This is a staff list for Pathway Family Center in Indianapolis, IN (Formerly of Porter, IN, Milford, OH, and Detroit, MI)
ALL LOCATIONS REPORTEDLY CLOSED!!
(we are working to acquire the complete records for ALL years)
We advise current and/or former staff to report any abuses you may have witnessed while working at Pathway Family Center. For information on your rights and how to take action, visit www.heal-online.org/blowthewhistle.htm. If you were fired or forced to resign because you opposed any illegal and/or unethical practices at Pathway Family Center, you have the right to take action.
If you were harmed (family or survivor) by Pathway Family Center, please contact [email protected] if you remember the long-term employees and from which years. This will help! Also, if you recognize any of these staff as having worked at another program, please send in any information about their past or present employment at other facilities and/or cults.
Please don’t place your loved one in Pathway Family Center and rescue them if they are there now.
|
Name |
Unit/Position |
Additional Information |
| Terri Nissley | Founder/Director/CEO | ALL LOCATIONS--Terri Nissley was a Straight, Inc. parent who wanted to keep the abusive program going after it was shut down by authorities. So, she opened a "new" program called Pathway Family Center using the Straight, Inc. psychological torture and brainwashing cult model. Nissley is also the Treasurer for Toughlove International. Here is the website for Toughlove International: http://www.4troubledteens.com/toughlove.html (or www.toughlove.org.au--link works , www.toughlove.org--no longer appears active). It is sponsored by CRC Health Group. Toughlove International was founded in 1979 by Phyllis and David York from Pennsylvania. The website is also sponsored by Aspen Education Group (CRC Bought AEG out), still the same. In addition, Nissley and her husband Ken operate Kenter (KenTer a.k.a. Ken and Terri) Homes, a real estate "business" in Indiana. They have a history of scamming people with Multi-Level-Marketing schemes including Amway. |
| Helen Gowanny | Program Director | Gowanny was also a director for Straight, Inc. |
| Kathy Row | VP of Clinical Services | |
| Victoria Winebarger | Senior Therapist | Reportedly worked at and was referred to as Mrs. W at the Indianapolis location as well. Reported by PFC survivor on April 21st, 2011 |
| Barbara Towner | Spokesperson | |
| Betsy Hickman | Chief Operating Officer | |
| Daniel Franz | Counselor | |
| Joyce Bryant | Fundraising | |
| (Dr.) Mark Menestrina | Medical Director | |
| Rachael Noble | Community Liaison | |
| (Dr.) Loretta Kroin | Psychologist | |
| Laurie Frankie-Polz | Community Liaison | |
| Patricia Ehlurt | Admissions Coordinator | |
| (Dr.) Mark Soverinsky | Program Psychiatrist | |
| (Dr.) Richard Heyman | Pediatrician | Heyman also worked for Straight, Inc., Kids Helping Kids (prior to Pathway), as well as Pathway Family Center. |
| Sally Jo Levy Soverisnky | Executive | |
| Becky Struck | NO TITLE | |
| Kelly Vance | NO TITLE | |
| Jeanine Hanna | NO TITLE | |
| Tisha Guthrie | NO TITLE | |
| Barb Morgan | Admin. Asst. | |
| Ronda Fields | NO TITLE | |
| Jacqueline Hamdi | NO TITLE | |
| Anoah Eeberhardt | NO TITLE | |
| Cindy Ellis | NO TITLE | |
| Shaun Cutrell | NO TITLE | |
| Andrea Porter | NO TITLE | |
| Curtis Trent | Therapist | |
| Kyle Rumple | Peer Staff | |
| Linda Pope | NO TITLE | Pope was also the director of Kidscope (another Straight, Inc. spin-off in Ohio). |
| Josh Kushnereit | BOD | Kushnereit is a program "graduate". |
| Brad Cairns | Peer Staff | |
| Lindsay Wondero | Community Liaison | |
| Summer Deepe | Community Liaison | |
| Chad Peelle | Peer Staff | |
| Flora Wilsker | Community Liaison | |
| Carol Lahke | Event Specialist | |
| Penny Walker | Vice President/Former Director of Kids Helping Kids | Kids Helping Kids--OH Location--Kids Helping Kids tortured teenagers and defrauded families for over a decade. Pathway Family Center acquired Kids Helping Kids and decided to keep Penny Walker, a known child torturer, on as Vice President of Pathway Family Center. Kids Helping Kids (KHK) was also based on the Straight, Inc. model. Walker now reportedly works for CARF (Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities). |
| George R. Ross | Founder |
Former Executive of Straight, Inc. (confirmedly torturous program closed in
the 1990s for child abuse, rape, and torture).
