So if someone gets beat up in school by his peers does the school have to get shut down? I think every school would be closed if that was the case. Does the church get shut down because a PRIEST molests ten little boys? Bad things happen in life to some people, but in this case it seems that these three people where harmed and three out off 500 is not to bad at all. If this place has its name ran through the mud then I think we should look at our politics and communities because these are the things that YOU voted for. So be afraid of life and stay in your house because the boogie man is out there, or start pointing fingers in the right direction. Another thing. I can always tell when someone is lying and that girl that said she got raped, she lied.

I am addicted 2 marijuanna ...( i also use extacy and LSD and mushrooms and a bunch that u probably dont no the names of but i only use on occasion like some1 would go out and have a beer but i substitute something else 4 beer P.S. drugs are not bad if u dotn get addicted and are responsible)
i dont agree with children beiing forced into a place like aarc but i do think it would be benificial if it were a volantary programme. i dont agree with the word powerless because if we were powerless we would never change our life and no 1 would ever succeed after the program so we do have POWER to change ourselves and AARC is a horrible place to tell children these horrible things and kill ther self esteem and what little motivation they may have. I am 15 years old and just got out of a 3 month VOULANTARY rehab center, i use on occasian but still manage to keep my life in check I am completly opposed to the idea of aarc ..i would rather spend my time locked in CYOC. I feel that AARC overexaggerates the problems of children have and violently emotionally abuse these kids. NO TEENAGER SHOULD HAVE TO ENDUR A PLACE LIKE AARC IF THEY DONT WANT TO NO MATTER WHAT THEY DID IN THE PAST.

As an AARC parent, I'm sorry to these girls for such horrific experiences. It is important that your experiences are recognized for what they are and dealt with, and may the healing journey continue for you with much success.

Let's try and see AARC as an entity and organic process functioning with a strong and worthy purpose which must heal also from such problems and whose strategies be revised continuously .

Dr. Vause certainly reflects upon such "intrinsic" institutional and organizational issues and is stronger as a result, a better therapist as a result. No therapist at all times is 100% accurate. This is a fact of life. Let's all pray he doesn't give up and that members of this needy population loose access to what good he has tried to make available. (We had no money, and were taken in by Dr. Vause, and the community).

My girl's life was saved. She knows this and so do I.

My girl tells me in her 10 months of treatment there were no times she and her peers were left unsupervised or in unmonitored situations greater than two to three minutes. Maybe this reflects the 'later' steps in AARC's evolution. Maybe its better than it has been.

Most people researching AARC have 100% access to the entire community; thus it quickly becomes evident - straight from the horse's mouth' testimonials of the children (and sometimes their entire families) whose lives have been "saved". (These number in the hundreds now.)

The treatment includes careful strategy addressing pain as root to problems and the discovery of joyous new solutions. This is one single, and fundamental aspect fulfilling objectives of AARC - a balancing process. This is time consuming and in-depth. Learning to identify feelings that have sometimes been blurred to conscious awareness, in some cases patterns have lasted for generations. Time consuming, expensive. Society inherits this.

(This is Dr. Vause's attempt at doing his part.)

Others posting here mention turnaround could have resulted from any number of varying treatment prescriptives in any number of settings. Fine, then even more reason to continue to perfect these strategies and make them better, to continue to duplicate them via peer graduands and encourage continued and expanded evolution. If there is any "brainwashing" going on here, it lies in the area of intensive modeling, routines, discipline, order, family as a team, and the therapeutic community. The extended time required is to reinforce these elements as part of the 'solution'.

Not to belittle the experiences displayed in these documented situations of these unfortunate girls, we simply cannot afford as a society to 'throw the baby out with the bathwater'. The good needs to be reinforced and the bad needs to be weeded out.

Finally, adults amongst us, are aware that children can be cruel, this fact is certainly seriously looked at, as an intrinsically dominating factor. With the added nature of the 'beast' in this case - addictive behaviours. This is not unique to AARC.

Evidently, Vause got his training at Kids of Bergen County (Kids, Inc). Kids, Inc came out of Straight, Inc and Straight can be linked back to Synanon.

Maia Szalavitz wrote in 2007:
"Studies found that Synanon's "encounter groups" could produce lasting psychological harm and that only 10 to 15 percent of the addicts who participated in them recovered. And as the classic 1971 Stanford prison experiment demonstrated, creating situations in which the severe treatment of powerless people is rewarded inevitably yields abuse. This is especially true when punishment is viewed as a healing process. Synanon was discredited in the late 1970s and 1980s as its violent record was exposed."

Of course kids getting swept up in drugs is a serious problem, but abusive treatment isn't the answer.

My direct experience has been completely different than depicted by the Fifth Estate program. I feel that it is shoddy, slanted journalism and I'm disappointed that this is what our tax dollars fund.

So many emotional comments below based on a shortage of facts and quick judgment, should not be part of anyone's summations. Most of what is written here and edited into the program is neither factual nor complete.

We tried many other programs, including Government funded programs like AADAC, and they were a complete waste of time. AARC gets very little government funding and has consistently, and always will, treat families from all walks of life.

I strongly urge people to know the facts before they pass judgment and try to take away opportunity for others. I also urge everyone to take notice of the epidemic drug and alcohol problem in our society. I especially urge you to be careful not to put your experiences from some other place onto all drug treatment centres. You can rest assured that all allegations mentioned on the air were immediately looked into.

We rely on journalists to bring us all facets of a situation, more commonly referred to as the TRUTH. Journalists have a moral obligation to the viewing public to completely and truthfully present an issue. Please be more diligent at doing your job and not getting caught up in sensationalizing and twisting issues for the sake of ratings. Not this program, please.

My niece was the 429th graduate of AARC and I am very proud of her. Yes, she was tricked into going there as her parents had no where else to turn. They had taken her to counsellors, psychologists and doctors but nothing worked. We all watched this beautiful young girl turn into a sad, confused and angry child as she got deeper into her addiction. She turned to her love of using and away from every one of us who loved her.
Her addiction overshadowed everything and everyone in her life that used to matter.

Once in AARC, our niece was not allowed to talk to her parents for the first while but she was allowed to see them when they attended AARC for sessions. Even though she was limited in contact with them she knew that they were there for her. Further, AARC is a program that treated the whole family and provided psychological help for everyone, not just our niece. It enabled them to heal all their hurt and confusion and helped them to understand the nature of addiction. Addiction becomes a family problem that can destroy a family very quickly. AARC provided tools to help everyone move forward - TOGETHER.

My sister watched her daughter change before her eyes and only for the better. The angry child was replaced by a beautiful young woman who smiled and was happy. She was becoming the girl she once was. My sister would call me and tell me how her child thanked her for sending her to AARC and how she would said, "I love you mom" when she used to scream, "I hate you Mother!"

Maybe the practices that AARC uses are not for everyone and out of all of the many, many kids who have gone through this program there are bound to be stories that don't have a fairytale ending. However, isn't this the truth with many aspects of our own lives? For example, some people loved their high school years and had the time of their lives. Other people remember getting bullied, beaten down and/or feeling lonely: Same situation just different experiences. I'm sure the same can be said for AARC or any of the many recovery programs out there.

Our very large family attended our niece's graduation this weekend and we couldn't have felt more blessed at what this program gave back to us and that is a strong, happy young woman with an enormous sense of self worth... in place of the angry little girl who sought out drugs rather than her family and had no self confidence. The transformation in this girl is amazing and is hard to believe she is the same child that entered AARC 10 months ago.

On a side note: there were new comers and old comers at her graduation and as I glanced over at them, from time to time, the majority of them were smiling up at my niece with a look on their face that they probably hadn't felt in a very long time... HOPE. That is worth something, isn't it?

We know that her journey is not over and that in the coming months and years she may suffer bumps in the road but we are there for her. We will love her and take this journey with her - supporting her every step of the way.

Finally, it is in my opinion that AARC did not break my niece down but gave her the skills to build herself up. Whether or not we agreed with everything that took place there I can guarantee that every single one of us will be forever grateful for helping our niece save herself.

This organization has operated under the radar and harmed too many people for far too long.

Congratulations 5th Estate for this award winning broadcast!

suing young women who have been through hell and can't be older than 28 years old for millions in libel. all they did was tell their deeply personal stories of abuse with the hope that it wont be visited on other minors.

evil has a certain smell to it. i really hope that this place is stopped. i think dean vausse is a menace.

I would put money where my mouth is. I stand clearly on one side of this fence.

I have heard that AARC is suing Christine now.

I am above name calling, for real. When does the victimazation end? If for some reason, people came forward and were genuinely hurt by someone else they would be held accountable. It's because they are addicts, therefore they are......... hold a mirror up to yourself Dean. when did you do your last do your moral inventory? I have known you for a long time and your tune has never changed. Miller Newton never changed either. I am a human being, and i have evolved over my lifetime. have you dean?

i can't wait for karma to come knocking.

i went through a place simmilar to aarc in bc when i was 16. their treatment program was focused on breaking us down psychologically in rap sessions and then building our worldviews back up around the twelve steps of AA. our drug counselors were older kids who had gone through the program. we were made to tell these kids everything bad we ever did in group therapy sessions. whenever we werent working the program hard enough there was a process called 'ripping' where everyone in the group therapy circle would yell at us. and when the program was finished it was suggested to us that we break off contact with our friends and familly and move into the community where the treatment center was to live a life wholly devoted to recovery!

when i got out i was a completely different person. th the way i talked, my ideas about the world and my place in it. and i always had thoughts in my mind EXACTLY like the notes on the treatment journal featured in the documentary:

- resentments are pre-meditated resentments.
- you are your associations.
- living in resentment.
- jails institutions and death.

it ruined my life. i was so confused about the world and these thoughts and attitudes were things that i couldnt really help having. it did, and there are many other people out there who say the same thing - it took me years to deprogram myself. and i struggled with myself for years trying to figure out what beliefs of mine were real and which ones were the result of my time in the treatment center. and after many years i finally figured out that i had been completely brainwashed, completely and that every thing i was taught in rehab was a line.

i've been in contact with a lot of the guys who i was in there with and they all say 'yeah man, it was pretty bad. but it was over a decade ago. ive got a kid now and i dont really want to relive all that stuff.' or something to that effect.

and this is the other weird thing - the place i went to has a simmilar MO. they tout themselves as being 'tough' and they court the media and politicians. they have huge fundraisers and are often in the news.

there are many treatment centers in every province. why is aarc taking center stage? why is aarc so politically connected?

do treatment centers in alberta who use a treatment modality that is different from aarc's receive less attention than aarc? why is that?

there are places like aarc all over north america. and the people who run places like aarc seem to be very interested in garnering political support and positive attention from the media. letters of support from politicians, the works.

i really hope aarc gets shut down and the huge amount of money they receive is shifted to rehab centers in alberta that dont use coercion and brainwashing on parents and teens.

I have just had my attention drawn to the post by Kathy Lane Goodfellow, the lawyer from the Calgary Youth Criminal Defense Office. As a lawyer, it would have been more constructive for her critique of the program had she chosen to argue the legality of some of AARC's techniques rather than simply to emote as she did. In my view as a lawyer dealing with similar issues in Edmonton, a much more successful and effective long term solution, starved for funds, is that which exists in Edmonton. Recently visited by the Governor General, Edmonton's program "I-Human" has not received the millions or "politically correct" endorsements from the Conservative Calgary Crowd. Rather, it treats true addicts with a constructive harm-reduction approach that recognizes their need for a positive self image. Having spoken to some of parents of whom she speaks, I can assure her that I have a very different perspective, and the Fifth Estate has done a very fair portrayal of the situation.

I am a recovering drug addict with 8 years clean time and am currently working towards my BA in Psych.
I completeted treatment in calgary alberta at a different recovery homw that i was sent to as i was deemed too hard of a case for aarc, and was sent to an adult center.
in recovery centers around calgary aarc is well known for taking spoiled ricj kids who don't really have any probs. and are quite often laughed at and scorned at for there lack of problems.
aarc takes its 80 percent recovery rate because 75% of there clients have no problem worth more than a regular weekly counsellor visit.
if these kids were level 4 addicts than the other recovery houses in the city must take level 8 addicts as aarc is a very well known joke in the recovery workld of calgary alberta.

i believe that aarc's days are numbered. and all that is needed to stop aarc is for THE TRUTH to come out!

aarc brutally abuses teens, and has done so systematically for years. that is the truth.

the people who run aarc and their staff are members of a cult that use their cult beliefs to modify behavior. that is the truth.

aarc uses manipulation and coercion on teens, as well as the alberta government. that is the truth.

THANK GOD THIS IS BEING DUSCUSSED! i am very surpirsed, but very impressed and proud as well that canadians are not putting up with this crap!

oh and to the previous poster: i will try to remember to live in the moment, and that expectations are pre-meditated resentments, and that all we have is today, and that my familly is dangerous to my recovery, and that if i ever drink again i will die, and that i can never see my friends again, and that i am POWERLESS.

