Training and supervision

Jessica Miller’s article on abuse in Utah teen treatment centers includes the word “staff” 22 times, “staffer” twice and “employee” once. Who are these people who are responsible for the care of troubled teens?

I have worked as a counselor and psychologist in treatment programs in Texas and Utah. The incidents of abuse that I observed or was aware of were not perpetrated by licensed mental health care providers with masters or doctoral degrees in counseling, social work, psychology or marriage and family therapy. The abusers were paraprofessionals, most of whom had no more than a high school diploma, received woefully inadequate on-the-job training and were not required to be supervised by the therapist of record who could be held legally responsible for their patient’s abuse.

The employee pool is pretty shallow in small towns in Central and Southern Utah, but that doesn’t justify hiring any warm body that fills out an application.

The State Office of Licensing needs to be much more proactive and assertive in monitoring these treatment facilities and requiring that paraprofessional workers have regular training and be supervised by licensed therapists. Aharon D. Shulimson Licensed psychologist

Salt Lake City