WWASP-Bribes, Deception, and Division of Family

[Deborah]

Is this an example of a WWASP "bribe". They tried to pay these people to return to a seminar. When that failed they W became hostile and attempted to divide the family. Bizarre web. Haven't they heard that you can't FORCE personal growth? Doesn't work that way.

http://www.strugglingteens.com/news/tee ... nlile.html

3. When we brought our concerns about the TASKS seminar we attended, we were not believed or responded to in a professional manner by the Teen Help family of services. Instead of addressing the problems and answering our questions about the safety of our child, we were threatened by irate Teen Help parents and called by a therapist who tried to persuade us to come back to a seminar and stay for all three days so that "we would be desensitized and see things clearer." Then we were offered over $12,000 by Jean Schulter, CEO of Teen Help and other businesses if we would attend another seminar and threatened with legal action if we did not attend the seminar. Our concerns have not been addressed nor our questions answered to this date. We continue to find this irresponsible behavior of a highly questionable sort.

4. When we decided not to complete the TASKS Seminars, several efforts were made to divide us from our child. The program proved to be entirely inflexible when we didn't adopt the Seminars whole-heartedly and they had no provision for helping our family if all family members didn't participate in all the Seminars. Several staff developed hostility towards us and showed it openly to our daughter. Duane Smotherman, the facilitator of our seminar mocked us in a seminar two weeks later at Tranquility in front of our daughter and all the other teens. These behaviors were quite shocking. We have been able to manage some family unity despite all of this, but the strain put on our family by the program's behavior was great. We have talked to other parents who had an even more difficult situation than we did. In many cases they were divorced. When one parent attended the seminar and the other did not it was reported to me by these parents that staff and peers in the program tried to prejudice their child against the parent who did not attend the seminar. As far as we have seen, there is no program which helps families to reunite and resolve family programs when only part of the family members attend all the seminars.

5. Our investigations led us to discover more than 27 businesses that were all owned by friends and family members of the same three people. Although this in itself may not seem alarming, we found that the setup and operation of these businesses was used to evade responsibility and accountability when we started asking questions and voicing our concerns. In addition, we discovered that the education and treatment of our child was primarily handled by businesses we had not checked out or researched because their names were not revealed to us. It took much painful discovery to unravel this complex web. It is extremely important for us to know the credibility, reputation and track record of anyone we do business with. When it comes to the safety of our child, this is even more important. I asked many questions and was told things that deliberately obscured the ownership of the businesses I attempted to research before signing the contract.

8. We read the reports of the Utah Health Department's two years worth of citations against Brightway Hospital (another Teen Help run facility). These reports showed the same patterns of deception, inferior care and standards, insufficient oversight and "one size fits all" approach that we discovered from our own investigation with other Teen Help programs. This confirmed our belief that our experience was representative of a pattern of behavior, not just a few isolated incidents. Among other things, two teens were sent out of the country, one to Tranquility Bay and the other to Paradise Cove with positive TB tests without reporting it to the appropriate U.S. Health Department as required by law.

[Anonymous]

Deborah - can't you do better than this?  It's so old it's not even having an effect on people anymore - there's too much evidence to the contrary.  Pay someone to go to a seminar?  Fat chance!  I just love how you quote something of which you have NO experience.  Shut UP!! :wink:

[Deborah]

http://www.bridgetounderstanding.com/cg ... l?read=514

First, I have read about 27 pages of reports from the Department of Health in Utah on their findings concerning Brightway Hospital. I will quote a few pertinent facts from that report that concern me and then state why:

"During the course of the survey, the following deficiencies were identified:

1. R432-101-12(6)(d) - The facility failed to report two cases of suspected TB to their local health department as required by Communicable Disease Rule 386-702-2.

2. R432-101-7(1) - The governing body failed to provide adequate oversight and direction for the operation of the facility.

3. R432-101-17(3)(a) - It was determined that the hospital does not assess and screen potential patients prior to admission and does not determine if the facility is the least restrictive setting appropriate for the patients needs as required.

4. R432-101-15(5)(a) - The therapeutic purpose for requiring patients to perform cleaning services is not included in the patient care plans.

