The real issue at stake here

[Rachael]

http://wwf.fornits.com/viewtopic.php?t= ... c&start=20


Blombro posted the above in the "another apology" thread. This was one of the most telling statements I've bothered to read. It details the exact links between ASTART, CAFETY, etc. and the troubled teen industry.

ASTART, CAFETY, the NYRA, etc. are financially linked with the industry and ideologically sympathetic to the basic "troubled teen" premise. That is to say, 1) They purport to believe that some teens have problems that justify their incarceration outside of the legal and/or medical systems and 2) That "the good can outweigh the bad" in treatment programs. These two beliefs are what all the programs we've lived through base their operations from. These beliefs are what our parents told themselves to justify what they did to us. This is the foundation of all the abuse that has occured. Any organization that is "against" the industry needs to vehemently oppose those viewpoints.


Rachael

[psy]

The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man. -- George Bernard Shaw

[nimdA]

My angle is this:

The last time I looked back on the faces of the kids in my group the only thing I saw was fear. They really looked scared shitless of what was going to happen next. This is what motivates me in my determination to make sure the kids at Whitmore and other places like that aren't forgotten.

The very thought of abandoning kids for the sake of political expediency turns my stomach. I had to walk away once and it isn't going to happen again. Fornits might piss me off something royally about every other day, but the idea of walking away from kids and parents who suffered as a result of any treatment center for some nebulous gain is absurd.

As for the financial part?

Well I won't go as far to say that CAFERty, NYRA, and ASTART are getting their paychecks signed by Pressly Ridge RTC, but  on the other hand its a growing process. But the indirect connections to an RTC as described by Blombro are troubling. Given the antics of the groups involved as of late I made the following decisions:

I don't see CAFERTY growing. They have displayed their immaturity and lack of willingness to honor the victims. (ie. Blombro's repeated temper tantrums, and their unwillingess to tell the NYRA to piss off)

I don't see the NYRA being of any use they to have shown their inability to grasp the finer points of honoring the victims, and displaying any sort of real political finesse. (ie. Alex's comments)

ASTART... Well I'm still debating their role in this. I believe they have potential and I'll let time tell with them. Not sure how much time, but I'll give them a chance.

It is the same chance I gave TAUSA not so long ago and that turned out for the better. So anything really is possible.

[nimdA]

Thank you for your responses.

So this issue doesn't come up again. How far along the line must the associations be cut off?

We are a member of the Youth Policy Action Center, which NYRA is a member of, which means we are linked to YPAC which has a link to NYRA.

Should we cancel our membership in YPAC?

ASTART is based out of the University of South Florida Research and Training Center. The USF RTC holds an annual conference, where a small portion of the funding is taken from residential programs. Should ASTART disassociate from the USF RTC (they are separate entities, but the director is the same of both) because of that funding source (Pressley Ridge and Boys and Girls Town). And there is a board member of the USF RTC (I happen to be one of them) who has been a director of a residential treatment program (he is also one of the fiercest advocates for community based services).

Charles Huffine, Kat, and I are members of ASTART. It should be noted that while ASTART may be indirectly receiving support from some residential programs they took NATSAP head on and gave them no quarter. Should the three of use resign from ASTART due to their connection to an entity that receives funds and support from residential programs.

T.J. Curtis is a board member of the Federation of Families for Children's Mental Health and Youth ACT, I know that while FFCMH is generally against residential treatment, their hands (or at least some of their chapters' hands) aren't clean when it comes to referring parents to some residential programs or accepting money from those programs.

Lorrin Gehring is an employee of that same company.

Mor Keshet works for an adult residential treatment program as an art therapist. Kat used to work for that same program.

Some of our board members have had what they consider positive experiences in residential treatment.

Our board is comprised of individuals who have the ability through their connections to actually reach the policy makers, the administrators, the service providers, and other advocates to press for changes in the law, or the way the system is administered.

Because of the money that flows through the residential treatment industry, all of them are connected, but not complicit, in some way to tainted money, bad practices, or both. However, in their own practice of their job they try to avoid that taint, and usually through their positions try to change the systems that they work within.

So, before I ask Alex to resign from his position I want you all to take a hard look at this list of potential conflicts of interest, and tell me if these board members are acceptable to you. If they are, I believe that this situation was an isolated incident and will be taken care of swiftly.

[ZenAgent]

Yeah, the Kat's out of the bag, I'm afraid.  Her silence makes me think she was aware of the conflict of interest and hoped it would never be exposed.  They really are mired in the industry...their jobs, their financial support.  With no official response (I don't count the snarky little weasel I call Swarmy, the who, Jr.) I can only guess they're spiraling and the buzzards are roosting over CAFETY.

Conversations I've had with people in A START have not put me at ease.  I'm really sorry to see all this, I like these people, but they let themselves get entangled in the industry.

[nimdA]

On the other hand Zen realize that who was some of the first survivors that they connected with upon arrival to the scene?

I think it might just be a matter of educating them.

[nimdA]

oh yeah holler at me on aim if you have some free time.

[Anonymous]

Can someone please explain to me how an organization supposedly engaged in stopping child abuse gets mired in child abuse?

Not to invoke Godwin here, but that's like the ADL accidentally getting involved with Fourth Reichers, or David Duke accidentally having an affiliation with the NAACP.

[nimdA]

I'll leave that one for ASTART to sort out. A lot of what they say and do in the next couple of weeks and how they say and do it is going to be what helps me make up my mind.

[ZenAgent]

On the other hand Zen realize that who was some of the first survivors that they connected with upon arrival to the scene?

I think it might just be a matter of educating them.

No, I found out last night the roots run deep.

[nimdA]

Christ.. well get on aim then.. tell me what is up yo.