I too was at Pathway, as a parent, and I?m not sure where you are getting all your details. First, Pathway does not guarantee a cure, but rather offers a treatment model that focuses on developing honesty about using drugs and rebuilding self-esteem. The alternative for us was to watch our daughter continue to make poor choices, resulting in damage to herself and others. I wanted to find help before she ended up in jail, or worse, before she died. Pathway is more than just a detox center, which most short-term programs are limited to. For some, a short-term program is all that is required. Other clients, like my daughter, have been in and out of numerous ST centers with no recovery. At Pathway, our daughter gained a realization of the unacceptable behaviors and attitudes that accompanied the drug use. Clients learn to accept and appreciate themselves, while maintaining a healthy, drug-free lifestyle. This extensive process requires more than 30 days for the client to make the life changes.
I have read many of the posts throughout this BBS and others, and am disturbed with the physical abuse described at other programs. I would never condone such treatment under any circumstances. I wholeheartedly support actions against any organization that promotes such abusive practices. During my daughter?s enrollment at Pathway, I never saw the things described on this BBS about the Straight programs. So I take exception to your claim that Pathway ?sounds exactly the same (as Straight)?. Granted, Pathway is not a picnic. It takes work by the child and also by the parents and siblings. There are procedures in place to protect the client from themselves ? that is, deciding they don?t want to recover, and prefer to leave the program and return to their previous irrational and destructive behavior. In that respect, Pathway is responsible to have procedures in place to mitigate client elopement. Our family was looking for help with our daughter?s downward spiral and her abusive behavior in our home. Intuitively, a change would not occur with just a ?picnic?. We anticipated that the process would require commitment and work on our part. We wanted our daughter protected from her destructive behavior and other druggie friends abusing her. Likewise, we saw Pathway as an alternative to doing nothing, and just letting our daughter continue to decline and most likely die at an early age, or at best, live a sad, hopeless life.
You claim ?there is no privacy whatsoever?. Is that really the case? Initially, when you came to Pathway, the immediate focus became you and the underlying emotional issues that contributed to your substance abuse. From the beginning, you may not have had complete privacy because without structure and supervision, your tendencies could have been predicted to do whatever necessary to get back to your drugs. Eventually, after making changes, you received privacy and other privileges ? even returned to school (unsupervised) and sought out employment (unsupervised). But by that time, you were able to make better choices for yourself. That is, to remain sober and focus on becoming a productive citizen, without being destructive to yourself and others. So you did have privacy.
You state that a police officer said a Pathway client ?had every right to leave?. Maybe so, maybe not. Pathway?s policy is that a client may be clinically discharged, and is usually referred to another facility as determined by clinical advice. Also, a parent may take their child from Pathway against clinical advice. Clients may not discharge themselves unless they are age 18 and not court-ordered to complete the program. If they are under age 18, their parents determine whether they remain in treatment. If the client is 18, they are free to leave the program if they choose.
You claim that groups are often run by peer staff, even though they are not qualified. In reality, peer staff may be in charge of running selected groups with clinical staff supervision. Regardless, a number of peer staff are qualified because of additional education and certifications obtained. But you would not have known that.
You state that the PFC in Indianapolis has ?had lawsuits brought up against them for denying the clients food, abuse, and things like making them walk in the snow with no shoes.? Please provide case details of these lawsuits for reference. That is impossible because they do not exist.
I celebrate the liberties and freedoms our country provides. But with those liberties comes a responsibility. Your post contains numerous inaccuracies because you did not have adequate information. Or, it contains untruths because you decided to ignore the truth and slam a recovery program that has helped many families. I take exception to your categorical classification of Pathway as ?exactly the same? as the other Straight programs. Think about it. If that were in fact the case, any independent investigation would quickly revoke the accreditation.
Clearly, this BBS provides a convenient forum for anyone to ?slam? any of the treatment programs mentioned. Some maybe are deserving. However, my experience with Pathway was beneficial for me, my daughter, and my family. I am thankful for the relationships and healthy behavior re-established through the Pathway program. I am fearful and sad of where we would be had Pathway not been available for us. I realize that Pathway is not ?perfect?, nor is any other organization. However, I prefer to focus on the positive aspects of Pathway, while encouraging improvements where necessary. Consider the many clients and families like mine that received much benefit from the Pathway experience. Likewise, there are other families seeking help that may have exhausted their options. Pathway can help, because I have experienced it.
K
