AARC Summary (i.e. Ajax)

[Anonymous]

No, AARC supporters say that AARC isn't a school.  I'm trying to get an answer as to what they are.  Are they a treatment center?  Are they a school?  Do they have patients or students?

[TheWho]

No, AARC supporters say that AARC isn't a school.  I'm trying to get an answer as to what they are.  Are they a treatment center?  Are they a school?  Do they have patients or students?

I believe it is a treatment center/facility.  I would check the AARC web site for what they prefer to be called.

[Anonymous]

No, AARC supporters say that AARC isn't a school.  I'm trying to get an answer as to what they are.  Are they a treatment center?  Are they a school?  Do they have patients or students?

I believe it is a treatment center/facility.  I would check the AARC web site for what they prefer to be called.

Well, that's part of the problem.  They won't really give a straight answer.  It seems like they don't want to be nailed down to one description or the other due to the fact that they really have no credentials to be calling themselves either one.  They do a lot of what you do here.  Deflection and spin in order to avoid pointed questions about how they operate and what their background is.

[Froderik]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lbyX-Ra9GiU

[TheWho]

Well, that's part of the problem.  They won't really give a straight answer.  It seems like they don't want to be nailed down to one description or the other due to the fact that they really have no credentials to be calling themselves either one.  They do a lot of what you do here.  Deflection and spin in order to avoid pointed questions about how they operate and what their background is.

Ajax!!  Your back (well at least your logic is)!!  So here we go again.  You state as a fact that they don’t have the credentials to be either a treatment Center or a Treatment facility.  (notice the word fact)
Then we ask...okay?  What are the credentials to be a Treatment Center or Facility.  Then this is where Ajax runs away and starts a new thread stating AARC does not have the credentials to run a Treatment Center!!  Ha,Ha,Ha  or he says it is not up to me to define what the credentials are!!  Ha,Ha,Ha... which shows he doesnt have any facts, never did.  That is not what he is about.  Everyone reading knows that, but many here are so geared towards hating programs that facts dont play into it anymore.

Then if AARC comes back in a few days asking who is this guy spreading lies..  resulting in AARC being considered the bad guy here... go figure.

That has been the logic over the past several weeks.  Fact based?  No....  Bazaar?  Yes.



...

[Anonymous]

Wrong.  If they're going to claim to "treat" anything, they need to have medical people supervising and implementing "treatment plans".   This mom of a recent grad didn't seem too impressed with AARC or Vause.  In fact, she pretty much states what we've all been saying for a very long time.  Vause may not specifically claim he is a "Dr.", but he loves to give that impression and then not correct it when people mistake him for a medical doctor.  Typical.  That way he can maintain plausible deniability.

Parent of a recent aarc graduate here.

Never heard "get honest" in the real world, but it's coined a lot in AARC.

AARC has dealings with a REAL psychiatrist. AARC will mention this person's name if they are queried on professionals within their organization. I spoke to her. This person is not on staff and is NOT in contact with the clients. She will "consult with the clinical staff" if it's requested. This is a consultation only, based on information provided by AARC staff, the psychiatrist does NOT interview or examine the client.

Despite my son's history and previous involvement with a psychiatrist, this psychiatrist had never heard of my son, certainly never treated him and was surprised to hear of many incidents I described that, due to their nature, should have been brought to her attention, but weren't.  

My client child also believed AARC, specifically Dean Vause, was his legal guardian. He was not.

He believed "Doc Vause" was a medical doctor, a psychiatrist. He is not.

He believed Peter Choate was a psychiatrist or at least a psychologist. He is not. But Choate did give him a short quiz AFTER he was already a client at AARC, which according to them, confirmed his status as an addict.

This "quiz" along with information provided by AARC and no one else constituted the "independent, outside evaluation" that was explained to me to be conducted on my son. I fail to believe that Choate is entirely independent or outside of the AARC program.  

He believed the doctor he visited (Dr. Alan Stanhope) had no previous or current connection to the AARC program despite the fact that this doctor is the only doctor to examine clients (they are not permitted to see their OWN physicians), is quoted several times on the AARC website, is a former board member, not to mention being married to the provincial youth court judge who ordered my son into the program in the first place and then kept him there as a minor without parental consent which was required to get him in there in the first place.

This husband and wife doctor/judge team also attended his graduation ceremony at AARC, as AARC appointed 'guests'.

He believed his lawyer had no connection to the AARC program and was simply a referral despite the fact that the clinical staff later revealed that this lawyer is a part of the AARC's "legal committee" and in spite of the fact that this lawyer was spotted sitting with the executive director of AARC, Dean Vause, in box seats at a Calgary Hitmen/Swift Current Bronco's playoff game.

