Author Topic: Response from KHK staff  (Read 4852 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline Antigen

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 12992
  • Karma: +3/-0
    • View Profile
    • http://wwf.Fornits.com/
Response from KHK staff
« on: March 13, 2003, 01:54:00 PM »
Here is the main text of the response a friend received from KHK to the email they sent asking how it differs from Straight.

Anyone who has been there recently care to comment? Specifically, I'd like to know how that reporting abuse thing works with no phone calls till ___ phase (when I was in, it was 4th, except for dime therapy on 3rd). Do people ever call the authorities? If so, what happens? Are the calls monitored? Do the authorities take it seriously or do they seem like they're in the Program's pocket? When I was in, there was no such policy, even symbolically. If a nuke tried to reach for a phone, the response would be like what you'd expect if they were reaching for an AK-47.

KHK staff wroteSimilarities to Straight ,Inc. The ways in which we are similar: We use a five phase model and make  use of host homes in the evening as did Straight, Inc. I have no first hand knowledge of how Straight operated the program.  A very important way in which I know we differ is that Kids Helping  Kids has a local, policy making board of directors. Our directors are  community minded individuals who volunteer their time. They are the  governance authority unlike Straight, Inc which was governed by the  National Office. Information on Board Members is readily available  and they live within the community. Board terms are limited so that  we have a number of individuals in the community who have monitored  the policies and procedures. Most are very active. The board always  includes past program parents and presently a graduate sits on the  board. If the program used abusive practices these people would  eventually become informed. Kids Helping Kids has always been a much smaller program with a  higher staff to client ratio and more clinical involvement. We are  organized into teams. Each team is headed by a certified or licensed  professional who oversees their clients' treatment including the  family counseling. All but one has a master's degree. Each  professional supervises a 2 ? 3 peer counselors on their team and  each peer counselor is responsible for three or four clients. Each  client has a treatment plan and goals. The peer counselors help the  client with the formation of their goals. Client's rights are clearly written in language they understand,  given to them when they enter and are posted on the group room wall.  Under the Rights Poster is a Grievance Procedure with contact  information to external authorities. That grievance procedure is also  given to the client in writing in their handbook. Staff also includes a psychiatrist who treats the dually diagnosed  and is available to all clients. An LSW conducts home surveys, does  background checks on all parents who will be hosting and also  driver's license checks on parents who will be hosting clients. The peer staff are required to attend a weekly two hour inservice  training which continuously addresses clients rights and safety, as  well as other issues. No program is perfect but we take many steps to make sure that Kids  Helping Kids is a healthy, therapeutic environment in which our  clients can grow. Our emphasis is on helping empower the client, not  perpetuating the motion that events or other people have power over  them.  Twenty one years ago, this program was opened by a group of parents  who transferred kids from the LIFE Program in Florida, a program  which used the model (5 phases, host home). Kids Helping Kids has  never had any direct affiliation with Straight, Inc. and has never  employed any of their Executive Staff. George Ross, who may have at  one time been involved with Straight was hired as the Director but  quickly left before KHK began treating clients. We did employee a  Straight Graduate as a peer staff for a short period of time. Neither  of these people greatly influenced the culture of the program. Our program is dynamic and has changed over time to meet the needs of  the families we treat. I think our culture must be very different. In  1993 we purchased the building that Straight built in 1982 and left  in 1986 or '87.


It is error alone which needs the support of government. Truth can stand by itself.
http://laissezfairebooks.com/product.cfm?op=view&pid=FF7485&aid=10247' target='_new'>Thomas Jefferson

« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »
"Don\'t let the past remind us of what we are not now."
~ Crosby Stills Nash & Young, Sweet Judy Blue Eyes

Offline METALGOD8

  • Posts: 365
  • Karma: +0/-0
    • View Profile
Response from KHK staff
« Reply #1 on: March 19, 2003, 12:36:00 PM »
:smokin:
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »

