The Forgotten Future: Adolescents in Crisis

Millions of American Teens Suffer From Serious Mental Illnesses!

With an estimated twenty percent of our children under age 18 suffering from emotional and behavioral disorders, hundreds of thousands of these young people are confined each year to psychiatric hospitals, residential treatment centers, therapeutic foster homes, boot camps, and behavioral academies. While in some cases, children may very appropriately be referred to, and treated within, inpatient psychiatric facilities, one must question the benefit of many of these out-of-home placements. What kind of treatment are our children receiving? Is there an intensive therapeutic experience that truly meets their needs and addresses their problems? You may be shocked and surprised to learn what really goes on behind the locked doors of an adolescent psychiatric facility. You will find an eye-opening and alarming look into the lives of a group of teens whose families have entrusted them to the care of a psychiatric hospital. You will be encouraged to learn of the dedication and hard work of individuals who work with our children, despite the many challenges of their chosen profession. You will be convinced that our nation must rally to provide a mental health care system that truly works. And you will agree that our children deserve a chance to reach their goals and live to their greatest potential. Their future must not be forgotten.