I want to make it perfectly clear: everything shown in this episode is not only plausible, but accurate. There are, in fact, even worse (much worse) facilities operating today in this joke of a country that is the United States of America, so it really isn't much of a stretch to make the claims that have been made by the people in this episode.

I was held for two years in a WWASP facility (having never touched drugs in my life), and I can assure all of you ostriches (people with your heads buried in the sand) that AARC has all the telltale signs of an abusive gulag. The line from the people in charge is always the same: "We're dealing with liars; you can't listen to them; they like to make stuff up/exaggerate the truth, etc." When are the idiots in both society and government going to see the pattern? At WWASP, they even tell the parents to expect their kids to complain about abuse in the letters, but to disregard it as "manipulation." Hello? Anybody home?

Like WWASP, AARC doesn't like to let the press see what's going on behind the walls, either. Gee, I wonder why?

Wake up, Canada! Between AARC and your apathy towards Omar Khadr, you guys are getting to be just as disgusting as your neighbors down south.

Thank God people are still talking about it.
Innocent children and their parents are being exploited and victimized by Dean Vause and the followers of his cult.

I believe that if AARC was as great a program as people have made it out to be then the Fifth Estate would not have had to hide a camera in order to get a interview. If the program is that great with such a huge sucess rate they would be opening doors and welcoming in any media attention they could get to promote their sucess rate which may then benefit them with the financial donations.

I applaud the people who came forward with their stories. It doesn't mean all people experience the same, however, the courage it would take to do so should be commended. AARC should have addressed any issues relating to any rape with either the RCMP or the Police. Rape strips away so much from a person and the damage that can be done by telling someone that they deserve it is unforgiveable. They should have been given medical treatment by a hospital, and if it was determined to not be the case then can go about saying the people in treatment are liars. If these crimes were committed the people should have been prosecuted. And if the Dr. is aware that these kids are being treated in a manner that is criminal or damaging and is turning a blind eye he should as well be held accountable.

I can't believe you people are still talking about something so far in the past. Man get on with your lives and live in the moment.

so dr. vausse is a ph.d, ok.

this brings up for me the issue of how these places use medical discourse to legitimize their practices.

addiction medicine, i am sorry, is, i'm not going to say 'complete BS' here because im from vancouver and ive seen some addicts at main and hastings but i will call addictions medicine 'kind of iffy and corrupt'

for anyone (parents) who are not well-versed in the theory behind addiction medicine, here is a crash course:

1) there are some people out there who suffer from a genetically inherited disease - addiction.

2) their disease makes them use drugs and alchohol. so i guesse if you think of aids making your immune system not work and cancer give you tumors that kill you, think of the disease of addiction giving you a compulsion to use drugs.

3) there are other symptoms of addiction, which include stealing, lying, compulsive behavior, bad behavior, etc.
(smells like teen spirit doesnt it?)

4) addiction is a progressive disease, like aids or cancer, and it slowly kills the person, unless, they treat it.

5) curing addiction is impossible, but it is possible to RECOVER from the disease by attending NA meetings, total abstinence, a lifelong commitment to a certain way of life.

who here is allready 'calling bullshit'?

the reason why you might take that crash course - which is the basis of everything AARC teaches, as kind of fishy, is that it takes what is claimed to be a medical condition, and explains it with, a metaphor!

so you go to a doctor and he tells you that you have the flu, but he explaines it like this - 'you have a monster in your nose who is punching your sinuses and is going to trick you into lying about your symptoms...'

what the hell?

*** and, in order to 'treat' (cant be cured remember) addiction, you need to go to 1 AA meeting a week for the rest of your life, do the steps, BASICALLY, adopt a religion for life, easy right?

so in order to treat addiction you need to become a believer in a new religion, and dr. vausse will be more than happy to teach you all about this religion, for a fee!

THIS IS MY PROBLEM with AARC:

they push this religion (with coercion, deprivation, psychological violence) on middle class kids who smash their parents car windows in because theyre mad about a divorce. it's not a medical condition, its a moody teen, but if you brainwash them into being docile then you get the desired result.

you could, seriosly, get the same effect by sending them to india and telling them to join the scariest religeous cult they can find. they would come home scarred for life, look like they got hit in the head with a rock, but they wouldnt be doing drugs. but thats wrong right? we dont do that in canada. and thats illegal and we have to help people who are victims of that abuse... yet the government funds it here....

there is a subculture of people out there, like the previous poster, who belong to this religious cult/subculture.

(sorry for singling you out dude, ive got no problem with you having your own beliefs but i think its wrong to push it on kids at gunpoint)

you'll hear lingo from them 'addicts helping addicts' 'staying clean for life' 'fun in recovery' blah blah blah.

dr. vause is one of these people. his staff are these people, and what they do is PUSH THEIR RELIGION ON KIDS WHO ARE TOO YOUNG TO UNDERSTAND!

makes your head spin doesn't it?

AND BELIVE ME, THATS WHAT PLACES LIKE AARC THRIVE ON - YOUR HEAD SPINNING.

'oh, dr. vausee, our sussy is having sex and doing cocaine, and we're just so...at the end of our rope!!!'

'don't worry mamme, i know what im doing. i'm a dr. and i am an expert on a field that you could never possibly have any insight into because it is so outside the realm of your experience'

so dr. vausee is a doctor. and a priest. and most of all, a snake oil salseman.

do we want to help f-ed up teenagers who have problems with the law and do blow? OF COURSE WE DO!

i am telling you, these kids are not addicts, they are kids, and they do not need to have a bogus religion pushed on them with fear and coercion. its sadism, pure and simple. saying that they are the 'worst of the worst' is simply a marketing ploy. if you want to help addicts, go to main and hastings and adopt a prostitute! i would LOVE to see dr. vausse work with some 'real addicts' and have only street junkies as clients, i wonder if they have hand-wringing calgary parents though?

these scab-covered prostitutes wouldn't have any middle class alberta parents wringing their hands, writing cheques and looking pretty at the festival of miracles gala! a 45 year old heroin addict doesn't look pretty accepting a diploma and thanking the audience for curing her from her naughty behavior in the girls bathroom at calagary high do they?

but if dr. vausse wants to do some real work....

canada needs to WAKE UP! think about it guys!

hahaha, so mr. previous poster, dont give me the 'addicts helping addicts' line, becuase im not buying it! i know what you are mate!

RE: "Mr. Vause not Doctor always says "addicts" Lie. Isn't Vause an "addict"? Why doesn't anyone question him if he is lying?"
....

SIMPLE: If you knew anything at all about alcoholism or addictions, you would know that this little fact is not an invention of Dr.(yes, he has earned the right to be called Dr.) Vause's. The compulsion to lie is alive and strong in an 'ACTIVE' alcoholic...NOT when in recovery or living a clean, centered sober principled life. Fortunately, Dr. Vause is strong, principled and living a life in recovery....for the past MANY years. (not that it is anybody's business at all).

As for his title, this whole business is getting ridiculous and quite frankly, very sad that a reputable news program like Fifth Estate actually brought this into question. Dr. Vause has earned his Ph.D...he may have done it through correspondence, but he is entitled to work towards it that way...just like you, me and any other person can that has the money and time to commit to enrolling for a correspondence course, along with keeping up with a full-time job, is welcome to try and do. There is more than one way to get a degree, and correspondence is certainly one of them. The thesis work, along with that of each course still has to be submitted...just like attending in person. When ANYONE earns a Ph.D. they have earned the right to be called 'Dr.'.....and he did earn it...every inch of it....and he is DR. VAUSE.

Thanks so much for this. A tiny glimmer of hope has been given to me. I've never been a part of AARC's program but its obvious (not so much from the data presented in this episode, rather in a common sense sort of way) that this program (aarc) is horridly flawed. Its great to see the Fifth estate standing up for Canadians. Don't give up! Don't let these people down, they have been silenced too long.

This is $traight Inc./Seed all over again. Thank you for scratching the surface of this nightmare. Please keep this issue high profile at CBC.

How can we forget what happened in Miller Newton's farce treatment programs in Springfield VA, Florida, Bergen County, etc?

Confession cults for cash using vulnerable youth as collateral. These problems must be resolved by medically valid, professional, peer-reviewed programs, not propaganda. Do your research on these shake oil salespeople.

What will it take for these govt. funded, court-mandated treatment failures to end? Those who forget the lessons of history are doomed to repeat it. Remember Steve Matthews (1986), Greg Hughes and Jon Guyton (1985) and so many more, too numerous to name here.

Watch the movie "BOOT CAMP" (2007) and tell us that it is not very much the same as straight. kids and aarc.

Mr. Vause not Doctor always says "addicts" Lie. Isn't Vause an "addict"? Why doesn't anyone question him if he is lying?

I came across this documentary online while looking at the discussion for one of the Fifth Estate's more recent episodes. Like many others, I was appalled that this sort of thing can legitimately pass for addiction treatment in Canada, in my own city, no less. Afterwards, I decided to look for myself on the internet, and I found it rather interesting (if not slightly disturbing) that wherever discussions about AARC and the program's critics are found, they're usually followed by a small chorus of similarly toned, combative 'anonymous' counter-attacks from apparent AARC supporters, which really do nothing but reinforce the allegations of AARC's cultish cruelty, in spite of themselves. While the organization is most likely staffed by people who honestly and passionately believe in what they're doing, and who most likely don't condone sexual abuse as part of the treatment (what organization would?), the documentary zeroes in on the real issue here; that this theme of 'powerlessness' that they use to "break the addict down," taken with the isolation and the use of unqualified staff counsellors ends up, however unwittingly, creating conditions that are exceptionally ripe for abuse, exploitation and outright brainwashing. In this way the comparison to Residential Schools made by previous commenters is most directly felt. I don't know if the CBC and the Fifth Estate really knew how courageous they were when they aired this, but once again, they've raised an issue that badly needs more exposure and debate. At the very least, this organization and others like it need to be subject to much greater oversight and transparency. Although, if they were, I'm uncertain they would even pass muster.

I'm more disgusted every day by this situation.

People ask why victims don't come forward?

Mike Lunn has the answer:

wow this is some incredible talk by people who hide behind a fake name or mask. what AARC does is criminal, and those responsible need to be punished. Anybody who comes on here and accuses my sister and the others in this show of lying, is weak. You can believe whatever you want to believe, but to rob them of what happened and to try and deny them of this horrible expereince, is about as low as anybody can go. Line up behind Dean Vause and wave your flags all you want, but remember there is two sides to any street, and what happened in that institution is evil. so hide behind your fake names, drag those down who are strong enough to stand up for what is good and right, and support AARC as it goes down in flames, and gets exactly what it deserves.

There's so much 'ego' with Dean Vause, that I am sure when this all calms down, he will be back on his high horse again. If he feels anything at all right now, it would be for himself. We have two faces, the public & the private. Hopefully, the average intelligent person will be able to see through his persona & not support such a bogus cause. What goes around comes around & it was just a matter of time.For the success stories, parents....please....give your child some credit! IT had nothing to do with AARC, but any boot camp will jug you to respect yourself!

This is sick, i intend to focus my effort in shutting down this desgusting organization that parades around as a social service helping parents. They only use aarc as a front for justification of abuse and the perverted thoughts of its head. No parent wants their children to be treated like this despite their addictions, there are legitimate services that help addicts, this is NOT one of them.

wow this is some incredible talk by people who hide behind a fake name or mask. what AARC does is criminal, and those responsible need to be punished. Anybody who comes on here and accuses my sister and the others in this show of lying, is weak. You can believe whatever you want to believe, but to rob them of what happened and to try and deny them of this horrible expereince, is about as low as anybody can go. Line up behind Dean Vause and wave your flags all you want, but remember there is two sides to any street, and what happened in that institution is evil. so hide behind your fake names, drag those down who are strong enough to stand up for what is good and right, and support AARC as it goes down in flames, and gets exactly what it deserves.

Anonymous (Mar.16),

You seem to be quite confused about 'Powerless,' which you most likely watched during the commercials of a more entertaining reality-tv program. Nonetheless, I think I can help you with a few of your questions...

In regard to your first sentence: "i can see how people who have never been personally involved with AARC would find it harsh and scary"
A. The people interviewed on the show were, in fact, involved in the program.

Next Sentence: "I cannot figure out why the Fifth Estate would do a show on a adolesent recovery center?"
A. You can watch it again on the Fifth Estate's main page if you're still confused about that.

Next Sentence: Wow, do we not have things a lot more horrible in our world?
A. Worse than rape, child abuse, arbitrary detention/forced confinement? No, probably not.

Next sentence: AARC has a personal connection with me as my cousin went there last year.
A. Just because your cousin, or your sister's best friend's neighbour's uncle loves the place, that doesn't entitle you tell former clients how they should feel about the program.

