At Havenwood Academy, we believe in open communication and continuous improvement.
We understand that choosing a treatment center for your child is a significant decision, and you may have questions or concerns, especially given some of the media coverage about youth treatment programs. We want to address these concerns directly and share our commitment to providing safe, effective, and compassionate care.
Addressing Specific Concerns
In our commitment to transparency, we want to address some claims and incidents that have been raised:
Claim
Havenwood and similar programs are bad actors, constantly breaking rules or mistreating students. The state has to keep them under constant surveillance to track misconduct, and the state's efforts are insufficient.
RESPONSE
The state does not "catch" Havenwood violating rules. Every incident, infraction, or treatment mistake is self-reported by us. We are not under constant surveillance by regulators. Instead, we promptly inform state authorities whenever a mistake occurs and take steps to improve our processes and program.
Claim
Havenwood has a large number of "critical incident" reports, which suggests the program is abusive or negligent, and that regulators aren't doing their job.
Claim
Havenwood lobbied to make certain non-injurious physical restraints legal, arguing that they are an appropriate disciplinary tool.
Claim
Havenwood is merely a rebranding of a closed program called Integrity House.
Claim
Criticism from organizations like Breaking Code Silence and bad reviews from former clients prove that Havenwood is neither legitimate nor effective.
2022
Staff Violation
In 2022, we faced a significant challenge when an employee violated our trust and policies.
Our staff suspected inappropriate behavior between an employee and a student, confirmed by security footage showing the employee allowing a teen to use his vape pen. Despite our rigorous hiring process, this individual proved unfit for their role. We immediately terminated the employee, reported the incident to authorities, and requested criminal charges to prevent working with the youth.
Our commitment to student safety outweighed any concerns about potential negative press.
2018
Horse Trough/Zip Tie Incident
A 2018 incident during an equine therapy session challenged our policies and led to significant changes.
An equine specialist contractor acted outside our guidelines when responding to a dysregulated student who had injured a staff member. The contractor’s unauthorized actions, including physical restraint and inappropriate use of equipment, violated our policies. We immediately self-reported the incident to authorities, suspended involved parties, and fully cooperated with the ensuing investigation. While no criminal charges were filed, we used this deeply troubling event as a catalyst for growth.
This incident prompted us to implement stronger safeguards, resulting in no recurrence of such behavior.
