L.A. LGBT Center Gets Bipartisan Support to Regulate Treatment Facilities Notorious for Abusing ‘Troubled’ Youth

So proud of my friend Jim Key and his colleagues for this one. Glad I marched with them in the L.A. Pride Parade!

From a news release:

In its continued efforts to regulate the lucrative industry of residential programs that claim to help “troubled” youth, including those who are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender, a coalition of organizations—namely the Los Angeles LGBT Center, Survivors of Institutional Abuse (SIA), Mental Health America, and the bipartisan support of U.S. Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA 28th District) and U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL 27th District)—joined forces today to introduce a federal bill to reform and regulate these types of programs nationwide. The proposed “Stop Child Abuse in Residential Treatment Programs for Teen Act” is a federal version of the California Senate Bill “Protecting Youth from Institutional Abuse Act” (SB 524)—also known as PYIA—introduced by California State Sen. Ricardo Lara in March. Both bills include no exemptions for religious-based groups. 

“It isn’t ‘treatment’ to withhold food and water from a youth,” said Center CEO Lorri L. Jean. “It isn’t treatment to beat a teenager. And nothing should ever be considered treatment that involves denial of medical care, solitary confinement, electric shocks, or public humiliation. That’s not therapeutic. That’s child abuse. And yet that is exactly what’s happening throughout the country because residential programs that claim to help troubled teens are operating without necessary and appropriate oversight.” 

Find out what you can do to help HERE.