On November 30, 2022, the City of Philadelphia’s first Office of the Youth Ombudsperson (OYO) was created by Executive Order 5-22 in response to the rampant abuse that was uncovered at facilities such as the Glen Mills reform school, Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health, and the Wordsworth residential treatment center. Tracie Johnson, the office’s Youth Ombudsperson, was hired in April of 2023 and hit the ground running. By September of 2023, the Youth Ombuds team was fully onboarded. This Year in Review (also available in a printable version) reflects on the work that the OYO did in its first few months through the end of 2023.

We are excited to share what we have been working on with the public, which includes launching our website and our social media (Instagram and X), developing case practices and operating procedures (PDF), publishing issue briefs (PDF) and blog posts, creating Know-Your-Rights trainings for youth in placement, and liaising with advocates and those with lived expertise. Our Year in Review also looks towards the future of the OYO and the work to come. We hope you enjoy reading about our office and encourage you to stay up to date on future developments!