Author Topic: NDP calling for youth centre investigation (AARC)  (Read 1433 times)

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Offline anonAARCgrad

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NDP calling for youth centre investigation (AARC)
« on: February 19, 2009, 09:05:52 AM »
NDP calling for youth centre investigation
 
Gwendolyn Richards
Calgary Herald


Wednesday, February 18, 2009


The provincial NDP's children and youth services critic is calling for an investigation into an addictions recovery centre in Calgary following reports some teens were victims of abuse.

Edmonton-Strathcona MLA Rachel Notley made the call for the investigation following question period Tuesday, where the issue was raised.

Liberal MLA Harry Chase initially called on the government to explain how the Alberta Adolescent Recovery Centre is licensed and monitored.

Children's Minister Janis Tarchuk said she was concerned about the allegations, but her ministry is not responsible for the treatment centre.

"In terms of AARC, my department does not have any capabilities or mandate to license a non-residential addiction treatment centre," she said during question period.

Her response, combined with Health Minister Ron Liepert's comment that the province provides $300,000 in annual funding, is a concern, said Notley.

"Regardless of whether the ministry of children and families does not license this place, they have a responsibility to respond to any complaints of abuse in the community,"she said. "The government seems to be washing their hands of it."

She added that because judges are ordering youth to attend the centre, the government has an obligation to ensure it is operating with best practices.

A spokeswoman for Alberta Children and Youth Services said the allegations of abuse are alarming, but the department's responsibility does not include third par-ties, only cases where the allegations are made against parents or guardians.

"We do take all reports of allegations of abuse very seriously. We do recommend people contact police if they have been abused," Dawn Delaney said.

Alberta Health and Wellness spokesman Howard May said the ministry has no plans to investigate the facility, pointing out any allegations of abuse fall under the children's ministry, while questions around the provision of drug counselling services is the responsibility of his department.

Notley said the government has an obligation to examine the allegations.

Also troubling, said Notley, is that peers are serving as counsellors in the facility despite having no training and without supervision.

[email protected]

© The Calgary Herald 2009
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »

Offline psy

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Re: NDP calling for youth centre investigation (AARC)
« Reply #1 on: February 19, 2009, 09:29:59 AM »
Quote from: "anonAARCgrad"
Liberal MLA Harry Chase initially called on the government to explain how the Alberta Adolescent Recovery Centre is licensed and monitored.

Children's Minister Janis Tarchuk said she was concerned about the allegations, but her ministry is not responsible for the treatment centre.

"In terms of AARC, my department does not have any capabilities or mandate to license a non-residential addiction treatment centre," she said during question period.

AHA.  Just like Benchmark, they claim they aren't residential so they can avoid licensing and regulation (even though they market as whatever they please).  What bullshit.  Truth is the regulators don't really *want* to do anything... and why that is...  sympathy, incompetance, laziness, corruption, or a combination of all those is up to debate.
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »
Benchmark Young Adult School - bad place [archive.org link]
Sue Scheff Truth - Blog on Sue Scheff
"Our services are free; we do not make a profit. Parents of troubled teens ourselves, PURE strives to create a safe haven of truth and reality." - Sue Scheff - August 13th, 2007 (fukkin surreal)

Offline Ursus

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Re: NDP calling for youth centre investigation (AARC)
« Reply #2 on: February 19, 2009, 10:33:17 AM »
Quote from: "psy"
Quote from: "anonAARCgrad"
Liberal MLA Harry Chase initially called on the government to explain how the Alberta Adolescent Recovery Centre is licensed and monitored.

Children's Minister Janis Tarchuk said she was concerned about the allegations, but her ministry is not responsible for the treatment centre.

"In terms of AARC, my department does not have any capabilities or mandate to license a non-residential addiction treatment centre," she said during question period.
AHA.  Just like Benchmark, they claim they aren't residential so they can avoid licensing and regulation (even though they market as whatever they please).  What bullshit.  Truth is the regulators don't really *want* to do anything... and why that is...  sympathy, incompetance, laziness, corruption, or a combination of all those is up to debate.

They claim they aren't residential, yet they wield complete control of every aspect of their clients' living arrangements.

To any rational person, "residential" and "all living arrangements" qualify as being essentially equivalent.

The degree of passing the buck that appears to be going on here, rationalized by the narrowest interpretation of the letter of the law, is a complete insult and a flagrant betrayal of the spirit of the law.
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »
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Offline Anne Bonney

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Re: NDP calling for youth centre investigation (AARC)
« Reply #3 on: February 19, 2009, 10:40:12 AM »
Quote from: "Ursus"
They claim they aren't residential, yet they wield complete control of every aspect of their clients' living arrangements.

To any rational person, "residential" and "all living arrangements" qualify as being essentially equivalent.

The degree of passing the buck that appears to be going on here, rationalized by the narrowest interpretation of the letter of the law, is a complete insult and a flagrant betrayal of the spirit of the law.


And you're surprised by this?  Par for the course.  This is exactly what AARC's predecessor, Straight INc., did.  And AARC keeps trying to claim that they're oh so different from Straight.  Yeah. Right.
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »
traight, St. Pete, early 80s
AA is a cult http://www.orange-papers.org/orange-cult.html

The more boring a child is, the more the parents, when showing off the child, receive adulation for being good parents-- because they have a tame child-creature in their house.  ~~  Frank Zappa

Offline psy

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Re: NDP calling for youth centre investigation (AARC)
« Reply #4 on: February 19, 2009, 10:46:31 AM »
Quote from: "Ursus"
The degree of passing the buck that appears to be going on here, rationalized by the narrowest interpretation of the letter of the law, is a complete insult and a flagrant betrayal of the spirit of the law.