5. R432-101-(2)(a) - It was determined that patient care plans are not individualized and based upon the information gathered from the assessment of the individual patient's needs.

6. R432-101(6)(k)(i) - Four patient records did not identify specific security measures or demonstrate that these measures were necessary in order to provide appropriate services.

7. R432-101-23(1) - It was determined that the facility has not been limiting seclusion to protecting the patient from injury to self or others or to assist patients to attain and maintain optimum levels of physical or emotional functioning.

8. R432-101-17(4)(c) - Discharge planning is completed by an outside agency prior to admission to the facility.

9. R432-101-23 (10)(c) - The facility provides behavior management programs for all patients, but does not identify patient behaviors that need to be managed or have a process to employ the least restrictive methods of behavior management."

The detail reports show that 1 suspected TB patient was sent to Tranquility Bay and one to Samoa in the past 4 months. I have personally listened to at least two parent accounts in the past week regarding medical care at Tranquility Bay that I believe would constitute malpractice if it were done her in the United States.

I have read 27 pages of reports that have taken place over a period of more than a year, as the Department of Health Services attempted to bring Brightway up to standard, working with manager Ken Kay. It was very revealing and I don't have time to post everything here. The contact for obtaining more information would be: Director Debra Wynkoop-Green from the Bureau of Licensing, Box 142003, Salt Lake City, Utah 84114-2003.

Brightway Hospital has since been closed. I believe there are other posts in this Board with reference to the newspaper articles that pertain to the details of the closing.

When I was investigating Tranquility Bay as a possible placement for my child, one of the major points that was used by Teen Help to convince me of the legitimacy of the Tranquility Bay program was the statement that Jay Kay, the director of Tranquility Bay had been an administrator at Brightway Hospital. Knowing administrator's of California hospitals, I placed a lot of credibility on this statement. I did not know at the time that Jay Kay was only in his late 20's, had no specific training in the mental or medical health profession (that I have since been able to verify). I did not know that he was the son of Ken Kay, who was the managing director of Brightway when all these violations were happening.

[Anonymous]

Is your closet clean Deborah?   :idea:

[Anonymous]

On 2003-09-29 18:23:00, Anonymous wrote:

"Deborah - can't you do better than this?  It's so old it's not even having an effect on people anymore - there's too much evidence to the contrary.  Pay someone to go to a seminar?  Fat chance!  I just love how you quote something of which you have NO experience.  Shut UP!! :wave:

[MelissaR]

4. R432-101-15(5)(a) - The therapeutic purpose for requiring patients to perform cleaning services is not included in the patient care plans.

How is it possible that at all the other WWASP facilities this is going on, and it's okay? This is just one of many citations on that list that at this point continue to go on at WWASP facilities, and I did say citations.... Why is this?

[Deborah]

****Deborah I just love how you quote something of which you have NO experience. Shut UP!

Are you the same Anon who told me to Shut Up in the other thread? Then claimed to actually be an adult... and that you didn't have a child in WWASP...yet?

Soes, I guess you are lying or you just resent me for posting "negative" information about your "program of choice". Which is it?

Look up the definition of "quote". Is that what I did? Your frustration is preventing you from thinking clearly. Do you think any parent who happens onto that information would give a rat's ass if I had direct experience with WWASP? I think not.

Get over it. You aren't in control here and you never will be. And your hopeless, pitiful, rude, and ignorant comments aren't going to shut me, or anyone else, up. You're a real diservice to your cause, I would think an embarassment. Can folks look forward to learning to be like you by attending the parent seminars? Now, that's something to look forward to. Not.

[Deborah]

Melissa,
You've got the Health Dept, which issued these particular citations. Then you have Regulatory Services. They are seperate, but do about the same thing, and this is true in all states.
I would venture a guess that there is not one state that would approve of program participants cleaning, other than their personal space. I know it is against the law in the states' regs I have researched.
The problem, the state doesn't know it's happening unless someone files a complaint. That's why you and others must begin to inform the Licensing and Regulatory Agencies. They can not investigate without a complaint. And, if the facility is not licensed with their agency, they can't even go onto the grounds without an allegation of abuse and a search warrant. Private Corps have a lot of protection, and until L&R can prove they are other than what they claim, they can't force them to comply with state regs.

