Recovery Brands, LLC
📍 1201 W Poplar St., Harrisburg, IL 62946
📞 6182528681 Full profile & reviews Claim this listing
<p><strong>ABOUT ILLINOIS YOUTH CENTER (IYC)</strong></p> <p>Founded in 1983 and located on the northwestern outskirts of Harrisburg in southern Illinois, Illinois Youth Center (IYC) is a <strong>secure residential facility for teen boys</strong> involved in the justice system. While incarcerated at the facility, boys can participate in a range of programs, including <strong>treatment for substance use disorder</strong> as well as a GED program, vocational training, and mental health treatment, among other offerings.</p> <p><strong>TREATMENT & ASSESSMENT</strong></p> <p>According to the center's website, Illinois Youth Center is a secure, <strong>medium-security Level 2 facility</strong> for the Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice. It's designed to provide housing for male juveniles, and the average age of inmates is 17.</p> <p>Programming includes <strong>remedial and secondary education, GED programing, library services, and vocational training,</strong> along with guidance and work training programs. </p> <p>The center <strong>offers substance abuse treatment</strong>, but does not specify what the program consists of. Residents can also receive diagnostic and evaluative services, special education programs, and other <strong>mental health support</strong> during their stay, though the single staffer polled by Rehabs.com indicated that the center is not particularly well-equipped to treat co-occurring disorders.</p> <p>The treatment center allows visitors, provided that they have two forms of identification. Visiting hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekends and holidays, or Monday through Friday with prior approval.</p> <p><strong>STAFF CREDENTIALS</strong></p> <p>There is currently no information provided by the facility regarding its treatment staff, however, the single staff member surveyed by Rehabs.com at the time of this writing gave the center five out of five stars for the staff's level of training and experience. Additionally, <a href="https://www.samhsa.gov/data/sites/default/files/report_3059/ShortReport-3059.pdf" target="_blank">99.2 percent</a> of treatment facilities in Illinois have continuing education requirements for staff.</p> <p><strong>ACCOMMODATIONS & AMENITIES</strong></p> <p>The center's website indicates the treatment center has capacity for 332 teens, but the <strong>average daily population is 126 male offenders.</strong> The single staff member polled by Rehabs.com at the time of this writing gave the center three out of five stars for its accommodations and amenities, and more impressive four-star ratings for its cleanliness and upkeep, meals and nutrition, and exercise and leisure offerings.</p> <p><strong>WHAT ALUMNI SAY</strong></p> <p>Rehabs.com has yet to receive any reviews from this facility’s former clients or their loved ones, but secondary sites yield two reviews: a one-star rating and a five-star rating, both left on Google.<small class="footnote"><a target="_blank" href="#footnote-1"><sup>[1]</sup></a></small> The five-star reviewer left no accompanying commentary, but the one-star reviewer, Maycen, wrote: "Very awful place very rude... always start problems with the youth."</p> <p><strong>WHAT STAFF SAY</strong></p> <p>The single staff member polled by Rehabs.com to date gave mixed feedback, indicating that they would not recommend the center, but nonetheless giving it four stars for its counseling options. The family participation and holistic offerings received lower ratings of two and three stars respectively. "Strengths: Discipline Weaknesses: Lack of staff," the anonymous reviewer added.</p> <p>Staff posting on secondary sites painted a picture of a challenging but hardworking and dedicated workplace, leaving a three-star rating and a five-star rating on Indeed.<small class="footnote"><a target="_blank" href="#footnote-2"><sup>[2]</sup></a></small> One reviewer echoed the Rehabs.com respondent's complaint about staff shortages. "Work was challenging and demanding but enjoyable," wrote the other reviewer.</p> <p><strong>FINANCING</strong></p> <p>There is currently no information provided by the facility regarding its treatment costs, though since this is a correctional facility there is likely no cost for treatment. The staff member questioned by Rehabs.com at the time of this writing gave the facility four out of five stars when asked if treatment was worth the cost.</p> <p><strong>CONCLUSION</strong></p> <p>IYC at Harrisburg hit headlines in late 2017 over reports that large numbers of the facility's minors were being sent to adult prisons. "More than 40 criminal cases against offenders at Harrisburg since 2016 have led to felony convictions for nearly a dozen young men, as well as adult prison sentences that range from three to eight years. The prosecutions disproportionately affect young black men from Cook County, records show," <a href="https://www.propublica.org/article/youths-sent-to-adult-prison-concern" target="_blank">ProPublica reported</a>.</p> <p>The ACLU intervened on behalf of inmates at the facility. State lawmakers seemed responsive to the findings, and held a hearing, and the Illinois DoJ released new policies including additional staff training, with a special focus on juvenile mental health. Rehabs.com has been unable to find an update on the implementation of these policies.</p> <p><small class="footnote"><a target="_blank" href="#footnote-1"><sup>[1]</sup></a> <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=illinois+youth+center+harrisburg+il&oq=Illinois+Youth+Center+harrisburg+il&aqs=chrome.0.0.4423j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#lrd=0x8870c474f91d503b:0x4536ce603e36c19c,1,,," target="_blank">GoogleReviews</a></small><br /> <small class="footnote"><a target="_blank" href="#footnote-2"><sup>[2]</sup></a> <a href="https://www.indeed.com/cmp/Illinois-Youth-Center--harrisburg/reviews" target="_blank">https://www.indeed.com/cmp/Illinois-Youth-Center--harrisburg/reviews</a></small></p>
— Ellie Robins · 2018-08-30 07:41:37 PDT
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