Author Topic: INDUSTRY SELF-REGULATION  (Read 15354 times)

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Offline Deborah

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« Reply #30 on: April 01, 2007, 12:25:15 PM »
Press Releases
Posted: Mar 31, 2007
07:33
National Association Of Therapeutic Schools And Programs (NATSAP)
Prescott, Arizona

NATSAP Increases Membership Requirements
For information:
Rosemary Tippett
770-435-8464
www.natsap.org).

To be considered for full membership status, programs and schools must have operated for more than two years. Current NATSAP members must achieve the new standards by January 1, 2009. NATSAP will provide assistance to new and member programs wishing to qualify.

"NATSAP remains dedicated to a leadership role in improving the standards of our profession," said Tippet.
~~

Why two years? Provisional licenses allow programs to operate for varying timeframes until they come into compliance. They should all be required to apply for licenses before the end of 2007. That's plenty of time. Actually very generous, give they've all been operating in violation of the law, and some for over a decade.
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »
gt;>>>>>>>>>>>>>><<<<<<<<<<<<<<
Hidden Lake Academy, after operating 12 years unlicensed will now be monitored by the state. Access information on the Federal Class Action lawsuit against HLA here: http://www.fornits.com/wwf/viewtopic.php?t=17700

Offline RobertBruce

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« Reply #31 on: April 01, 2007, 01:01:53 PM »
Quote
-Licensure by the appropriate state agency authorized to set and oversee standards of therapeutic and/or behavioral healthcare for youth and adolescents or accreditation by a mental health accreditation agency.


Gotta love those loop holes.
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »

Offline ZenAgent

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« Reply #32 on: April 01, 2007, 01:15:22 PM »
Quote from: ""Deborah""
Press Releases
Posted: Mar 31, 2007
07:33
National Association Of Therapeutic Schools And Programs (NATSAP)
Prescott, Arizona

NATSAP Increases Membership Requirements
For information:
Rosemary Tippett
770-435-8464
www.natsap.org).

To be considered for full membership status, programs and schools must have operated for more than two years. Current NATSAP members must achieve the new standards by January 1, 2009. NATSAP will provide assistance to new and member programs wishing to qualify.

"NATSAP remains dedicated to a leadership role in improving the standards of our profession," said Tippet.
~~

Why two years? Provisional licenses allow programs to operate for varying timeframes until they come into compliance. They should all be required to apply for licenses before the end of 2007. That's plenty of time. Actually very generous, give they've all been operating in violation of the law, and some for over a decade.


Deborah, this NATSAP attempt to appear willing to work toward regulations is a smoke screen tossed up after NATSAP's less than productive meeting with members of an advocate group at the conference in Florida.  Tippet is the woman who demanded NATSAP have a presence at the symposium, and I guess they regret it now.

Let's dissect this lame attempt at placating the "middle of the road" types who support the idea of regulations which will magically end the abuses in RTC's.  Tough love programs rely on brutality, that's behavior modification, and "warm and fuzzy" can't be worked into the equation.

1. Licensure by the appropriate state agency authorized to set and oversee standards of therapeutic and/or behavioral healthcare for youth and adolescents or accreditation by a mental health accreditation agency. My wife and I ran into this with Peninsula Village - there is no single state agency with the authority to oversee the programs.  The TN Department of Mental Health told us they didn't have the jurisdiction to force them to open the books.  These programs escape regulation because they are undefined.  NATSAP is very aware that a separate agency would have to be created with authority few other regulatory overseers have.  

2. Therapeutic services with oversight by a qualified clinician.
Define "qualified", otherwise the field is left wide open.  They need to add "licensed" to that, more importantly, licensed as a Health Service Provider in the state the program operates in.

3. -Compliance with NATSAP Ethical Principles and NATSAP Principles of Good Practice (see www.natsap.org).
Compliance means the programs promise to follow the codes of NATSAP, do some "self-studies" and police itself.  Nonsense.

I knew something like this was coming, given the troubles in Montana, Florida, Texas, Tennessee, Maryland.

If the push toward regulation gets serious, NATSAP will offer to meet the regulations, with a five year time frame to implement the changes.  I imagine they'll also stipulate they want immunity from lawsuits with allegations predating the date they agree to the "regulations".

