Heiress Paris Hilton<\/strong> is on a mission to shine a light on the \u201ctroubled teen industry,\u201d a largely unregulated multibillion-dollar<\/u><\/a> industry that is gaining public scrutiny for alleged abuse of vulnerable youths.<\/p>\n

Hilton told state lawmakers in Sacramento on Monday she was subjected to abuse disguised as therapy decades ago when she was housed in residential facilities for teenagers struggling with substance abuse, mental illness and problematic behavior.\u00a0<\/p>\n

She testified at the state Capitol in support of a bill<\/u><\/a> ordering disclosure of the use of restraints or seclusion rooms in disciplining minors at residential facilities.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I close my eyes at night, I still have nightmares about solitary confinement 20 years later,\u201d said Hilton, 43, at a news conference before the hearing. \u201cThe sounds of my peers screaming as they were physically restrained by numerous staff members and injected with sedatives will also never leave me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Having already won regulation in several other states, Hilton made clear that she wants federal oversight of the mental and behavioral health facilities \u2014 even as the reality star bumps up against the reality of this contentious Congress.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you are abusing children, I will find out,\u201d Hilton said. \u201cI will find you and I will come with my huge spotlight and shine it on wherever you are.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hilton visited D.C. last year to advocate the federal\u202fStop Institutional Child Abuse Act<\/u><\/a>, which would establish best practices and transparency in youth residential care programs.<\/p>\n

But the proposal is stalled in Congress, and similar federal efforts have failed for more than a decade<\/u><\/a>.<\/p>\n

After the 2020 release of the documentary \u201cThis is Paris<\/u><\/a>,\u201d in which Hilton details abuses\u202fthat she said she faced while attending Provo Canyon School<\/strong> in Provo, Utah, she has testified at state capitols, supporting successful bills in Missouri<\/u><\/a>, Montana<\/u><\/a>, Oregon<\/u><\/a> and Utah<\/u><\/a>.<\/p>\n

Now, fresh off the Coachella slide<\/u><\/a> with pal Kesha<\/strong>, Hilton is eyeing the most populous state.<\/p>\n

There is no formal opposition to the bipartisan bill, which passed unanimously out of the state Senate\u2019s Human Services Committee<\/strong>. It still has multiple steps before passage, including consideration by the full membership of both houses of the legislature.<\/p>\n

The National Association of Therapeutic Schools and Programs<\/strong>, the nation\u2019s largest such member organization, told KFF Health News that it supports the California bill as well as federal proposals.<\/p>\n

Republican state Sen. Shannon Grove <\/strong>of Bakersfield, the bill\u2019s lead author, said the goal is to protect young people housed in short-term residential therapeutic programs. Her legislation would require the California Department of Social Services<\/strong> \u2014 which licenses the facilities \u2014 to produce a public dashboard by 2026 on the use of restraints and seclusion rooms as well as serious injuries or deaths associated with them.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are complaints of broken arms, slammed hands in doors,\u201d Grove said, noting that the facilities typically house vulnerable populations, including foster youths. \u201cThere\u2019s no data to show what happened and what caused that. And so, the goal is to go after the data.\u201d<\/p>\n

Grove certainly found an ally in Hilton and her 16.4 million<\/strong> followers on the social platform X<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

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This article is not available for syndication due to republishing restrictions. If you have questions about the availability of this or other content for republication, please contact NewsWeb@kff.org<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n
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