Offline Don Smith

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 204
  • Karma: +0/-0
    • View Profile
    • http://straightincalumni.com
Response from KHK staff
« Reply #2 on: March 20, 2003, 10:33:00 PM »
If you must know I met with them.  I don't mean to be so private about it.  But for the sake of clearing the air and hopefully open up another opportunity for you to sit down and talk with them I will tell you why I set up a time to meet with them.
As some of you know my worst time for me involving Straight was my time on Staff.  In fact I had become extremly depressed and sucidal during my Internship.  In the last few weeks I have again regressed and have been extremly depressed. I knew I needed to get closure on this as it has become something I am obsessed with.
I was expecting to meet with Jeff, the Staff Coordinator but instead ended up speaking with Penny Walker, the Executive Director.
I talked to her about my time on Staff.  She was shocked to say the least.  She had never heard of a Staff member being punished for having sex after 7th Stepping and was upset about how I was treated afterward.  
We talked for about 90 minutes.  I also learned about the differences between KHK and Straight.  The reply above pretty much tells it all.  They make sure the Clients meet with a professional staffer every week.  The Board of Directors handle any and all complaints to ensure client treatment is fair.
I certainly didn't want to interfer with the ISAC's desire to meet with KHK and will contact Penny and ask her to reconsider. I still want to meet with Jeff because he is more familiar with the inner workings of the Junior and Senior Staff and has told me that he is willing to share documents with me.
I learned a shocking thing that happened within the Straight Sibling Group. A Sibling Coordinator in Cincinnati was given a memo from Corporate Headquarters stating that 95% of all siblings should be enrolled as Clients at Straight.  He was outraged and thought it was completly uncalled for.
I am sorry if I have caused any trouble and will do my best to fix the mess.

Don
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »
t\'s not for me to question How God will provide for my needs. I only have to Know that He will.

Offline Antigen

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 12992
  • Karma: +3/-0
    • View Profile
    • http://wwf.Fornits.com/
Response from KHK staff
« Reply #3 on: March 21, 2003, 12:20:00 AM »
Don, I don't think you caused any trouble. You're not on staff anymore and so you're not accountable to anyone but yourself to tell who you talk to or what about.

I have to say, though, cynic that I am, I have very little faith in the staff claims of professional treatment. What I really would like to know is if they still keep nukes isolated from the world. I'm pretty sure they do, so a sign hanging on a wall saying that they can call the authorities is really just a piece of paper on the wall.

Remember how it was? Well, maybe you didn't see it from my pov because you were voluntary. But I wasn't. I signed in because they threatened to court order me for two years and I figured they probably could do that. Even when I split, I knew I couldn't go to the authorities because they wouldn't believe me. It was a real nightmare and it's still a nightmare when you consider the kind of power these people have today.


Understand that legal and illegal are political, and often arbitrary,
categorizations; use and abuse are medical, or clinical, distinctions.

--Abbie Hoffman

« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »
"Don\'t let the past remind us of what we are not now."
~ Crosby Stills Nash & Young, Sweet Judy Blue Eyes

Offline Don Smith

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 204
  • Karma: +0/-0
    • View Profile
    • http://straightincalumni.com
Response from KHK staff
« Reply #4 on: March 21, 2003, 04:31:00 AM »
I understand you being weary of the claims of professional intervention at KHK.  

I don't have a reason to doubt them based on the number of clinicians on staff there.  

During my entire stay at Straight 1st thru 5th phase I was "treated" by the Peer Staff.  Not one meeting with a "professional" staff member.  In fact I didn't have a family conference until AFTER my two week leave of absence from Staff. By then I had been 7th Stepped for a year and 1/2.  

I'm glad you don't think I messed any thing up, but I'm still going to contact Penny and see if I can convince her to meet the the ISAC.  

Don
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »
t\'s not for me to question How God will provide for my needs. I only have to Know that He will.

Offline METALGOD8

  • Posts: 365
  • Karma: +0/-0
    • View Profile
Response from KHK staff
« Reply #5 on: March 21, 2003, 12:02:00 PM »
Well Ginger, come to think of it, I guess the professionals there have to spend some time explaining to KHK first phasers why they have to accept the fact that they will be led around by the beltloop and how to avoid having permanent psychological scars from that and other STRAIGHT, INC. treatment they receive there.
 
 MG8 :smokin:
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »

Offline Shelby

  • Posts: 94
  • Karma: +0/-0
    • View Profile
Response from KHK staff
« Reply #6 on: March 21, 2003, 12:39:00 PM »
As is typical around here lately, some facts are missing from this thread -

1. No one from ISAC tried to treat Don like he was "on staff" or tell him who he could or couldn't talk to. I know. I'm the one who emailed him.

2. When Bill and I contacted KHK about doing an interview with them, the staff member who answered our email said he was already planning to do an interview "with someone from your organization named Don."

Since I knew we were going to handle that personally...

3. I emailed Don to find out if he was doing the interview on his own, or for ISAC and once he clarified that he was doing it on his own...

4. I asked Don to inform KHK that the interview was not for ISAC so that we would have a fair chance at talking to them sometime in the future.

5. No one from ISAC ever asked Don what he learned from the interview and we had no plans to.

Don, do you disagree with anything I've written?

