I spoke with Kay Brown, the woman heading up the GAO investigation, by
telephone on Monday of this week. She confirmed that there is no hearing
scheduled, even tentatively, at this time regarding the residential
treatment industry. In addition, she explained that the GAO does not wish
to be contacted by survivors or families victimized by this industry. The
GAO is doing an "objective" investigation into the industry to provide
information to the Congressional Committee on Education and Labor so that the Committee on Education and Labor can determine what, if any,oversight and regulation is needed in regards to the teen "help" industry. They are working on a report to be filed with the Committee on Education and Labor to help them decide what actions are needed.
I spoke with Sarah Dyson, the woman heading up the Committee on Education and Labor investigation into the teen "help" industry, by telephone on Tuesday (yesterday). Ms. Dyson asked that we keep her contact information off of the website or any internet website. Please do not post any of the following information on any website, blog, message board, etc. We will be posting an action alert altered per Ms. Dyson's instructions on the website this week. This is for your eyes only. However, she did state that we could share it with survivors and families victimized by the teen "help" industry by phone, private e-mail message, or snail mail. Ms. Dyson stated that there is no hearing scheduled on this issue at this time. I asked her if there was a hearing "tentatively" scheduled for late September (as reported by CAFETY), Ms. Dyson said there is no hearing scheduled, even tentatively, for September.
In the Event of a Hearing (again, no hearing is scheduled at this time):
Submit a "Statement of Purpose" to the above address or e-mail. Explain
that you would like to testify at any hearing regarding the teen
"help"/residential treatment industry. Include information on who you are,
what program you or a family member was in, and what you'd like to say at any hearing. Please note that members of the public are given 1-3 minutes (in general) to testify at any legislative hearing. And, note that
submitting your personal or family story per the information above will be
filed as part of the hearing and included in the public record. It may be
more effective to submit your statement in writing than to plan to testify.
There will be limited time and a limit to how many people can testify in
person. Also, there may be no hearing on this issue at any time. It is a
vague possibility at this point. There is nothing scheduled at this time.
So, it is likely best if you submit your story in writing to Ms. Dyson to be
included in the public record as opposed to requesting to speak at a
non-existent hearing at this time.
Please be wary of "advocacy" organizations like "CAICA" that claim to be
against the institutional abuse of children, yet, make money off of
referrals to abusive programs.