No regulations, no negotiations with these scum.  We need a  scorched earth policy when dealing with teen torture programs.  I like Lon's new newsletter, "keeping up with change".  Lon talks about the "explosion of knowledge", and the knowledge that's making it's way off Fornits and into TV and print media is creating outrage.  Lon, you stooge, knowledge is the one thing you and your industry fear the most, and people who never heard of these programs are being enlightened, and can you imagine - they "just don't get it" and are having a knee-jerk reaction to a few brutally murdered kids.  Yeah, I know of some good facilities - they're for time definite periods, you never see their names on Fornits, and they welcome regulation because it will separate them from the shitpits you edcons pull blood money from.
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »
\"Allah does not love the public utterance of hurtful speech, unless it be by one to whom injustice has been done; and Allah is Hearing, Knowing\" - The Qur\'an

_______________________________________________
A PV counselor\'s description of his job:

\"I\'m there to handle kids that are psychotic, suicidal, homicidal, or have commited felonies. Oh yeah, I am also there to take them down when they are rowdy so the nurse can give them the booty juice.\"

Offline Oz girl

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« Reply #33 on: April 01, 2007, 07:16:00 PM »
I dont see that being pro regulation is being pro the industry. To me regulation and education need to go hand in hand. The power of places to do harm needs to be decreased with specific enforcable rules, while more information is given about the overall damage done in a bid to get the public to vote with their feet.
It does become a slippery slope when organisations like NATSAP are at the bargaining table but by the same token it is extremely dangerous that a program can potentially put a kid in actual physical peril or inadequately feed them without it being a breach if any specifci law.
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n case you\'re worried about what\'s going to become of the younger generation, it\'s going to grow up and start worrying about the younger generation.-Roger Allen

Offline ZenAgent

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« Reply #34 on: April 02, 2007, 02:13:07 AM »
Quote from: ""Oz girl""
I don't see that being pro regulation is being pro the industry. To me regulation and education need to go hand in hand. The power of places to do harm needs to be decreased with specific enforcible rules, while more information is given about the overall damage done in a bid to get the public to vote with their feet.
It does become a slippery slope when organizations like NATSAP are at the bargaining table but by the same token it is extremely dangerous that a program can potentially put a kid in actual physical peril or inadequately feed them without it being a breach if any specifci law.


Pro regulation is not pro industry. NATSAP is a joke, they will make overtures to engage in regulation, but the process of "break 'em down, build them up" is not going to change, this is how these programs operate.  NATSAP is a worthless seal of approval.  Kids die in NATSAP  approved programs through neglect or brutal physical torture, and the programs maintain their NATSAP certification.  JCAHO licensure is being recognized as useless, too.

There's a concept of "program drift", where a program starts off with the loftiest of intentions to save troubled youth.  Covenant Health, shortly after the purchase of Peninsula Village from Ft. Sanders in Tennessee, brought in some highly respected psychiatric professionals, one from Duke, as consultants to create a safe, therapeutic program that would work.  The pros tried to set-up the ideal facility, but what monkey-wrenched the works?  The bottom line-watching accountants, the money counters who hired unqualified counselors, cut corners, and eventually caused the respected advisers to give up their consultant positions in disgust.  Program drift is also what happens when an RTC or WTF is busted for abuse, neglect, or  homicide. After the program gets the usual "don't do it again" from the Court, they clean up the violence for a time and try to avoid the same allegations. Time, along with high-turnover rates of counselors and clinicians, causes the program to drift back down the slope into abusive practices  Without further outside agency  interference, the old ways of physical, mental, and medical neglect re-surface like they never left.  The reason is simple:  Restraint and abuse of the kids is a convenience for the under-educated and burned-out staff.

Oz girl, I agree that a pro-regulation stance does not make you pro-industry.  There are wonderful facilities available (my daughter attended one, the clinicians called her a "joy to work with in the milieu, eager to interact in group, often giving affectionate support to fellow patients who were having difficulties" For reasons beyond the facility's control, as well as my wife's, our daughter's biological father sent her to PV, (like going from a holiday spa to Auschwitz) where she was labeled "treatment resistant", "Narcissistic", then abused, viciously taken to the ground by five large women in what PV considered a "restraint" -  in full view of her mother.  What does Peninsula Village fear more than an unruly patient?  A parent who photographs an obviously criminal assault on a child.  My wife was   banned from family therapy and phone contact with her daughter until we got the child out of that pit.  The girl spent six months in the lockdown level of PV before walking out free on 12/14/06, and she's back in her old high school, an honor role student, and working on the demons PV left .

