Teen Challenge
Jeneen, can you post something about the Teen Challenge of NM that is also still open? They had CYFD close their boy's facility in July 2013 but the girl's facility remains open. The NM State Police sent a detective from Albuquerque to Dallas, where I live to talk to me. I gave them a ton of information but unfortunately, the information I have is timed out and they need new info in order to pursue criminal charges. They do have an active investigation going now though and have assigned an entire panel to investigate this one facility. There are three state policemen, two people from CYFD, and two from the DA's office assigned to this panel. They have recently set up a dedicated tip line for people to call with information on abuse, neglect, and exploitation of current and former students of this program. We have a facebook page that I'll get to you. The investigation that led to the boy's facility shows the complaints of abuse and neglect were substantiated however current NM law prohibits the closing of the girl's facility. We are working with a state senator to close the gap but in the meantime, its open. There are allegations of sexual abuse. If you can help by adding this facility to your site, we'd greatly appreciate it. Much of what Nick Gaglia said happened to him is the same as former TC of NM report happened to them as well.
Thanks!!
This is the link to our facebook page with the tip line all over it. Thank you for all that you are dong!!https://www.facebook.com/ParentsAgainstTeenChallengeOfNm
I did not realize there were such problems with Dr. Phil.
OMG! Thank you. I will exploit this on my site ASAP and let Jodi Hobbs know about this. ok. Thank you.
I'm right there with you, Jeneen. Here is the link. I've talked to an MSNBC reporter, Hannah Ripley that would like to do a story on this issue but I guess her producer won't let her just right now. They have had major problems with two in NM, one was TC of NM and one was Tierra Blanca Ranch. Hannah contacted me after the Tierra Blanca Ranch case was covered for three days straight on the national news. Did you see that one? http://www.koat.com/news/new-mexico/albuquerque/Camp-incident-prompts-investigation/15854634
For more information:
This is the NM State Police Tip Line if you want to add that.
New Mexico State Police have set up a new Dedicated Tip Line to call if you have information on abuse, neglect, or exploitation of youth who were students at Teen Challenge of New Mexico.
Please contact Agent Rich Williamson with information you may have at the following numbers:
Tip Line: 505-841-9277
Camp incident prompts investigation
www.koat.com
I pulled this information off of someone's site: http://medicalwhistleblowernetwork.jigsy.com/teen-challenge
Teen Challenge in the U.S.A. - Nationwide
Teen Challenge is a national faith-based residential drug treatment program that is in many states including CA, WA, TX, AL, AZ, AR,CO, CT, ID, IL, IA, KS, KY, LA, MD, MA, MI, MN, MS, MO, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY,OH, OK, OR, PA, SC, SD, TN, UT, VA. The programs have no medical component and center instead of around prayer, Bible study and religious conversion.
The official Statement of Purpose of Teen Challenge is, "To evangelize and disciple those with life-controlling problems." The publication, "The Teen Challenge Therapeutic Model" states, "Traditional residential substance abuse rehabilitative structures clearly do not provide an analogy for the Teen Challenge model. Teen Challenge is, in all issues of therapy, direct and indirect, a purposeful comprehensive focus on the whole life of the student relative to that student’s functionality as a Christian disciple [after s/he is evangelized]...
Teen Challenge currently operates five drug treatment centers in Texas – none of which have a state license, but only two of which have formally registered their status as a faith-based facility exempt from state licensing. As exempt faith-based drug treatment centers, Teen Challenge facilities are not required to have licensed chemical dependency counselors, conduct staff training or criminal background checks, protect client confidentiality rights, adhere to state health and safety standards, or report abuse, neglect, emergencies and medication errors. Even prior to seeking an exemption from state licensing, a 1995 state inspection revealed that Teen Challenge was not compliant with numerous state health, safety and quality of care standards. Teen Challenge USA has been reported to be abusive and has even hired staff even though they were already registered child sex offenders.
There is a direct recruitment of ex-convicts as ministers and also as staff for Teen Challenge centers. Teen Challenge New England boosts that over 90-98% of their staff are former “graduates” of the Teen Challenge drug addiction program. Teen Challenge New England was at the time directly recruiting from within the prisons – including an in house program at Dartmouth House of Correction. Also the court system court still orders persons into Teen Challenge in lieu of jail time.
