teen challenge

Has anybody been in Teen Challenge? Is this program really hard? Is it good? Anybody have any good or bad experiences they'd like to share?

I went through the teen challenge program, it is not too hard it is a growing process, that the lord will use you and stretch you, If you go to one you will probably want to be in one that has a good transistion program when you graduate, because in some cases you may just graduate, and not have a place to end up, it is really blocked outside of the world, and youif you graduate and go straight out in the world its like a slap in the face, you need time to slowly trnasition out there. I also worked for a teen challenge for 3 months, I did not have the disipline i needed and the strickness so i did lose that job, but they worked with me to find another job because i had nowhere to go.
It is a really blessed ministry, its a blessing for the students, and for the staff,

Tasha wrote:

I went through the teen challenge program, it is not too hard it is a growing process, that the lord will use you and stretch you, If you go to one you will probably want to be in one that has a good transistion program when you graduate, because in some cases you may just graduate, and not have a place to end up, it is really blocked outside of the world, and youif you graduate and go straight out in the world its like a slap in the face, you need time to slowly trnasition out there. I also worked for a teen challenge for 3 months, I did not have the disipline i needed and the strickness so i did lose that job, but they worked with me to find another job because i had nowhere to go.
It is a really blessed ministry, its a blessing for the students, and for the staff,

My fiance is in there and I am not allowed to have any contact including letters for a year. Is that true???

Laurie, my daughter has been in Teen Challenge in CT since August. The first month is a blackout month--they aren't allowed any contact. Soon after the first month she was allowed to make 1 phone call a week for 15 minutes each. Also, there is a graduation ceremony in Brockton, MA for the surrounding NE areas and families, fiances, etc. are allowed to go to the graduations and sit with their loved one. There isn't much time to visit, but just to be able to smell my daughter's hair and hold her hair and speak to her without worrying that every word was being heard, was truly a blessing and a relief. Unfortunately, we just had a death in the family and my daughter was allowed home to visit with her grandfather prior to his death--we were excited for her, but of course sad for him. She was allowed home for 3 1/2 days and I have to tell you, she was ready to go back "home". I also know of others that have been in the men's home at Teen Challenge and have never heard that there is "no contact allowed" for a year. You can call the home yourself and ask them for their rules, etc. re: mail, visits, etc. But I wonder if he told you this because he needed to focus on his own recovery and addictions without any distractions. I'm sure you have nothing but the best hopes for him, but I have found that while in there they need to be totally, 100% focused on themselves, the Lord and their recovery. Good luck Laura and best wishes to your fiance. Pray for him and give him the space that he needs. If it is really on your heart to ask him why he didn't tell you the truth, I would absolutely write him and ask him but let him know that you are supportive but will not tolerate being lied to in the future. Good luck!!

Hi,
My name is mary, my son is in a teen challenge right now, has been there 6 months. He has been in more trouble there than ever at home, I'm a little concerned about the supervision and also the "principle" does not seem to be consistant with the boys. They will start a certain program and then it will just fade out. I need to talk to parents whose children have been there to see how everything turned out in the end, I can't afford this in the 1st place and don't want him there if its not the right place.

Teen Challenge is run by the evangelist religion. I have heard from previous members that Teen Challenge is nothing but a brainwashing cult! They even speak in 'tongues' and act absolutely insane. A person who is in Teen Challenge does not overcome their addictions, they are only being trained to be disciples to promote the evangelist religion and shove it down everyones throat they come across! Remember the news not long ago that showed what that evangelist lady was doing to all those little kids? The kids were speaking in tongues, crying and all kinds of other abnormal things. Scary stuff! And yes,'they' decide 'if' a person can or cannot have contact with family, friends and girlfriends. They also listen in on all phone conversations and will disconnect if they feel the conversation is inappropriate. If your loved one has been court-ordered to be there, you will never know how much they want to get out of there and serving there time in a prison may be even scarier than sitting in Teen Challenge! It is very controversial and it is also listed as a brainwashing cult on several internet sites! BEWARE!

BTW- Here is a link to their Daily Schedule- http://www.tcfarm.org/About/daily.html and here is a link to The Student Guidelines- http://tcmid.org/documents/GuidelinesMar06_2.... and here is another link that is an Overview- http://www.tcfarm.org/About/program.html I wonder if new 'recruits' are informed of these rules before they are admitted. Strict dress-codes, no television, no contact with boyfriend/girlfriend/friends, no speaking to the opposite sex unless you have permission, very limited telephone usage, 5-min. showers?