1980 – 1981 Founding Director of L.I.F.E., INC., Drug Abuse Center,
Sarasota, Florida |
| Kevin Beatty | Director | At different times for both the Porter (never opened/operational) and Milford (KHK) locations. |
| Stacy Jelett-Klausiadis | Clinical Staff | Stacy now works at Northland Intervention Center in Milford, OH, according to survivor e-mails and Stacy's facebook profile (linked above). |
| Dana Jackson | Receptionist/Intake | |
| Troy Spitzmueller | Assessment/Peer Staff | Spitzmueller went on to NorthKey (confirmedly abusive). |
| (Dr.) Marlene Schmidt | Psychiatrist | Schmidt as well as the other medical/mental health professionals on this list should have their licenses revoked as well as be banned from working with youth again. |
| Monica Mertens | Director | Mertens now works for the Transitions cult. |
| Cathy Leahy | Board Member, President | OH Location--Leahy Consulting |
| John Williams | Board Member, Secretary | VP of 53 Investment Advisors |
| Thomas L. Plautt | Board Member, Treasurer | Partner at Deloitte & Touche |
| Michael J.Laatsch | Board Member | VP of Corporate Communication for Western and Southern Financial Group |
| Chris Compton | Board Member | Asst.Treasurer, Chiquita Brands International Inc. |
| Gregory Gibbons | Board Member | Sr.VP of Corporate Banking at National City Bank |
| Richard Heyman | Board Member | Pediatrician* |
| Ryan Levin | Board Member | VP of Caesar Creek & Turtle Creek |
| Beth Levy | Board Member | There is no other information on this person at this time.* |
| Steve Lowisz | Board Member | Also on Michigan board and with Qualigence, Inc. |
| Mark D.Lutz | Board Member | Vice Principal of Milford High School. |
| Dale Schaefer | Board Member | Clinical Technologies, Inc. |
| Timothy Theissen | Board Member | Attorney with Strauss-Troy |
| Jim Willman | Board Member | VP of Central Bank & Trust of Northern Kentucky |
| Randy Young | Board Member | R. Young & Associates |
| Don Allen | Board Member | Indianapolis Location--VP of Mortgage Lending at Union Savings Bank. |
| Maryann Hilger | Therapist | |
| Angie Bateman | Nurse | |
| Jason Beasley | Teacher | |
| S. Schadel | Peer Staff | Reported by PFC survivor on April 18th, 2011. HEAL generally doesn't like to report on peer staff unless the individual continues to support the program and/or to work for a similar program. Another Peer Staff reported was R. Bushman. If S. Schadel and/or R. Bushman would like to be removed or to post a statement regarding PFC, please contact us at [email protected]. While the programs are closed, we still maintain an ongoing database on the program's activities and the activities of those who were involved. |
| Kathy Rowe | Staff | Reported by PFC survivor on April 18th, 2011 |
| Delport (only part of name reported) | Staff | Reported by PFC survivor on April 18th, 2011 |
| Ray Compton | Board Member | CEO of Compton Strategies |
| Ryan P. Moe | Medical Staff | |
| John Delaney | Board Member | Executive VP of Innovative Medical Management |
| Robert Dorman | Board Member | Investment Advisor, Dorman Benefit Consultants |
| Kimberley Graham Lee | Board Member | Hufford Financial Advisors |
| Chris Malott | Board Member | Youth Pastor, Middle School Ministries, Zionsville Presbyterian Church, |
| Chris Norwood | Board Member | Chief Investment Officer for Thunderbird Management, Inc. |
| Sean O'Connor | Board Member | Psychiatrist |
| Tim O'Donnell | Board Member | Director of Trading for Charles Schwab & Co. |
| Randy Schalburg | Board Member | Law Enforcement Officer/Special Investigation Drug Unit. |
| Mark Sherman | Board Member | Benefit Consultants Inc. |
| Kevin J. Garvey | Board Member | There is no other information available on the board or staff at this time.* |
| Joseph Brown | Board Member | Chesterton/Chicagoland/Porter Location--BP Products NA, Whiting Refinery, Procurement Mgr. |
| Julie Brown | Intake/"Assessment" | |
| Frances Firestone Masterman | Board Member | Firestone International Associates, Inc.--Consultant |
| Karen Fischer | Board Member | St. Margaret Mercy Healthcare Center--Staff |
| Michelle Green | Board Member | Also with Allied Therapeutic |
| Jerry Kirby | Board Member | Guidance Counselor (referrer) for Valparaiso High School |
| Heather Harrigan | Board Member | Century 21 Executive Group, Director |
| Michael Prendergast | Board Member | FBI-Special Agent |
