SARATOGA SPRINGS, Utah — Utah regulators have placed new restrictions on the license of a Saratoga Springs residential treatment center for teens after a client there engaged in self-harm.
A notice of emergency action the Utah Department of Health and Human Services issued last week against New Haven’s Parks House campus states that the client had a history of self-harm and suicide attempts and was required to be on one-to-one supervision.
But the client was able to “elope” – or leave the facility without permission – and went to a neighboring home to get a towel and water, documents state. The client then ran to a nearby grocery store and self-harmed “in front of a staff member who caught up to them.”
Documents describe the injury as “serious” and said the client needed surgery.
The notice does not identify the gender or age of the client, though New Haven’s website states that it works with teen girls struggling with issues like “traumatic stress, depression, anxiety or substance abuse.”
The Department of Health and Human Services also did not provide any information about the client’s condition in documents. A spokeswoman on Tuesday told FOX 13 News that the department was unable to release information about specific clients.
FOX 13 News contacted New Haven by email and by phone for comment on Tuesday morning but did not immediately hear back.
Under the restrictions implemented on Thursday, New Haven’s Park House campus will be temporarily prohibited from admitting any new clients. The facility will also be subject to increased monitoring and inspections (and will be required to pay a fee of around $400 for each one) and must “immediately retrain all staff on safe practices regarding supervision of clients.”
The emergency action is valid for 30 days and will expire on August 1.
State regulators previously cited New Haven’s Parks House campus in early March for “failing to provide direct supervision with line of sight check-ins every 15 minutes.” A client who did not receive that supervision then left the facility unnoticed, according to information provided on the Office of Licensing and Background Check’s provider lookup tool. The facility was required to pay a $500 fine at that time.
State records show New Haven has licenses for six residential treatment centers, including Parks House: Anthony House, Nightingale House, Roosevelt House, Sacajawea House and Teresa House. None of the other campuses have faced any substantiated complaint allegations or citations, according to the provider lookup tool.
Utah’s “troubled teen” industry has received increased scrutiny in recent years over allegations of neglect and abuse, including high-profile accounts from celebrity Paris Hilton. The Utah Legislature enacted new policies in 2021 to regulate the industry, which is one of the largest in the nation.
On Tuesday, the state announced that it was revoking the license of a separate teen treatment facility: Provo Canyon School’s Springville campus. That facility will be shut down by August 6.
