Fighting Abuse in Troubled Teen Industry

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Kayla Mosquiz describes some of the abuse she endured while she was a young teenager at facilities in what’s called the troubled teen industry. “I was physically restrained. That was nothing new after two years of living in these facilities. And then, there’s also another type of restraint, which is the chemical restraint, where they will pull your pants down and inject you.”

Teresa Payne described losing her daughter, Monique, who was in a youth residential treatment facility.  “The last words I ever heard her say, Mom, my face is covered in blood. Staff hit me. The line went dead. I rushed to get there as soon as I could, but at the time I arrived, she was pronounced dead.”

Oregon U. S. Senator Ron Wyden held a hearing about the results of a two year investigation and report by the Senate Finance Committee, which he chairs. “The report documents endless examples of sexual, physical, and verbal abuse, improper restraint, seclusion of young children. We’re going to cut off the fire hose of federal funding, bring stronger oversight to the system, expand behavioral health services.”

Oregon State Senator Sarah Gelser Blouin joined Wyden. “Enough holding kids to the ground and silencing them. And enough telling these kids and survivors that they are making it up.  And more importantly, telling them that they deserved it and they deserve no better.”  She’s worked on the issue at the state level.  “States and child welfare programs need to follow suit by aggressively investigating abuse in facilities.”