wonderabouttheworld

It's a complicated history. These programs gained notoriety/infamy in the 90's and early 2000's. A few high profile deaths and a slew of lawsuits made national headlines. Many programs, especially those that started more recently, have much stricter standards and have reformed. Programs in Utah are unfortunately highly unregulated, on purpose, and they constitute the majority of problematic programs. I'll edit when I'm back on PC with citations and further information.

I attended a program in Vermont in 2011 and have worked in the industry in various capacities for a few years now. I had an all around positive experience, but I can absolutely understand why that is often not the case and do not defend some of the more egregious practices still in place.

Some insurances will cover these programs at least in part. Additionally there are often scholarships available. Not for all programs, it is certainly an overwhelmingly white/privileged clientele base.

I can't speak for OP's experience but I look back fondly on my time at a program and it put me on the path to what I do today. One of the biggest issues that fundamentally underpins the ineffective nature of a lot of programs like this is the fact that participants have to want to be there if not just want to change. That's why I had success with my experience. I chose to be there and wanted to change, which is not the norm.

You know the Elan school?

Many of them are moving away from that tough love model, especially as enough studies have been done to prove it doesn't really work. The industry is moving in the right direction, there's just a good amount of money and politics that want to keep things as they are, e.g. Utah's ultra lax oversight of programs

Hey OP, just going through the comments because this topic is close to my heart and I saw this comment. One of the hardest parts of these kinds of programs is not just the experience itself, but the afterwards. Are you in a transition program now? (Sorry if you've already answered elsewhere, I haven't seen it yet). Going back to old friends means going back to old patterns, as hard as that is to admit. The routines and relationships that we had before this kind of experience are really strong and can undo a lot of hard work very quickly because of how much longer you were in that world. I hope you are able to take each day at a time and find the love and support you need. If you ever need an ear or are feeling lonely, don't hesitate to reach out, my DM's are open.