I provided a wrapped Christmas present for my son, a dress shirt, along with a stocking full of toiletries that complied with "client rules". A staff member gave him this shirt and claimed it was HIS OWN and my son could have it. The contents of the stocking were later given to him too (sans stocking) with no mention that it came from his family.  

He believed I abandoned him, and didn't care if he lived or died. He knew nothing of the numerous times I tried to remain in contact with him, but was unlawfully denied access to my own child for almost an entire YEAR!

He knew nothing of the fact that his autistic brother could not participate in the AARC program. Or that lack of participation meant he had to be removed from our household for me to remain in AARC and remain in contact with him. Despite the fact that there was no where for his brother to go, including AARC's suggestion that he be placed into the custody of Child Welfare even though he is safe and well cared for with his family.

He progressively grew to hate me, knew nothing of the torment his brother and I went through over the holidays and birthdays and each and every day we knew nothing of his whereabouts or well being.

Worst of all he grew to believe he was an addict, and an alcoholic.

His real problems and mental health issues that needed professional help were never addressed and he was treated for problems he had to THEN CREATE to ever get out of the program.

Don't even talk to me about "lies"!!!!!

Anything else you'd like first hand information on?

[TheWho]

Wrong.  If they're going to claim to "treat" anything, they need to have medical people supervising and implementing "treatment plans".   This mom of a recent grad didn't seem too impressed with AARC or Vause.  In fact, she pretty much states what we've all been saying for a very long time.  Vause may not specifically claim he is a "Dr.", but he loves to give that impression and then not correct it when people mistake him for a medical doctor.  Typical.  That way he can maintain plausible deniability.

Thats a start.  How many medical people and what kinds?  Chiropractors? psychologists, psychiatrists? psychoanalyist’s? Licensed therapists ?  How many per person?  Do they need to have them on staff or can they utilize their surrounding medical environment?
Where is this all defined?

A Phd is called a doctorate degree and therefore entitle the holder to be called Doctor if they choose.



...

[Anonymous]

Wrong.  If they're going to claim to "treat" anything, they need to have medical people supervising and implementing "treatment plans".   This mom of a recent grad didn't seem too impressed with AARC or Vause.  In fact, she pretty much states what we've all been saying for a very long time.  Vause may not specifically claim he is a "Dr.", but he loves to give that impression and then not correct it when people mistake him for a medical doctor.  Typical.  That way he can maintain plausible deniability.

Thats a start.  How many medical people and what kinds?  Chiropractors? psychologists, psychiatrists? psychoanalyist’s? Licensed therapists ?  How many per person?  Do they need to have them on staff or can they utilize their surrounding medical environment?
Where is this all defined?

A Phd is called a doctorate degree and therefore entitle the holder to be called Doctor if they choose.



...

Yes, but there is a difference between a PhD. and a medical degree.  What Vause does is allow for the mistaken impression that he is a medical doctor.  Coincidentally, Miller Newton did and still does this.  Newton loved to be called "Dr." and was quite happy to have the parents, staff and kids believe that he was a psychologist or psychiatrist.  He is not.  Neither is Vause.  He is however, quite aware that many, if not most of the parents and kids are under that impression and he does nothing to clarify the difference.  He LIKES the attention he gets from people believing that he has qualifications that he has NEVER had or even attempted.

If I was thinking about sending my child to a "treatment center" for actual "treatment", I would damn sure want to know that they were indeed being seen and followed by a qualified medical professional.

But that's just me.  Obviously you're A-OK with any Tom, Dick or Harry peddling their particular brand of "treatment".  Wow.

[Anonymous]

I need to make a couple of things clear based on actual investigation into the facts.

First of all. Vause has credentials. Vause fulfilled the requirements. Not that he needs them to run AARC.

Drug treatment for youth, in Canada, has NO CRITERIA, STANDARDS OR REGULATION regarding the necessity for credentials. It is an unregulated industry.

Vause, the clinical staff, the peer counselors, the host home parents, the oldcomers etc., are not REQUIRED to have credentials. So it really doesn't matter what credentials they do or do not have.

Certain donors require that AARC hold a level of accreditation with the Canadian Accreditation Counsel on Human Services, but upon query, they hold the lowest level of accreditation acceptable to their donors. They COULD be accredited at a higher level, they COULD be accredited as an alcohol and drug treatment center, or a residential facility, as they should be because this is what they claim they are and do, but they did/do not meet the standards for this higher level of accreditation.

