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NPR news story on the increased push for oversight in the field of residential treatment
"Cases of Child Neglect and Abuse at Private Residential Treatment Facilities"
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October 1, 2007
Embracing Wholeness
Have you ever known someone who you can always count on to be an encourager? One of those people whose optimism you begin to rely on. One of those people who seems to be around the corner when you are experiencing some form of conflict or despair? Cheryl Crane is one of those people. She has been with Centus Counseling for many years and she sends out monthly emails entitled "Embrace Wholeness". If you find you need an emotional energy drink to perk you back up and show you the optimistic side to your situation go to her website and you can subscribe to her monthly note of encouragement.
Be well,
Michael Behmer
October 10, 2007
Resources
How often do you spend a lot of time on the internet in search of specific information or hoping to find resources and when you return from this media portal you realize you have found little or nothing more than distractions? When someone has gone on before and taking their time to produce a resource that works for many others I get excited. It serves as a great reminder to take time to listen and learn from those who have gone before us in the mental health world.
Ben Erdman has put a resource together that is user friendly and straight forward. I found his site very helpful in finding local CD meetings and finding especially helpful with references, books, and stats on ADHD. I think you will find his website helpful as well.
Be well,
Michael Behmer
October 13, 2007
Vive! Update
Dear friends,
Check out our new online literature. Just another tool to make sharing the Vive! model easier when meeting with clients, friends and family. Below are two links that lay out our services and our dual approach and there is no need to even leave the computer. I encourage you to send these to your colleagues and share this resource with your clients.
Vive! BrochureI am continually amazed by the versatility of our therapeutic teams. I heard recently that we we're called the "Multi-tool" of the therapy world. I chuckled to myself when I heard it, but it is true. We can offer so much flexibility in meeting families where they are that it can be difficult to pin us down when explaining what we do. We help families return to being families and we are that therapeutic guide on the side so many young adults and their families need. I hope these online tools allow us all to be a little more flexible in being a resource to those looking for therapeutic services. I look forward to hearing from you and seeing you at the Fall conferences.
Be well,
October 15, 2007
"Cases of Child Neglect and Abuse at Private Residential Treatment Facilities"
Currently, there is buzz in the media and in the adolescent mental health and behavioral health industries about some hearings currently taking place in DC. These hearings have to do with alleged widespread abuses in adolescent residential care facilities. The media coverage of this and similar stories has, in general, taken on a sensationalist tone and has failed to acknowledge important distinctions in categories of adolescent care. I recently wrote a friend who anchors a major television news show and who has an interest in our industry and work; I requested that she do a more balanced and educative piece on the topic of treatment (and mistreatment) in adolescent programs. Here is what I wrote... - Will Laughlin
Hello Friend:
I thought of you recently after seeing Diane Sawyer do a piece featuring Washington hearings on the purported dangers of residential treatment. I have a concern and an idea that I wanted to toss your way.
My concern is that this piece and other media treatments of similar topics fail to make even the broadest distinctions between adolescent mental health organizations and categories of treatment. They use various terms interchangeably that actually have strong distinctions in the mental health industry. Terms such as "boot camp," "therapeutic program," "wilderness camp," "residential program," "treatment," "wilderness program," "tough love program," etcetera are all jumbled together as if they're all the same. The result, I fear, is not a better educated or informed public, but merely a more fearful one.
As a result, I don't think this type of story functions well as either a news piece or a public service, though it poses as both. Many families who need mental-health services will grasp for any reason they can to avoid engaging those services--often because of simple fear.
Fear-mongering stories, therefore, as opposed to balanced expository stories, can cause real harm. Furthermore, since no one wants dangerous programs to be put out of business more than good programs do, it's troubling to have all adolescent programs seemingly lumped into a single category.
I think it might be both educational and interesting for you to do a piece that taps into the news of these hearings on abuses in residential programs, but also does the following:
Describes some of the broad categories of residential and non-residential support
- Drug and alcohol, LD, specialty treatment, general treatment, emotional growth, non-public schools, boot camps, public, private, military, etc.
