Troubled Teen Industry

Residential treatment facilities for troubled teenagers are under increased scrutiny from the states where they operate. Allegations of abuse and neglect have dogged some of the facilities. Utah, which has more “troubled teen” programs than any other state, recently passed a law limiting what staff could do to patients and requiring more transparency in the system. Katherine McNamara spent time as a teenager in that system. Now she’s the co-founder of an activist organization called Breaking Code Silence, which pushes for reforms similar to the one Utah just passed.