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Plans to Expand Program for Boys

Vista del Mar officials say they hope to expand the program to boys' units. Although most self-injurers are girls, some experts feel that up to 40% of those who harm themselves are boys.

Operators of other children's residential homes, meantime, are closely watching the West Los Angeles project. Six months ago, Levander presented a paper outlining the program at an Atlanta conference for professional therapists. He made a similar presentation to California therapists last month in San Rafael.

So far, operators of nearly 300 residential treatment centers across the country have contacted Vista del Mar officials seeking more information. They, too, may have mistakenly been labeling self-injurers as suicidal and shipping them off to hospitals.

"We're thinking," Zaslaw said, "that there are a lot of kids all over the country who are being treated for something they don't have."

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