| Mann Spitler | Board Member | Retired Podiatrist |
| Robert Taylor | Board Member | Porter County Prosecutors Office |
| Greg Wilson | Board Member | Principal of Memorial Elementary School |
| Theresa Valade | Board Member | The Growth Coach--a professional coaching enterprise.--Affiliated with the Coach Training Alliance. David Herdlinger, of the Coach Training Alliance has been in trouble for fraud before. "David Herdlinger, a former Arkansas prosecutor and judge, pleaded guilty to mail fraud in 1986, having accepted bribes to waive charges..." Herdlinger reportedly plead guilty and was later pardoned for the offense. A pardon is the forgiveness of the crime by higher authorities. |
| Ken Williams | Board Member | FC Tucker Commercial Northwest--Realtor and Commercial Consultant |
| Troy J. Williams | Board Member | Law Enforcement Officer--Portage |
| Scott Adler | Board Member | Michigan Location--Partner, Insight Strategies. |
| Gerry Dzuiblinski | Board Member | There is no other information on this person at this time.* |
| Kenneth Nissley | Director | Michigan-Detroit Location of Pathway Family Center. Nissley is Terri's husband. |
| Elizabeth (Beth) Bunn | Chief Clinical Officer | |
| Jeni Nissley (other last names include Connor and Leonard) | Peer Staff | Untrained/uneducated youth in control of "newcomers" to the cult. |
| Rollie Harmes | Board Member | Owner, Harmes Consulting, Inc. |
| Stacey Klett | Board Member | Univ. of MI Health System |
| Steve Lowisz | Board Member | Qualigence, Inc. |
| Kathy Mechigian | Board Member | There is no other information on this person at this time.* |
| John Singleton | Board Member | Daimler Chrysler Corporation |
| Josh Kushnereit | Board Member | Regional Sales Manager, American Insurance |
| Mark Merlanti | Board Member | There is no other information on this person at this time.* |
| Scott Schaedel | Staff | Parent reports that this staff member was horrible and awful to the kids and berated the kids unnecessarily. |
| David Key | Counselor at Southfield Locale | Reported by survivor September, 2014 |
| Lisa Chumick (sp) | Peer Counselor at Southfield Locale | Reported by survivor September, 2014 |
| KC, Jay, and Marissa | Peer Counselors at Southfield Locale | Three separate people, last names unknown. |
| OTHER | OTHER |
INDIANAPOLIS -- Indiana Attorney General Steve Carter has
taken legal action against an Indianapolis area professional fund-raiser for
allegedly violating the state's Deceptive Consumer Sales Act (DCSA) and
failing to meet other state fund-raising filing requirements. The suit was filed in Hamilton County Superior Court. Carter said Phipps & Associates, and Indiana Outreach/Phipps, Inc., used
"outright fabrications" while canvassing for donations. |
| *(Pathway Family Center, like many other programs in this industry, keeps a "tight lid" on any specific information regarding their staff, qualifications, and practices. Please contact us with the names of any staff of which you have firsthand knowledge or experience. Thank you for your help.) | ||
| PFC Owners File Bankruptcy: September 10th, 2010 | ||
|
Nissley's Bankruptcy Details Found here:
http://bankrupt.com/TCR_Public/100928.mbx |
||
| Straight to Pathway--Teen drug program has troubled roots: VALPARAISO | Rose Gagen said she was appealing to the court of last resort when she had her daughter arrested on drug charges so she could get court- ordered therapy for the troubled teen. Nine months and a lawsuit later, Gagen said she and her daughter, Nicky Lanpher, now 19, both suffer post-traumatic stress symptoms from their experiences in the Pathway Family Center teen drug treatment program in Indianapolis... "We were horrified to hear Pathway is perpetuating its terror tactics on teens in Valparaiso," Maia Szalavitz said, when she heard about the momentum for a Valparaiso Pathway Family Center. For complete story, click here. | ||
