Will Craft | APM Reports

Legislators passed a bill last year that brought the first regulatory reform to teen treatment programs in 15 years.

Inappropriate contact between children and staff members has happened with some frequency in Utah’s teen treatment programs. From November 2018 through July 2021 — state regulators have investigated at least 20 reports of staff pushing the boundaries with clients, sometimes amounting to sexual abuse.

With a parent’s consent, two people are sent to surprise their child while they are asleep to forcefully take them to a wilderness program or residential treatment center.

Up until 2019, the agency regulating Utah’s massive youth treatment industry rarely cited facilities for violating rules – even after cases of abuse. After a 2016 incident left a teenager with a concussion, state regulators listened to his mom’s complaint – and then did nothing about it.

Critics question whether Utah’s oversight is sufficient to keep kids safe.

The Great Lakes are one of the world's largest sources of fresh water, but many Americans in surrounding cities face a dark irony: They can't afford their rising water bills.