NCJ Number
103779
Journal
Rolling Stone Dated: (November 1986) Pages: 71-73,76,144-145
Date Published
1986
Length
6 pages
Annotation
This article describes the backgrounds and problems of some of the juveniles in the teen unit of California's Coldwater Canyon Hospital and aspects of the treatment program.
Abstract
Juveniles in the teen unit include a female runaway, a girl who has been molested by her stepfather, a male petty thief, a suicidal girl, and a boy whose rebellious behavior could not be controlled by his parents. All those on the unit have been admitted by their parents under insurance funding. The juveniles' length of time in the facility usually depends on the extent of the insurance coverage. The unit's program focuses on adherence to behavioral rules enforced through rewards and punishments administered by unit staff. Programs include group counseling, family counseling, individual counseling, academic education, recreation, and art therapy. Security is lax, but those who escape generally return. Most of the families from which the children come are single-parent or unstable families which do not provide the dependable structure, guidance, and caring required for the development of emotionally healthy and responsible adolescents. The teen unit at Coldwater is apparently one of many private hospitals in California and throughout the Nation being used by parents who no longer can or will manage their children within the home and community.