What happened to the girl at the other facility who wanted to be involved in all therapy, helped her peers, and,  far from being "treatment resistant", as PV insisted, she was a joy to work with and well-liked.  The answer is simple:  PV has no individualized treatment, and they perform a "process" on every kid, regardless if the kid is there for ADD, eating disorders, depression, or convicted as an adult for sodomizing a female escort with a baseball bat, or convicted as an adult for conspiracy to commit mass murder on a Columbine level.  They're all thrown into the same milieu, and THAT'S insane.

The good programs will not fear regulation, they'll welcome it.  My daughter was given the choice to stay in the first, benevolent program. If she had asked to leave, they wouldn't have kept her, and this place is in Maryland, where it's not legally required.  

Given the choice of being sent home to live with her alcoholic, abusive father, she took the Maryland facility.  After we got our girl out of PV, she said she could use a trip back to the Maryland facility for "decompression" and some restorative therapy.  I guess that shows the difference between the "wretched, all for cash" programs and the truly therapeutic ones.
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »
\"Allah does not love the public utterance of hurtful speech, unless it be by one to whom injustice has been done; and Allah is Hearing, Knowing\" - The Qur\'an

_______________________________________________
A PV counselor\'s description of his job:

\"I\'m there to handle kids that are psychotic, suicidal, homicidal, or have commited felonies. Oh yeah, I am also there to take them down when they are rowdy so the nurse can give them the booty juice.\"

Offline Oz girl

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« Reply #35 on: April 02, 2007, 02:21:48 AM »
Well the other pro is that if NATSAP or what ever other dodgy set up club for programs agree to some kind of regulation (If only because they look like assholes for not) there are specific rules that they can be held accountable for by not following. One program in breach of the rules makes em all look bad as they accdedited the recalcitrant program.
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »
n case you\'re worried about what\'s going to become of the younger generation, it\'s going to grow up and start worrying about the younger generation.-Roger Allen

Offline ZenAgent

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« Reply #36 on: April 02, 2007, 02:49:21 AM »
Quote from: ""Oz girl""
Well the other pro is that if NATSAP or what ever other dodgy set up club for programs agree to some kind of regulation (If only because they look like assholes for not) there are specific rules that they can be held accountable for by not following. One program in breach of the rules makes em all look bad as they accdedited the recalcitrant program.


You're right, but NATSAP lobbies, and they're in bed with the GOP.  NATSAP  will stall, fight every step of the way, and rely on the fact that NATSAP has many different types of programs (at least in name), and how long will it take to decide how to regulate the various types of shithole?  This newest gesture by NATSAP to consider regulation is in response to the program deaths, sexual abuse and cover-ups in Texas,(which doesn't involve NATSAP at all) the Montana efforts to regulate, the screaming descent into hell by Hidden Lake Academy, and the legal actions pending against what most people consider "licensed and regulated" programs that were considered above the allegations facing them.  NATSAP is not a license.  JCAHO has clout in medical hospitals, but they seem to be clueless about behavioral health facilities, especially adolescent residential treatment, so they pass out the JCAHO certification.

Unless we keep pushing and keeping the horrors of these programs in front of the public, the average American amnesiac will move on to some other nightmare, like gas prices.  I have a strong feeling NATSAP is bullshitting, knowing they can stall any regulations indefinitely through debate and refusal of all deals, until the public relations stench dies down and business resumes as usual.
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »
\"Allah does not love the public utterance of hurtful speech, unless it be by one to whom injustice has been done; and Allah is Hearing, Knowing\" - The Qur\'an

_______________________________________________
A PV counselor\'s description of his job:

\"I\'m there to handle kids that are psychotic, suicidal, homicidal, or have commited felonies. Oh yeah, I am also there to take them down when they are rowdy so the nurse can give them the booty juice.\"

Offline Deborah

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« Reply #37 on: April 02, 2007, 07:16:52 AM »
JCAHO certification is useless, in my opinion. They are another NGO, dues-based industry club. They have program people on their advisory board. One can not read their guidelines unless they purchase a copy. Ever heard of JCAHO issuing sanctions? Closing a program?
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »
gt;>>>>>>>>>>>>>><<<<<<<<<<<<<<
Hidden Lake Academy, after operating 12 years unlicensed will now be monitored by the state. Access information on the Federal Class Action lawsuit against HLA here: http://www.fornits.com/wwf/viewtopic.php?t=17700

Offline Anonymous

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« Reply #38 on: April 02, 2007, 11:49:43 AM »
Quote from: ""Deborah""
JCAHO certification is useless, in my opinion. They are another NGO, dues-based industry club. They have program people on their advisory board. One can not read their guidelines unless they purchase a copy. Ever heard of JCAHO issuing sanctions? Closing a program?


