Fornits

Fornits Home for Wayward Web Fora
An open discussion about the troubled parent industry

Hi, my name is "heretik" as many of you know (or suspect is DannyB II) because we both post from the same IP address. Well if I had known this would have created this much suspicion believe me I never would have typed one letter off our computers in this job trailer. To rectify this I will have my own lap top on Sunday 11/7 which means own IP but that does not mean necessarily I am out of jail, I could still be doubted.

That being said, I feel I owe the survivors here a profound apology for instigating or creating suspicion with the thread (Do Survivors Lie: Part II).
People, my sole purpose for this thread was to counter the thread Whooter had posted. To show that there were abused survivors out their (hiding their truth) but it was by "omission" not anything else. I personally have never heard any survivor (I don't know many) tell me their experience and it be filled with embellishments or lies, never. What I have encountered is a few (2) survivors tell me something different ("they told me nothing happened") then what went on in a certain program. They just did not want to talk about it. I have a friend right now that went to Elan (other then the one you think) it took her over 25 years to finally want to talk about her experience at Elan in detail. She would just say for so long, "oh it wasn't that bad" (I never pushed her to talk about her experience, either) "Bullshit", everything I have heard and read about that place tells me it was bad (abusive).
It just pissed me off when I read Whooters thread and I thought of her and others who don't say anything because they are ashamed or embarrassed to bring it up.
This is why I still believe it is important for these survivors who feel trapped inside themselves with their stories, to have a voice.

I am from Marathon House (I know went over here like a 500lbs anchor, straight to the bottom of the list) but that is where I went to. It was abusive but I think more in the actual Learning/Educational Dept. then anything else. I questioned my validity on this site and asked myself, "since I was not abused as many here that I did not fit in here"?? I believe I do and most of all I can lend support in so many ways.

Once again I sincerely apologize for my inability to articulate my true intentions for this thread initially and the confusion it caused.

Take care

I

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2010/11/03/notes110310.DTL&ao=2

"Letter to a whiny young Democrat"

By Mark Morford, SF Gate Columnist
SFGate November 3, 2010 04:00 AM  
 

Oh, now you've done it.

See? You see what happens when you young liberal voters get so disgruntled and disillusioned that you drop all your party's newborn, hard-won ideas about Hope™ and Change™, without any patience, without really giving them sufficient time to mature, without understanding that hugely foreign, anti-American concept known as "the long view"?

See what happens when you wallow in hollow disappointment, trudging all over your liberal arts campus and refusing to vote in a rather important mid-term election, all because your pet issues and nubile ego weren't immediately serviced by a mesmerizing guy named Barack Obama just after he sucked you into his web of fuzzyhappy promises a mere two years ago, back when you were knee-high to a shiny liberal ideology?

Well, now you know. This is what happens: The U.S. House of Representatives, the most insufferable gaggle of political mongrels this side of, well, the rest of Congress, reverts to GOP control like a brain tumor reverts to a more aggressive form of cancer, and everything gets bleaker and sadder and, frankly, a whole lot nastier.

What happens is: Many kinds of fragmented, muddled, but still constructive Democratic progress might get stopped quite nearly dead, and even a few pieces of legislation we actually did gain get slapped around, threatened, stomped on the head like a scientist at a Rand Paul rally. Happy now?

Check it out, kiddo: This is not just any Republican party you allowed back into power; these mealy folks are not anything like the war-hungry, Bush-tainted army of flying monkeys and Dick Cheney moose knuckles you so wonderfully helped bury in the history books last election.

No, the GOP of 2010-2011 is even weirder, dumber, less interested in anything you even remotely care about; this GOP is infused like a sour cocktail with a bitter splash of the most cartoonish, climate change-denying Tea Party dingbats imaginable -- most of whom think you're an elitist, terrorist-loving, gay-supporting threat to "real" American values, btw -- all led by a guy named Boehner who wears a bizarre, shellacked tan so fake and creepy it makes Nancy Pelosi looks like a supermodel.

And you made it all happen. Or rather, you failed to prevent it from happening, by not voting, by turning your collective back on Obama's tough love, by getting all whiny and dejected like some sort of sullen teen vampire who can't get laid.

Do you deny it? Did you see the polls and studies that said that most fresh-faced, Obama-swooning Dems like you are now refusing to support our beloved Nazi Muslim president because he didn't wish-fulfill your every whim in a week? That he was, in fact, not quite the instant-gratification SuperJesus of your (or rather, our) dreams?

Of course you didn't see any of that. Hell, I bet you're not even reading this column right now. You're probably back on Twitter, raging into the Void about, hell, who knows what? The Wolf Parade concert. Angry Birds. The People of Wal-Mart. Anything but politics, really.

But hey, whatevs, right? Screw it. Screw him. After all, the prez let you down. Conveniently "forgot" to include you in the dialogue, after a major election that you helped him win. Where were the outreach programs? The campus speaking tours? Weekly appearances on "The Daily Show"? Legal pot and gay marriage and discounts tickets to SXSW and Burning Man and Coachella? I want my goddamn political perks, and I want them now.

Hey, I understand. We're an instant gratification culture, and you're an ADHD generation. Who wants to hear that serious enviro legislation might take a decade or two to fully come to fruition? Who wants to hear about Obama passing rather amazing student loan reform? Or even financial reform? Or health care, the Iraq drawdown, saving a million jobs at GM, or all the rest of his rather astonishing achievements to date? Dude, so boring.

Of course, you've now learned the hard way that the hot flush of a major election is far more electrifying than the gray n' meaty grind of actual governing. Obama flew into office on gossamer liberal wings, but the real halls of D.C. are a goddamn pigsblood slaughterhouse, brutal and depressing, full of gnarled legislative compromise. Screw that noise, you know?

And you know what? You're right. Well, sort of. The Obama administration sure as hell could've done more to keep young activists inspired and involved. It's an opportunity squandered, no question. Then again, dude was sorta busy unburying the entire nation, you know? And the twitchy Democratic party has never been known for its savvy cohesion. Maybe you can give him/them a break? Whoops, too late.

Look, I'm sorry. I know I'm being far too hard on you. Of course it's not just you. It's not completely your fault these dimwit Repubs were allowed to ooze back into a bit of power so soon. As many analysts have pointed out, this wasn't a vote for the Republicans, but against the limp-wristed Dems who didn't step up and lead with more authority and clarity of purpose. Truly, libs and independents of every age are frustrated Obama isn't governing with the same kind of magical, balls-out visionary zeal that fueled his campaign.

And let's not forget a shockingly unintelligent Tea Party movement that stands for exactly nothing and fears exactly everything, all ghost-funded by a couple of creepy libertarian oil billionaires -- the leathery old Koch brothers -- who eat their young for a snack. Who could've predicted that gnarled political contraption would hold water? But hey, when Americans are angry and nervous, they do stupid things. Like vote Republican. It happens. Just did.

But here's your big takeaway, young Dem: It ain't over yet. The 2012 election is just around the corner. If we've learned anything, it's that two years whip by insanely quickly. Anything can happen, and usually does. You'll have another chance. And probably another after that. Maybe more.

So here's what you need to know, right now: Barack Obama is, and will continue to be, a bit of goddamn miracle. He's simply as good as we're going get for an articulate, thoughtful, integrity-rich Democratic prez in your lifetime. Period. To hamstring his administration out of spite and laziness is childish and sad. Check the accomplishments. Understand the process. Deal with the messiness.

It will never be perfect. It will never be giddy liberal nirvana, because it doesn't work that way. Politics is corrosive and infuriating, de facto and by definition, even with someone as thoughtful as Obama in the Big Chair. Understand it. Deal with it. Get back in the game. If you don't, we all lose.

Your choice, kiddo.


Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.c ... z14FGrxN4u

Very well thought out and written. Tells it like it is.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39830360/ns ... ?GT1=43001

R.I. Dem: Obama can 'shove it' for not endorsing him. Boo Hoo!!!

 
Rival independent candidate gave Obama major endorsement in 2008 Advertisement | ad info
. Stew Milne  /  AP
 
The Associated Press  
updated 10/25/2010 9:24:14 AM ET 2010-10-25T13:24:14
Share Print Font: +-PROVIDENCE, R.I. — The Democratic candidate for Rhode Island governor is telling President Barack Obama to "shove it" after learning Obama would not endorse him.

Frank Caprio's campaign last week said he would welcome Obama's endorsement. But on Monday, the same day Obama was set to make his first visit to Rhode Island as president and a day after the White House said Obama would not endorse anyone, Caprio angrily told WPRO-AM that Obama can "take his endorsement and really shove it."

Caprio's independent opponent, Lincoln Chafee, a former Republican senator who served with Obama for two years, gave a high-profile endorsement to Obama ahead of the Democratic primary in 2008.

Obama is scheduled to visit a factory in Woonsocket and then attend two fundraisers in Providence for congressional candidates. Caprio had been invited to the tour and one of the fundraisers, but he indicated he would not attend after learning Sunday night that the White House publicly announced it would not endorse him.

"It's an agenda that they're driving," he said.
 
..The White House wouldn't comment on Caprio's remarks. Mike Trainor, Chafee's acting campaign manager, called the remarks unfortunate.

"The senator was shocked at how intemperate the remark was, especially with the president due to arrive in Rhode Island later today," Trainor said. "Perhaps the strain of the campaign is wearing on Treasurer Caprio."

Caprio and Chafee are locked in a four-way race to succeed term-limited Republican Gov. Don Carcieri, along with Republican John Robitaille and Moderate Party candidate Ken Block. There have been no reliable polls in the race.

Caprio also accused the president of "treating us like an ATM machine," and ignoring Rhode Island during springtime flooding that swept through the state. Though Obama did not visit himself, he sent cabinet secretaries, including Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano.

Caprio called Obama's decision "Washington insider politics at its worst" and accused Obama of plotting behind-the-scenes with Chafee to endorse the independent. Caprio spokesman Nick Hemond said he did not know what evidence Caprio had to back up his claim. Chafee has said he did not ask for Obama's endorsement.

Spokespeople for members of the Democratic congressional delegation did not immediately comment or did not immediately return requests for comment on Caprio's remarks. The head of the state Democratic Party also did not immediately return a phone call seeking comment.

But Giovanni Cicione, head of the state Republican Party, called Caprio's comments disrespectful and said Caprio's campaign was in "meltdown mode."

"To take that kind of an attitude in a public statement, I think was very disrespectful and I think it's a shame," he said. "It shows that he's not the sort of calm collected person he tried to present himself as."

Any one else with more knowledge on Marathon House circa: 1974-1975, I would appreciate the heads up. I was there from 2/74 until 12/75. The Director was Joe Geronimo, Staff Ray Law, Bruce ? and Jim Fletcher. House population was about 35 co-ed participants, 1/3 women and 2/3 men.
 
I hear a lot of horrible abuses from these programs everyone went to, physical and mental. I am almost ashamed to bring up I went to this program. We did not have the violent abuses, we were abused by just being warehoused with no education for a year. We had groups but they were not aggressive, we did have a place by the front door that you would sit if you were acting out. There were not any behavioral methods or LGAT's to the degree you folks are explaining.. They weren't breaking you down mentally as described here but they were not helping you either.
Really it just seemed like a big commune where we were, everyone had chores in the house and outside. If you were new you were watched by others who had been there longer. All the food was donated so each day there were stops to make to pick the food up, usually bakeries,super markets ect....churches came by often with food.
The worse punishment I saw while there was a male get his head shaved for getting high on a home visit. Everyone there was from Rhode Island or western Massachusetts along the shore. I have been racking my brain to remember more people who were there with me. So far I have 4 names, 2 of the names I have know for years the other 2 I can not find.
I was sent there by my high school for getting busted smoking pot on school grounds during study time. I went outside with another guy to smoke a joint and got busted by the Gym teacher. My father had been worried about me for about a year leading up to that incident. I had started staying out past curfew, smoking cigg's, skipping school, drinking more (he caught me drunk several times) hanging out with some derelicts and so on.
I was in the adolescence house in Newport/Middletown R.I., we were in Middletown during the day at the house and at night we slept at a Apt. house in Newport. The women stayed at the house upstairs and the men in the Apt.

