Fornits
Treatment Abuse, Behavior Modification, Thought Reform => Straight, Inc. and Derivatives => Topic started by: Anonymous on January 20, 2007, 10:08:40 AM
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http://nwitimes.com/articles/2007/01/20 ... 01a4fd.txt (http://nwitimes.com/articles/2007/01/20/opinion/letters_to_the_editor/0ca1fe7c16bfe9b9862572690001a4fd.txt)
Not bringing Pathway would be bad for teens
Barb McClain
Valparaiso
From Saturday, January 20, 2007 1:10 AM CST Email this story Print this story
I am a parent of a child who was in Pathway in Indianapolis. I am also a daily reader of your newspaper.
Pathway saved my son's life. I am very saddened to see how you are portraying Pathway. I am sure you would agree with me on the fact that northern Indiana, like many other places in the world, has a very bad drug problem. How dare you for making Pathway sound like a hell hole for any child to be in.
My son was in Pathway for more than five months, and nothing like what you have put in the paper happened to him or anyone in the program with him. I did pull him out because of my health problem and not being able to do the parent's part of the program. The time in the program did, however, change him in a very positive way.
I fear the articles will stop Pathway from coming to Valparaiso. This would be terrible for many teens and their parents.
Barb McClain, Valparaiso
http://nwitimes.com/articles/2007/01/20 ... 01a53d.txt (http://nwitimes.com/articles/2007/01/20/opinion/letters_to_the_editor/e3e5bc514854e105862572690001a53d.txt)
Thank you for publishing that story on Pathway
William Earnshaw Sr.
President, ISAC Corp., Midland, Va.
From Saturday, January 20, 2007 1:10 AM CST Email this story Print this story
Thank you for publishing the Straight to Pathway article. I admire your courage and dedication to reporting about such a controversial, as some folks claim it, drug treatment method.
I view this method as systematic child abuse, which is a crime. People, agencies or businesses that perpetrate it should be held fully accountable by the law. Abusing kids to get them off drugs is not the answer. Furthermore, anyone (especially a parent) who agrees with this systematically abusive treatment needs to check a mirror and understand they are also responsible for aiding and abetting child abuse by advocating and buying it.
There is much that needs to be said about why this treatment is systematically abusive. I encourage your readers to research more about why it needs to stop and not proliferate at taxpayers' expense.
In the article, Terri Nissley claimed ISAC is a "bunch of whackos who want to legalize drugs." This is preposterous. For the record, the ISAC Corp. mission statement clearly states: "Our mission is to expose abuse, civil rights violations and fraud perpetuated through privately owned facilities for juveniles."
William Earnshaw Sr., President, ISAC Corp., Midland, Va.
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Pathway gets solid reviews at Porter County meeting
PORTER COUNTY: Pathway officials reassure crowd the program is helpful, not abusive
From Wednesday, January 31, 2007 12:00 AM CST
BY BOB KASARDA
bkasarda@nwitimes.com
VALPARAISO | Michigan resident Devin Baker stood up an hour into Tuesday night's meeting on the Pathway Family Center, which plans to open a teen drug treatment facility here in August.
After hearing nothing but success stories and the benefits offered by the program, Baker and a small group of other men from outside Indiana began asking detailed questions about Pathway's practices. The questions were all aimed at finding out whether Pathway operates with the same abusive techniques they say they experienced with the now defunct Straight Inc. drug treatment program.
"Lots of terrible stuff happened to us," Baker said.
While program officials attempted to calm the concerns by saying the confrontational and abusive techniques are not used by Pathway, Chesterton resident Jeff Brown stood in the crowd and offered his own experience as proof.
"It's a different program," said Brown, who said he graduated from Pathway after being addicted to heroin at the age of 17.
Brown said he was treated so well he still considers Pathway officials family.
"Today my life is 250 percent better," he said.
"It just worries me people will think now this program is what Straight was," Brown said. "It's not."
Faith in the Pathway program remained strong Tuesday among the majority of the crowd that packed the county meeting room to take part in an informational forum hosted by the local Community Action Drug Coalition.
The coalition is contributing $100,000 to help Pathway open up shop in Porter County to begin addressing the area's drug problem, which has been punctuated over the past years by a large number of heroin-related deaths among young people.
The 14-year-old Pathway program treats only adolescent drug users and their families, said Pathway Chief Executive Officer Terri Nissley.
Among the local success stories highlighted Tuesday was Valparaiso resident Sean McGill, who graduated from the Indianapolis program last month.
McGill said he entered high school with a desire to succeed, but turned to drugs and alcohol when he did not fit in.
"I felt confident when I was high," he said.
After his life spun out of control, he spent nine months in the Pathway program and is now attending college.
Sean's father, Charlie McGill, said it was difficult to admit at first, but his family did not have the skills necessary to help Sean.
He warned other families that Pathway is a long-term program, but said it offers a solid formula.
"I've seen such a change in my son," Charlie said. "He's growing up finally."