Sally wrote:

Teen Challenge is run by the evangelist religion. I have heard from previous members that Teen Challenge is nothing but a brainwashing cult! They even speak in 'tongues' and act absolutely insane. A person who is in Teen Challenge does not overcome their addictions, they are only being trained to be disciples to promote the evangelist religion and shove it down everyones throat they come across! Remember the news not long ago that showed what that evangelist lady was doing to all those little kids? The kids were speaking in tongues, crying and all kinds of other abnormal things. Scary stuff! And yes,'they' decide 'if' a person can or cannot have contact with family, friends and girlfriends. They also listen in on all phone conversations and will disconnect if they feel the conversation is inappropriate. If your loved one has been court-ordered to be there, you will never know how much they want to get out of there and serving there time in a prison may be even scarier than sitting in Teen Challenge! It is very controversial and it is also listed as a brainwashing cult on several internet sites! BEWARE!

Of course they monitor and restrict the outside influence that these people get----THEY ARE A TREATMENT FACILITY!!!! Do you think that there is any treatment facility in the country that has any proven track record that does not do this??

It is soooo easy for you to say--"Guess what I heard".. Teen Challenge has the best track record of any treatment group in the country. Why is that?? Is the only thing that you can say bad about this place is that you heard from so and so, blah blah blah?? So you have a vendeta against Christianity. Get over it. If my child were addicted I would look at the results instead of rumors.

I am a graduate of Teen Challenge after i finished the program while i was in the program I was beaten and abused but i liked the attention so I never let it get to me, I felt loved it turned out the director was using Herion I had my suspesions when after graduating I would go and visit him and his family he was still the director and had expanded the program and everything on the out side looked good but I new he was using. long story short he died. Then there is the other director of teen challenge that Killed him self after it was revealed that he had been using cocaine time and time again and they finally let him go he crashed his car into a brick wall. Then there is the Director from TCMI that ran down the street naked in Los Angeles high on crack and for years they covered his "strange behavior saying it was due to bio polar dis order, only to find out by his own omission that he was using and he re entered the program again this man was a Presperter with the Assemblies of God a teen challenge director and pastor of a large church and this guy was doing coke blaming his strange behavior on "bi-polar" until he could deny it no more he lost it all and entered the program again. He is doing very good today but who the heck knows what tommrow will bring. these men hurt many people they servered yet we dont hear about it its covered up. These people are liars and decivers on the inside yet look real good on the out side. There is not one person I graduated with that has not fallin and has not messed his life up since graduating including my self and I too was a Director of a center and I too messed up other peoples lives as a staff member.

So take caution before entering Teen Challenge they are not as pristine as they appear to be.

I can go on and on and on but I wont. God bless on you quest for freedom.

to be announced wrote:

I am a graduate of Teen Challenge after i finished the program while i was in the program I was beaten and abused but i liked the attention so I never let it get to me, I felt loved it turned out the director was using Herion I had my suspesions when after graduating I would go and visit him and his family he was still the director and had expanded the program and everything on the out side looked good but I new he was using. long story short he died. Then there is the other director of teen challenge that Killed him self after it was revealed that he had been using cocaine time and time again and they finally let him go he crashed his car into a brick wall. Then there is the Director from TCMI that ran down the street naked in Los Angeles high on crack and for years they covered his "strange behavior saying it was due to bio polar dis order, only to find out by his own omission that he was using and he re entered the program again this man was a Presperter with the Assemblies of God a teen challenge director and pastor of a large church and this guy was doing coke blaming his strange behavior on "bi-polar" until he could deny it no more he lost it all and entered the program again. He is doing very good today but who the heck knows what tommrow will bring. these men hurt many people they servered yet we dont hear about it its covered up. These people are liars and decivers on the inside yet look real good on the out side. There is not one person I graduated with that has not fallin and has not messed his life up since graduating including my self and I too was a Director of a center and I too messed up other peoples lives as a staff member.
So take caution before entering Teen Challenge they are not as pristine as they appear to be.
I can go on and on and on but I wont. God bless on you quest for freedom.

Really?? And the main stream media didn't jump all over it? Get real buddy. I can use my imagination and make up stories all day long to. Unfortunately the statistics prove you to be a liar...

"Unfortunately the statistics prove you to be a liar..." Oh really? Teen Challenges statistics are from over 20 years ago pal! AND they are not PROVEN, even from way back then! If YOU can show me PROOF of recent Teen Challenge statistics, I will eat my words!