Why? If you're a drug treatment center, why not be accredited as one? If you're a residential facility why not be accredited as one? Why only be accredited as a "community based program" right up there with the boys and girls club where kids hang out after school and play fooseball for a couple of hours. Is AARC not providing a higher level of service than that? They sure claim to be.

This is something the average person would not realize, or even think to look deeper into.

Now, if this was a provincially run program with USER FEES being paid by the province (I'm not saying the province doesn't give them money). That would be another story all together and THEN the issue of accreditation, regulation and credentials would come into play.

No, again, AARC IS NOT A SCHOOL. But AARC does have a classroom, an off campus classroom of the Alternative High School which IS a school. This is supposedly in place so the clients of AARC can receive an education when they reach a certain level in the program and are allowed to attend classes. What bothers me about this, is the coding these students receive to be attending this off campus classroom. It is very severe. High school level of schooling receives a certain amount of money per student and that amount is even higher with the students being "coded".

I was told my son would have to be "coded" to be accepted into the program and the school component. I can't say for certain if this is the case with ALL clients of AARC, especially considering many of those clients are too old to attend high school.

Not only that but my son started in the AARC program summer 2007. He didn't actually attend classes until the last month of the school year and only obtained credits in 2 courses. This is with him being registered as a full time student during the months of Sept - May that he wasn't permitted to attend classes. If this is the case for most of the clients that is a HUGE expense (high school costs plus additional funds for coded students) to our already strained education dollars for students who are not receiving an education.

Perhaps if the clients only attend for a month or two, the fees for one student/client should be applied to 10 clients. Each of them receiving their own portion of the allotted funds/class time.

[psy]

Sounds like AARC does something similar to Benchmark in most respects you discuss:
http://homepage.mac.com/psyborgue/licensing.html

[TheWho]

Yes, but there is a difference between a PhD. and a medical degree.  What Vause does is allow for the mistaken impression that he is a medical doctor.  Coincidentally, Miller Newton did and still does this.  Newton loved to be called "Dr." and was quite happy to have the parents, staff and kids believe that he was a psychologist or psychiatrist.  He is not.  Neither is Vause.  He is however, quite aware that many, if not most of the parents and kids are under that impression and he does nothing to clarify the difference.  He LIKES the attention he gets from people believing that he has qualifications that he has NEVER had or even attempted.

If I was thinking about sending my child to a "treatment center" for actual "treatment", I would damn sure want to know that they were indeed being seen and followed by a qualified medical professional.

But that's just me.  Obviously you're A-OK with any Tom, Dick or Harry peddling their particular brand of "treatment".  Wow.

I believe he has a doctorate in psychology, educational psychology I think.  He cannot perform open heart surgery but he is a doctor.  He should not mislead people to believe he is something he is not, though, if he is doing that.

If/when I was sending my child to a treatment center I would want to make sure it was a good match for the child and be more interested in their success rate and the people that would be treating him/her and not whether or not the owner had a doctorate or not.  It wouldn’t matter if they had medical personnel on staff or if they were brought in as needed.  I would like to meet the staff who would be interacting with my son/daughter on a daily basis.  When my daughter attended a program she did not have a need for medical doctors with the exception of a therapist which she saw once/twice a week.

Issues like members of the board being overweight, how the tables in a report are structured, whether or not the owner used to play hockey or how he managed his time during the period he researched his PhD, those types of issues wouldn’t bother me.  Not sure why they were such big issues for Ajax or even why Ajax lied about them is even more puzzling.  These issues would not reflect positively or negatively on my view of a program.  Most parents, like myself, are just looking to get a problem addressed and move on.



...

[Anonymous]

Wrong.  If they're going to claim to "treat" anything, they need to have medical people supervising and implementing "treatment plans".   This mom of a recent grad didn't seem too impressed with AARC or Vause.  In fact, she pretty much states what we've all been saying for a very long time.  Vause may not specifically claim he is a "Dr.", but he loves to give that impression and then not correct it when people mistake him for a medical doctor.  Typical.  That way he can maintain plausible deniability.

Parent of a recent aarc graduate here.

Never heard "get honest" in the real world, but it's coined a lot in AARC.

AARC has dealings with a REAL psychiatrist. AARC will mention this person's name if they are queried on professionals within their organization. I spoke to her. This person is not on staff and is NOT in contact with the clients. She will "consult with the clinical staff" if it's requested. This is a consultation only, based on information provided by AARC staff, the psychiatrist does NOT interview or examine the client.

Despite my son's history and previous involvement with a psychiatrist, this psychiatrist had never heard of my son, certainly never treated him and was surprised to hear of many incidents I described that, due to their nature, should have been brought to her attention, but weren't.  