Next sentence: "What may or may not have happened to those girls is unacceptable, however dont make AARC out to be a bad thing."
A. Are you serious?

Next sentence: After all there are many people who would not be here today without AARC.
A. They tell that to every single kid and their parents, so that no matter what happens, whether they rape your kid or beat them up, "hey - at least they're alive! If not for us, they'd surely be dead." Complete lie. There are resources out there for parents and teens who need help. They might not promise an 80% success rate (another lie) but at least your kid won't suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder for years following their 'treatment.'

Next Sentence: The whole show made this place out to be a horrible place with little hope for a full recovery.
A. It is a horrible place. True recovery comes after clients and their parents understand and accept that, and find a way to break through the mind control and regain their lives.

Next Sentence: But i beg to differ, until you have personally gone through this with a friend or family memeber...
A. Again, were you under the impression that the people on the show were not personally involved with the program?

...you have no idea how awful and powerful these substances can be.
A. I could say the same exact thing about AARC.

Next Sentence: Approaching the situation lightly is hardly the solution.
A. Are you really under the impression that anyone is taking this "lightly?"

Next Sentence: The fifth Estate should investigate both sides of the story before making a place that was once a chance to get a teens life back to place that is now feared and frowned upon.
A. This is ridiculous. I'm guessing you are in your late teens/early 20s. Do you really think that you are qualified to assess the CBC's journalistic standards and practices? The Fifth Estate most likely chose to focus on a particular side of the story for the same reason you won't find half of any WWII history text book about "Hitler's side of the story."

Next Sentence: I support AARC 100%!
Even the strongest AARC supporters don't support the place 100%. This sentence is just too immature to comment on.

After watching this show i can see how people who have never been personally involved with AARC would find it harsh and scary, but aren't drugs harsh and scary? I cannot figure out why the Fifth Estate would do a show on a adolesent recovery center? A place where young teens go to recover from serious addictions. They portray this as a bad thing? Wow, do we not have things a lot more horrible in our world? are revery centers a bad thing? AARC has a personal connection with me as my cousin went there last year. I seen how her addiction ruined her life and her families too. AARC was there last hope for her, and i thank god everyday for this place. What may or may not have happened to those girls is unacceptable, however dont make AARC out to be a bad thing, after all there are many people who would not be here today without AARC. The whole show made this place out to be a horrible place with little hope for a full recovery. But i beg to differ, until you have personally gone through this with a friend or family memeber you have no idea how awful and powerful these substances can be. Approaching the situation lightly is hardly the solution. The fifth Estate should investigate both sides of the story before making a place that was once a chance to get a teens life back to place that is now feared and frowned upon. I support AARC 100%!

Just a question: since when did "bad journalism" start to mean "you said something on TV we don't agree with and doesn't jibe with our own experience?"

You can believe or refute testimony all you want (and really, to accuse a rape victim of lying is about as slimy and cowardly as you can get, and please, stop trying to enlighten the rest of us as to your rationale as to why they are lying in regards to voice-recognition and other ridiculousness. Columbo, you ain't. And as for the "well, I knew this person and they are full of it blah blah blah.." Congratulations on proving that you can talk trash and show off your AARC hash marks. I'm not impressed.) There are still FACTS that cannot be refuted, such as:

1. Teens are made to police other teens (I'm paying 50K for this???)
2.Little to no staff have any qualifications or licensing whatsoever as therapists, shrinks, or counselors of any kind (I'm paying 50K for this???)
3. The entire model of the program is based off of KIDS/Straight, Inc./The Seed, all three of these entities, by the way, have been shut down due to allegations and lawsuits in regards to abuse and fraud. (I'm paying 50K for this???)
4. Oh, and don't forget about that 80% success rate being a LIE, as cited several times earlier in this discussion, as well as in the relevant section on the cbc site regarding this article. (I'm paying 50K for this???)

It's not exactly bad journalism to report on the facts, is it? I suppose it could be like all of those pro-program sites that ONLY contain glowing testimonials but no hard evidence of anything? Just someone's experience talking feel-goodsy things about how it "turned their life around". (How does one measure "life turned aroundness", anyway? Is there some sort of beaker I can use for that?)

For some reason, people have a lot easier time crediting AARC for a graduate's success at managing to retain their pulse past their 20s, (OMG, what were the odds of that happening otherwise??? 0h n0z!!!) as opposed to holding AARC responsible for someone who continues to have PTSD-related night terrors that play back the time they were raped in the closet, or the day to day humiliation they had to experience in raps. Nah.. they have those dreams cause they're still a lying junkie, or a psycho. Must be because of something else. AARC had nothing to do with that at all.

That doesn't sound slanted in the least.

By the way, one thing I was wondering, are parents with kids in AARC given discounts on tuition if they refer others? Or if they have more than one of their own kids in there? Just curious...

That one parent in this thread who said that 3 of their 4 kids were in AARC... Man... I know I don't know your story, parent, but to have three of your four children in the exact same drug rehab center? That seems to say more about you as a parent than it does about your kids... and it also *screams* Straight Inc. recruiting practices.

I think that a lot of people on this thread who are pro-AARC parents are scared to death to even consider that they might have put their kids through something like this, and it makes them lash out with hostility. Even if their kid reassures them that they were fine and everything was fine, I know that if I were in your place, I'd be freaking out after seeing that special, and I'd be mad and confused as all hell.

I would hope that any parent worth a damn would be.

Trust me, I've tried to have a few discussions with my parents about what happened to me at the cult/teen gulag they sent me to, and I've always kicked myself in the head afterward for being stupid enough to even think that bringing it up was a good idea. The reason? They are good people, and they love me, and they realize that they made a HUGE HUGE mistake sending me there, and as a result, the mere mention of the place beyond something offhanded results in a giant screaming match where everyone feels weird afterwards.

As far as I'm concerned, they may not deserve it, but they get to take the blue pill... just to preserve everyone's sanity. (especially my own)

So... maybe it would be wise to consider that your kids who say that everything was fine there might be affording you the same courtesy. Heck, they may be taking the blue pill themselves. (It took me three years after the program to get rid of my bottle.)

To Anon from Kamloops, you've known these people for just over a month now, having come into contact with them when you were obviously in a highly distraught state of mind. And now you're recruiting other parents? Telling total strangers what to do with their troubled children? Don't you think that's a little strange?

You people acusing Rachael of lying are horrible and unsensitive! I know her personally. She is not an addict and she is not lying!
I dont care if AARC helped you or your kids. I don´t care if they help everyone else! They should pay for not doing their job and allowing these things to happen to Rachael.

Anyone who claims they would go to the police ASAP after being raped obviously know nothing about the symptoms of rape. Thus they would be wise not to comment on it. And lets not forget, AARC convinces you that any unjust things that happen while in AARC are deserved by the victim. They believe They are so bad that the abuse is a good thing.

You people disgust me. Yes AARC may have helped you but people are getting hurt by it and its no exception. The Fith Estate is merely trying to expose this reality. Even if only 1% of AARC´s Clients are getting seriously hurt THAT IS STILL SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO BE DEALT WITH BY BOTH AARC AND THE CANADIAN GOVERNMENT! If not then yes AARC deserves to be shut down. Why would you discount the possibility that someone could be hurt.

I thought since you guys are cutting/pasting from this site to Fornits, I'd c/p my answer.....

[quote="Lawrence Mazur, 'The AARC saved my son Andrew, who killed himself'"]I had a chance to watch your show on AARC a couple of times.

I needed to watch it more than once cause the first time I watched it I got very upset. I belong to a 12 step program that has taught me to look within when I get upset or angry. [/quote]

First, I'm so sorry for your loss. Sincerley. That's horrible for anyone to endure.

Second.........this wasn't "our" show. This was a news program, if we're talking about the same thing. Even so, Why do you assume that you are the cause of what you're feeling? Very often there are external circumstances that warrant anger and being upset.

[quote]I now can watch the show without getting upset I now watch it with empathy. You see at one time I had some of the same ideals as some of the people you interviewed. However that was before my family was impacted by the disease of addiction. For a couple of years after that we were lost in the dispair of addiction with many places to try and we hoestly did try them. [/quote]

Like what? Was your child physically dependent on a drug?

[quote]I was told of a place called AARC and thought I would check it out for I had nothing to lose. I did not accept there ideals the first time I came into contact with them and continued on my on path. When we had nowhere else to turn with our proplem AARC was still there and willing to take on our family. I would like to emphasize our "family" for you see this disease does not only effect the client but the family as unit is effected. [/quote]

Let's clear up the terms. Addiction is a physical dependence on a chemical substance...i.e. the person experiences PHYSICAL withdrawal symptoms if denied the drug. This does NOT include the vast majority of people, let alone teens.

[quote]The first night we were at AARC I left there very upset thinking this was not the place for anyone period, and thought I would probably not stay. I figured to stay for a least a week for then I knew my son would be safe for that period anyhow. Before I got to make that decision I was able to spend some time with some of the family's in treatment and thought mabey I should keep an open mind and maybe give this place a try. [/quote]

Mmmm hmm. Thats' the honeymoon period of thought reform. You're so desperate for "the answer" that you're willing to accept things your gut is telling you not to.

[quote]Our family spent a long time in AARC from June 1999 to May 2001 with a period in 2000 that our son decided to leave on his own for about 3-4 months. He made the dicision to go back on his own and we supported him though it.[/quote]

Did he really or did you restrict his access to you and your family? Did you implement an "exit plan"? You know....the tough love, "we're not supporting anything you do if you don't return to AARC" deal?

[quote] Our graduation [/quote]

Please don't belittle what your child went thru by maintaining that you experienced anything CLOSE to what he did.

[quote]from AARC came in May 2001 and our son was sober and clean and most importantly was given all the imformation to be able to make his own choice's.
[/quote]

I have no idea what that means.

[quote]Sadly for our son in 2004 he decided to use drugs and alcohol and on Jan8/05 it took his life, but luckly for our family AARC does not only treat the client but the whole family. [/quote]

Not to be harsh, but your son quite possibly couldn't handle the PTSD he acquired from his time in AARC, IMO.

[quote]We have not only been able to survive this tragedy but can continue to grow and prosper in our journey. [/quote]

Gee, how nice for you. Meanwhile, your son obviously couldn't take the "break them down" part of the program but your "prospering". Wonderful.

[quote]I stand in testomony today to say that it was AARC that was able to give us the helping hand we needed to get the imformation to be able live life the way we do today.[/quote]

So then, what exactly did AARC do for your SON? We hear you that it helped you immensely. Wonder how your son would feel about it?

Go ahead......call me cold, call me whatever you want.....I still cannot believe the amount of denial people like this are in. Yeah!!!! AARC did SOOOOO much good for my son that he ended his own life. Will you people never learn??? In order to accomplish what you want to accomplish (changing someone against their will)...you have to BREAK that will. It's NEVER pretty, as a good friend is fond of saying.

[quote]So back to my empathy I feel for the people with the negative thoughts and comments on AARC I will pray for each and everyone of you that you may find joy,happyness,love,patience,tolerance and kindness in your journey for we are not here for that long of a period to be closed minded to things we don't or won't try to uderstand.[/quote]

Why do you think we don't understand it?? Most of us have lived it.

[quote]PS: I would be willing to be interviewed to share my experiences on AARC. You amy contact me by e-mail:lmazur6@shaw.ca or by phone:403-888-9967

Lawrence Mazur | Calgary,ab. | Posted February 20, 2009 11:38 AM[/quote]

I am truely sorry for your dilemma. I doubt that at 15 your son has had enough sustained drug use to be an addict, but if he does, the people at AARC are no more qualified to provide threament than I was. Chances are he will learn more about drug use and after a year or more in suspended animation he will be bursting to use drugs just to feel good after the shit he will go through there. You wil be down $50K or more and there is a better than even chance your child will relapse, likely with another AARC graduate. That is much more the norm than staying sober.

Thank you B. Phillips . . G. Findlay and crew missed the mark so incredibly. as further understatement, it is frustrating that so many taxpayer dollars go to CBC. there are many supporting the recent federal decision not to provide more!!