| Survivors Protest Kids Helping Kids--December 2nd, 2007--On Friday, November 30th, a handful of protesters hit Milford, holding signs outside of the “Kids Helping Kids” facility. They claim the institution is a cult-like brainwashing center that abuses children in the name of treatment. “The treatment was based on North Korean brainwashing of American prisoners,” said Anthony Connelly. “The abuse I endured occurred from 1986 until 1988. It ranges from verbal assaults to solitary confinement.” "Kids Helping Kids uses identical techniques that Straight Inc. used. It was shut down in the early 90’s for allegations of these horrible abuses,” explained Connelly. “In 1993, Kids Helping Kids moved from Hebron, KY into the Straight Inc. building in Milford.” “This is a behavior modification program, which is part of a congressional investigation into widespread allegations of abuse,” continued Connelly. “CA Rep. George Miller and the Government Accountability Office recently held hearings on these abuses and deaths of teenagers and are attempting to implement bill HR-1738. I fear this bill, if signed into law, would not be enough to stop this atrocious dilemma.” Representatives from Kids Helping Kids did not respond to our inquiries for comment. “My human rights were violated and I was tortured into submission starting at age 14,” said Connelly. “Some tactics used on us were food deprivation, sleep deprivation, humiliation, physical abuse, no communication with the outside world, memorize and adhere to all program doctrine. I was also forced to lie to progress and eventually became brainwashed through the use of these uncanny methods.” (Webmaster Note: Anthony Connelly coordinates HEAL-KY. Actions in OH & KY) For complete story, click here. | ||
| Straight, Inc. and KHK survivors protest locally--July 15th, 2008--Numerous Straight, Inc. and Kids Helping Kids survivors, along with other concerned activists, traveled from 5 different states and the Greater Cincinnati area to participate in the July 11, 2008 protest in Milford, Ohio. The group protested Kids Helping Kids, a Pathway Family Center (aka Pathway Family Center, PFC and/or KHK), a behavior modification teen treatment facility which is not only the current renamed version of Straight, Inc, it also still uses the STRAIGHT, Inc. treatment modality. The protesters’ mission was to express opposition and to educate local residents about the “treatment methods” used by PFC, methods which this group believes pose a substantial risk of harm to children. Specifically, the protesters strongly object to, among other things, the use of coercive thought reform, isolation from parents, peers and society, unlicensed host homes, unqualified peer staff, unnecessary and/or disproportionate punishments, and the denial of basic human rights such as total bathroom privacy. Additionally, the demonstrators are extremely concerned about children having Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and other serious mental health issues caused by their ordeal in Pathway. Repeated reports to state agencies of systematic abuse and other improprieties have also been ignored for years. This protest comes on the heels of the U.S. House of Representatives overwhelming approval of H.R. 6358, The Stop Child Abuse in Residential Programs for Teens Act of 2008. Recent congressional investigations uncovered thousands of allegations of abuse, neglect and youth deaths in private teen behavior modification facilities in the United States. This legislation aims to protect youth in all private treatment facilities, including Pathway Family Center. The rocky start of the protest itself did not deter the determined activists from sharing their message. One Pathway official (Monica Mertens, according to Pathway insiders who spoke with protesters) displayed unprofessional conduct by confiscating one of the protestor’s signs. PFC officials also summoned Miami Township police twice. The first time was to remove protesters from the far side of the driveway who occasionally crossed it without blocking incoming traffic. The second time, participants were later told, was an attempt to stop protesters from videotaping the public event. Demonstrators did comply with law enforcement’s request to stay off to the sides of Pathway’s entrance but were never asked to stop filming. In spite of these incidents, the peaceful protest resumed without further confrontation. At the demonstration itself, protesters carried and displayed numerous signs including “Coercive Thought Reform is Not Treatment,” “KHK Tortured Me,” and “Close PFC Now”. Many drivers showed solidarity either by honking, giving the thumbs up or by shouting “Thank you! My friend (or relative) was in there. This place stinks!” In addition, many passersby stopped, took literature and were