Which is exactly why i don't buy the "we're concerned but..." bit.  Bullshit. IF they wanted to, they could enforce the regulation.  I say push to have the bitch in charge fired.  There is really no point trying to deal with people if they aren't either on your side or neutural.  It's a losing battle.  They'll find a way not to do their jobs.  Only solution is to remove them from their jobs or choose another avenue of attack.
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »
Benchmark Young Adult School - bad place [archive.org link]
Sue Scheff Truth - Blog on Sue Scheff
"Our services are free; we do not make a profit. Parents of troubled teens ourselves, PURE strives to create a safe haven of truth and reality." - Sue Scheff - August 13th, 2007 (fukkin surreal)

Offline Anonymous

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Re: NDP calling for youth centre investigation (AARC)
« Reply #5 on: February 19, 2009, 11:15:33 AM »
Quote
A spokeswoman for Alberta Children and Youth Services said the allegations of abuse are alarming, but the department's responsibility does not include third par-ties, only cases where the allegations are made against parents or guardians.

Okay, this is getting frustrating, because I know people have asked but so far never publicly been informed as to the whereabouts of any kind of representation or facsimile of the intake papers we signed upon entrance to Straight Incorporated, but our parents signed us over to Straight as guardian ad litem or in loco parentis or whatever. So since it hasn't been so long that it is actually conceivably possible that AARC has "lost" or "misplaced" or "doesn't have" the papers signed by clients and parents on intake, please tell me now if the same or similar is being signed up there in Alberta. I don't have knowledge of Canada laws with respect to simply abandoning one's child to the care of another in all respects including medical care, but I think it is not possible to simply dump one's child on the doorstep of AARC without some such similar signed statement. Please tell us right now about this. What I am getting at is that the "allegations" are in fact being leveled at the guardians of the children.

Please also, those who are good at making up petitions, start one for victims of USA Straight and KIDS programs to sign informing Canada, in polite terms of course, that Canada is being total suckers. Suggestions to include in the petition: all the forms of abuse that continue for the children when they depart the AARC facility for the residences. Either NDP investigates AARC for these abuses, or NDP investigates each individual residence where children are coerced to watch or be watched doing private bathroom functions.

Also, what does "NDP" stand for, can anyone give a little synopsis that would demonstrate to whom a victim of Straight or KIDS who have information that AARC is a replica of Straight and KIDS might address a letter to inform NDP of these replications, and also provide a mailing address?

It might be best to request of NDP at least acknowledgement of receipt of any such petition or correspondence, in order to support any victims of AARC in full-scale lawsuits against any responsible agencies which fail to take responsibility even after being informed as to their sucker status.

I also fully support any lawsuits brought by victims of Straight (any Straight-copy program), KIDS, and AARC against host residences that allowed and encouraged by full adult support and knowledge such practices as zero bathroom privacy and child endangerment by widespread complete disregard for fire safety in the client bedrooms. A "host home" becomes a "landlord" when non-family is residing there, or may become a "lodging" if the period of residence is for less than thirty days. Would the adults present and responsible for such things by reason of their adult status like to inform the victims that there is research demonstrating the therapeutic benefits of such practices that seem to any observer on the surface to be the practices of sickos and degenerates? Okay, exhibit "research supported" not entered by the adults. I am all for and stand one hundred percent heartily behind any legal actions taken to dismantle all historical and present day child abusing cults from every single direction possible, with personal emphasis on, by reason of direct personal knowledge of, and yet not limited to, Straight Incorporated and any program in gross resemblance.

Concerns and grievances are not limited to the those addressed herein.
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »

Offline Anonymous

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Re: NDP calling for youth centre investigation (AARC)
« Reply #6 on: February 19, 2009, 12:02:32 PM »
Quote
respect to simply abandoning one's child to the care of another in all respects including medical care, but I think it is not possible to simply dump one's child on the doorstep of AARC without some such similar signed statement. Please tell us right now about this.

Wow... ok where to start!

Doesn't matter what you sign, you can't sign away your kids.

An application has to be filed in provincial court. Even if someone has physical custody of your child they STILL need to make an application in provincial court and an order HAS to be granted granting custody and/or guardianship to another party.

Correctional facilities are different. A child can be ordered into the custody of the justice system. But even at that AARC is not a correctional facility and is not under the jurisdiction of the justice system.

So in a word, no, the parents are still the guardians no matter what they sign.

This was all verified by a lawyer practicing family law in Alberta for 16 years.

If in doubt, go to the courthouse and do a search on the clients name, if there is no application and no order then the parents have custody/guardianship.

Ms. Rachel Notley (ND)
MLA for Edmonton-Strathcona

Legislature Office
501 Legislature Annex
9718 107 Street
Edmonton, AB
Canada T5K 1E4
Phone: (780) 415-1800
Fax: (780) 415-0701
 

Constituency Office
#402, 10324 - 82 Avenue
Edmonton, AB
Canada T6E 1Z8
Phone: (780) 414-0702
Fax: (780) 414-0703
http://www.isaccorp.org/aarc.asp

I'll have to re-read to see if I answered everything!
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »