Residential treatment for sexually exploited adolescent girls: Acknowledge, Commit, Transform (ACT)

Awareness of the sexual exploitation of children and adolescents is growing in the United States. Yet, very few studies have examined successful treatment options and outcomes for this population. In response to this gap, this descriptive case study provides a brief history of treatment programs for sexually exploited adolescent girls at a residential treatment center in New England, followed by detailed information about the admission process, treatment protocol, daily life, and outcomes of the most recent group home program. Compared with an earlier treatment program at the same facility, during its first year of operation this group home had a 78% decrease in the number of young women who failed to complete treatment goals due to running away, hospitalization or incarceration (p = < .05). Possible reasons for this difference in outcomes include using the transtheoretical model to guide admission decisions, and the practice of admitting youth to a more-restrictive on-campus program before moving them to the less-restrictive group home.

► We compare past and present residential treatment programs for sexually exploited adolescent girls at a single facility.
► Differences include using the transtheoretical model to guide admissions by assessing readiness to change.
► A statistically significant reduction in unplanned discharges is noted for the program using this model.