Just some info here,
If you are wondering if I knew a fella that was posting here for some time who also went to Marathon House for a short time, I do. That is where we met, we became friends went into the service together later on. We have been friends now for years, I work for him and have for the past 16 years. He introduced me to this site.
I would rather not get into any more detail then that. I said that much so to quell any suspicion that anyone here would be confused as to who is posting. The IPS addresses will be the same because of where I do most of my posting is in the same office.
Guys I can tell you, he is gone. I do not believe he will be back. This experience did not prove to be one of his better embarkations into his past treatment history.

Thanks


I found this information below on their web page and thought it was interesting.


http://www.phoenixhouse.org/

Democrats and Republicans Will Agree…
Incarceration is often 12 times more expensive than substance abuse treatment. Here, Phoenix House President and CEO Howard P. Meitiner discusses economic reform that both parties can support.

As election season approaches, it seems as if Republicans and Democrats will never agree on anything. Yet here’s a step we can all support: replacing incarceration with substance abuse treatment for non-violent offenders.

In this weekend’s New York Times, Op-Ed columnist Charles M. Blow aptly put a price tag on incarceration. He doesn’t mention, however, that every dollar spent on substance abuse treatment can deliver a return of $12.00 or more in reduced incarceration costs. With all the federal funding that currently supports the criminal justice system and collateral crime expenses, it is easy for other vital spending areas – education, housing, and health, for example – to get lost in the shuffle.

What many people don’t realize is that the cost of crime is also the cost of addiction; according to the Council of State Governments, 80 percent of state prisoners report a history of substance abuse. Remember, this is 80 percent of an increasingly large prison population: One in every 100 American adults is currently in a state or federal prison. This is not the global norm. “The United States now imprisons a higher percentage of its citizens than any other country in the world,” points out Virginia Senator Jim Webb. “Also, the composition of prison admissions has shifted toward less serious offenses. Nearly six in ten persons in state prison for a drug offense have no history of violence.”

What are we accomplishing by imprisoning non-violent, low-level drug offenders instead of offering treatment? We are wasting taxpayer dollars, disregarding human behavior patterns, and fueling the rate of criminal recidivism. Without proper treatment, these offenders are released from prison only to resume their criminal behavior to support their drug habits – 50 percent will be rearrested for committing a crime within the first year. Thus continues the vicious cycle of substance abuse and incarceration.

This is a major problem with some simple solutions. The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University reported that only 1.9 percent of 2005 federal spending on substance abuse went to prevention and treatment, while 95.6 percent went towards “shoveling up the wreckage” – namely, putting people in prison instead of getting them help. We need to flip this statistic, because doing so will save billions of dollars and improve millions of lives.

Today, increased substance abuse treatment and community-based alternatives to incarceration should be considered economic necessities. They are not only cheaper than imprisonment; they are also more effective, fundamentally fair, and considerate of the human condition. Treatment is an option in which both parties win – and all it takes is the political courage and bipartisan behavior necessary to enforce change.

Howard P. Meitiner
President and CEO

http://www.phoenixhouse.org/locations/new-england/
http://www.phoenixhouse.org/locations/n ... de-island/

Phoenix House adolescent programs in Rhode Island give teens a chance to break with the past and take control of their lives. Our residential and outpatient drug treatment programs provide substance abuse treatment in a safe and supportive environment.
Residential Drug Treatment Programs

Phoenix House Academy at Wallum Lake

Phoenix House Academy at Wallum Lake provides comprehensive substance abuse treatment to adolescents, while helping them catch up academically, reunite with their families, and reclaim lost opportunities. Our six-month program combines alcohol and drug treatment with a high school education program directed by state certified teachers in partnership with the local school district.