given the free DVD set of the congressional hearings and KHK news footage. Even former clients of Straight and KHK, with no previous knowledge of our protests, no prior contact with activist survivors, saw the protest and stopped to speak with survivors. Both supported our efforts. As the event was winding down, current PFC peer staff/graduates initiated peaceful discussions. At times the talks became a bit heated and emotional. Certainly there was much disagreement. But for the most part, both sides remained civil. At the end of the day, the exhausted survivors unanimously agreed that this event was nothing less than a smashing success and felt rejuvenated by the interest from the community. All participants vowed to continue their quest to educate the community about the harmful Straight Inc treatment model used by Kids Helping Kids, a Pathway Family Center. Their mission is to protect children from these harmful treatment methods. (Webmaster Note: This protest was organized in large part by HEAL-KY. Want to join in taking action to protect children from torture, contact us now!) For complete story, click here. | ||
| Pathway Family Center Protest--October 15th, 2008-- On Friday, September 26th a group of people gathered outside of a nondescript building in Miami Township to protest Pathway Family Center. Some of the protesters are local but some drove from out of town to demonstrate their concerns. Pathway Family Center has a sordid past, started by a former STRAIGHT Incorporated parent and reported by recent clients to be using techniques that were once used in that facility. A reasonable effort has been made on several occasions to create a dialogue with program executives to no avail. We are repeatedly told to “go home and get a life”. This has been the 14th protest in a row at this program over the course of a year and there is always some type of interaction by those in support of the program and those opposing Institutionalized child abuse. So far, I would estimate that the police have been called five times and not one time was anyone arrested, charged or convicted of anything. In fact, I don’t recall anyone committing any crime or breaking any law. It would seem that those calling the police are trying to intimidate our group by using the local police as hired guns. Bill HR 6358 is a bill directly concerning our efforts to raise awareness about the dangers of privately-owned, residential treatment programs. Its title, “Stop Child Abuse in Residential Programs for Teens Act of 2008” speaks for itself and adds critical facts of confirmed abuse and deaths in these programs, according to Greg Kutz of the Government Accountability Office. What is most troubling to me is that there have been two hearings on this subject and the bill has passed the committee and the house of Representatives without any major media attention about the content of the findings. American teenagers are confirmedly abused and dying in these programs due to neglect and a façade of regulatory oversight. What some have been alleging for years is finally proven and it is not reported to the American people. Unfortunately this seems to be a partisan issue. After checking to see the status of the bill and voting record of each Representative I noticed an alarming pattern. One Hundred and Three Republicans voted against this bill and Zero Democrats voted against it. Yes, that is correct, more than half of the Republican House voted against a bill to stop child abuse. I immediately went to the courthouse and changed my party registration which just happened to be Republican prior to this fascinating find. There is big money to be made according to recent reports that suggest, it costs parents Sixty Five thousand dollars to enroll their child into the Pathway program. What’s more is that the kids stay in host homes overnight which begs the question, “where is all of the money going”? I can’t say with any certainty but I might theorize that some of that money is making its way to the Republicans in the House of Representatives. This could very well turn into a very large scandal for some in high positions of authority. One of the biggest problems with the abuse in the program in the past has been that parents are forbidden to communicate with their child until the executive program staff decide that the child has earned the privilege to do so. While