The Justin Foundation - A Safe Place |
| Posted by Administrator (admin) on Apr 15 2007 |
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
A Safe Place...
Excerpt from FREEDOM November—December 2005
It was Thursday July 13, 2000, but I remember it like it was yesterday. I was standing in my living room at 11:30 PM listening to two police officers tell me my twenty-two year old son had died in a car accident earlier that evening. My first words were, “It can’t be Justin; he’s in a safe place”.
It was Justin. In the weeks and months that followed, I learned that he had not been in a safe place. I learned that:
A Safe Place...
Excerpt from FREEDOM November—December 2005
It was Thursday July 13, 2000, but I remember it like it was yesterday. I was standing in my living room at 11:30 PM listening to two police officers tell me my twenty-two year old son had died in a car accident earlier that evening. My first words were, “It can’t be Justin; he’s in a safe place”.
It was Justin. In the weeks and months that followed, I learned that he had not been in a safe place. I learned that:
- In the drug addiction field there were few regulations;
- Marketing claims publicized by drug rehabilitation clinics could be unsubstantiated;
- Residential drug rehabilitation facilities could obtain state licensure by writing their own program;
- Patient recruiting and interventions could be sold on a commission basis;
- Drug addiction counselors were not required to have any formal education or training;
- Patient recruiting and interventions could be sold on a commission basis;
- Drug addiction counselors were not required to have any formal education or training;
- There were no regulations regarding length of time a counselor needed to be sober before working with clients;
- Sexual relationships between staff members and/or clients could go undisciplined;
- Alcohol and other drugs could be kept and consumed by staff on residential rehabilitation premises;
- Traffic accidents involving drunken staff and clients could go unreported to proper authorities;
- Sexual harassment and verbal abuse of staff and clients could occur without consequence;
Even rumors of rape and sexual perversity warranted no investigation.
I was appalled and sickened at what I heard from previous clients, staff and family members.
I asked myself how I, or other parents, could have known what was going on behind closed doors and the answer is that we could not. The Justin Foundation was founded because everyone in need of treatment for alcohol or drug addiction should have a SAFE place to go.
Most of us parents do not know much about addictive drugs, so The Justin Foundation’s first task was to create a parent-friendly web site at www.thejustinfoundation.org offering information regarding addictive drugs.
The second goal was to see mandatory education and training for drug addiction counselors. The newly enacted state regulations are a start. We are hopeful the newly formed CAADAC/PAC will be able to influence legislators to strengthen requirements. The Justin Foundation stands ready to support that effort and has agreed to serve on the Counselor Certification and Oversight Committee being formed by the State.
In today’s world of addiction recovery, people can be in unsafe situations now, so it is imperative we get more counselors that are qualified into the field as quickly as possible. This year The Justin Foundation started a scholarship fund to assist people who are committed to obtaining addiction counselor certification obtain a formal education. To insure professionalism, only CAADAC approved study programs qualify. Recipients receive $500.00 per semester for tuition and books, which is renewable as long as the student maintains a B average in six or more units. We were able to award two scholarships for the 2005-06 academic year.
In 2006-07, we will award as many scholarships as we can fund. If you can help with this endeavor, very dollar you send will go directly into the scholarship fund and is 100% tax deductible. Please send checks to The Justin Foundation, P. O. Box 638, Danville, CA 94526. A gift with donation is available online with PayPal or credit card payments at www.thejustinfoundation.org.
On behalf of The Justin Foundation, I thank you for any assistance you can offer with this endeavor. Our next step will be to publish a list of addiction programs in California that employ certified addiction counselors.
— Cathie Smith, Mom
I was appalled and sickened at what I heard from previous clients, staff and family members.
I asked myself how I, or other parents, could have known what was going on behind closed doors and the answer is that we could not. The Justin Foundation was founded because everyone in need of treatment for alcohol or drug addiction should have a SAFE place to go.
Most of us parents do not know much about addictive drugs, so The Justin Foundation’s first task was to create a parent-friendly web site at www.thejustinfoundation.org offering information regarding addictive drugs.
The second goal was to see mandatory education and training for drug addiction counselors. The newly enacted state regulations are a start. We are hopeful the newly formed CAADAC/PAC will be able to influence legislators to strengthen requirements. The Justin Foundation stands ready to support that effort and has agreed to serve on the Counselor Certification and Oversight Committee being formed by the State.
In today’s world of addiction recovery, people can be in unsafe situations now, so it is imperative we get more counselors that are qualified into the field as quickly as possible. This year The Justin Foundation started a scholarship fund to assist people who are committed to obtaining addiction counselor certification obtain a formal education. To insure professionalism, only CAADAC approved study programs qualify. Recipients receive $500.00 per semester for tuition and books, which is renewable as long as the student maintains a B average in six or more units. We were able to award two scholarships for the 2005-06 academic year.
In 2006-07, we will award as many scholarships as we can fund. If you can help with this endeavor, very dollar you send will go directly into the scholarship fund and is 100% tax deductible. Please send checks to The Justin Foundation, P. O. Box 638, Danville, CA 94526. A gift with donation is available online with PayPal or credit card payments at www.thejustinfoundation.org.
On behalf of The Justin Foundation, I thank you for any assistance you can offer with this endeavor. Our next step will be to publish a list of addiction programs in California that employ certified addiction counselors.
— Cathie Smith, Mom
Last changed: Apr 16 2007 at 6:27 AM
Back