Fornits

Treatment Abuse, Behavior Modification, Thought Reform => New Info => Topic started by: kaf on December 30, 2006, 09:01:46 PM

Title: Focal Point Academy
Post by: kaf on December 30, 2006, 09:01:46 PM
Anybody heard anything about Focal Point Academy in Nevada??
Title: Focal Point Academy
Post by: Anonymous on December 30, 2006, 09:06:04 PM
Their website is down, and Google yields not much but job applications. Not much of an Internet footprint at all.

What do you know about them? Might be more than the rest of us put together.

Oh, yes, Kaf- welcome to Fornits. Enjoy your stay, and feel free to violate the programmies.
Title: Focal Point Academy
Post by: Anonymous on December 30, 2006, 09:25:41 PM
Boyd Hooper:  the Admissions Director, Focal Point Academy

He was the Admissions Director at Sunrise Academy in Hurricane, Utah.
He also has a working relationship with Sue Scheff at PURE.
Title: Focal Point Academy
Post by: Deborah on December 31, 2006, 12:04:54 AM
http://fornits.com/wwf/viewtopic.php?p=210617#210617 (http://fornits.com/wwf/viewtopic.php?p=210617#210617)
Title: Focal Point Academy
Post by: Anonymous on December 31, 2006, 01:06:00 AM
Quote from: ""Guest""
Boyd Hooper:  the Admissions Director, Focal Point Academy

He was the Admissions Director at Sunrise Academy in Hurricane, Utah.
He also has a working relationship with Sue Scheff at PURE.


Boyd Hooper also wrote a press release about PURE, and may be involved in the production of the CD being promoted on CAICA/PURE called Family 180: What Every Parent Needs To Know.  Apparently the CD will be available for purchase in the near future and I think there may be some sort of website connected to the CD as well.
Title: website for Focal Point
Post by: kaf on December 31, 2006, 12:58:17 PM
www.focalpointacademy.com (http://www.focalpointacademy.com)

It loads for me.  Check it out.

~Kathy
Title: Focal Point Academy
Post by: Anonymous on December 31, 2006, 01:56:55 PM
Kathy,
How did you come across Focal Point?
Did someone refer you to this facility?
Title: FPA
Post by: kaf on December 31, 2006, 02:08:31 PM
I was referred by PURE - Marie P.  I was also referred to Rocky Ridge Ranch (I think that was the name).
Title: Focal Point Academy
Post by: Anonymous on July 09, 2007, 05:00:39 PM
Sue Scheff refers to Focal Point Academy
Title: Focal Point Academy
Post by: Anonymous on July 11, 2007, 06:03:16 PM
Is Focal Point Academy licesened by the State of Nevada?
Title: Focal Point Academy
Post by: Deborah on July 11, 2007, 10:37:51 PM
Quote from: ""Guest""
Is Focal Point Academy licesened by the State of Nevada?


As a foster home, but advertise as an RTC.
http://www.fornits.com/wwf/viewtopic.ph ... 033#235033 (http://www.fornits.com/wwf/viewtopic.php?p=235033#235033)
Title: Focal Point Academy
Post by: Anonymous on July 12, 2007, 12:34:01 AM
Can a facility licensed as a foster case by the State of Nevada accept OUT OF STATE CHILDREN as placements?

Would all the kids enrolled be required to be citizens of Nevada?

This seems like a strange "arrangement."
Title: Focal Point Academy
Post by: nimdA on July 12, 2007, 12:38:29 AM
Three Springs took foster kids, kids from DJJ, and kids from all other states. We even had one kid whose way was paid by the School Board of New Jersy.

Its highly possible that kids could be coming to this place from all other states, and being paid for by various government entities.
Title: Focal Point Academy
Post by: Anonymous on July 13, 2007, 10:36:00 AM
My son is at FPA and I have met most of the parents of the kids there.  The kids aren't from foster homes.
Title: Re: Focal Point Academy
Post by: Deborah on July 13, 2007, 11:17:51 AM
Quote from: ""momofmatt""
My son is at FPA and I have met most of the parents of the kids there.  The kids aren't from foster homes.


No one said they were. FPA is licensed as a Foster Home rather than an RTC. The question posed was, can foster homes accept kids from out of state.

