I was just called by a reporter who is working on a story to be published on 7/15. If you haven't made a comment please do so.
Here at AskQuestions.org, we received dozens of emails from families citing first-hand experiences with residental drug treatment centers that inflict abuses on American teenagers like the ones we saw in Iraq. Statistics from the federal government indicate that teen admissions to drug treatment programs increased 49% from 1992 to 2001 with more than 140,000 teens admitted to treatment programs in 2001. According to the statistics, 62% of the admissions are for marijuana use.
President Bush allocated $100 million to drug rehabilitation programs in 2004 and he doubled the money for 2005, most of it going to a voucher program called Access to Treatment (ATR). The White House says, "For many Americans, the transforming powers of faith are crucial resources in overcoming dependency, and this new program will work to ensure that treatment vouchers are available to the programs that work the best, including those that are faith-based." You can read about the President's drug treatment funding at his drug policy website.
The National Mental Health Association (NMHA) strongly condemns teen ?boot camp? drug rehabilitation and coercive behavior modification programs citing research showing that interventions of this kind do not work and are not cost effective. The NMHA fact sheet is online.
And yet a parent seeking help for a troubled teenager may run across dozens of for-profit organizations offering exactly this kind of treatment regimen at costs ranging from $2,000 to $8,000 per month. Using aggressive and sometimes deceptive sales practices, these therapeutic boarding schools (TBS), wilderness programs, and residential treatment centers (RTC) are a booming industry. One site, NoSpank.net, collects news articles about the ?teen treatment industry? chronicling years of problems within these facilities.
Two specific programs have been the target of many complaints, and both of them are run by prominent political contributors. The Worldwide Association of Specialty Programs and Schools (WWASPS) is an affiliated group of private residental treatment centers and schools for kids with behavior problems. The Drug Free American Foundation (DFAF) has different financial and operational affiliations with several private drug treatment centers including Teen Challenge, Growing Together, and Kids Helping Kids. Families have filed lawsuits against both DFAF and WWASPS alleging abuse of various kinds. Both use a religious "tough love" approach to treatment. Government agencies in Costa Rica, Mexico and the Czech Republic have shut down WWASPS programs, and in 2003, Congressman George Miller of California asked the Department of Justice to investigate a growing number of allegations against WWASPS. So far, the DOJ has taken no action.
Families looking to find safe and effective programs must confront a mixture of commercial and often deceptive marketing tactics that sometimes include paid testimonials and false promises. For example, a seemingly independent referral service may have undisclosed commercial ties to the programs it recommends. The industry is not regulated and most facilities operate without a license. Staff background checks may be inadequate. And there are many other confusing issues confonting parents seeking help. However, some of the following information might help families find needed resources:
The International Survivors Action Committee is a nonprofit, independent watchdog organization. Teen Advocates USA is another one.
Here are well researched, recent news articles: From the NY Times, January 2003 Parents Divided Over Jamaica Disciplinary Academy. and from the British paper, The Guardian an article published last summer also looks at the Tranquility Bay program in Jamaica.
Personal testimonials from survivors and their families can be found at Fornits.com
The US State Department specifically cautions parents not to send their children to any offshore treatment facility without first inspecting the program because the American government cannot always protect children enrolled in these unregulated, private programs operating outside of the United States.
