Watch the Entire Documentary Here
Hope and Solutions (Additional Content)
A collaboration between Lives in the Balance and Lone Wolf Media, The Kids We Lose is a feature-length documentary film about the human side of being a child or student with behavioral challenges, and the struggles faced by parents, educators, staff in facilities, mental health clinicians, and judicial and law enforcement professionals in trying to ensure that these kids receive the help they need. The Kids We Lose also exposes the often brutal, inhumane ways in which kids with social, emotional, and behavioral challenges are treated in schools, inpatient psychiatry units, residential facilities, and prisons. Their hopelessness, misery, and frustration are palpable. The human toll is hard to fathom. But these are also the most expensive kids in our society. Doing the wrong thing costs a fortune. When we don’t help our most vulnerable kids, we all lose.
The Kids We Lose is intended to heighten awareness and galvanize people to advocate for change. If you’re interested in getting involved, become a Lives in the Balance Advocator. There’s a lot to be done, and Lives in the Balance Advocators are leading the way. For free resources on reducing (and ultimately eliminating) the use of restraint and seclusion, visit www.truecrisisprevention.org.
The Kids We Lose has already won many accolades, including:
Best Documentary, 2019 Whistleblower Summit and Film Festival, Washington, DC
Best Feature Documentary, 2018 New Hampshire Film Festival
Best Feature Documentary, 2019 Women’s Film Festival, Philadelphia
Best Feature Documentary, 2019 Los Angeles Women’s International Film Festival
The film has also screened on Maine Public Television and Vermont Public Television.
To listen to an online discussion of the film, click here.