To you "Off topic" folks -Instead of bashing parents or staff of programs, and making assumptioms without facts, when you don't even know what happened, let's focus on realistic changes that can be made at the state and/or federal level to stop the madness of teens dying in treatment.
Even with a nurturing parent who has tried everything, and refuses to tolerate maniupulation and abuse by their child, as is the case in the boy in Draper, there are legitimate situations where a parent needs to have their child in a confined treatment program for a temporary period of time, other than juvenile hall, in order to ensure their child's safety, and force them to participate in needed therapy. This boy's mom has been traumatized by this death, and is still trying to deal with the griefinvolved in the tragic recent deaths of her husband, mother, and now teenage son. She is an educated, caring, and persistent person, who will no doubt become a strong advocate for the rights of teens in treatmemt progrmams. Her son was on the autism spectrum, and she had left no stone unturned in trying to find appropriate services for her beautiful, sensitive, intelligent son, who had a right to proper medical treatment in this situation. If the authorities in Utah would do their job, this boy would have returned home in 6 months, returned to his wrestling team, chess, golf, activities with his family and friemds, finished high school, and gone on to college to fulfill his dreams of becoming an architect. Instead his mom got the sheriffs knocking on her door to tell her that her son was dead, without any knowledge he had even been sick, and had to go Utah to visit him. she certainly had the right to expect his safe return. YC is a licensed program, with a good track record, and had been cooperative in making corrective actions in the past to get to a high level of care.
The therapy program at Youth Care had acutally been extremely beneficial to this boy, and they had started planning for his return home. He had had a one week home pass with his mother the week before he died, and the changes he exhibited in his interpersonal relationships were profound. He was a willing participant in his treatment program, understood his disorder, and totally understood the necessity of his mom placing him there. He was never abused while in this program, mom visited regularly, and he had outside contact with family and friends where appropriate. He was very outspoken about the rights of kids with disabilities, having been subjected to cruel bullying in public schools, made many friends while in treatment, and actually convinced several other kids to stop their self harm behavior with his heartfelt emotion over the loss of his dad last year. He preferred the environment there over his public high school.
Anyone with actual useful information or documentaable proof about negligence about the innerworkings of the state of Utah in regards to reform in residential treatmemt programs and why criminal charges are rarely filed, lack of stiffer licensing and enforcement, etc should post this information so that the family can contact the appropriate high level officials and get effective action. These are not "disposable" kids, shame on those who bash the parents for being the problem instead of actively advocating for legislative change. Get a life and get moving and do something responsible....This boys death is tragic, but let's all turn it into something positive for all the other troubled kids out there who have needs for alternative placememts.
A Sad Friend