Teachers and counselors work together to create a supportive environment in which adolescents can develop and grow. Students learn the values of honesty and responsibility and confront the underlying causes of their substance abuse. Since family involvement is a key factor in the success of the program, we offer parent education, counseling, and family therapy.

Phoenix House operates three outpatient programs for teens at centers in Providence, Wakefield, and Westerly, Rhode Island.

Phoenix House Academy
at Wallum Lake
2076 Wallum Lake Road
Pascoag, RI 02859
401 568 1770
Outpatient Drug Treatment Programs

Parental involvement is a key element of the program. Families take part in extensive education, therapy, and recreation activities throughout the course of the drug treatment program, and work towards creating a home environment that will support teens in their recovery from addiction.

Phoenix House
Outpatient Center
205 Waterman Street
Providence, RI 02906
401 421 5255

Phoenix House
Outpatient Center
101 Franklin Street
Westerly, RI 02891
401 348 9995

Phoenix House
Outpatient Center
1058 Kingstown Road
Wakefield, RI 02879
401 783 0782

Phoenix Houses of New England – originally called Marathon House – was founded in 1967 by a coalition of social service professionals, clergy, business, and political leaders in Providence, Rhode Island. Through their efforts, the first treatment program was opened in the basement of a church in Providence. Today, some 3,000 adults and teenagers receive treatment annually through more then forty-five programs in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. Fees are based on a sliding scale, and no client is denied treatment because of the inability to pay.


Meet the Phoenix House
New England Team

Patrick B. McEneaney
Senior Vice President, Regional Director, Phoenix Houses of New England and Florida

Mr. McEneaney joined Phoenix Houses of New England in 1999 when Phoenix House acquired Marathon. He assumed the leadership post in Florida in July of 2008. Previously he headed his own consulting firm, HR Diagnostics, and served as vice president and director of human resources for the Catholic Medical Center of Brooklyn and Queens for more than 20 years. Mr. McEneaney holds a bachelor’s degree from Queens College and an executive M.B.A. from Baruch College in New York. Send an email
 

Neil Gaer
Vice President, Senior Program Director and Director of Clinical Affairs

Mr. Gaer joined Phoenix Houses of New England in January 1999 as program director of the adult residential treatment facility in Springfield, Mass.  He was subsequently appointed and served as deputy director of national training at Phoenix House Foundation in New York before rejoining the New England organization in 2001 as senior program director and director of clinical affairs.  In April 2006, he was named a vice president.  During his tenure, Mr. Gaer has been responsible for the development and implementation of clinical and administrative operations throughout New England.  Mr. Gaer has more than twenty years of experience at various social and human service agencies.   He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Human Services and a Master’s in Public Administration from the University of New Haven.  He is a Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselor.  Send an email

Fred A. Trapassi, Jr.
Vice President, Director of Rhode Island Programs

Mr. Trapassi began his career with Phoenix House in 2000 as Program Director for the Phoenix Academy at Wallum Lake, Rhode Island. He went on to serve as Senior Program Director for adolescent programming in the New England Region, the Senior Program Director for all Rhode Island programs and is currently the Vice President and Director of Rhode Island Programs. Prior to joining Phoenix House, Mr. Trapassi was the Director of Client and Program Services for Crossroads. He was presented the Jefferson Award for public service in 1989 and the Nyswander Dole (Marie) Award for treatment advocacy in 1991. Mr. Trapassi has been a peer reviewer for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and served on several boards and committees including the Providence Juvenile Hearing Board, the United Way of South Eastern New England, and the Rhode Island Justice Commission’s Juvenile Justice Advisory Board. He holds a B.S. in Public Administration from Roger Williams University. Send an email

Susan Shubitowski
Vice President, Director of Finance

Ms. Shubitowski joined Phoenix House in January 2001 as Controller and was named Regional Director of Finance the same year.  In April 2006, she was promoted to Vice President and Regional Director of Finance. Prior to joining Phoenix House, Ms. Shubitowski held several finance positions in the profit sector, including Accounting Manager for LogoAthletic, Inc. and Controller for Omega Electric, Inc.  She holds a B.S. degree in Accounting and an M.B.S from the University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth. Send an email