Hello, My 15 year old son was admitted to Aarc February the 3rd 2009.
On Friday February the 13th the CBC aired Powerless. WOW.
It was a jugular impact to me.
I felt now the like a Judas who had just sold my son into a twisted cult. He would remain scarred for ever.
Still weeks later I am a tenuous duck in a new pond shunting back and forth between BC and Calgary muttering incoherant and sometimes vindictive feelings under my breath.
But why did I not fly in with a flashy red robe and save him and rupture him out of those rare ritual sessions.
The reality is: where can we go ?
A.)Back to his school where the lines of cocaine are consumed in the boys washroom before morning classes,b.) to the kind drug and alcohol counsellor who says there is nothing we can do? c.) to the party on the reservation where the 16 year old friend passed out and lost his leg on the train line d.)to the prison cell where the young man with addictions gives up on life.This is what surrounds me.This is my world.
Here's what I know of Aarc and it's not a lot.
My son is Ok there.He expresses love there.The recovery home parents care about him. He is willing to stand in the hot spot because he sees there is something to be gained there. I went to a family session a few weeks back. It was ridiculous to me but I told the new parent sitting beside me later, "It may look and feel really stupid but I actually believe it works."
We all need hope.
I believe it lives there at Aarc in a very strange package.
You just have to unwrap it
B. Phillips

"Anthony Connelly , I challenge you to go spend a day at AARC and meet Dean Vause face to face before watching a television show and making such ridiculously cowardly statements "

yes i agree that all organizations should have protocols, guidelines, even media groups and should be accountable for their actions to government agencies. The thing I find frustrating is when people out of ignorance or a tendency to mislead the public present their speculations and assumptions or partial facts to promote or create a reaction of whatever nature. These have participated in a form of brain washing. To me brain washing is when a individual is told that they will be rewarded by strapping on a vest full of explosives, run into a crowd of innocent people and detonate, or hijack airliners full of innocent people and fly them into buildings. Presenting information to feed fear or resentment is brainwashing.

This organization AARC does opposite they teach addicted adulescents how to live outside of fear, which has taken them to where they were before AARC and helps them look honestly what causes their resentments and how to deal with them on a supportive level. How to interact socially. How to develope honest and lasting relationships. How to give back to the community. how to acquire higher levels of education, skills, trades, etc. How to reach out to other suffering alcoholics/addicts and on and on. These Kids are being taught life skills. They have been disfunctional for a time in which the substance abuse has caused them emotional, spiritual, mental and physical delays. If you honestly think this is brain washing. God Bless You.

I feel that the Fifth Estate got exactly what they wanted, to create fear and resentment within our communities. It is ironic that they should report on powerless when in fact they are the ones that are controlling what is happening here.

Yes of course, if there are claims to harm being done deal with it in the proper manner by going to the authorities. Nothing much gets done by talking about it. On the other hand if there are organizations in our communities that are making a difference for the good why tear them apart why not get involved and help make them better.

I don't know if i agree with you about the AA comment. I think many people would agree that for most part that grads in AA do not act that like. I don't know if you are a member if so i honestly think you would understand what i am talking about and i will defend any human being that shows up at AA no matter how "insensitive i look". No one should be discouraged from a 12 step program due acting immature. lets keep in mind most kids graduates are 16-17. The Rape I would agree. That was rather tasteless of me and I don't know what it is like to that happen. but try to keep in mind that a person should be able to ask questions with out being told they don't understand. Many terrible things have been said about AARC and many people have no experience with it. So should I disregard there concerns? thats seems rather foolish don't you think? But again maybe i have come off a little to insensitive.

As Heather wrote: " Doesn’t AARC teach something about “empathy and sensitivity”?

When I was in Kids Helping Kids, we were taught "empathy and sensitivity". This was a fallacy that could have been a good cognitive tool, but it wasn't.

It was also taught in the KIDS programs, STRAIGHT INC. programs as well as most of the spin-off programs like AARC, SAFE, Growing Together, Possibilities Unlimited and so on.

Heather's blatant disregard for the feelings of someone who has made rape allegations is an good example of how the program's "teachings of emapthy and sensitivity" are only acceptable when it is of benefit to the program.

It appears yet another "victim" of AARC is defending DEAN VAUSE and his twisted program. This is nothing new. All of these programs have executive staff that wield total control over their CULT while letting their CULT members defend against critics and detractors.

After my KHK experience, I defended KHK while our director (Penny Walker) remained silent. This ensured that she would not have to answer for her actions of subjecting kids to unproven and bizarre "treatment". I believe DEAN VAUSE is hiding from the truth in much the same way.

I think DEAN VAUSE is in "Denial" and likes to "Be in his Pity". DEAN VAUSE needs to "Get Honest". He has shown me that he is a coward. He never went through AARC. He declined several requests for an interview. I think this is because he is guilty and frightened that the world will find out. People such as DEAN VAUSE should never be allowed around children. He appears to be a sociopath who enjoys tormenting children for profit.

DEAN VAUSE needs to clear up a lot of things with everyone who has been in a program like AARC (and there are many of us). I see a lot of AARC supporters but where is DEAN VAUSE? I think he is hiding behind the kids of AARC. It takes a real hero [sic] to use kids as a human shield when the bullets start flying. What a coward.

To “Joel” who posted :

“One other thing i would like to add. Why haven't this "rape charges" been legally dealt with. I know that if some institution raped me i would certainly try at all costs to shut that place down and legal action would be the first thing i would do. So if any one can answer that it would clear up these stories for me.”

Seriously that has got to be the most ignorant thing I have ever heard. Let me ask: Have you been raped? Ever? You have absolutely no idea of how you would deal with it nor the trauma that it causes. But this is a typical response of someone who is so blind to what is going on in front of them. Doesn’t AARC teach something about “empathy and sensitivity”, I have yet to hear that in your posting.
Your whole response to the AA person, about AARC and Christine has not shed a very good light on the kind of graduate you are. As I said to Dean Vause I think its time you get honest and stop blaming everyone else. Believe what you want about AARC but do not ever pretend you know what it is like to be raped. You have insulted me and I can safely say many many others. No one has to clear anything up with you.

It would have been quite impossible for Christine Lunn to "press charges", as AARC immediately denied that she had been assaulted in any of the three Host Homes in which this occurred. Were AARC to have acted on her claims, the police would have been involved. This would have resulted in the revelation that while Social Services was paying $1250 per month for her stay in AARC, Christine had no contact with her Case Worker. Additionally, she had no contact with her Probation Officer. Any investigation would have revealed that AARC had failed entirely to provide for her safety while in their care, having allowed her to be locked in a room with an adult male drug addict at night. This of course would have opened AARC's completely unregulated and dangerous ritual of isolating Newcomers in Host Homes to scrutiny by the authorities. Intervention by Child Welfare and the Police in Christine Lunn's case would have killed AARC instantly.

"One final thought, to all AARC grads who infest AA meetings and use it as a dating pool and social club. Please do us all a favor and examine your motives for being there....."

I find this comment rather shocking. Please examine your reasons for posting this comment. I am honestly disturbed that any member of the fellowship would consider such a post and i truly hope that you take a look at your self. If any one has made it through the doors of AA for what ever motive there is. AA should accept them with out hesitance. I have seen this form of behavior in many different members of AA not just in with AARC grads.

I for one am a graduate of the program and with everything in life there are flaws to it. We do not live in a perfect world but the real question is was abused? I really can't think of any time that i felt that way. I guess this could be related to the fact that for some this is due to my "brain washing " that took place at the centre but honestly I think it is truly that i have a better life. I dropped out of high school and was failing all my of classes before i did so. Since AARC i have finished my high school and am currently attending U of L. Now there are many different stories such as mine in fact i know of 10 AARC grads that are sober and attending U of L as well.( All of these grads will agree this was directly related with getting sober.) I don't want to preach and get into heated debate but I just wanted to say my support and hope that all will look at AARC with an open mind. AARC has flaws but over all I can't think of anything that has changed my life in a more meaningful way and for that I will always look at AARC as a positive experience.

One other thing i would like to add. Why haven't this "rape charges" been legally dealt with. I know that if some institution raped me i would certainly try at all costs to shut that place down and legal action would be the first thing i would do. So if any one can answer that it would clear up these stories for me.

I am astounded at the stance taken by so many in questioning the veracity of the claims made by the former clients in "Powerless", in light of the fact that Dean Vause has claimed that he invented the methods used in AARC and that these methods are clinically proven. Every single aspect of AARC's treatment was taken from Kids, which took it from Straight, which took it from the Seed. This pseudoscientific series of rituals were devised by former stand-up comedian Art Barker in the Seed. They were passed on to Mel Sembler who used them in Straight, and on to Miller Newton who used them in Kids, and then to Dean Vause. As far as being clinically proven, the methods were deemed to be experimental by the United States Congress, who required that clients sign forms consenting to be experimental subjects. The raps, the host homes, the peer counselors, the phased treatment, the Newcomer/Olcomer dynamic and the isolation from all social contact outside of the therapeutic community, were methods used in each of these programs. Unlike AARC, however, everyone of it's predecessors has long since ceased to operate youth "treatment" centres.

It's been 2 weeks and I have been thinking about some questions and comments for the CBC (and viewers of Powerlessness):

1) It was implied that your reporters where not allowed inside AARC. Yet in truth, you had a reporter inside the centre for several days. Why did you not share the information gathered there with viewers?

2) Dr. Vause has welcomed interviews with many reporters, including Dr. David Suzuki. Why did Ms. Findlay feel she had to use a hidden mic and camera to question Dr. Vause? What about ethics?

3) Why was half the air-time devoted to Kids of Bergen County (aka Kids, Inc)? Dr. Vause has been honest about the 6 months he spent there, 20 years ago, and how upset he was with how things were done there. He wanted to create a better place, where whole families participated in treatment, where he could help addicted teens build a new life. Is it possible that you could not fill an hour with the information you had for the agenda you chose?

4) Viewers were lead to believe that clients are not allowed to talk to or see their families. While conversations are monitored initially for safety reasons*, in fact, once they reach Step 3 they return home for the remainder of the 12 Steps. This helps the family re-build their broken relationships. In our case, that was 10 months at home almost every evening and weekend. *I say "safety reasons" because our child was threatening and violent to us prior to entering AARC, so we weren't exactly expecting a pleasant conversation when we got there.

5) I think most of the kids who come into AARC want to run away during the first couple months. (As addicts they are desperate to use drugs.) But once they are home and see the changes in their family and in themselves, they start to really get hope for their future and work hard on their recovery at AARC. Furthermore, at Step 8 they leave the centre everyday to go to school or work (on their own!) and they actually come back every night! Why did you not chose to inform viewers of this?

6) As stated above, the clients do go to school. Either outside of AARC or in the AARC classroom (which by the way, has won the CBE's Mayor's Award of Excellence) these kids return to their education, which was often something they had given up on completely. Many of these kids are brilliant and are doing amazingly well in school. Why did the CBC think that was not worthy of mention?

7) The clients go to all kinds of events: Spruce Meadows, hockey games, dance performances, etc. Host homes must take the kids in their care out every Sunday... hiking, picnics, tobaganning, skating, swimming pools, movie theatres, etc. So, no, these kids are not shut off from the world and yes, they are kept very safe at all times.

8) From our own experience, our child relapsed after graduation and took her anger out at AARC. She said she "hated AARC, wasn't an addict and should never been there". However, 3 months later she hit bottom and said she had to stop using drugs as she was afraid for her health. I asked "I thought you were not a drug addict and that AARC had it wrong?" to which she replied "Oh, I am such an addict! I am glad AARC showed me a way out and I know what I need to do now." She has been sober since then and has been going back to AARC to visit. Does that sound like something someone who was held against her will and tormented would choose to do?

9) I am sad for those graduates who are now angry at AARC. When people are not happy with how life is going they want vent their anger at someone or something. And, if the accusations that were made are in fact true, why were all the proper authorities not contacted 10+ years ago when the alleged incidents happened? Did you interview their parents about this?

We went to extreme lengths to get help for our child. And so, I know without a doubt, if any abuse had occurred to our child while at AARC (our last place of hope), after everything else our family had already gone through, I would have done everything in my power to discover the truth and to press charges.

There are some things we are not powerless over, except, it would seem, the CBC.

I find the remarks here by people who have been through AARC to be very enlightening to the fact that AARC actually may help families and kids who are addicted and out of control. these remarks seem to come from people recently out of AARc and those who have been out of AARC for a lengthy period. I also found the stories by the kids that CBC wanted to focus on to be questionable. In total, the remarks here and the people in the show indicate to me that CBC did not do enough digging and very possibly wanted to present something other than what is there. I hope that AARC has gotten the police and the law onto this story so that the public may indeed find out the truth. I think it is important to find out the truth . . . comments here indicate we have not seen it yet.

Anthony Connelly , I challenge you to go spend a day at AARC and meet Dean Vause face to face before watching a television show and making such ridiculously cowardly statements as this:"I believe slimy individuals like DEAN VAUSE are some of the worst predators in society."
Anyone that actually knows Dean Vause, knows he is deserving of the highest praise and support. the truth about AARC and the characters in this show will come out, I have not doubt. CBC's objective was to create a story and you, my friend bought into it. YOu must be marketers' delight material. Anyone that knows Dean Vause is the authority on Dean Vause, not you or some TV show. I think you might want to take a look in the mirror for the person you are talking about!

