We believe every child deserves to live in a safe environment, be treated with dignity, and receive quality care.
What are Residential Treatment Facilities?
Residential Treatment Facilities (RTFs) are live-in-centers where individuals with serious mental health issues, substance abuse problems, or behavioral disorders receive intensive therapy and support.
When functioning properly, they provide a structured environment with 24/7 care, helping residents stabilize and improve their health and daily life.
Children are placed in youth RTFs for various reasons, including complex behavioral needs, insufficient in-community resources, or an early tendency toward criminal behavior.
They arrive at RTFs from multiple channels including our court system, their parents or other guardians, or government agencies.
Senate Finance Committee Investigation
A recent investigation led by Senate Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden has uncovered alarming instances of systemic abuse and neglect in youth residential treatment facilities.
The report revealed that children in facilities run by major behavioral health companies including Universal Health Services (UHS), Acadia Healthcare, Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health, and Vivant Behavioral Healthcare face risks.
These risks being physical, sexual, and verbal abuse, dangerous restraints and seclusion, neglect, overmedication, and unsafe or unsanitary living conditions. These companies often pack the facilities to capacity and regularly fail to hire adequate numbers of qualified staff, resulting in horrific instances of abuse and neglect.
These findings indicate that the harms are not isolated exceptions, but inherent to a model that incentivizes maximizing profits at the expense of providing quality care to children.
This substandard care for minors – many of whom have developmental disabilities or are in foster care – is often funded by taxpayer dollars, including Medicaid and child welfare funding.
Who Can File a Lawsuit?
BMBF is currently investigating instances of abuse and neglect in youth residential treatment facilities. Our team of experienced, compassionate attorneys is committed to helping hold those responsible for these heinous crimes fully accountable.
If you or a loved one have been a victim of systemic abuse and neglect in youth residential treatment facilities, contact our team to discuss a legal path forward.
Why Choose BMBF?
When you retain the lawyers at Baird Mandalas Brockstedt & Federico, you are retaining a sophisticated, experienced, and well-resourced team of attorneys who are dedicated to achieving justice for you.
Our highly renowned counsel has built a reputation for standing up to major corporations and delivering impactful results for our clients. We have a long and successful history of representing survivors in childhood sex abuse lawsuits.
If you would like to speak with an experienced sexual abuse lawyer, please contact our team right away.