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'To
save teens' lives'
Robert Lichfield, founder of Teen Help, and Brent Facer, an associate, declined to be interviewed face to face by the Denver Rocky Mountain News. However, they responded to written questions. Here are excerpts:
LICHFIELD
In-your-face style appalled one mom
In light of recent events, such as the tragedy at Columbine High School, I am sure that these programs have not only saved the lives of many of its participants but also those of other teen-agers who could have become innocent victims. It seems the problems and risks facing teens today are much greater than just a few years ago when I was working with teens. The need for these types of programs is ever increasing and affecting families everywhere, even in the best of homes.
... I have been shocked that some media allow themselves to be used by a few disgruntled parents or persons with very obvious agendas. In those cases, the media have ignored the hundreds of testimonials, focusing only on the handful of critical parents. Almost without exception, these parents' negativity resulted from an outgrowth of a custody battle, or a parent who did not finish a parent seminar. In fact, can your paper identify one critical parent who did not fit into one of these categories? I would be interested in knowing. We have thousands of parents and teens go through our seminars each year, most feeling that the seminars are greatly beneficial to their families. Yet, again, a handful of dissenters get certain media attention.
My biggest concern is that if the media focuses on the few negatives while ignoring the overwhelming positives of these programs, it could scare off parents from getting help for a teen who is at risk. This could result in another tragedy similar to that at Columbine High.
FACER
Q. What are the primary benefits for teens and parents of the programs?
A. In a word, results. Many reporters focus on the ingredients, rather than on the results. Obviously, when you are dealing with such a high volume of clients, you are going to have a few who don't appreciate what you are doing. This is, however, a very small percentage. The programs have had tremendous growth because they deliver a positive experience that is working to help teens and their families in crisis.
Q. Why do 60 percent of teens entering the programs not complete them?
A. The programs are so effective that most parents see a dramatic turnaround in their children in the early stages, which prompts them to bring their child home early. The program recommends these changes be fully internalized, which requires more time. However, once parents have re-established the relationship with their child and see them doing so well, it is hard for them to wait. We have done a follow-up study of students who have left early and found that over 90 percent of these families are still pleased with the results.
Q. Is training in adolescent psychology, behavioral science or related fields necessary for staff members dealing with troubled teens?
A. No. Automakers learned a long time ago that if the right system is engineered, everyone who works on the assembly line is not required to be an engineer themselves. These programs have been carefully engineered by many professionals in the field, who not only have extensive educational backgrounds but also have scores of years of experience. The programs have been so carefully outlined in specific detail by these professionals that they can be easily followed and administered by properly trained individuals, according to their job description. The programs are continually monitored on a daily basis to insure that the designed outline is being followed. Again, the results that these programs are getting speak for themselves.
Q. Why were the Teen Help facilities Sunrise Beach in Mexico and Morava Academy in the Czech Republic closed?
A. Neither one of these programs was closed by government authorities. The owners and operators decided to close the facilities because they felt that the local legal system may not have been above-board and dependable enough to get a fair hearing.
Government agencies tend to overreact in that they make quick judgments and want to move ahead with their agendas recklessly and without fairness. There need to be checks and balances. For example, we found the same thing happening at Carolina Springs (in South Carolina). Local government wanted to close the facility. Howver, after reviewing the facts, the legal system determined that complaints were unfounded and unsubstantiated and further ruled that Carolina Springs should continue to operate their facility. ... In fact, in every single case that has been reviewed in court, the decision has always been in the program's favor.
If the owners and operators of Morava and Sunrise Beach would have had the same confidence in their local legal system, both of those programs would still be running today. Furthermore, every one of the students and their parents were interviewed, and although initially a few students may have seen the opportunity to manipulate, not one of them felt that these programs were abusive; all thought that they were very well run. ... Again, these programs were not abusive. The problem was that local government agencies were allowed to operate without checks and balances.
Q. Teen Help and its affiliated programs have been named as defendants in several lawsuits alleging physical and mental abuse of teens. Can you respond?
A. This only proves that anyone can sue anyone else with or without cause or merit. All of these cases lack credibility. ... The programs have always prevailed. It is too bad that the media doesn't have these same kinds of checks and balances. They recklessly tend to try cases before they are heard in court and falsely influence public opinion. I am confident that as in all other previous cases, when they have the opportunity to present factual, truthful information, the programs will prevail in court.
©
1999, Denver Rocky Mountain News
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