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All young people, especially those who are vulnerable, have a right to safe, humane mental health care. La Europa takes the safety of our students seriously. In fact, student safety is our top priority. Our team is committed to our student's care, safety and treatment. We respect and understand that treatment is difficult for students and their families.
While we are so lucky to continually hear from past students about the happiness and awesome lives they are now living, recently we've also seen an uptick in negative online reviews about residential treatment. This has been disheartening at times, given that anyone who works at La Europa does so to truly try and help others, and to be a positive contributor to the lives of teens who are all working on challenging issues. So to occasionally hear that some prior students did not appreciate the help, or worst yet - claim that it was intentionally harmful can be so sad to the helper's heart. Being away from home is hard and healing is painful, no matter what. It makes sense that some students might look back and denounce their parents' efforts to help them. We guard the gates carefully to make sure the care and treatment at La Europa is compassionate, ethical and transparent, but we also know we can't control how a person opts to experience it or reflect back on it.
While out of home treatment settings have been a positive experience for most, there are some who have experienced abuse or neglect. In the 1980s and 90s many programs operated under an antiquated behavior modification approach, using consequences and rewards to shape behavior. Sometimes these interventions were implemented by inexperienced or untrained staff. Some programs had little or no traditional therapy. In these settings some young people were misunderstood, mistreated, or abused.
Recently the celebrity Paris Hilton, who was placed in a behavior modification program in the 1990s, joined other survivors to raise awareness of institutional abuse. This garnered media attention resulting in legislation passed in Utah and other states to increase regulation and oversight of therapeutic programs.
Yes. Like every other profession and practice, treatment programs have evolved over the past 30 years. Generally, treatment programs are now state licensed, evidence-based, overseen by medical professionals and licensed mental health clinicians, focus on compassionate care, and are accredited by national associations dedicated to safety, quality, and effectiveness.
Some young people continue to emerge from therapeutic settings having had negative experiences. La Europa believes programs unable to treat youth safely should be corrected or closed. All young people, especially those who are vulnerable, have a right to safe, humane mental health care.
How does the State of Utah assure programs are safe?
La Europa Academy, like therapeutic programs in Utah, is licensed by the State Office of Licensing, a division of the Department of Human Services. As a licensed program, La Europa follows stringent safety and effectiveness standards called Congregate Care Core and Categorical rules. Specially trained State licensors are assigned to inspect and oversee all Utah programs. These licensors inspect each program four times per year. Half of these inspections are planned, the other half are unannounced, assuring programs are evaluated as they “really are.” Additionally, programs are required to report safety related incidents to the Office of Licensing, which investigates all critical incidents. Programs that can’t maintain a track record of safety and effectiveness are sanctioned or shut down.
Yes. Having witnessed the problems and limitations of programs in the 90s, the CERTS Group founders developed a treatment environment characterized by evidence-based best practices, clinical sophistication, and a philosophy that puts inspiring interpersonal relationships first. La Europa doesn’t have a complex system of punishments and rewards designed to shape behavior. Instead, students are treated with the utmost dignity and respect. As they learn more about themselves, students are invited and inspired to experiment with new beliefs and behaviors that support greater happiness. Cutting edge therapeutic modalities are used to teach skills and build competencies, always with the best interest of the students in mind.
La Europa staff are at the top of their profession. The clinicians, teachers, and administrators are professionally trained and fully licensed. La Europa mentoring staff are composed of paraprofessionals who are:
The simply answer is yes. The Joint Commission’s standards and emphasis on clinical practice guidelines help La Europa establish a consistent approach to care, reducing the risk of error. Certification standards help organize the management of the program. This helps to maintain a consistently high level of quality, using effective data-driven performance improvement. Consistent alignment with Joint Commission standards promotes an environment of continuous improvement in the care of the teens at La Europa Academy.