I was being psychologically tortured as a teenager, this was the single most damaging aspect to my being abused. If I had been able to complain to anyone in the outside world, I would have had a chance to convey the tragedy occurring. I have received several reports by both program staff and recent clients that this restriction of communication is still being implemented. This is very troubling to me. As I study programs for teens and the similarities between them, I realize that what was done to me was nothing unique or isolated. This type of Institutionalized abuse is a widespread problem in this country. I also have been studying the phenomenon of cults. The strange thing about this is, I was never interested in studying cults but little did I know, I had been entered into one against my will as a teenager. Once I recognized all of the methods that cults use and that all of those techniques were used when I was in the program, something began to emerge for me. I can now clearly see that the program I was entered into was a damaging mind control cult. Kids Helping Kids, Pathway Family Center, SAFE, Possibilities Unlimited and several other (self proclaimed) drug rehabilitation programs for teens can be linked to individuals who were involved directly with STRAIGHT Incorporated. When former program parents are asked their opinion, they state that the parents don’t really see all that goes on inside of the program and that anything questionable is explained away in some form or another. The parents seem to be bullied by the program as well as the parents around them to just relax and that everything is taken care of. If anyone starts to ask too many questions, the group of parents turns on them and uses a mob mentality to stop that parent from asking questions. The immense social force in the program is said to be enough to silence most and intimidate all. After this last protest it is evident to me that victims who were abused in programs and parents alike must come together to speak out about this mistreatment. In the last year we have seen a large increase in those willing to communicate what happened with their program experience and I believe it is only a matter of time before these programs will be forced to answer for their actions or be closed down completely. (Webmaster Note: This article was written by Tony Connelly--HEAL KY Coordinator (former) For complete story, click here. | ||
| Pathway Family Center Loses Michigan and Ohio Locations!-- Kids Helping Kids presented itself as the treatment of last resort when the I-Team got an unprecedented look inside four years ago. No cameras had been allowed before. The treatment the I-Team saw called for complete isolation of newcomers, who don't go to their home or to school for months, sometimes longer. They aren't allowed to listen to music or TV. They can't talk to each other, and must get permission to speak at all. The executive director of the facility in Milford, Ohio told us in 2005, there's a reason for this tough love. Penny Walker said, "We deal with difficult kids and sometimes difficult families, and we're not going to please everybody." Walker no longer works for Kids Helping Kids. The I-Team investigated the program after former clients and some parents called it a brainwashing cult. They cited day-long rap sessions in which teens were forced to repeating gestures and words in order to advance in the program and win a chance to go to their homes at night. But some parents of clients in treatment at the time strongly supported the tactics. Parent Martha Logan told the I-Team she believes the program saved her son's life. She said, "There was no place else to turn." After our report, protesters picketed regularly outside the center in Milford. This continued even after the center became affiliated with a chain called Pathway Family Center. Now the Ohio Department of Alcohol and Drug Addiction Services confirms that Pathway has turned in its state certificate allowing it to operate. A property search shows Pathway still owns the building. It still lists its address on Branch Hill Guinea Road on its paperwork, and the local phone number still leads to voice mail. But a visit to the building found no one there in the middle of business hours. The facility looks deserted, but files and keys still sit on desks. Inside, the rooms once full of troubled