Family Help & Wellness
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| Abbreviation | FHW |
|---|---|
| Formation | 2008[1] |
| Type | Behavioral Health Provider |
| Headquarters | Salem, Oregon |
| Location | Salem, OR, United States |
| Coordinates | 44°56′32.94″N 123°2′7.83″W / 44.9424833°N 123.0355083°W |
| Staff | 1,150+ employees |
| Website | Official website |
Family Help & Wellness is a provider of private pay behavioral health programs for youth and young adults ages 5–28.[2] Their programs include Wilderness Therapy programs, assessment centers, therapeutic boarding schools, residential treatment centers, and transitional living in total, they operated 9 programs in 2024.[3] At least two of these (Trails Carolina and Asheville Academy) have since been shut down following the deaths of youth in their programs.
Background
[edit]Family Help & Wellness was established in 2008.[2] their headquarters is located in Salem, Oregon.[4]
Elevations is partnered with several troubled teen programs. It provides management, financial, and marketing support to Elevations’ ownership team.[5]
Family Help & Wellness is owned by private equity investors[6] Trinity Hunt Partners who first invested in 2014.[7][8]
Family Help grew by taking over defunct facilities from other troubled teen companies.[9] The company's founder Dupell[5] was the executive vice president and CFO of Aspen Education from 1999 until 2004.[10] Dupell also served as the CEO of Family Help until 2017 when he stepped down following criminal convictions for cocaine use and property damage.[11][failed verification]
Dupell's predecessor, Steven Stradley, stepped into the position in 2017. He first joined FHW in 2014. Before that, he worked for the elder care company, SunWest Management Services, as the VP Risk & Administrative Services from 2002-2011. During that time, Sunwest Management was hit with California and Oregon class-action lawsuits, alleging unlawful business practices, false advertising, and Consumer Protection Act violation,[12] and was charged with securities fraud by the federal government.[13] Sunwest Management's CEO, Jon Harder, pleaded guilty to fraud and money laundering charges and was sentenced to 15 years in prison, but his sentence was commuted by former president Donald Trump in one of Trump's final official acts as president.[14] Stradley has a Business Finance Degree.[15]
Controversies and deaths
[edit]Trails Carolina homicide investigations
[edit]In 2014, Alec Lansing (age 17) participant ran away from Trails Carolina, a Family Help & Wellness residential camp. Lansing later died of hypothermia[16] after going missing for 12 days.[17]
On the morning of February 3, 2024, a 12-year-old boy was killed by staff after one night at Trails Carolina wilderness program by Family Help and Wellness. The cause of death was determined to be asphyxia from being 'sealed' in a bivy sack overnight, and it was ruled a homicide.[18]
The Transylvania County Sheriff's Office launched an investigation into the death. The boy had arrived at Trails Carolina on February 2, 2024, after being transported by two men from New York to Trails Carolina.[19] On February 6, the investigators executed a search warrant on Trails Carolina. Trails Carolina refused to co-operate with the investigation.[20] On February 13, 2024 North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services told Trails Carolina it was to stop new admissions during the investigation. On February 18, 2024, all children were removed from Trails Carolina.[21] On May 17, 2024, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services permanently revoked Trails Carolina's license. On June 25, 2024, the medical examiner's report was released.
North Carolina investigation into Asheville Academy
[edit]On May 8, 2025, a thirteen-year-old killed herself at Asheville Academy, another Family Help & Wellness center. In response, on May 27, 2025, the state ordered that the school must stop new admission.[22]
On May 29, 2025, a second death occurred, also ruled a suicide.[22] On May 31, 2025, Asheville Academy closed down and released all of its students.[22]
References
[edit]- ↑ "About Us". Family Help & Wellness.
- 1 2 "About Us - Family Help & Wellness". May 2022. Retrieved June 6, 2025.
- ↑ Reamer, Frederic G (2024). "Private Equity Investment and Social Work: Ethical Issues". The International Journal of Social Work Values and Ethics. 21 (2): 42. doi:10.55521/10-021-200. ISSN 2790-6345.
- ↑ "Residential treatment school closes in North Carolina after deaths of 2 girls". The Independent. June 3, 2025. Retrieved June 6, 2025.
Family Help & Wellness in Oregon, which owns both North Carolina schools,
- 1 2 "Tim Dupell Partner Letter – Elevations RTC". elevationsrtc.com. Elevations RTC. Archived from the original on February 19, 2022. Retrieved January 5, 2021.
- ↑ O'Grady, Eileen (February 2022). "The Kids Are Not Alright: How Private Equity Profits Off of Behavioral Health Services for Vulnerable and At-Risk Youth" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on February 28, 2023. Retrieved March 19, 2023.
- ↑ Sormani, Angela (March 31, 2014). "Trinity Hunt Partners Makes Growth Investment in Family Help & Wellness". Archived from the original on May 1, 2022. Retrieved March 19, 2023.
- ↑ Cooper, Laura (January 31, 2017). "Trinity Hunt-Backed Family Help & Wellness Weighs Sale". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved July 27, 2025.
- ↑ "Rollups: Private Equity Eyes Youth Treatment Centers as a Takeover Target". February 17, 2022. Archived from the original on March 17, 2023. Retrieved March 19, 2023.
- ↑ Cite error: The named reference
huffpowas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ↑ "Family Help & Wellness Announces Growth, Addition to Management Team". All Kinds of Therapy. September 14, 2016. Archived from the original on May 19, 2022. Retrieved May 19, 2022.
- ↑ Moody, Robin (January 18, 2007). "Sunwest hit with California class-action suit". bizjournals.com. Retrieved May 19, 2022.
- ↑ "SEC Charges Operators of Multi-Billion Dollar Real Estate Enterprise With Fraud". U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. March 2, 2009. Retrieved May 19, 2022.
- ↑ Sudo, Chuck (August 3, 2021). "Former Sunwest CEO Harder Ordered to Pay Back Investors Nearly $80M". Senior Housing News. Retrieved May 19, 2022.
- ↑ "Steven Stradley Linkedin". May 2022. Archived from the original on May 16, 2022.
- ↑ Weaver, Emily (December 1, 2014). "Autopsy: Missing teen died of hypothermia in Nantahala". Archived from the original on September 15, 2026. Retrieved June 6, 2025.
- ↑ Ochsner, Nick (June 10, 2021). "Top DHHS regulator defends agency's oversight of N.C. wilderness therapy programs". Archived from the original on November 22, 2025.
- ↑ "Autopsy report rules 12-year-old's death at camp for troubled adolescents a homicide". NBC News. June 25, 2024. Archived from the original on November 29, 2025. Retrieved November 11, 2024.
- ↑ Chuck, Elizabeth (February 9, 2024). "12-year-old died less than 24 hours after he arrived at North Carolina wilderness camp, officials say". NBC News. Archived from the original on March 16, 2026. Retrieved May 13, 2025.
- ↑ "Boy's death at therapy program didn't appear natural, but sheriff says they're awaiting cause". AP News. February 8, 2024. Archived from the original on November 19, 2025. Retrieved November 11, 2024.
On Tuesday, investigators executed search warrants at the base camp where the boy was found and another location at Trails Carolina where other children from the cabin were moved after the boy's death.
- ↑ "Officials order all children removed from North Carolina wilderness camp where boy died". NBC News. February 16, 2024. Archived from the original on November 27, 2025. Retrieved November 11, 2024.
- 1 2 3 "Residential treatment school closes in North Carolina after deaths of 2 girls". AP News. June 3, 2025. Archived from the original on June 8, 2026. Retrieved June 5, 2025.