#AdvocacyMatters: The Right Outcome, Delayed

February 21, 2025 / #AdvocacyMatters

Last year, we released a public report raising concerns discovered during our 16-month investigation into a northeast Ohio youth residential treatment facility. “Dangerous Inaction: A Culture of Chaos at Youngstown’s Youth Intensive Services” describes pervasive and disturbing problems embedded in the treatment culture at YIS that were uncovered, as well as the inability of the facility to protect children’s safety. Our investigation included numerous interviews with children and staff, hours of video review, examination of hundreds of records, and documentation from police reports.

Concerns raised by our report included children regularly leaving the facility without supervision, physically abusive behaviors by staff, and the use of inappropriate and dangerous restraint techniques by staff against children.

Throughout this investigation, our findings were reported to the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (OMHAS), the state’s licensing agency for facilities like YIS. Despite the severity of our findings, DRO found that corrective action by both OMHAS and the facility was slow and ineffective, leaving children at YIS at continued risk. OMHAS temporarily suspended admissions to the facility only after our report was released publicly.

Last week YIS notified OMHAS that they were surrendering their Class 1 license, effectively ending their youth residential treatment programming by the end of next month.

“All children deserve welcoming, clean, safe, structured, trauma-informed environments that support them on their individualized treatment journeys. We believe children about their experiences and fiercely advocate by raising concerns to agencies and their state licensing bodies until change occurs.”

-Amy Price, DRO Associate Advocacy Director

While Disability Rights Ohio is unable to take action against any agency, as this is the responsibility of state licensing bodies, investigation is an important demonstration of the tireless work and targeted advocacy that DRO must do to help prevent even worse outcomes for children with disabilities. We elevate the voices of people with disabilities, strive to effectively collaborate with agencies and state licensing bodies to work towards impactful action and change, and ultimately sound the alarm when there is continued need for our systems to take swift, impactful action to protect children from abuse and neglect.

#AdvocacyMatters