Shelby
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »

Offline Don Smith

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 204
  • Karma: +0/-0
    • View Profile
    • http://straightincalumni.com
Response from KHK staff
« Reply #7 on: March 21, 2003, 09:21:00 PM »
Youare 100% correct.  In fact when I met with Penny the first thing I told her was I am not from ISAC and someone from there would be in touch. (Penny thought that I was from the ISAC but let her know otherwise. Since I knew you had already contacted Jeff, I told her to get with Jeff about that.

Don
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »
t\'s not for me to question How God will provide for my needs. I only have to Know that He will.

Offline Antigen

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 12992
  • Karma: +3/-0
    • View Profile
    • http://wwf.Fornits.com/
Response from KHK staff
« Reply #8 on: March 24, 2003, 06:22:00 PM »
Shelby, please don't read more into this than is there. Of course you didn't imply that Don is on staff or being treated as such or any other foolish thing.

However, MG did express some disapointment over Don's meeting with KHK staff without telling you. Don's response looked to me asif he thought he'd done something wrong or mean or made trouble for you or something.

I only wanted to point out that, organization or not, whatever his motives or anything else, I don't think the man should feel obliged to seek permission or to inform anyone but his wife what he does or who he talks to or why.

I was only trying to make Don feel better, not to wade into another brawl over nothing.

"I have seen the enemy. The enemy is us!", said Pogo.

Truth resides in every human heart, and one has to search for it there, and to be guided by truth as one sees it. But no one has a right to coerce others to act according to his own view of truth.
                                     
--Mohandas K. Gandhi

« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »
"Don\'t let the past remind us of what we are not now."
~ Crosby Stills Nash & Young, Sweet Judy Blue Eyes

Offline Shelby

  • Posts: 94
  • Karma: +0/-0
    • View Profile
Response from KHK staff
« Reply #9 on: March 26, 2003, 09:54:00 AM »
I'm not looking to start a brawl. Merely stating the facts in an effort to clear up any misconceptions.

Shelby
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »

Offline The Motivator

  • Posts: 66
  • Karma: +0/-0
    • View Profile
Response from KHK staff
« Reply #10 on: April 01, 2004, 08:10:00 PM »
KHK by my experience was very similar to straight with a few less pile-on sitting sessions. We had a few of those but it seems like it was a bit less hostile.

The Nukes were treated with the same lack of privileges and lack of contact with the outside world.
I'm sure this has not changed much.....beltloops and all

Penny was running it then and seems to still be in charge

there was a proffessional Psychologiest named Kathy who also was there in 84'

They saw it all..... Open meetings, raps, escape attempts, skin carving fests.

I'm over it and seeing this board for a minute helped close that door since I don't know anyone and don't have that much to add to the mayhem being discussed on a daily basis.

It's fun to check in from time to time though.

I'd like to see you help close this facility and others like it.
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »
quot;Let\'s have a song\"

Offline mbell1960

  • Posts: 11
  • Karma: +0/-0
    • View Profile
Response from KHK staff
« Reply #11 on: April 27, 2005, 01:49:00 PM »
Greetings from George Ross!
If you remember the toools I gave you, RSA's(rational self analysis) Then you will remember that thoughts create feeeelings. If you change your thoughts you will change the way you feeel about them. Of course there is at first cognitive dissonance which will make thinking the new way uncomfortable until repetition along with sleep deprivation, poor nutrition etc, the new way of thinking will take hold and you will become a happy straightling.
sincerly,
George Ross- psycho-logist
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »

Offline Anonymous

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 164653
  • Karma: +3/-4
    • View Profile
Response from KHK staff
« Reply #12 on: May 31, 2005, 08:02:00 PM »
Quote


George Ross- psycho-logist"


no, I have always thought of Ross as the-rapist.
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »

Offline Anonymous

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 164653
  • Karma: +3/-4
    • View Profile
Response from KHK staff
« Reply #13 on: July 12, 2005, 02:54:00 AM »
i was not in straight, but was in KHK from 96-97, and it was quite abusive.  They may have a few senior staff members that have received accredidation, but many of them are former straight or KHK graduates, who perpetuate the abuse.  They need to be shut down and locked up.
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »

Offline Anonymous

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 164653
  • Karma: +3/-4
    • View Profile
Response from KHK staff
« Reply #14 on: July 12, 2005, 03:33:00 AM »
Have you filed an affidavit regarding these abuses? Have you spoken to your congressperson? Have you contacted other people who were in there to do the same? Have you contacted the media in Ohio to let them know there is another side to KHK that they are not covering in their reports and news segments?

Please also contact the Internation Survivors Action Committee as they are currently working on the KHK issue and I am sure they would like to hear from survivors of the program. http://www.isaccorp.org
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »