgotten in the system."
About CCHR: The government-acclaimed watchdog and award-winning advocacy group was established in 1969 by the Church of Scientology and Professor of Psychiatry, Dr. Thomas Szasz.
More on TelAve News
- Spartan & Guardians Partner with Guitar Legend Buckethead to Support Global Child Rescue Efforts
- Preliminary.online Introduces Short-Term Job-Readiness Courses with Employer-Verified Certifications
- Psychologist-Turned-Hermeticist Releases Modern Guide to the Seven Hermetic Principles
- Winners Announced for Asia Pacific Business Awards 2024-2025
- Hamvay-Lang and Lampone.hu Join Forces with AIMarketingugynokseg.hu to Elevate Hungarian Lifestyle Brands on the Global Stage
Sources:
[1] Alexander Stockton, "Can you punish a child's mental health problems away?" The New York Times, 11 Oct. 2022, www.nytimes.com/interactive/2022/10/11/opinion/teen-mental-health-care.html
[2] Jeffery Collins, "Residential treatment school closes in North Carolina after deaths of 2 girls," AP News, 3 June 2025, apnews.com/article/therapy-school-closes-north-carolina-asheville-academy-9854c3ca7cda11cc06f05d9fccef4112
[3] "California watchdog finds for-profit psychiatric hospital abused patients," San Francisco Chronicle, 19 May 2025
[4] "Suit alleges teen repeatedly abused by worker at former youth residential treatment center," Santa Fe New Mexican, 29 May 2025, www.santafenewmexican.com/news/local_news/suit-alleges-teen-repeatedly-abused-by-worker-at-former-youth-residential-treatment-center/article_be37888c-4bbe-41db-bd35-c76f3c8eb6c1.html
[5] "Youth in Vermont custody have been physically restrained hundreds of times in recent years," VT Digger, 22 May 2025, vtdigger.org/2025/05/22/youth-in-vermont-custody-have-been-physically-restrained-hundreds-of-times-in-recent-years/
[6] legiscan.com/MD/text/SB400/id/3232730
[7] kbaattorneys.com/acadia-abuse-behavioral-health-facilities/
[8] Erica Thomas, "Tuskegee youth facility dubbed 'House of Horrors' in latest lawsuit," 1819 News, 27 Aug. 2024, 1819news.com/news/item/tuskegee-youth-facility-dubbed-house-of-horrors-in-latest-lawsuit
[9] "Letter: The alarming pattern of abuse at Acadia Healthcare facilities," Springfield Daily Citizen, 29 May 2025, sgfcitizen.org/voices-opinion/letters/letter-the-alarming-pattern-of-abuse-at-acadia-healthcare-facilities/
[10] www.cchrint.org/2024/12/27/paris-hilton-congress-praised-for-teen-behavioral-treatment-abuse-prevention-and-oversight/ citing khanna.house.gov/media/press-releases/khanna-merkley-cornyn-tuberville-and-carter-joined-paris-hilton-celebrating
Source: Citizens Commission on Human Rights International
0 Comments
Latest on TelAve News
- VoodooSoft Unveils SiriusLLM: The World's First ChatGPT-Like AI Malware Detection Engine
- This Ain't Press. This Is Pressure — Star Command by RansomXX is Out Now
- An Exclusive VIP Reception Honoring Vocal Prodigy Alliana Lili Yang's Remarkable Achievements and Magazine Cover Spotlight
- Joyce Carol Oates Returns to Hard Case Crime With DOUBLE TROUBLE
- New AI Academy Helps Therapists Embrace Tech Without Losing Their Humanity
- IQSTEL Surges Toward $400M Run Rate with $101.5M in Revenue—Reinforces Billion-Dollar Vision Backed by Fintech, AI, and Cybersecurity
- Alpha Modus Files 7th IP Action Against Rackspace Following $3M CEO Investment and Strategic Partnership Expansion
- Mortgage Rates And Demand Are Stuck In A Holding Pattern
- Coker Completes Acquisition of Healthcare Cost Solutions, a Leading Expert in Technology-Enabled Compliance Services
- Keepy Uppy™ by Ollyball Wins Prestigious 2025 Influencer Award from Clamour & The Toy Association; Announces Fall 2025 Launch at Target Stores
- K2 Integrity's U.S. and EMEA Teams Recognized in Chambers and Partners 2025 Guides
- A rare chance to own a multi-family property in the heart of Bay Ridge
- LA Laura Paris Drops Underground Girl Remixes
- Nationally Recognized Hispanic Activist and Businessman, Luis Figueroa, to speak at CPAC Latino 2025, Showcasing Hispanic Leadership in Action
- Holiday Inn Express North Hollywood Burbank Area Announces Conversion to Hampton Inn North Hollywood
- Pray the News Launches to Transform American Christians' Relationship with News
- TCAA Welcomes Adolfo Gomez Sanchez to Its Family of Talented Speakers
- The ITeam Ranked on Channel Partners 2025 MSP 501—Tech Industry's Most Prestigious List of Managed Service Providers Worldwide
- Lottery.com Inc. Secures $300 Million in Growth Capital, Confirms Nasdaq Compliance & Acquires UAE Sports Incubator Amid High-Profile Brand Exposure
- $750 Million Ketamine Drug Market Withing Reach via New Commissioner's National Priority Vouchers with Anticipated Approval by Year-End for NRx