Every single graduate says in their graduation speech, "I know that I would be dead right now if it weren't for AARC." Seriously? Every single one of us would have died in some horrific marijuana overdose during the year we were in AARC?
And for the few clients who actually did have a problem with addiction, lots and lots of people in this world have gotten off meth and other serious drugs without having been subjected to long-term confinement and abuse in AARC. But let's say, for arguments sake, that AARC has saved a few lives. If anything, I believe it's caused a few suicides, but for the purpose of this analogy, let's just pretend that a couple of kids truly would have been dead by their graduation day...
Say you were in an accident so you went to the Foothills and they saved your life. Then years later, the CBC ran a story about sexual, physical and emotional abuse allegations against Foothills staff. Would you be all up in arms, protesting, "No- the staff at the Foothills saved my life - those people are lying!" Would you rally behind Foothills, demanding that the news cover stories about everyone who said they had a nice experience there? I doubt it. What if one of your friends said they were abused by Foothills staff? Would you still join a facebook group condemning the CBC for uncovering the story? AARC doesn't save families. It tears families and friends apart.

This show is a joke. As well as the reporter.

This segment demonstrates that the Protection of Persons in Care Act has not been treated seriously by the Alberta Government. Gillian Findlay should look back to the time that Bill 211 was being created before it was proclaimed law in Jan 1998 - the historical record will show that the Alberta Government used every scheme to prevent the Bill from having any teeth.

Brain washing? Cult? these are serious aligations,do you have any idea what the drugs were doing to these kids brains? To sit back and watch beautiful young people taken out by this disease,THAT is abuse. I have watched entire families ravaged by this disease,and they don't even know they have it!
I am a parent of teenager daughter and while she is not a graduate of aarc,she has 3 freinds who are currently attending. I have watched entire families transformed.They are being told the truth and are given tools that will help them to become independent and productive families. Cults are not about freedom. AARC gives these kids and families their lives back so they can be the people they were ment to be or at least gives them a fighting chance.
I marvel at the work that is being done in that facility.

I am extremly disappointed about how the CBC has investigated AARC and will never look at the Fifth Estate the same way again however, it did get people talking about addiction. The awareness it has provided has gotten people talking about a powerful disease that has reached epidemic proportions.

To AARC keep fighting the good fight,I know you are not afraid of being accountable and honest that is what the program is based on. When the CBC is ready to do an article that shows both sides of the storey, people can form a truly informed opinion of their own.

While I do not have the omniscient capacities of Dean Vause to aid me in determining whether someone is lying or not, I am somewhat hesitant to take former AARC Director J. Gordon Ironside at his word. Apparently the Alberta Securities Commission felt the same way I do.
"The ASC panel has ordered Ironside, the former Blue Range CEO, be denied
the use of the exemptions under Alberta securities laws (except in limited
circumstances) and be permanently banned from holding any position as an
officer or director of any issuer. In its decision, the panel stated, "we are
satisfied from his past actions and continued justifications and deflections
that were Ironside to act once again as a senior officer or director there is
a very serious risk that he would engage in similar unacceptable conduct." The
panel also has ordered Ironside to pay an administrative penalty of $180,000."

I don't doubt many families feel they have found the answer to their prayers in AARC. That is clear by the volume of response this report garnered from AARC grads and families. I don't discount that some good came out of the program for these families and graduates I would however like to point out the almost religious fervor with which these people defend this program and the consistent, reoccurring expressions of hatred towards the CBC as well as in depth debunking of the stories of a supposed rape victim is disturbing. It's extremely cultish and crazy. It also goes against the teachings of AA...none of the people that have posted here have shown anything close to humility. Vause's cult has shamefully shone a spotlight on AA, which goes against it's traditions. You have been brainwashed people, wake up. There is no one answer, no destination, no single solution. The world is not black and white.

One final thought, to all AARC grads who infest AA meetings and use it as a dating pool and social club. Please do us all a favor and examine your motives for being there.....

Hello,

I would like to express my grave concerns regarding the accuracy of the CBC’s Fifth Estate episode titled: ‘Powerless’, which aired February 13, 2009.

I am the parent of an Alberta Adolescent Recovery Centre Graduate, who is 6 years clean and sober. I have no doubt, that this is a direct result of her participation in the AARC program.

I found the ‘Powerless’ story, to be unjust, sensationalist and biased. I never heard one iota of any wrong doing taking place in the Host Homes, or at the AARC facility, during the time my daughter was in attendance. If not for the care and concern of the AARC Clinical staff and Peer Counsellors, I know my daughter would not be the amazing, vibrant young woman she is today.

I reached out to family doctors, councillors, psychiatrists, as well as AADAC, Calgary Children’s Hospital, Alberta Mental Health and Alberta Child Welfare. No one was able, (or willing) to help my daughter, until I found AARC. I will be forever grateful to them, for giving my daughter her life back.

I sincerely hope that the producers and reporters involved in this story, never have a desperate, drug addicted child and feel like there is nowhere to turn

Regards,

Danielle Simpson

With this story in mind we must also know that our government continues to gain the ability to put minors in custody for longer and longer periods of time in the name of 'helping kids'. Slippery slope my friends. What happens in a private institution surely will happen in a government one. Refusing our children of their constitutional rights is not the way to help. I repeat: Constitutional Rights.

According to this report, AARC repeatedly declined opportunities to interview with "the fifth estate". What does AARC have to hide? Due to AARC's sordid past plus the recent reports of abuse should be more than enough for the Canadian authorities to thoroughly investigate AARC.

The problem with these programs is that they are using an outdated MODEL that has been proven ineffective and destructive in the long run. The biggest and most important factor to examine with this program MODEL is the thought reform techniques implemented upon the teens.

This is a slow process that is difficult to observe due to the fact that this "brainwashing" happens over a prolonged amount of time. All abuses within the program are designed to achieve the end result of a nervous breakdown and subsequently a brainwashed child.

Research: Biderman's Chart of Coercion, Robert J. Lifton's Brainwashing Techniques, Margaret T. Singers 6 Conditions for Thought Control and other mind control techniques used to torture and brainwash. I have read all of these resources and I was subjected to almost every technique mentioned in these writings while I was in the Kids Helping Kids program. I believe AARC is still using the "inner core" methods used to psychologically damage the children and achieve the appearance of sober kids.

I am extremely thankful to CBC and "the fifth estate" for their professionalism in covering this issue. In my opinion, there is much more truth that has not been uncovered that only certain individuals at AARC are privy to knowing. I believe slimy individuals like DEAN VAUSE are some of the worst predators in society. The reason laws are created are to protect us from people like VAUSE. The more you question AARC, the more you will realize that AARC is hiding the truth.

I don't buy the criticism from some of the AARC supporters that the CBC is slanted in its coverage of this case. My only suggestion is that it should be much more targeted on the real horror. That is: why is the Alberta Government so conspiratorial in destroying real protection of people in care facilities? Why did the Alberta Government only accept one of the the 36 recommendations from the Auxiliary Group to the Working Committee for Bill 211 - The Protection of Persons In Care Act? Why has the Provincial Archive still not received the records of the Working Committee for the Protection of Persons In Care Act [11 years after this bill became law]?

These are the real horrors that are not subjective, and open to accusations of "sour grapes". We in Canada have not as yet had a real serious dialogue on what we need to do to implement the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Our politicians seem to think that they can totally sidestep incidents that show egregious disregard for basic standards of respect and safety for people in care.

Sounds like sour grapes!!!
There is life after AARC most graduates move on and don't sit around whining and complaining or blaming someone else for there problems they learn to take responsibility for themselves and to become productive members of society.

This is such a joke. Someone with some authority needs to go investigate all of the issues that were said in this documentary and all of the other graduates/former clients claims. Whether any of this happened (which it probably did) it needs to be looked at. Why is everyone so blind to this cult. All of the graduates who this that Dean Vause (the fake DR) is a good guy think again. Never question him is the motto there isn't it? Yeah good way to have followers just like Jim Jones. Don't fall for the mass suicide there.

If Christine Lunn was mutillating herself with knifes while being treated in AARC, why did she not receive treatment from a psychiatrist? Her AARC records indicate very clearly that in spite of being deemed suicidal by AARC, she received no psychiatric treatment in AARC. Unlike the sentiments regarding Dean Vause's life-saving powers, this fact is supported by documents.
As to the claim that her abuser could not have perpetrated the alleged assault on Christine, it does not jive with the facts. Her assaillant in fact admitted to having sexually abused her while acting as her Oldcomer in his family's host home. He did this in 1996, and acknowledged the same as recently as two weeks ago.
As the host home ritual began in AARC's prototype program, The Seed, and was a principle reason that The Seed was later prevented from taking in minor children, I remain puzzled as to the avid defence of AARC's practises here in Calgary. The use of host homes was deemed to be dangerous in the United States, but apparently causes little dismay in Alberta.

I have read the 2003 study cited by AARC as verification of their claimed success rate of 85%. The study in fact showed that only 48% of clients in the study population were continually abstinent after leaving AARC. Most clients in the study resumed using drugs or alcohol after leaving AARC. AARC claims that addiction is a lifelong brain disease that is fatal, and uses this premise to justify a wide array of violations of their client's rights. Yet after an average stay of one year in this environment, the majority of AARC's clients abstain from abstinence.

After watching This episode of the fifth estate, it gets me thinking of how many times CBC has mislead viewers with there Journalism. I know two Friends that have graduated from AARC. From what they have told me, AARC is not much fun while your there, But ultimately it saved there lives and there families! Shame on CBC for Calling down on a program that wants to better struggling teens! CBC Get your Facts straight before you try to convince all of Canada about something you clearly have no idea about!

Supporter Of AARC

What is your quote? "How do you know an alcoholic is lying? Their lips are moving'. Isn't Mr. Vause an alcoholic? So he is a lier too! Right!!!!!

I am the one who started the Kids of Greater Salt Lake Program, I was in Kids of Bergen County in 1995 as a court order. I am very happy that Dr Miller Newton was shut down and think everyone who practices similar beliefs and program structures should also be shut down.

Thank you Rachel and everyone who came forward to save any and all people who are in a program like this or may enter a program like this.

I have seen to many of my friends kill themselves or die from drug overdoses due to this program. This program brain washes every kid into doing drugs when they leave. This is done in the form of a "Moral Inventory" daily, also know as an M.I.. This M.I. is written and done daily with the results always the same. The result is eventual drug use that turns to death. I was on that road when I left, my M.I. was coming true. I stoped using drugs on my own, no program and I am happily married with 4 kids.

It is sad that to many of my friends have died from years of brain washing. The people who are in denial are the people who are still in this program writing M.I.'s and following Dr Miller Newton's structure. You are powerless and I hope you realize this before you or your kids are dead from this program.

Once again, thank you rachel and everyone who spoke up against programs like this.

Christine stated she wasn't allowed to used knives to cut her food or to go into the bathroom alone. From my recollection, this young lady used to steal knives and slash herself in the bathroom.....it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out why they wouldn't give her knives then.

Also, the person Christine "accuses" of abusing her, did not do so at all. I know this person. It's not possible, given the preceeding circumstances prior and afterwards that I know to be true, of which I won't mention to protect this person.

Also, why would AARC get Christine to sign a legal document saying that "she wouldn't talk about the illegal thing that happened to her"....think about it, doesn't make sense.

Rachael was assessed as a boarderline addict/alcoholic. She was admitted into AARC because she had some sort of psychosis and when she drank/used drugs, it got extremely out of control. They debated keeping her, but there was no where else for her to go. Think about it.......psych ward, woods homes? Hmm, I'd of rather been in AARC, surrounded by people who were getting their life back on track.

Also, how could she get raped in a closet in the dark when she was being supervised by other femail clients 24/7? And, not know who they were when you spent months together in a treatment center. Something doesn't add up here.

Scott......well, I don't know how many times good friends of mine showed up for this guy, took him to a meeting, sat up with him, listening to him talk and support him through his struggles. This is the type of guy who relapsed repeatedly, cheated on many of his long-term girlfriends, got them pregnant, lied to his friends, convinced them to have abortions, stole......I could go on and on and on. You're going to believe him? Let me think........it's a no-brainer for me.

And Bondana.......she didn't have anything of value to say other then calling Dr. Vause a "power hungry monster". I have no time for this one.

Peer counsellors at AARC are just that, peer counsellors. They are there to relate and share their experience, strength and hope as a fellow recovering addict/alcholic, nothing more. Peer's were supervised by educated and qualified clinical staff memebers and any peer counsellor who went beyond their "relating" role, did so by their own means and ego. Major decisions were made by clinical staff.

If you're going to accuse people of abusing you, accuse them.......not AARC or Dr. Vause. Take those individuals to court. AARC is an institution, subject to human behavior, as is any organization. If the abuse even happened, the people should suffer the consequences, not the organization.

Also, you should really check with people before hand if you're going to show their face, picture, name etc. in regards to certian privacy protection acts. I wouldn't be surprised if you have a few law suits thrown your way on this one.