[MelissaR]

Montana Department of Public Health And Human Services
Web: http://www.dphhs.state.mt.us/about_us/a ... /index.htm
Email: ggelinas@state.mt.us

18668205437
406 444 5900

What I have found is that what we are doing on this site is a whole lot of talking and not much of really doing anything. These things need to be reported. This is the information I have found in regards to Spring Creek Lodge in Montana....

Please, you guys, if you have problems with different programs  contact the states in which they're located!

[Anonymous]

Brightway was many times found to have checked in kids without both parents signatures..

that definately hasn't changed...that seems to be policy with them and then they label the "outside" parent as a bad influence if they won't go along...

many , many , many, cases...

good Job Deborah, thank for willingness to type up all this stuff.

[Deborah]

Melissa,
These are the "Guidelines" for Mental Health Services/Facilities
http://www.dphhs.state.mt.us/services/g ... in_rev.pdf

I'm not sure if Montana would consider them to be a "Youth Residential Treatment" facility or a "Therapeutic Living" facility OR even if they would be considered a Mental Health Facility.

They require both to have a professional, multi-disciplinarary staff as well as a comprehesive treatment plan, but leave alot of the day-to-day operation stuff to those professionals. Really quiet lame.

The main directory:
http://www.dphhs.state.mt.us/legal_sect ... tle_37.htm
They also have a classification of "Therapeutic Youth Group Homes", which is probably the appropriate one:
http://www.dphhs.state.mt.us/legal_sect ... ter_37.pdf

And finally the State Regs governing policies and operation:
http://www.dphhs.state.mt.us/legal_sect ... ter_97.pdf

Note: There are two catagories "Child Care Agency" and "Residential Treatment Center". Actually three, including Foster Care. Be sure you're reading the right one.

Excerpts:
37.97.257 CHILD CARE AGENCY: RESIDENTIAL TREATMENT CENTER, SECLUSION (1) Only CHILD CARE AGENCIES which operate a licensed residential treatment center may use seclusion as a method of
intervention.
(2) A seclusion room is a single room in a child care agency treatment center in which a child may be confined.
(a) Seclusion may be used as a means of  intervention only when the child is in danger of harming himself, others, or property.
(b) Seclusion shall be used only for the time needed to change the behavior necessitating its use. Seclusion shall not be used as punishment.
more...

37.97.254 CHILD CARE AGENCY: RESIDENTIAL TREATMENT CENTER, RECREATION (1) The residential treatment center shall have an on-grounds recreation program for residents, including: team
sports, individual sports, non-competitive games, physical conditioning, arts, crafts, music, cultural and ethnic pursuits, records, books, and hobby equipment as appropriate for each child's
treatment plan.

(i) The provider shall provide each child with his own clothing suitable to the child's age and size and comparable to the clothing of other children in the community.
(ii) Children shall have some choice in the selection of their clothing.
(h) Privacy and individualism: The provider shall allow the children to have privacy.
(i) The provider shall provide a separate bed, separate storage space for clothing and personal articles, and a place for the child to display his socially appropriate creative works and
symbols of identity.
(ii) Each child shall be provided with access to a quiet area where he can be alone when appropriate.

And as to your question re: Work- Kinda lame, but here tis.
(ii) The provider must distinguish between tasks which children are expected to perform as part of living together, jobs to earn spending money, and jobs performed for vocational training. Children in care shall not be used as employees of the facility without prior approval of the department.

(a) Discipline must not be physically or emotionally damaging.
(b) There must be no cruel, harsh, or unusual punishment.
(c) Verbal abuse of a child is prohibited.
(d) No child of any age can be shaken or hit.
(e) Children must not be denied meals, mail or contacts with their families as punishment.
(f) No disciplinary practices of any sort shall be employed which are humiliating or degrading to the child or which undermine the child's self-respect.
Much more at the link.
****************************

Go through the regs and catalog each violation to create your complaint. It would help to know their classification before you start... that is, if they are licensed at all.

[Anonymous]

Whew, that's some heavy readin'
spammer1