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New Perspectives - Jan, 2001 Issue #77
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[This New Perspective is dated. Lee
Alder is no longer with the company and the current
Director is Scott Stringam.]
Youthtrack
Brigham City, Utah
Logan, Utah
Lee Alder, Director of Operations
435-723-1799
Youthtrack has two facilities in Utah that provide sex offender
treatment for males ages 12 to 17. It is a subsidiary of Re-Care, Inc., which is headquartered in Kentucky. The Youthtrack facility
in Logan works with low-functioning teen-age males and the one in Brigham City is for those with average to above average intelligence.
Each facility currently has 16 residents and are what they refer
to as, “staff secured” that is, there are no locked doors or fences, but each resident must never be more than five feet from a staff
member at any time. The staff-student ratio is one to three during the day, and one to four during sleeping times.
They prefer adjudicated youth, because it provides them with more
leverage over the resident. However, they can also accommodate private pay students. A common arrangement is for a parent to select
the program and obtain backing by the court system, who then refers the youth to Youthtrack. Insurance coverage is frequent, and they
are in the process of obtaining JCAHO certification. The costs are comparable for other treatment settings and range from $225 to
$250 per day.
“The program follows the guidelines of the Revised Report from the
National Task Force on Juvenile Sexual Offending (1993), the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges, and the Standards
of Treatment for Youth in Offense-Specific Residential Programs (National Offense-Specific Residential Standards Task Force, 1999).
The program is licensed by the State of Utah, Department of Human Services, Office of Licensing.”
“The residential milieu living is organized around four phases of
treatment that help structure the treatment program. The phases include Behavioral, Therapeutic, Leadership, and Preventative. Movement
from one phase of treatment to the next is based on progress in treatment rather than just good behavior, and allows clients to focus
on one specific area of treatment at a time. The peer culture encourages working together in cooperation as well as individual responsibility
and accountability. Behavior is rated by all staff and is factored into the resident’s progress to the next phase of treatment.”
Their in-house educational component is operated in conjunction
with the local school districts and provides the opportunity to attain a high school diploma or GED while in the program. During their
first few days in the program, an Individualized Educational Plan (IEP) is developed for each student based on testing and prior school
records. It is then upgraded on an ongoing basis. The year-round classes are designed to specifically work on needed competencies
that will help the student return to public school, obtain a high school diploma or GED, pursue post-secondary opportunities, or obtain
meaningful employment. Recommendations for possible step-down care can also be made. In addition to milieu treatment, there is a minimum
of one individual therapy session per week, and group therapy is provided at least five times per week. Family sessions take place
each week. Experienced licensed clinical staff provide clinical services, consisting of a Ph.D. consultant who has 23 years of experience
working with both juvenile and adult sex offenders, a licensed psychiatrist and a registered nurse.
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