teens sit empty and silent. Mark West says he knows what happened to the roughly two dozen kids who were here when the place shut its doors to treatment. He says they were moved to other Pathway facilities, including Indianapolis, where his son is enrolled. He opposes the program, but his ex-wife, who has custody, supports it. West says the Milford location closed because of, "Bad publicity, not just bad publicity but actually the truth started getting out. I think community pressure closed it down." The I-Team tried to reach Pathway through calls and e-mails not only to its Milford location, but also its other treatment centers in Michigan and Indianapolis. The day of this report, a spokeswoman finally called back. She said it wasn't community pressure, but economic realities that shut the center in Ohio. As of Thursday, January 29, 2009, she says the Michigan facility in the Detroit suburb of Southfield also has shut its doors. For complete story, click here. | ||
| Outcry Over Drug Center Closing--February 5th, 2009--When Kids Helping Kids, also known as Pathway Family Center, closed its doors in suburban Milford in Clermont County, a group of parents and former clients cheered, saying the program's controversial methods scarred them for life. For complete story, click here. | ||
| Father: Son mistreated at rehab center--February 6th, 2009--INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) - I-Team 8 has learned a formal complaint has been filed with the state attorney general against an Indianapolis teen rehab center. At issue: a father who claims his son is being mistreated inside Pathway Family Center in Castleton. In his complaint, Mark West states what happened to his 17-year-old son inside Pathway has him "gravely concerned for his son's welfare both physically and emotionally." What West calls isolation, other parents call lifesaving for their drug-addicted teenagers. Pathway allowed 24-Hour News 8 inside the facility and provided a group of parents for I-Team 8 to speak with. The complaint, filed late Friday afternoon with the Indiana Attorney General?s Office, alleges "substandard housing and care" including kids sleeping in locked rooms with windows bolted shut and no lights. One allegation is that at least one 17-year-old missed a complete year of school. The complaint goes on to allege continual sleep deprivation and isolation. It alleges kids are not allowed privacy at any time and that other kids who've been in the program longer are then assigned to go with them while bathing or using the bathroom. The complaint also says kids are cut off from family, no phone calls or letters allowed, so there is no way to address grievances or mistreatment. Two other Pathway facilities have closed in recent months in Detroit and Cincinnati, Ohio amid protests from parents and former students. But director Terri Nissley said they closed due to the bad economy and that the Pathway program is being confused with another program that was shut down two years ago in Ohio. For complete story, click here. | ||
| Controversial Treatment Center Shuts Down--July 31st, 2009--Some Tri-State teens undergoing drug and alcohol rehabilitation at a controversial treatment facility may be home tonight after the last of the centers closed this week in Indianapolis. Pathway Family Center had vacated its building earlier but was still housing teens in various homes. Sources tell the I-Team that ended this week with calls to parents to pick up their children. No one from Pathway returned the I-Team’s calls today, and the longtime emergency number for the center has been disconnected. In the Cincinnati area, the program in Milford originally was called Kids Helping Kids. It used controversial methods that removed teens from their homes for months and sometimes more than a year. Teens spent entire days in classes that included hand motions, toddler's songs and other means some likened to a cult, but others said saved their lives. After the I-Team’s original report, the program changed names and then shut down in Milford. Those teens were transported to the Indianapolis site instead. (Pathway Family Center is CLOSED!!!!) For complete story, click here. (Story does not include the fact that HEAL, ISAC, and other youth advocates fought diligently to expose and close Pathway.) | ||
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