Treatment Abuse, Behavior Modification, Thought Reform > Teen Challenge
I personally escaped this Cult
TC_Saved_Me:
--- Quote ---but some groups have very manipulative ways of keeping people in the group without brute force.
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I actually left one of the Teen Challenge induction centers (Philadelphia TC). Got into an argument with the staff, and just walked out! You have to sign a release form when you enter the program which states that if you leave the program, you have to go through a 90 day waiting period to get back into the program, so my mom forked up the airfare for me to go to San Diego induction (there's no induction fee in Southern California TC).
The San Diego TC had me doing store-front fundraising one day - about 3 months into the program - and I used some of the money from the can to call my sister on a pay phone to have her bring me a cup of Starbucks (this is against the rules for a couple of reasons). When the staff found out what I did, I was going to be put on restriction (not allowed to communicate with other students for two weeks and have to do extra chores and stuff). I was so ticked off that I wanted to leave the San Diego induction center!
When I told the staff that I wanted to leave, they offerred to call my older sister to have her pick me up. I'm sitting in the main lobby of TC, and my sister comes rolling into the center with her Senior Chief (Navy NCO)!!! He takes me to the side, and threatens to beat my --- if I left the program because it would break my sister's heart! That's about the only cohersion I got to stay in the program - was from my sister's Senior Chief!
--- Quote ---Also, it's my understanding Teen Challenge is not totally open about the fact that conversion to Christianity is an absolute requirement for graduation. Is that still accurate?
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That's not true. I've never even heard of that before.
none-ya:
You can check out anytime you like but you can never leave
Sorry about the synanon reference.....
cmack:
--- Quote from: "TC_Saved_Me" ---
--- Quote from: "cmack" ---I hope you stay involved here on fornits and learn more about the industry in general. I believe you when you say that TC helped you and that you found redemption through faith. I only hope you're not too quick to suggest a similar program for your neighbor's 14 year old when he's caught smoking pot or drinking a beer.
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Admittedly, I have been. But the more that I've been reading, the more skeptic I've become, and will certainly urge anyone thinking of joining a program like this to do some serious research before making a decision.
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I glad to hear that you are rethinking referring teens to programs. As you said in one of your earlier posts; people need to hit rock bottom before they can be helped. For the most part, teens sent to these programs aren't addicts. They haven't used long enough and they haven't had the series of negative life altering events that led you to want and seek help. Many young people are forced into treatment by parents who are fearful or just pissed-off.
Look at these links and keep them for future reference:
http://www.peele.net/lib/panic.html
http://mensnewsdaily.com/2010/08/08/whe ... mokes-pot/
--- Quote ---I know that one of the TC Induction Centers that I was in had an outreach program for teenagers. We weren't involved in the program, as students, but I did see our staff members interacting with the program. I don't think this program was quite like what's being described in here either.
Thanks for being mature about this. I have honestly gotten some good things out of these discussions - though some of the comments I've had to disregard ;)
Teen Challenge, to my knowledge does not require staff members and counselors to get any kind of certification or professional training before getting this kind of responsibility. I used to think this was what seperated them, and made them a stronger program (drug addicts can relate with former drug addicts and are more willing to open up to people who have been through what they are going through instead of some counselor who just got some social services degree).
But now I truely think that all of these staff members should be required to meet certain criteria before playing the role of a counselor in a Teen Challenge or any other drug rehab. They should be properly trained and educated. I still think that I would have opened up alot less to my counselors had they not dealt with similar struggles (most of them have criminal records like myself), so I think any regulations about that sort of thing should be overlooked - unless of course someone is a convicted sex offender or even someone convicted of a physical assualt charge of any kind (that could help to prevent the kind of abusive behavior that might take place at these sort of centers).
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Many programs use untrained staff even if they also have trained clinicians on staff. The untrained staff are cheaper and turnover tends to be high. Due to their lack of adequate training, overwork, under staffing, difficult working conditions, and the vagaries of human nature the door to abusive behavior is opened. Not all staff members are abusive, but the conditions make it likely that some will be.
none-ya:
--- Quote ---cmack wrote
I glad to hear that you are rethinking referring teens to programs.
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That's good, Now let's work on not referring teens to church.
cmack:
--- Quote from: "none-ya" ---
--- Quote ---cmack wrote
I glad to hear that you are rethinking referring teens to programs.
--- End quote ---
That's good, Now let's work on not referring teens to church.
--- End quote ---
:)
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