Sanctions and closures, no. But JCAHO certification isn't just a dues-based club -- there are some standards that must be met to get the rubber stamp of certification.

That doesn't mean much, but the fact that so few programs have JCAHO's seal of approval might help sort out the worst-of-the-worst programs from the ones that are just plain bad.

I think it's useful to define different levels of badness, since all programs are not going to get shut down overnight. You've got to pick your targets and then go after them in some kind of priority order. I don't think the worst-of-the-worst have JCAHO certification.
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Offline Deborah

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« Reply #39 on: April 02, 2007, 12:21:45 PM »
Quote from: ""ZenAgent""
Deborah, this NATSAP attempt to appear willing to work toward regulations is a smoke screen tossed up after NATSAP's less than productive meeting with members of an advocate group at the conference in Florida.  Tippet is the woman who demanded NATSAP have a presence at the symposium, and I guess they regret it now.

I agree.

Quote
1. Licensure by the appropriate state agency authorized to set and oversee standards of therapeutic and/or behavioral healthcare for youth and adolescents or accreditation by a mental health accreditation agency. My wife and I ran into this with Peninsula Village - there is no single state agency with the authority to oversee the programs.  The TN Department of Mental Health told us they didn't have the jurisdiction to force them to open the books.  These programs escape regulation because they are undefined.  NATSAP is very aware that a separate agency would have to be created with authority few other regulatory overseers have.
 

What is PV classified as? Psych facility/hospital or RTC? The Dept of Children's Services regulates RTCs in Tenn and facilites do have to "open their books" to them, if you are refering to childrens and employees files, and such.
If they are licensed as a psych facility through DMH, that may be a different story, although, I can't believe that any licensing agency wouldn't have access to pertinent information. It's part of an inspection.
PV sounds like both, a psych facility and program, complete with wilderness. My question would be, are they properly licensed? Has a thorough review of all the 'services provided' been evaluated?

Quote
I knew something like this was coming, given the troubles in Montana, Florida, Texas, Tennessee, Maryland.

This licensing issue has been brewing for a couple of years. I'm sure ASTARTs efforts was a factor as well.

Quote
If the push toward regulation gets serious, NATSAP will offer to meet the regulations, with a five year time frame to implement the changes.  I imagine they'll also stipulate they want immunity from lawsuits with allegations predating the date they agree to the "regulations".


As an industry assoc, NATSAP is not required to be licensed and will not be involved in the licensing process of its member programs. They can't negotiate with licensing. They can only require licensure of their member programs. That's the extent of their involvement, except like in Utah and Montana, where they were allowed to act as consultants to DHS. There is growing public awareness of this issue, and NATSAP is attempting to maintain credibility as an association. The hitch, is the "or accreditation" clause. Accreditation with JCAHO or an Educational agency like SACS, is not equivalent to State Licensing. The latter is much more thorough and stringent in terms of evaluating, regulating, and sanctioning programs.
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »
gt;>>>>>>>>>>>>>><<<<<<<<<<<<<<
Hidden Lake Academy, after operating 12 years unlicensed will now be monitored by the state. Access information on the Federal Class Action lawsuit against HLA here: http://www.fornits.com/wwf/viewtopic.php?t=17700

Offline Deborah

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« Reply #40 on: April 02, 2007, 12:38:01 PM »
Quote from: ""Guest""
Sanctions and closures, no. But JCAHO certification isn't just a dues-based club -- there are some standards that must be met to get the rubber stamp of certification.

Didn't say it was "just" a dues-based club. Yes, they have standards and no one can go online and read them. You must 'puchase' them. And industry people helped create those standards. I found no way to view reports of programs that had incurred violations. Why all the secrecy? All that info is available to the public when a program is licensed by the state.

Quote
That doesn't mean much, but the fact that so few programs have JCAHO's seal of approval might help sort out the worst-of-the-worst programs from the ones that are just plain bad. I don't think the worst-of-the-worst have JCAHO certification.