My client child also believed AARC, specifically Dean Vause, was his legal guardian. He was not.

He believed "Doc Vause" was a medical doctor, a psychiatrist. He is not.

He believed Peter Choate was a psychiatrist or at least a psychologist. He is not. But Choate did give him a short quiz AFTER he was already a client at AARC, which according to them, confirmed his status as an addict.

This "quiz" along with information provided by AARC and no one else constituted the "independent, outside evaluation" that was explained to me to be conducted on my son. I fail to believe that Choate is entirely independent or outside of the AARC program.  

He believed the doctor he visited (Dr. Alan Stanhope) had no previous or current connection to the AARC program despite the fact that this doctor is the only doctor to examine clients (they are not permitted to see their OWN physicians), is quoted several times on the AARC website, is a former board member, not to mention being married to the provincial youth court judge who ordered my son into the program in the first place and then kept him there as a minor without parental consent which was required to get him in there in the first place.

This husband and wife doctor/judge team also attended his graduation ceremony at AARC, as AARC appointed 'guests'.

He believed his lawyer had no connection to the AARC program and was simply a referral despite the fact that the clinical staff later revealed that this lawyer is a part of the AARC's "legal committee" and in spite of the fact that this lawyer was spotted sitting with the executive director of AARC, Dean Vause, in box seats at a Calgary Hitmen/Swift Current Bronco's playoff game.

I provided a wrapped Christmas present for my son, a dress shirt, along with a stocking full of toiletries that complied with "client rules". A staff member gave him this shirt and claimed it was HIS OWN and my son could have it. The contents of the stocking were later given to him too (sans stocking) with no mention that it came from his family.  

He believed I abandoned him, and didn't care if he lived or died. He knew nothing of the numerous times I tried to remain in contact with him, but was unlawfully denied access to my own child for almost an entire YEAR!

He knew nothing of the fact that his autistic brother could not participate in the AARC program. Or that lack of participation meant he had to be removed from our household for me to remain in AARC and remain in contact with him. Despite the fact that there was no where for his brother to go, including AARC's suggestion that he be placed into the custody of Child Welfare even though he is safe and well cared for with his family.

He progressively grew to hate me, knew nothing of the torment his brother and I went through over the holidays and birthdays and each and every day we knew nothing of his whereabouts or well being.

Worst of all he grew to believe he was an addict, and an alcoholic.

His real problems and mental health issues that needed professional help were never addressed and he was treated for problems he had to THEN CREATE to ever get out of the program.

Don't even talk to me about "lies"!!!!!

Anything else you'd like first hand information on?

WOW, here Tami goes now. YOU DID abandon the kid because you, as you keep stating had no intention of participating in treatment because it was too labour intensive for ya. I know moms who went through when your kid did and know how much your kid was helped after your healthy act caused such a problem for him. I hear you have him turned around now, and he's out using again. Maybe you are right, maybe he isn't an addict - his problem is undeniably YOU !!!!  
All these things about what your kid believed and did not believe - how much is that coming from your 'healthy' influence on him now that he is out of AARC. Peter choate is not a psychologist !!- be careful with the lies and SO what if the kid thought he was a psychiatrist or psychologist. DO you have any idea how many people get that screwed up - but no . . .  AARC is lying again. you are too much. all the things you list there are more a reflection of you screwing with your kid's mind AFTER grad  than AARC. I pity that poor kid, he hasn't got a chance with your sick influence in his life.

You blame AARC for 'destroying' your family. you, my dear are the one not AARC.

[Anonymous]

I need to make a couple of things clear based on actual investigation into the facts.

First of all. Vause has credentials. Vause fulfilled the requirements. Not that he needs them to run AARC.

Drug treatment for youth, in Canada, has NO CRITERIA, STANDARDS OR REGULATION regarding the necessity for credentials. It is an unregulated industry.

Vause, the clinical staff, the peer counselors, the host home parents, the oldcomers etc., are not REQUIRED to have credentials. So it really doesn't matter what credentials they do or do not have.

Certain donors require that AARC hold a level of accreditation with the Canadian Accreditation Counsel on Human Services, but upon query, they hold the lowest level of accreditation acceptable to their donors. They COULD be accredited at a higher level, they COULD be accredited as an alcohol and drug treatment center, or a residential facility, as they should be because this is what they claim they are and do, but they did/do not meet the standards for this higher level of accreditation.

Why? If you're a drug treatment center, why not be accredited as one? If you're a residential facility why not be accredited as one? Why only be accredited as a "community based program" right up there with the boys and girls club where kids hang out after school and play fooseball for a couple of hours. Is AARC not providing a higher level of service than that? They sure claim to be.