NRS 424.013  “Family foster home” defined.  “Family foster home” means a family home in which one to six children under 18 years of age not related within the first degree of consanguinity or affinity to the person or persons maintaining the home are received, cared for and maintained, for compensation or otherwise, including the provision of permanent free care. The term includes a family home in which such a child is received, cared for and maintained pending completion of proceedings for the adoption of the child by the person or persons maintaining the home.
 
NRS 424.014  “Foster home” defined.  “Foster home” includes a family foster home and group foster home.

NRS 424.015  “Group foster home” defined.  “Group foster home” means a natural person, partnership, firm, corporation or association who provides full-time care for 7 to 15 children who are:
1.  Under 18 years of age;
2.  Not related within the first degree of consanguinity or affinity to any natural person maintaining or operating the home; and
3.  Received, cared for and maintained for compensation or otherwise, including the provision of permanent free care.

NRS 424.070  Placement of child for care or adoption; approval by Division or its designee.  No person other than the parents or guardian of a child and no agency or institution in this State or from outside this State may place any child in the control or care of any person without sending notice of the pending placement and receiving approval of the placement from the Division or its designee.


momofmatt, was your son's placement approved by the Division?
Title: Focal Point Academy
Post by: Anonymous on July 13, 2007, 12:12:15 PM
APPROVED TELEPHONE LIST
Rule #3 states    
Quote
Calling privileges are according to the levels system.



This is found on the enrollment agreement.  Does this mean that PURE or someone she associatates with agrees with calling privileges being based on the level system.  Is there a connection between PURE and Focal Point?
Title: Focal Point Academy
Post by: Deborah on July 13, 2007, 01:53:07 PM
NAC 424.495 Communication and visitation with family and others. (NRS 424.020)

     1.  A foster home shall cooperate with the agency placing a child in the home to help the child maintain meaningful ties with his family, including correspondence between parent and child, visits to the child and home visits by the child when appropriate.

     2.  Reasonable opportunities must be afforded for the child to maintain contact with all family members and with other persons identified in the child’s case plan as important. The opportunity to visit with a parent or guardian must not be denied unless such visits have been denied by court order or the agency placing the child has determined that such visitation would be detrimental to the welfare of the child.

     3.  The foster home shall allow for visits of children with their natural relatives only with the prior approval of the agency with responsibility for the children.

     4.  The foster home shall, upon reasonable request, permit the child to contact the person or agency responsible for his placement and allow that person or agency to contact the child. The foster home shall not deny or impede direct access of the agency placing the child to the foster child.

     5.  The foster home must allow the child to send and receive mail. Any restrictions on correspondence must be approved by the agency placing the child or person from whom the child was received.

     6.  The foster home shall give the children the opportunity to invite friends to the foster home and to visit in the homes of friends, if appropriate.

     7.  Foster homes shall use care to ensure that anyone who visits the home over an extended period conducts himself in such a manner as not to jeopardize the safety or well-being of the foster children.

http://www.leg.state.nv.us/NAC/NAC-424. ... C424Sec465 (http://www.leg.state.nv.us/NAC/NAC-424.html#NAC424Sec465)
You can read the other regulations at that link re: Appropriate discipline, etc.
Title: Re: Focal Point Academy
Post by: Anonymous on July 20, 2007, 02:13:12 PM
momofmatt, was your son's placement approved by the Division?[/quote]

No, the Divison was not involved in placement of my son.  I made the decision myself after some very intense and in-depth research.  I am happy with the outcome and while as a parent I struggled with the decision, I determined it was the best opportunity for my son to not end up dead or in prison.

In terms of phone calls (I saw something posted about phone calls), I have been conversing with my son since his first week at FPA and have had 24-hour access to my son.  I have had regular phone calls with my son throughout his stay.  I communicate with staff reguarly, actually almost daily, via email and telephone calls.   I know there are programs out there that do not allow contact with the kids for extended periods of time and initially it can be as long as 3 months.  I personally would not consider a program like that as an option for placement.  I did a lot of research and got some good links from this group when I first considered out of home placement. My son was sitting in juvenile detention for the third time and two of his friends had just died.  I knew very little about this industry and I discovered there are a lot of bad programs out there.  There are also some good ones and I believe Focal Point Academy to be one of the good ones.   I have been to visit him twice and am looking forward to my next visit in August.  He is moving to a halfway house setting in August and he has been at FPA for 7 months.  No program works for everyone and in the same vein, some programs work for no-one.
Title: Focal Point Academy
Post by: Anonymous on July 20, 2007, 03:42:48 PM
Quote
I determined it was the best opportunity for my son to not end up dead or in prison.