Bias documentary. Shifty journalism at it's best!

I think what was said about the Aarc program is not true. It is there to save families just as my own and it saved our family. I was a sibling and from what i saw and heard nothing like the lies that were said ever happened. you people can write all you want about how it is a bad place. In full honesty it saves kids and gives them a second chance. D.Vause is a very good man and has done tons for lots of families. so stop wasting your time writing hate mail about something you know nothing about

This is absolutely true!

But you left out the part where the kid has a complete psychological breakdown, mentally snaps, enters an altered state of consciousness and admits powerlessness obtaining their Step 1. If this takes too long you can always put them on zero club or as a non-status client and keep them locked in their room.

If parents inflicted the same treatment on a youth that they receive in AARC, they would probably go to jail or lose custody of their kid.

[quote]I think everyone can agree that heroin, cocaine, meth, etc... are highly addictive drugs and there need to be resources available to help (even force) kids to get off these drugs.
But why pay the hefty $50,000/year fee at AARC when you can easily replicate the same level of treatment, in the comfort of your own home, and at a fraction of the cost?
It's quite simple: Lock your child in a room. Constantly berate them. Tell them repeatedly what a "loser druggie" they are, that nobody really likes them, and that they'd be dead if you hadn't done this to them.
Every once in a while, when they cry so hard that tears, snot, and drool are literally dripping from their face, tell them you're proud of them for doing a good job.
If they tell you that they feel scared and alone, tell them to find strength in God.
Force them to tell you stories about every "bad" thing they've ever done. Make sure they know that any abuse, rape, etc... they experienced while using was their fault because they are a loser druggie.
Every once in a while, throw a pedophile in their room to comfort them.
After a few months of this, allow your child to apologize to you for ruining your family.
As soon as you think they're ready, whether it be 8 months - 24 months later, open the doors and allow them to be free. You will then have a typical AARC graduate and an 80% chance that they will never try drugs again.[/quote]

The truth is..... NEVER TRUST A JUNKIES word....EVER

AARC was a great expense for our family because I had to relocate from another province - all at our own expense - but what price do you put on a life.
I saved the government hundreds of thousands because her path was psychiatric wards, hospital stays, court system, incarceration, counselors, judges, lawyers, police etc. and that's if she lived.
I would do it all over again, AARC is amazing, the wisdom you gain in a year most people never gain in a lifetime.

Thanks to AARC and DR.V.

I find it interesting that Rachael said that it was -35 degrees Celsius in Calgary when she ran from her host home (on the extra interview on the website here). There was a low of -10 on that particular day.
It makes me wonder how much of her story was embellished and exaggerated.

Look everyone, does it really surprise you that the circle of people around AARC are speaking 'for' AARC? IT's like the victim of abuse supporting their abuser.
I don't think the 5th estate is putting down the family with success but wanted the public to scrutininze the violations & flaws from D.Vause, to the stats collected. The success rate data was not collected independently, but by AARC people & Dr. Alexander in an interview analysze the data but did not oversea the collection. The Fake phd, he didn't even have to attend classes; boy, as a parent I would want to make sure I left my kids with the highest credentials; so given all the 'things that do not add up' you have to wonder what else is wrong there. Look at the bigger picture, sure they only had 3 or 4 girls say they were abused, but how many do you need before an inquiry? Isn't even one just too many? I am very happy for the families who subjectively had a good experience, but I am more concerned about the bad ones. Maybe 5th estate was being biase, so again, are the supporters of AARC putting them down just because they wanted to be taken seriously and could not find too much to be positive about.

It is quite obvious that people who declare AARC needs to be shutdown are people who have never had a child in need of its services and are blissfully ignorant of that whole "world". Until you have been through it you can not judge, you are just showing how uneducated you are about the problems we face in society.
I hosted a host home for AARC many years ago, the kids are not brainwashed, they are at their lowest point in their lives and need to start from scratch. What people need to understand is that addiction is a chronic disease and that the kids have lost all control, that is the nature of its disease, you have to do cold turkey to be clear, you can't do it any other way, then you have to follow it up with longterm supported help so they can cope when they return to the real world which is still full of the same temptations they left behind. Unfortunately some people just can't make it, they are still in denial and that is sad for them and their families. It is not a prison, its a safe environment where kids can re-learn how to live their lives without the daily destruction of drug usage and with the support of their families who also receive the help they need.
I do find it alarming how quickly "Jo Public" who have no education or experience of this can jump on the band wagon to have the centre closed without doing any research on this place or the government run unsuccessful programs. This was an appalling piece of journalism, that word by the way actually means the occupation of reporting, writing, editing, photographing, or broadcasting news or of conducting any news organization as a business, it does not mean getting one side of a story from a minimal failing percentage of the affected population and broadcasting it in pure sensationalism to a generally uneducated (on the subject matter) population in the name of "entertainment". Shame on the CBC for showing this program but congratulations on displaying how tacky your journalists have become.
I am sad that so many people have a genuine lack of understanding of this disease and what could have been a great educational documentary has turned into a witch hunt without true investigation. Following people around in their work vehicles so you can pounce on them unsuspectingly is pathetic. Speaking to all of the 400 graduates - now that would have been research and thorough and fair.
If anyone is really interested in actually finding out the facts talk to people involved, ask questions, don't condemn. I wonder how much of the reaction was really people in denial that we have such a problem in the first place followed by their lack of knowledge of how the disease works and what it takes to cure someone.

Growing up in a rural neighbourhood where CBC and the Fifth Estate was almost considered a staple of life I find that this show has destroyed an ingrained friendship with the CBC.
My daughter recently graduated and my second daughter is approx. halfway thru. Our family including parents was destroyed and reduced to rubble, unresponsive and isolated.
Thru this program the sparkle in my daughter's eyes has returned and their dreams restored. A phoenix from the ashes does not even begin to describe how my girls emerged from the waste lands of addiction.
I could never watch this show, and that's all it is a rating oriented show, masquerading as a news documentary.

Ashamed of the CBC,
Richard Paul

I think everyone can agree that heroin, cocaine, meth, etc... are highly addictive drugs and there need to be resources available to help (even force) kids to get off these drugs.
But why pay the hefty $50,000/year fee at AARC when you can easily replicate the same level of treatment, in the comfort of your own home, and at a fraction of the cost?
It's quite simple: Lock your child in a room. Constantly berate them. Tell them repeatedly what a "loser druggie" they are, that nobody really likes them, and that they'd be dead if you hadn't done this to them.
Every once in a while, when they cry so hard that tears, snot, and drool are literally dripping from their face, tell them you're proud of them for doing a good job.
If they tell you that they feel scared and alone, tell them to find strength in God.
Force them to tell you stories about every "bad" thing they've ever done. Make sure they know that any abuse, rape, etc... they experienced while using was their fault because they are a loser druggie.
Every once in a while, throw a pedophile in their room to comfort them.
After a few months of this, allow your child to apologize to you for ruining your family.
As soon as you think they're ready, whether it be 8 months - 24 months later, open the doors and allow them to be free. You will then have a typical AARC graduate and an 80% chance that they will never try drugs again.

In regard to the comment, "There are those who would love to shut AARC down, but AARC is so deeply connected to political influence and money in this province it will never happen...Obviously I do not agree with everything AARC has done, however if there is any more slander from CBC, I will use my influence and finances to support them in any necessary court or other action to hold CBC accountable for their irresponsible journalism."
In by far the most terrifying comment on this board, I almost wondered if you were an anti-AARC grad, masquerading as pro-AARC parent to expose the corruption and illegitimacy of AARC and it's supporters. You're absolutely right though, AARC exists because of it's political clout and generous sponsors, rather than it's contribution to our society. So many AARC supporters admit to the fact that kids are brainwashed, abused, ridiculed for their ethnicity or appearance, told that they're losers, unlawfully confined when they're not even addicted, but as long as it stops your son from smoking pot, or turns your daughter into a good little girl again, it's okay? Protesters of AARC don't need influence or deep pockets. Our stories alone will ensure justice and truth will prevail.

I am a graduate parent of AARC. There are 2 true comments previously posted above - one by Jamie and one by Sarah, both of whom were in AARC when we were there. AARC is a good program for kids who are legitimatly and seriously addicted. Anyone who takes a walk downtown at night will see them. They are a mess, they commit terrible crimes and they destroy their bodies and minds. The seriously addicted who find their way to AARC are truly fortunate. It is a very hard job to treat them and the staff at AARC put their hearts and souls into it.
But......, and here is the rub against AARC. They have taken in many kids who are not truly addicted. In fact many have hardly used drugs or alcohol, but have very anguished and intense families. Some parents are extreme control freaks who lead very straight lives and competely go off the deep end when they find the slightest evidence of smoking pot or drinking.
It is very hard on these kids, who are no different than many of us growing up, to be out partying a little too much and then end up in a treatment facility where they are forced to spend a year and to stand up and declare they are alcoholic. They admit to it so they can get out of the place, and it takes a long time for them to recover from AARC.

I despised the slanted jounalistic methods used by the 5th Estate. You thoroughly discredtied yourself. The point could have been made in a much more professional, honest and honourable method.

There are those who would love to shut AARC down, but AARC is so deeply connected to political influence and money in this province it will never happen. I do however hope that AARC stops using other children to assess for drug addiction and stops taking kids who are not addicted. The bottom line is, save the hard intervention for those who truly need it.

As a witness to it in AARC, my heart ached for some of the kids, my daughter included, who were minimal users with bad attitudes and were forced into this very intense environment.

Obviously I do not agree with everything AARC has done, however if there is any more slander from CBC, I will use my influence and finances to support them in any necessary court or other action to hold CBC accountable for their irresponsible journalism.

I naively thought that CBC was about finding truth, but your story on AARC made a mockery of truth and the families and youth (who you did not interview) who have moved from chaos to sanity because they had the privilege of completing the AARC program. What I find so terribly frightening as well as sad, is that some people actually believed the allegations suggested in your program and thus their child and family may be denied the chance of a lifetime. Even if one child does not enter AARC due to your program, that is one life, one family…. They say that at least 12 people lives are negatively impacted by an addict-and you attack a program that is winning a battle that few want to even engage in. Same on you!!

It has been fourteen years since our family entered AARC. It was the hardest and most powerful and worthwhile experience of my life and I will forever be grateful. I honestly do not believe that my son would probably not have seen his 18th year had it not been for AARC and I do not know if I could have lived with his loss as I was so enmeshed with him. Prior to seeking the help of AARC, I had sought the help of counsellors, psychologists and psychiatrists yet none of these individuals were able to help him. AARC was willing to go to the extra mile, to confront him rather than enable him.

AARC not only saved my son’s life but it reconnected my family so that we were able to communicate in an honest and open manner with each other and our friends. This also led to the members of my family being more thoughtful and stronger members of our school and work communities. Clients (this includes all family members) are provided with a program to follow that teaches them about powerlessness, willingness, humility, honesty and of course the value of giving back to others.

In addition to serving the needs to the current clients in treatment, the doors of AARC continue to be open and services available to the graduates. Dr. Vause, as mentioned puts in endless hours to insure the well-being not only of the clients currently in AARC but the clients who have graduated. If all people on this earth had but 1/10th of his commitment to helping mankind this world would be far more unselfish and loving. There would no longer be a need to create fear, to battle or for sensation seeking journalists to feels a need to dig up dirt on program that saves lives.

Donna (AARC mom and proud of it)

Being the brother of an AARC graduate and a former part of this program, all I need to say is it saved my sister. No matter how much people believe the lies CBC has produced, there will always be people like me who will be forever grateful to AARC for saving my sister and my family.

Thank you AARC!

Any program will always have both supporters and detractors. Wwhat concerns me about AARC is their lack of outside scrutiny. Any credible program should stand up solidly to outside adjudication, so my question for AARC is why not allow an unbiased evaluation of the program? Not one completed by anyone associated with the existing program,but one made up of recognized authorities in the field of youth and addictions, which allows access to all areas of the program? If you have nothing to hide, open the doors and halt the criticism.
Any program which is not transparent & open to rigorous peer review makes me wonder - if you have nothing to hide, why hide?

My daughter and I graduated from the AARC program 14 months after we entered, 17 years ago. As a parent alcoholic/addict I needed my brain washed, and my child, who had been raised by a warped and skewed-viewed mother, needed to be equipped with life tools other than the family ones that I had inherited and passed on to her of relentless resentment, rage, unforgiveness, selfishness and self-centeredness.

Treatment was described to me as a controlled breakdown and REBUILDING of the individual, and that was what happened to both of us. If any of you think that it is an easy feat to orchestrate or go through, you would be dead wrong. I am grateful for the safe place that it was to do some very deep and painful work on myself. I grew more in that 14 months than at any other time in my life. I was confronted on the lies that I had built my life on and supported in my tearing down the faulty structure and rebuilding process. And I watched my very hurting daughters pain slowly drain away and a very beautiful and loving young woman blossomed.