BECAUSE TAMI - then AARC would have to be as ineffective. It could be another AADAC facilty and there are sure LOTS of parents who said they took their kids to AADAC and things did not get better. Due to the nature of AARC being an innovative program and treatment credentials based on past paradigms (if you knew the literature, which you clearly do not) - makes regulations to fit OLD paradigms that don't work for adolescents.

This is something the average person would not realize, or even think to look deeper into. and you are such a smart cookie . . .or so you are delusioned to thing!

Now, if this was a provincially run program with USER FEES being paid by the province (I'm not saying the province doesn't give them money). That would be another story all together and THEN the issue of accreditation, regulation and credentials would come into play.

No, again, AARC IS NOT A SCHOOL. But AARC does have a classroom, an off campus classroom of the Alternative High School which IS a school. This is supposedly in place so the clients of AARC can receive an education when they reach a certain level in the program and are allowed to attend classes. What bothers me about this, is the coding these students receive to be attending this off campus classroom. It is very severe. High school level of schooling receives a certain amount of money per student and that amount is even higher with the students being "coded".

I was told my son would have to be "coded" to be accepted into the program and the school component. I can't say for certain if this is the case with ALL clients of AARC, especially considering many of those clients are too old to attend high school.

Not only that but my son started in the AARC program summer 2007. He didn't actually attend classes until the last month of the school year and only obtained credits in 2 courses. This is with him being registered as a full time student during the months of Sept - May that he wasn't permitted to attend classes. If this is the case for most of the clients that is a HUGE expense (high school costs plus additional funds for coded students) to our already strained education dollars for students who are not receiving an education.

Perhaps if the clients only attend for a month or two, the fees for one student/client should be applied to 10 clients. Each of them receiving their own portion of the allotted funds/class time.

So Tami, give us a report on how well your kid is doing every 6 mos or so. I bet it will get interesting . . . and you won't be too ready to write in then. I feel so sorry for your kids, you have no idea.

[psy]

So Tami, give us a report on how well your kid is doing every 6 mos or so. I bet it will get interesting . . . and you won't be too ready to write in then. I feel so sorry for your kids, you have no idea.

I would just like to draw attention to the intimidation tactics of AARC and/or it's followers in this thread.  We've had legal threats, alleged names dropped (including the alleged full name of Ajax), and all sorts of statements that could reasonably be perceived as implied threats (and were probably intended as such, in my mind).  Is this the behavior of a legitimate instituation with ethical followers, or a cult harassing those trying to speak out?  Has AARC or their followers no respect for their patient's confidentiality, or that of their families?  All AARC and/or it's followers do by this type of stuff is make themselves look bad.  It scares nobody.  It's rather pathetic, actually.

[Anonymous]

[

He believed his lawyer had no connection to the AARC program and was simply a referral despite the fact that the clinical staff later revealed that this lawyer is a part of the AARC's "legal committee" and in spite of the fact that this lawyer was spotted sitting with the executive director of AARC, Dean Vause, in box seats at a Calgary Hitmen/Swift Current Bronco's playoff game.

uhm, you should have paid for a different lawyer then, why did AARC have to supply on for him???


He believed I abandoned him, and didn't care if he lived or died. He knew nothing of the numerous times I tried to remain in contact with him, but was unlawfully denied access to my own child for almost an entire YEAR!

uh, ya did!
THat is likely because A JUDGE set those terms because it was recognied that posed a threat to you own kids well-being . this was not AARC's doing but falls squarely on you wshoulders.

He knew nothing of the fact that his autistic brother could not participate in the AARC program. Or that lack of participation meant he had to be removed from our household for me to remain in AARC and remain in contact with him. Despite the fact that there was no where for his brother to go, including AARC's suggestion that he be placed into the custody of Child Welfare even though he is safe and well cared for with his family.

Find that highly suspect but it is your world in which to blame AARC because it was obviously too time consuming for you. why didn't he go to a different treament cetre then?


Worst of all he grew to believe he was an addict, and an alcoholic.

Why was he taken to AARC and likely AADAAC and in court? because he was having a bad hair day for a couple days running - you my dear are likely the only other reason then

His real problems and mental health issues that needed professional help were never addressed and he was treated for problems he had to THEN CREATE to ever get out of the program.

REALLY and those would be?? do tell .I think I just nailed it above then, if he wasn't an addict

Don't even talk to me about "lies"!!!!!

yes, you like to spin them with the best of them.


Anything else you'd like first hand information on?

yes, what role do you play in this kid's life?

[/quote]