"Think" what you want, but No, you can't use JCAHO certification as a method for weeding out the worst-of-the-worst. Catherine Freer is considered one of the 'best' in the industry, JCAHO certified and has had three deaths, that the pubic is aware of anyway. Ridge Creek (HLAs sister wilderness program) is JCAHO certified, and until recently considered one of the best. It is a confirmed abusive program and had 30 some violations of regulations on the last State inspection. (I've never heard of that many violations. A record.) Wonder if they ever violated any JCAHO standards. Well, we'll never know, cause that's kept secret from the public.

There are others. JCAHO certification means nothing.
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »
gt;>>>>>>>>>>>>>><<<<<<<<<<<<<<
Hidden Lake Academy, after operating 12 years unlicensed will now be monitored by the state. Access information on the Federal Class Action lawsuit against HLA here: http://www.fornits.com/wwf/viewtopic.php?t=17700

Offline hanzomon4

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« Reply #41 on: April 02, 2007, 01:44:47 PM »
Peninsula Village(um...Parkwest Medical Center) is JCAHO accredited as a Behavioral Health Care provider(Click on view quality report). JCAHO has a lot of spin but the fact that no one can see their regs without paying 250+ makes me write them off as bunk.

Peninsula Village is also licensed by The State of Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities as a Mental Health Residential Treatment Facility for Children and Youth - regs here LINK(view Chapters 0940-5-6, 0940-5-37 and for isolation and restraint - 0940-3-6)

Zen I'll be in touch..........
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Offline Deborah

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« Reply #42 on: April 02, 2007, 05:01:18 PM »
Thanks Hanzo. So they are licensed as MH facility rather than an RTC (program). I suppose this is so because they dx and rx drugs?
Being licensed as such, would certainly exempt them from licensure through DCS. I haven't had time to find the regs for RTCs in Tenn. If someone has a link, please share. I'd like to compare the definition of RTC and MH facility and the difference in regs.
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »
gt;>>>>>>>>>>>>>><<<<<<<<<<<<<<
Hidden Lake Academy, after operating 12 years unlicensed will now be monitored by the state. Access information on the Federal Class Action lawsuit against HLA here: http://www.fornits.com/wwf/viewtopic.php?t=17700

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Offline ZenAgent

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« Reply #44 on: April 02, 2007, 06:08:32 PM »
Quote from: ""hanzomon4""
Peninsula Village(um...Parkwest Medical Center) is JCAHO accredited as a Behavioral Health Care provider(Click on view quality report). JCAHO has a lot of spin but the fact that no one can see their regs without paying 250+ makes me write them off as bunk.

Peninsula Village is also licensed by The State of Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities as a Mental Health Residential Treatment Facility for Children and Youth - regs here LINK(view Chapters 0940-5-6, 0940-5-37 and for isolation and restraint - 0940-3-6)

Zen I'll be in touch..........


Thanks.  My wife and I were looking at the JCAHO info last night, and what we found was a bit of a surprise.  Peninsula Village is part of Peninsula Behavioral Health, which includes an adult facility, an adolescent acute care facility and hospital.  Peninsula Behavioral Health didn't get the JCAHO accreditation until 12/06, eight days before our daughter left.  When we first looked into the JCAHO accreditation, we found only Parkwest Medical actually had it, and it was given to two of their clinical labs.  To the best of my knowledge, no one from JCAHO had set foot in PV, and the program was claiming accreditation it didn't have by riding Parkwest Medical's coattails.

PV uses the lack of a real definition of their program to avoid scrutiny.  It's a level 3 lockdown facility with a level system that(supposedly) moves patients to the cabin area, becoming a wilderness treatment facility.  The program advertising links on StrugglingTeens homepage have PV listed under "Therapeutic & Treatment Programs", and again under "Wilderness".  I guess that makes PV an EdCon's dream, a catch-all. It seems odd Lon left Peninsula Village off his list of programs with JCAHO accreditation.  I wonder why?   The PV school received SACS accreditation in 2004-05, very recently.  Despite the SACS blessing, what my daughter described was a study hall style of school, with the kids doing open-book work.  Once again, it's an example of looking damned good on paper, but in reality it's a sham.  I've often wondered what PV tells parents when asked about Chemistry Lab areas...
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »
\"Allah does not love the public utterance of hurtful speech, unless it be by one to whom injustice has been done; and Allah is Hearing, Knowing\" - The Qur\'an

_______________________________________________
A PV counselor\'s description of his job:

\"I\'m there to handle kids that are psychotic, suicidal, homicidal, or have commited felonies. Oh yeah, I am also there to take them down when they are rowdy so the nurse can give them the booty juice.\"