Read this website to learn a bit about the lies TEEN CHALLENGE has told about their statistics over the years!-- http://teenchallengeexposed.com/

Teen Challenge (in MANY people's opinion) is a cult! Beware! The residents are only hyped up on hyper-religiosity to replace drug addiction. Teen Challenge does NOT believe in ANY other rehabs.(i.e. 12-step programs) They make up rules as they go along. And punish you at their whim for "breaking" them. They put residents on "Behavior Modification" which adds more time you must do to complete the program. The longer you are there, the more money they make off of you.(as you work long hours at various jobs) When they "overheard" my desperate son (24 years old) pleading with me to request a program change with his probation officer, they attacked him the next day, told him "there were no bars on the windows", told him to pack up his stuff and then they DROVE him to a bus station and abandoned him there. With no money. It would have only been 24 hours that a warrant would have been issued for my son "failing" the program. Then the counselor LIED to me, saying " your son ran away to score drugs. He told me so". I had to hire an attorney. Those that are court-ordered to be there are abused and the staff is empowered by the fact that they can ultimately put that person in prison!!!! My son's roommate was bi-polar, and they took away his meds because they said "Jesus heals". They are taught to "water down" the Sunday service for the public, but during the week they freak and roll on the ground and babble "in tongues". Because my son did not participate in this, they targeted him and poured oil on him and gathered around him touching him to call out demons. I hope attorneys and government officials and probation officers begin to become aware of the truth about Teen Challenge. It's an absolute immoral shame that there are human beings in prison right now that did not get the proper substance abuse help that they need!!!!! My experience happened in Riverside, California.(there is a counselor that has been there for over 20 years that is hateful, mean-spirited, and told my son with "authority" "I'm sending you to prison!" (Mr. Montoya) Why are such people allowed to treat vulnerable, precious human beings like this? If I hadn't gone through this, I would have probably never believed that this stuff is actually happening. We need help in this department of help with substance abuse....They also pound (brainwash) the residents with once you step foot in there, it's a calling by God. Once you leave, you'll either die or go to prison, OR come back to Teen Challenge. AND when you are an addict or alcoholic, this plays heavily upon your mind during relapse.... If you have children in there that are court-ordered, and it is not working out, you must be very careful, as I have heard AND I personally witnessed that they do retaliate if they get wind that you are looking "elsewhere". Talk to the parole or probation officer, inform them of the reputation of Teen Challenge. Also, it is a violation of a person's civil rights to be ordered to sign onto "religious dogma" or be sent to jail/prison if you don't. Sadly, many residents are not aware of this... I wish I had more positive things to say about Teen Challenge, but unfortunately our experience with them was an absolute nightmare of mental torment. Good luck in your search for the proper help.

This website lists a whole bunch of Teen Challenge centers that have abused! http://www.heal-online.org/childtortureusa.ht...

A former Teen Challenge student exposes this abusive Christian alcohol and drug program. Although seen by many as a worthwhile organization, Teen Challenge has a dark side, one of pathological abuse and an obsession with the almighty dollar.

http://www.teenchallengeexposed.com

I'm sure that you can get a story made up about teen challenge by anyone that falls off the wagon because they are angry. Why would you trust the testimonies of individuals that are addicted to drugs and alchohol and didn't make it at teen challenge? MAny of these testimonies that I have read are disgruntle individuals that were kicked out of the program because they were unwilling to live by the rules. Every treatment facility in the country has rules that must be followed if success is possible.

Not a single person is forced to live at teen challenge. They are always given another option, unless they are a minor and their legal gaurdians place them there, which is their right.

forall_equality wrote:

<quoted text>Sad you have to identify yourself as "straight while male" you definitely have issues regarding your sexuality

I am sorry that you are sad.

BigPappa wrote:

Not a single person is forced to live at teen challenge. They are always given another option, unless they are a minor and their legal gaurdians place them there, which is their right.

Yes, but nine times out of ten that other option is jail or prison. Teen Challenge staff knows this, which is why so many "students" choose to stay. Prison really isn't much of a reasonable option, don't you think? Read Cherokee Lady's post above. She read my site and hired a lawyer to get her son into another program. Paul Montoya of Teen Challenge Riverside wanted to send him to prison for three years.

forall_equality wrote:

<quoted text>Sad you have to identify yourself as "straight while male" you definitely have issues regarding your sexuality

Yes, so sad.