See the 185 page May 2008 Doctors Thesis of Rodney Hart – former “recovered graduate” of Teen Challenge and Director of the Teen Challenge New England.
www.tcnewengland.org/.../Rodney%20Hart%20Thesis%20-%20Front%20Matter%20&%20Chapter%201.pdf
FORCEFULLY ADVANCING THE KINGDOM OF GOD: TEEN CHALLENGE NEW ENGLAND— A SYSTEMIC APPROACH FOR KINGDOM GROWTH A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF GORDON-CONWELL THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE DOCTOR OF MINISTRY BY RODNEY B. HART MAY, 2008
Also see The Texas Faith-Based Initiative at Five Years:Warning Signs as President Bush Expands Texas-style Program at National Level www.tfn.org/site/DocServer/TFN_CC_REPORT-FINAL.pdf?docID=201
"Texas Freedom Network, a 23,000-member non-partisan grassroots watchdog group based in Austin conducted a five-year study of the policy and found, “As exempt faith-based drug treatment centers, [such] facilities are not required to have licensed chemical dependency counselors, conduct staff training or criminal background checks, protect client confidentiality rights, adhere to state health and safety standards, or report abuse, neglect, emergencies and medication errors.” http://www.schaler.net/inthenews/washblade.html
Teen Challenge Worldwide
Teen Challenge's outreach is not limited to the United States of America or even to US jurisdictions. Teen Challenge Global and Teen Challenge International operate on a worldwide scale. The Assemblies of God church is active in 82 countries. Teen Challenge as an outreach program and also as a residential program operates over 1,000 centers worldwide.
With promises to parents of residential treatment or missionary work overseas and with glossy brochures depicting tropical paradises, beautiful landscapes, and areas of historic and scenic beauty, the reality of these residential treatment centers are hidden from their paying clients and from those who donate to their cause.
These are the countries where Teen Challenge Global runs programs:
American Samoa, Angola (3 facilities), Argentina (2), Aruba, Australia (9), Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus (2), Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil (14), Cambodia, C anada (24), China (3), Costa Rica, Croatia, Czech Republic (3), Denmark, Dominican Republic (2), Ecuador, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Finland, France (2), Germany (20), Guatemala, Guinea-Bissau, West Africa, Guinea-Bissau, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland (6), India, India (7), Ireland (2), Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Kazakhstan (16), Kenya, Korea, Kyrgyzstan, Central Asia, Latvia, Lithuania (5), Macedonia, Mexico (5), Moldova, Nepal, Netherlands (2), New Zealand, Norway (2), Pakistan (3), Paraguay, Poland (4), Portugal (8), Romania, Russia (14), Serbia (3), Singapore (4), Slovakia (3), South Africa (11), Spain, Swaziland (8), Sweden, Switzerland (3), Trinidad-Tobago, West Indies, Uganda, Ukraine (7), UK, Wales (8), UK, England (8), UK, Scotland (4), Uruguay (2), Venezuela
Teen Challenge USA National HQ
Men's Program, Women's Program
National President: Jack Smart
PO Box 249
Ozark, MO 65721 USA
Phone: 417-581-2181
Email: tcusa@teenchallengeusa.com
Website: www.teenchallengeusa.com
The Assemblies of God Church exists in 82 countries and runs outreach through over 1,000 centers overseas. Teen Challenge is directly connected with Assemblies of God Church – both through management and also through financial connections even though they attempt to hide this association when trying to recruit clients for their centers.
Global Teen Challenge is headed by Jerry Nance is President and C.E.O. Global Teen Challenge which is divided into seven regions with a director or representative for each region.
Latin America and Caribbean - Duane Henders; 1,250 beds in 102 centers in 17 countries.
Europe - Tom Bremer; 892 beds in 58 centers in 28 countries.
Africa - Doug Wever, 1,034 beds in 14 centers in 9 countries.
Asia Pacific - James Lowans; 357 beds in 51 centers in 9 countries.
Northern Asia - 30 beds in three centers.
Eurasia - Kevin Tyler; 11,600 beds in 370 centers in 14 countries.
North America - Jack Smart, 7,536 beds in 223 centers in 2 countries.
Additional Information about Abuse at Teen Challenge
More Information About Abuse: Human Earth Animal Liberation, 126 SW 148th St, Ste C100-422, Seattle, WA, 98166-1984, http://www.heal-online.org/childtortureusa.htm
This is additional information that was already posted by others:
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/5/2/17850/21034 7/
http://www.fourwinds10.com/siterun_data/health/abuse/news.php?q=1213027887
"Commerce is as a heaven, whose sun is trustworthiness and whose moon is truthfulness."
Bahá'u'lláh 1817-1892, Persian nobleman and founder of the Baha’I religion.