Should there be accountability for AARC? Yes, of course. They teach accountability and responsibility. Is there room for improvement? Undoubtably. Perhaps Provincial involvement will help to provide some of these measures. But let the program stand or fall on its own merits. I doubt if I would be alive today without AARC's intervention in my family's dynamics.

I went through AARC eleven years ago. It took over a year to "graduate." At the time the front was offices and the very back was a garage with cement floors. This is where the newcomers go between countless endless raps. Some lasting past 12 in the morning with full group. You only have limited clothes in treatment and in the winter and summer there wasn't proper heating or conditioning. This was very uncomfortable. Sometimes you would have to wear the same clothes for weeks (if an oc didn't or ran out time to let you wash your stuff). Eventually while in treatment this was renovated to include windows facing the back of the building, unseen to public. This is where the "newcomers" as they were called were kept b/w raps. The raps were held in the middle of the building. The blinds were always closed. The chairs at the time were hard plastic. Level 1's aka newcomers sat on the front row until they earned their step 1. The raps were day in and out except for sundays which were spent in host homes. During these raps on step 1 "oldcomers" as they were called kicked step 1s chairs. You always had to have your hand up to share, relate, blast rap who ever was doing work stood at the front by themselves. There was target raps constantly. Big book raps where we would discuss the big book. Workbooks upon workbooks where we had to divulge our deepest secrets and hand into our peers who were sometimes younger or barely older than us. These peer staff would yell berate clients. I have diagnosed ADHD and having to sit through these long days was insane. I'd get in trouble for shaking my leg or biting my nails even cuticles. Screamed at during intense emotional confessions. We'd have to sleep on the floor in the treatment centre if the prior rap on Tuesday night was too long with sleeping bags and pillows we'd use for the duration of newcomer. We were made fun of for stinking, the sickest of the sick, called losers, physically assaulted. I had male clinical with no training barely older than me who gave me the creeps and after treatment did hit on me. I heard extreme stories of abuse rape incest not limited to girls rap content I heard guys rap stuff that still distraughts me as I feel guilty that I witnessed some of the personal confessions that were forced or outted by staff including the main and worst confession I heard forced was by Dr V guys rap stuff to everyone. The girls raps were sometimes ran by males with no "medical" background other than being a graduate themselves. There was a one way mirror. Slut and other degrading words were constant themes. All your problems and any abuses were somehow conected to your primary disease. We would also go to host homes with males whether they were siblings or other clients who were sometimes abusers themselves we would know this because we would hear it in girls raps. It was uncomfortable. All ages were mixed together. There was a zero club. If you were injured you still had to participate in group. All appointments with Dr. you're accompanied by a peer staff. Some times Dr. V would take us to his house for overnights females too. The male staff would hug you and hang out with you "platonic" during treatment hands on your waist or holding hands sometimes during song or prayer, but several male staff dated graduates after sometimes immediately after graduation. Conflict of interest? When we bc oc we were told to listen for nc if they puke or put on suicide watch. Ironically one kid who was suicidal during treatment died from suicide years later (I wonder if it was primary disease, he had the tools, don't feel sorry for him, he knew where to go, ... Maybe he had a "real" mood disorder, maybe if he wasn't so self responsible and guilty for feeling shitty all the time and not being able to control that feeling with program, maybe he would've given up.... or maybe its true it was primary disease that killed him and regards to DrV for keeping him alive as long as he did. Andrews funeral wasn't at all used by AARC as a chance to spout about the disease and AARC's miracles who knows) but maybe if he got proper medical care when he was younger it wouldn't have happend. Primary disease it what we're taught. I remember making fun and being made fun of constantly abusing the powers of these raps. Yelling and telling people they were "fake," "try hards" "losers", anything and not limited too. Swearing was fun and sometimes just making up stories in order to earn or see peoples reactions. Day after day you feel like your going nuts. Process your feelings. On one step you have to make amends to everybody you hurt. How many kids got amends from their parents for any thing. Your a bad kid, you put your parents through hell now beg for forgiveness. Oh and if its not up to par you can be forced to do it again and again till its accepted. The big groups were especailly humiliating as you would have to stand up in front of all the parents, all the clients and graduates or DrV friends or supporters and do work. No permission was asked to the clients if we want these additional people listening in. We were told we better behave. and violence was encouraged if you had a newcomer or a runner, "take them down" DrV thought if was especailly funny to play "running against the wind" if a kid got caught trying to escape. He'd laugh along with the song and degrade the kid and tell the group to do the same or you'll get caught. If you could sign yourself out your charges would be pressed and your famliy would ostirichsize you. Again parents would have to put up their hands too and comment on the "work" the kid was doing. Dr.V is the only one who has complete authority to say if you earned. I for one "earned" in big group. Ironically I remember clearly crying for the opposite reason he preached to everyone. I went along with it bc I was happy to have "earned". Sometimes I'd make up stories just to see reactions. Sometimes staff would bring in Mcdonalds, ping pong balls, etc and whoever did the best work woudl get it. There were locks on the doors at the host homes and windows. Only the oc had the key. girls and guys at host home were sometimes put together. I had to take home a male client by myself who had serious guys raps issues that I knew about. Very uncomfortable. there was a ping pong table and hackey sack. Your had to write permissions to get balls or paper or clothes. These little things could be taken away from you for anything little as upsetting your oc. Sometimes the parents wouldn't like you and would snitch on the nc to staff. they would be punished appropriatley so such as not being allowed to go to a movie (which the parents would ask permission for and anything else they wanted to do as small as going to Peters drive in) with the host home on Sundays. Oc had to hold your razors and watch or supervise you while using these things if you'd earned the right to use them. Your parents are told not to believe anything you say. If you don't go along with them during the "fundraisers" during treatment you get in trouble. In one such host home the mother actually locked us from the outside of the room including the oc. There are two kids from my group who are dead, bc of primary disease. One from my group who murdered a woman, oh did I mention he worked on staff prior too!!! They had the tools they knew what to do??? Primary disease. I myself have resisted professional help bc I know it my fault. I punish myself. I have nightmares of that time and the stories that I heard and shared still race in the back of my head. Sometimes I think of one girl who was really young and pregnant during treatment. She had to participate in group and she would cry. She'd get yelled at and put down. She must have received great counseling when deciding what to do with her baby. I wonder how healthy that was during those stressful, loud, intensly emotionaly group sessions for the unborn baby. How come or did they have a real dr. test her prior to treatment instead she found out she was pregnant in treatment. The only dr. I saw was choate and it was shortly after I was admitted I remember him asking me questions for maybe an hour or less and that was it that I can remember for the duration of treatment. All clients are taken off their med's and this is done by the Oc who is put in charge of all their personal stuff. Sometimes this charge is given to the host home parent. We would assist some of these kids in detox. Sometimes we would take home 3-4 or more kids to supervise. Sometime of nc the oc wouldn't let you wash your stuff bc you ran out of time. All the time oc would yell at you in the shower making sick games how fast you could go. The rows go as suck level 1's front row, level 2's second row, level 3's and 4's have their own rows. At the back theres a long row where graduates or staff or anybody whose approved by the Doc can sit. The higher levels can than leave the centre to go to school. If you go to work your account is monitered you can't go spent money without permission. The longer it takes you to earn the longer you are denied these privledges. Therefore if you don't earn step 1 your not going to be able to leave the centre or be unsupervised ever, till you earn. So this puts you behind in school and everything with the outside world. You can't even have caffeine much less wactch tv or preapproved music. There was AA propaganda all over the walls. At the beginning and end of the raps there would be a song. Sarah M's Angel anybody barf. The parents would sing hallalulah along with that Neil diamond song and anybody who was there remembers how funny that was. My sibling was in treatment and my parents were encouraged to sign me up. I refused and my parents kicked me out of the house. I eventually had charges and I was told if I do this program they;ll get dropped. Thats AARC's saving grace they get charges dropped. I know of stories from treatment where if they were true... Than We had some serious criminals supervising us at times.... Aftercare is a joke your either in or out of the "AARC famliy" Its really creepy even if you go back to visit and sit and listen in group DrV might come up to you a graduate and he'll announce your history to the group at hand and than he might even look and you and announce to the group your "hurting" or "you don't trust anyone" basically asuring the group how much he knows us inside and outside the facillity. No matter how long after you've graduated he knows you. You begin to feel like everything they say about you is true. You have the tools why can't you get it together. Primary disease. So don't take any anti depressants or anxiety pills. Don't trust Dr's or hospitals. Use the steps, get honest, stay close to the group. Remember you're a fighter, a fake, a people pleaser, a wannabe, a whatever, but its all in your head. You can beat the "beast" if you listen to what you learned at AARC. "These kids have no excuse, Don't feel sorry for them." Dr.V. During treatment one of these kids I personally witnessed and may have participated in berating him day after day. Telling him he was a "people pleaser" and he must have got "eatten alive out there." Those are DrV's words. Dr.V say pychiatrists and teachers are conned by us "druggies," "losers," "Sorry bunch" "have your ever seen such a bunch of losers." He would say this all the time even if you were standing in line for meal. If you were labled a fighter it just took you longer to pass through. Fighters are the ones who challenge DrV almightly knowledge of the disease. Also when we were in treatment we had a schitzophrenic kid who was eventually released. It was bizarre and hysterical to us nc and the other clients bc it was so obvious he wasn't sane. Powerless was always the theme. I earned my step 1 after several tries. This place has been in and out of my life. I've struggled with my feelings toward it and what happened for years. Especailly the part that I deserved it. And that it was good for me bc its the "only place I wouldv'e got sober." Its the only place that really knows "me." I have a "disease." Its not fair to clients who come in on their own bc they trust the "dr" to help them. My first rap was a target rap. It focussed on how "boring" I was. I didn't know anybody and the leader of this rap was a guy a few years older than me. I have mixed feelings about the grad's sometimes I have survivors guilt when I think of abuses that occurred that I witnessed and didn't stop. I have fear of hospitals and Dr's (the real ones). Lucky I have finally trusted the professionals against the AARC family and I'm seeing clearly what confrontational therapy does. It left me paranoid, scared of confrontation, scared of relationships and unable to talk of that time for fear nobody would believe me anyways... I need to get back to real life but theres more way more 11-10 years ago I witnessed firsthand.

I hope people do not associate AARC with AA. AARC breaks every principle and tradition of AA. AARC pimps out its clients and graduates to raise money and spread fear - anonymity is non-existant. AA is about choosing to be sober and be honest, AARC is about forced sobriety (no wonder so many graduates relapse after leaving), and dis-honesty - clients exagerate "past-incidents", learn to turn on tears, and plain old make stuff up in order to have something to talk about in group. Got a compalint in AARC - get ready for a "blast rap". Get ready to be told how selfish you are, how ungrateful. AARC is quick to take credit for "successfull"graduates, and blame the "disease" for graduates who MURDER, ASSAULT, ROB, GO TO JAIL, BEAT THEIR MOTHER with a BAT, and commit SUICIDE.

Once again, I encourage every graduate or former "client" to request their treatment records - do it fast as the shredder is likely in overdrive. REMEMBER- AARC is not a government or accredited facilty - THEY DO NOT HAVE TO KEEP YOUR DOCUMENTS FOR 7 YEARS!

To all of you seemingly( or maybe willingly) blind people immediately ready to take a proverbial bullet for AARC and defend it for all the good it does, why don't you stick your heads a little deeper in the sand. I do not wish to take away from any positive outcome that many AARC graduates are testifying to; however, would you also excuse a preist who has dedicated life to what he believes is saving peoples SOULS for all of ETERNITY, yet occasionally molests young children? This most certainly DOES NOT represent the majority of peoples experiences with priests, or even more specifically with the priests in question of these acts. Does that make it excuseable? Just because a majority has a good experience, does NOT mean that the majority has the right to defend or irresponsibly deny these types of actions! Not only that, but how is it that an organization that holds "ritzy" fundraisers and charges $50000 PER CLIENT as well as claiming to be 80% subsidized by both government(10%) and private or corperate donations(70%) can still be non-profit? Where does all this money go? No child requires $50000 worth of "care" in a 10 month period since that's what AARC claims is average time to "graduate". And on that note, simply calling it "graduation" from their program as opposed to calling it recovery of an addiction or disease is enough to tell me that "dr" Vause is more concerned with the recognition of the program than he is with the success of his clients! You don't GRADUATE from an addiction! My belief, SCAM UNDER COVER!!!

I think this is the most biased piece article I have ever seen. You should be ashamed of yourselves! Thanks to this amazing centre my sister's live is back on track. My family is back togeteher and there is so much good to be taken from there. Integrity, honesty, and a general love for everyone around you. I can't believe this garbage. I hope CBC is sued for this. Dr Vause may not be the most ethical when it comes to dealing with this, but he is dealing with sick children, who need to break a habit otherwise their lives will spiral out of control. I respect what this place does, and you have no right to portray it in such a way.