This bullshit has been long-since debunked on this board, but you just had to add..

Quote
My son was sitting in juvenile detention for the third time


Either you can't keep your troll story straight or you're parroting programmie lingo without thinking. If you did give birth to someone, you have no right to call yourself his mother anymore.

Whoever wrote that post, put a .45 FMJ to your temple and kill yourself immediately.
Title: Focal Point Academy
Post by: Anonymous on July 20, 2007, 06:19:23 PM
This bullshit has been long-since debunked on this board, but you just had to add..

Quote
My son was sitting in juvenile detention for the third time

Either you can't keep your troll story straight or you're parroting programmie lingo without thinking. If you did give birth to someone, you have no right to call yourself his mother anymore.

Whoever wrote that post, put a .45 FMJ to your temple and kill yourself immediately.[/quote]

Whatever.  You're certainly entitled to your opinion.  Whether or not you think I am equipped to be a mother is of no consequence to me and whatever you mean about being a troll...I don't know what that means and it is of no consequence to me, either.  I'm pretty comfortable with my story and like you, I will say whatever I so desire on this board, of which I am a member, even if you think its bullshit, because what you think means nothing to me.  So you're welcome to debunk anything you want, of course, and if you think I'm parrotting promgrammie lingo without thinking, well, a big fat whatever to that, too.  I'm happy with my choices and I'm happy with my son's choices and if you're not, well...too bad.  

And, as I said, and which was the intention of my post, I do have regular telephone contact with my son, as do the rest of the our family.  If that statement bothers you...oh well.
Title: Focal Point Academy
Post by: Deborah on July 20, 2007, 11:16:17 PM
So FP is your standard run-of-the-mill RTC/TBS (on a smaller scale), but licensed as a Foster Home, and is operating in violation of the more lenient FH regulations. Why am I not surprised?

I noticed on their website that they laud the fact that they only take 15 kids (12 on a different page) so they can give them more individualized 'treatment'.
Hmm, is it actually because that is the maximum number of participants allowed in a FH situation?
Title: Focal Point Academy
Post by: Anonymous on July 21, 2007, 11:29:25 PM
Quote from: ""Deborah""
I noticed on their website that they laud the fact that they only take 15 kids (12 on a different page) so they can give them more individualized 'treatment'.
Hmm, is it actually because that is the maximum number of participants allowed in a FH situation?


Could be.  Whatever the reason, it is working for us.
Title: Focal Point Academy
Post by: Anonymous on July 31, 2007, 05:12:19 AM
Quote from: ""Guest""
APPROVED TELEPHONE LIST
Rule #3 states    
Quote
Calling privileges are according to the levels system.


This is found on the enrollment agreement.  Does this mean that PURE or someone she associatates with agrees with calling privileges being based on the level system.  Is there a connection between PURE and Focal Point?


Absolutely!
Title: Focal Point Academy
Post by: Anonymous on July 31, 2007, 05:26:46 AM
Quote from: ""momofmatt""
Quote from: ""Deborah""
I noticed on their website that they laud the fact that they only take 15 kids (12 on a different page) so they can give them more individualized 'treatment'.
Hmm, is it actually because that is the maximum number of participants allowed in a FH situation?

Could be.  Whatever the reason, it is working for us.


This has to be a joke or a troll..I cannot imagine a mother/father intentionally placing a child, however desperate, at an unlicensed RTC which is ONLY licensed as a foster care facility.  Why don't you post a picture of this place..?  I have been told, it is a run down shack of a home.
Title: Focal Point Academy
Post by: Anonymous on September 03, 2007, 09:07:57 PM
MomofMat was posting on Struggling People right before Scheff and Focal Point lawsuit was filed.  Extremely suspicious that this poster is Izzy posting!
Izzy cleaned up the CAICA website; eliminated all links to PURE; and took Sue Scheff off CAICA's "Advocate of the Month" list.
Izzy's blog page now refers readers to Positive Family Solutions; but this website is down, parked.
Strange happenings since this lawsuit was filed.
Wonder why?