Fornits

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An open discussion about the troubled parent industry

NPR ran a piece on the role of Multidimensional Family Therapy in the treatment of adolescent drug abuse this past week.  If you would like to take a look and listen to the story go to
http://www.npr.org/programs/atc/feature ... index.html
The program examined is through a University in Miami, FL.  What the program describes is a technique also known as "intensive wrap around services" and has been gaining popularity in a wide range of social services because of its effectiveness and respect for, and the resulting "buy-in" of the client. The statistics, (as they do exist!) show this to be considerably more effective than residential treatment.
I have been telling the parents I come across who are looking at spending massive amounts for cultish residential treatment that they would be better off spending the lump sum on having a social worker come live with the family for a month to two.  This Multidimensional Therapy doesn't go quite that far, but the child and family have access to thier own private counselor anytime of day or night;  one that will give rides to and from school because therapy in an office is a profoundly incomprehensive way of dealing with something so complicated as a family.
Those who lurk the parent boards....spread the word!

After the conference in FL last year,I came away with the sense that the most difficult hurdle for this amazing group of people would be the focus of the energy.  There are people, both survivors and those close to them for whom this issue is so painful, just simply living with it is nearly overpowering.  It is a day to day thing.  It is hard to talk about it at all without finding one's voice involuntarily raising an octive and several decibels.  If a person in this much pain is forced to deal with the issue of enlightening the rest of the populace to the ongoing plight of children who they know will someday be overpowered by thier own life on the outside, this can only be a disservice to the individual still working to make sense of thier experience as well as a disservice to those who might still be saved from the whole ordeal.  
Let those whose voices still crack upon the telling of the story manage in thier own way and allow them to find support wherever and however they may. Managing a peaceful life with a past so frightening is an amazing accomplishement that should never be understated. Let those who offer themselves up in battle carry the candle.  
Battling this beast is enough to wrench the hearts  of the most seasoned warriors.  As one who battled a dragon by whose claw I never suffered, there were days I screamed, cried, and became utterly hysterical within the quiet of my home. But in not having those scars, I was always able to carry the message of those who bore the pain without every raising my voice.  Therein lies the difference but it is not one of right or wrong.  Wrong is only when a person is further victimized by thier horrendous experience.  All of us have the power to end that right here; it doesn't even require a fight.

[ This Message was edited by: Tricstrmom on 2003-01-16 21:43 ]