- Residential, inpatient, outpatient, community based, wraparound, day treatment, home-based (Beth and I currently work for Vive, which delivers support to families in their home environment--a very interesting alternative)
- Teases out the question of how to avoid throwing the baby out with the bathwater
- Where is the line between appropriate regulation and hyper-regulation (the absence of the former opens the doors for abuse, the presence of the latter has doomed many mental health programs to static mediocrity)?
- Are there programs that can provide the rest of the industry with models for best practices (the answer is yes)?
- Are there alternatives to residential care?
Give the public (consumers) some ideas for evaluating the quality of programs
- What is an educational consultant?
- Types of professional credentials for caregivers and categories of program regulation, licensure, and accreditation...
- Questions to ask of any program...
- How to tour a program and what to look for...
- How to evaluate if short or long-term residential treatment, outpatient care, or home care is the most appropriate option...
- Etc.
Because of your interest in our industry I thought I'd scribble you a note seeing what you think of these observations/suggestions. I'd be happy to help you research such a story. Let me know your thoughts!
Watch the hearing. Full Committee Hearing: "Cases of Child Neglect and Abuse at Private Residential Treatment Facilities"
October 23, 2007
NPR news story on the increased push for oversight in the field of residential treatment
A recent government probe finds thousands of allegations of abuse or neglect at wilderness programs that parents turn to for troubled teens. In at least 10 cases participants have died. Congress says the programs need stricter regulation and industry experts agree. NPR talks about how many success stories were overlooked during this hearing.
Listen to this story on Morning Edition... by Larry Abramson
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At Vive! we address the needs of teens and young adults who have struggled emotionally and/or behaviorally; we deliver our services where it counts the most--in the context of the young person's real world and family system. The result is an effective, sustainable, reality-based solution for the whole family.
Vive! Brochure
Vive! Services
October 29, 2007
Upcoming Graduations
Dear friends and colleagues:
As you settle into your fall season you may begin receiving calls from families that are anxious about the upcoming graduations or home visits before the holidays. Vive can help.
For your upcoming graduates, Vive invests in bridging the gap between residential programs and the next step. Vive is committed to supporting all of the hard work you have done with your families and supporting the whole family as they transition. Our mentors are professionally trained therapists who can visit with your students on campus and/or with their family during their home visit. Parent Coaches can assist the parents in managing their anxiety as the child transitions from the safe environment of your program back to even highly challenging home environments.
The Vive program is a very robust, community-based model that works to support the whole family. Our mentors support the young person directly in the context of their real world environment with regularly scheduled visits and around the clock availability by phone, email and text messaging in between visits. We feel that the around the clock availability of our parent coaches and mentors is critical in order to be able to effect change in the family system and to support the family during times of crisis.
For recent graduates whose parents may now be calling you regarding the difficulties of their child's return home, Vive can step in with support before the struggles escalate. Our therapists can work with your families to help apply the skills and knowledge they have learned in program in order to help translate these skills into the real world.
Please share our information with your therapists on campus who daily invest in the work of healing their families. Give us a call. We would love to support you.
ONLINE Brochure & Service Descriptions:
To talk to a live person 24/7 call 800-261-0127
October 31, 2007
Believing You Can
A young man fell asleep during math class. He woke up as the bell rang, looked at the blackboard, and copied down the two problems that were there. He assumed they were the homework for the night. He went home and labored the rest of the afternoon and into the evening knowing if he didn't complete the work he would surely fail the class.He couldn't figure out either one but he kept trying for the rest of the week. Finally, he got the answer to one and brought it to class. The teacher was absolutely stunned. The boy feared he had done too little, too late. It turned out the problem he solved was supposedly unsolvable.
Believe you can be all you are meant to be and life brings along so many more possibilities.
Happy Halloween,
Michael Behmer
ONLINE Brochure & Service Descriptions:
To talk to a live person 24/7 call 800-261-0127
I want to talk to a Vive! professional right now!
Call - 800.261.0127