Jillian, before I went through the AARC program I had no idea what liars and actors the disease of addiction brings out in people, I used to say shame on me for getting sucked in. Now I say shame on you.

Thank God the Fifth Estate told this story. For all you parents and young addicts remember that the 80 per cent sucess rate is based on results gathered one year after leaving treatment. The addict-hate-thyself mentality taught at AARC won't last into adult life.
The problem with addiction is not the addict - it is the availabilty of alcohol and drugs. Why are your teenage kids in need of treatment so early in life? Where were you when they were experimenting with addictive substances?
You weren't there obviously and now you shove them off to an abusive treatment centre with a strange leader at the helm that brings back disturbing memories of Waco Texas.
I have sat in several A.A. meetings right next to these kids and have shuddered as they shared their new belief systems and talked about how AWFUL they used to be. I once watched a mother sitting right next to her daughter nodding her head as she described herself as a former she-devil. Obviously the kid had suffered quite a bit of abuse and that sobriety she put together will fall apart in the future when she figures out how crazy her mother was for failing to cope with her mistakes as a parent.
It's no big surprise that Dean Vaus would not be interviewed. He has absolutely no credentials and no formal training. His answer to Rachel's story about rape is that she is a liar because she is an addict. There is a feminist waiting in Hell to take a few rounds with you Mr. Vaus. Until then I hope parents realize that as hard as it is to cope with an addicted child the answer is not to submit them to cult-like institutions. Unfortunately many addicted kids usually come from homes where the parents have been abusive or have turned a blind eye to abuse.
Bravo Fifth Estate!

I am disappointed and disgusted in the investigative journalism used in the episode “powerless”. I am a parent of a graduate of AARC and would like to share my story of AARC. First, however, I want to clarify the primary purpose of the ‘Fifth Estate’; which is to sell advertising. To this end, they must entertain and outrage unsuspecting viewers with a biased, poorly investigated and blatantly misleading ‘story’ to keep viewers in there seats during there cash generating phase. The problem with this is that people tend to trust journalists to be unbiased – which this story was not. The primary purpose of AARC is to “help the suffering addict”. During our treatment, I witnessed and experienced this through the tireless dedication of Dr. Dean Vause and his staff. I will be forever grateful for this program and will continue to support its primary purpose.

Our story is typical of the clients of AARC, we had tried every possible alternative to get help for our son. Our family was destroyed by addiction. In this episode, serious allegations have been laid and I feel for the victims if they are true. I believe that these matters are best dealt with by the police, and question why such a long time has elapsed. I can imagine any institution that has 2000 people through it has some episodes and hope that justice is served. The report leads the viewer to believe this is common and accepted practice at AARC and I can say that over the 14 months we were there that it was just no so.

The reporter goes on to question the effectiveness of AA (shame on you) and the AARC success rate but did no investigation on this rate. Perhaps the CBC could spend its money doing some true investigation of the success rate instead of skulking around with hidden cameras and trespassing. As graduate family number 341, my son has two and a half years of one-day-at-a-time success; for which I am grateful and proud.

Perhaps the CBC could investigate the state of addition treatment in this country and offer some alternatives to the suffering families who watched this sham and now may not get the help they need. In Alberta, we have a government funded organization you could investigate called AADAC, a resounding failure in teenage addition for our family. You could also investigate the destructive nature of addiction in our society and the costs we all have to bear (in lives, crime, health etc). I doubt you will do this, because that would not serve your primary purpose – people just don’t want to hear it. I didn’t want to hear it. Until you live it – please don’t judge addicts or there parents.

Shame on you CBC and the Fifth Estate. Very unprofessional.

I am disappointed and disgusted in the investigative journalism used in the episode “powerless”. I am a parent of a graduate of AARC and would like to share my story of AARC. First, however, I want to clarify the primary purpose of the ‘Fifth Estate’; which is to sell advertising. To this end, they must entertain and outrage unsuspecting viewers with a biased, poorly investigated and blatantly misleading ‘story’ to keep viewers in there seats during there cash generating phase. The problem with this is that people tend to trust journalists to be unbiased – which this story was not. The primary purpose of AARC is to “help the suffering addict”. During our treatment, I witnessed and experienced this through the tireless dedication of Dr. Dean Vause and his staff. I will be forever grateful for this program and will continue to support its primary purpose.

Our story is typical of the clients of AARC, we had tried every possible alternative to get help for our son. Our family was destroyed by addiction. In this episode, serious allegations have been laid and I feel for the victims if they are true. I believe that these matters are best dealt with by the police, and question why such a long time has elapsed. I can imagine any institution that has 2000 people through it has some episodes and hope that justice is served. The report leads the viewer to believe this is common and accepted practice at AARC and I can say that over the 14 months we were there that it was just no so.

The reporter goes on to question the effectiveness of AA (shame on you) and the AARC success rate but did no investigation on this rate. Perhaps the CBC could spend its money doing some true investigation of the success rate instead of skulking around with hidden cameras and trespassing. As graduate family number 341, my son has two and a half years of one-day-at-a-time success; for which I am grateful and proud.

Perhaps the CBC could investigate the state of addition treatment in this country and offer some alternatives to the suffering families who watched this sham and now may not get the help they need. In Alberta, we have a government funded organization you could investigate called AADAC, a resounding failure in teenage addition for our family. You could also investigate the destructive nature of addiction in our society and the costs we all have to bear (in lives, crime, health etc). I doubt you will do this, because that would not serve your primary purpose – people just don’t want to hear it. I didn’t want to hear it. Until you live it – please don’t judge addicts or there parents.

Shame on you CBC and the Fifth Estate. Very unprofessional.

I have a nineteen year old son who has been clean and sober for 2 1/2 years. In 2006 he was admitted to the Alberta Adolescent Recovery Center for treatment of drug and alcohol addiction. Before that time, our home was a battleground. He did not go to school. He had drug debts. He was unable to keep a job. He didn't care about anyone or anything. He lied and stole money. He became increasingly verbally abusive and threatened physical abuse. We lived in constant fear - we could no longer pretend we were a normal family. We tried family counseling, psychiatric therapy, and AADAC. Nothing worked.

Today we understand that alcoholism/addiction is a disease - powerful but treatable. Our son is finishing high school and has a supportive, loving group of sober friends. Our family has a huge network of other families who know the darkness of our story because they have walked in our shoes. We will be forever grateful to AARC for giving us back our son and our family. We are especially grateful to Dr. Vause for his compassion and courage. He has devoted his life to adolescents suffering from addiction. I feel great sadness that your documentary may keep a family like ours from seeking help from AARC.

Gay Lynn McCartney

To all you crusading civil rights Zealots: My son would do anything to feed his addiction. That included dealing drugs and robbing anyone he could. He was a danger to himself and others if he could not get his high. He hated himself and did not want to be a drug addict. Private councilors and ADDAC (a total joke), did not work. What would all you do-gooders be blogging about if kids like mine robbed your house or sold your 12 year old ecstasy? Perhaps you should be more thankful that AARC works and more treatment centers like it should be built

Dean Vause = Jim Jones

This is one extreme to the other. It's such a black and white issue. The one side is still trying to support this cult and say that the leader who is never wrong is a great person. Then there is the side of what a democracy is and there are rights that are violated. Also when I was in there I heard more than one person confess to murder. Figure it out! AARC is worse than any religion but just as much bs goes on and people buy it.

In perhaps the most biased piece of investigative journalism (and I use that term loosely) since Michael Moore's Fahrenheit 9/11 CBC's the Fifth Estate's program on AARC is nothing more than a shameless and unfounded assault on the character of an institution that has done nothing more than give drug addicted teenagers and their families a chance for something better. AARC is about honesty and truth, moral commodities that are in my experience rare in this society, and until you've spent 14 months in the program as I have, you can't begin to understand what they do there. Is there a dark side, heart breaking failures, and methods that wouldn't be considered "professionally sound" to most limp wristed, scamming psychiatric professionals? Undoubtedly. When I first came in I thought of it as brain washing until I realized its crucial to the breaking of addictive thinking. I still don't necessarily agree with it, but I'm as qualified to make a judgment on the practices of an addictions counselor as the investigative journalists,(and I use that term loosely) employed by the CBC are. On the character assassination of Dean Vause the show is way out of line. The man is a humanitarian, he gives his life to that institution and is widely considered a leader in the community. And the alleged victims? Obviously bitter women with a grudge, jumping on the opportunity to spout their resentment in front of a camera. Give your head a shake CBC, you know nothing of Powerless.

I had a chance to watch your show on AARC a couple of times. I needed to watch it more than once cause the first time I watched it I got very upset. I belong to a 12 step program that has taught me to look within when I get upset or angry. I now can watch the show without getting upset I now watch it with empathy. You see at one time I had some of the same ideals as some of the people you interviewed. However that was before my family was impacted by the disease of addiction. For a couple of years after that we were lost in the dispair of addiction with many places to try and we hoestly did try them. I was told of a place called AARC and thought I would check it out for I had nothing to lose. I did not accept there ideals the first time I came into contact with them and continued on my on path. When we had nowhere else to turn with our proplem AARC was still there and willing to take on our family. I would like to emphasize our "family" for you see this disease does not only effect the client but the family as unit is effected. The first night we were at AARC I left there very upset thinking this was not the place for anyone period, and thought I would probably not stay. I figured to stay for a least a week for then I knew my son would be safe for thatperiod anyhow. Before I got to make that decision I was able to spend some time with some of the family's in treatment and thought mabey I should keep an open mind and maybe give this place a try. Our family spent a long time in AARC from June 1999 to May 2001 with a period in 2000 that our son decided to leave on his own for about 3-4 months. He made the dicision to go back on his own and we supported him though it. Our graduation from AARC came in May 2001 and our son was sober and clean and most importantly was given all the imformation to be able to make his own choice's. Sadly for our son in 2004 he decided to use drugs and alcohol and on Jan8/05 it took his life, but luckly for our family AARC does not only treat the client but the whole family. We have not only been able to survive this tragedy but can continue to grow and prosper in our journey. I stand in testomony today to say that it was AARC that was able to give us the helping hand we needed to get the imformation to be able live life the way we do today. So back to my empathy I feel for the people with the negative thoughts and comments on AARC I will pray for each and everyone of you that you may find joy,happyness,love,patience,tolerance and kindness in your journey for we are not here for that long of a period to be closed minded to things we don't or won't try to uderstand.

PS: I would be willing to be interviewed to share my experiences on AARC. You amy contact me by e-mail:lmazur6@shaw.ca or by phone:403-888-9967

I am a mother of 4 children, 3 of whom went through AARC. We spent a good 5+ years at AARC, and know most of the people you had on your show.

I sat beside the Mom's of these girls, I know why these kids were in AARC, same reason as my kids were there, there were no more places to go, no more help, we'd done everything we could and AARC was our last resort.....

Is AARC tough and harsh, yes, do they confine the kids, yes, did I hate being at AARC, yes. But because of this program my kids are alive, have jobs, families and contribute to society.

To CBC and those critizing AARC's program: Please do not judge me too harshly for putting my children in AARC. When you have felt my desperation then you can judge me. I didn't want to watch my children die and I did something about it, was it perfect no, it was sure better than having funerals.

To AARC: Thanks to all of those involved in the AARC program. I have 3 grandchildren, whom I adore and can enjoy today because of you. Hopefully none of them will need to come through your doors, but if they do I know you can help. That's why I trusted you with my children and I will also trust you with my grandchildren. You are not perfect and will grow from this adversity and become better and stronger.

AARC changed my life. Now I can enjoy it and my children are alive.

Dear CBC,
I am a former director of AARC. I agreed to be a director in August 1996. At the same time my deceased spouse also agreed to be a director. We both agreed to serve on the board after we studied the ARRC program and learned about AARC practices and procedures. During the time I was a director and after I left the board I had the opportunity to attend and speak at numerous graduations of clients and their families who had completed the AARC program. I was always impressed with the sincere manner in which all of the family members spoke of the positive nature of their stay at AARC.
I continue to work very closely with a number of AARC gradutaes and I have never heard any complaints that referred to by Rachel, Christine and Bodana. These people that I work with share the same experiences that referred to by Jordan.
One of the first projects we undertook to fund AARC was an art raffle of 5 pictures painted by the Regina 5 artists. In February 1997 we celebrated the success of the fund raiser at the Nova building. I recall listening with great interest to Scott F. and his Mother speak about what AARC had done for Scott F. and his family. I listened to Scott F. as he complained on the Fifth Estate about his experience at AARC. Obviously in the last 12 years he has changed his view of AARC. I wonder whether or not his Mother has changed her tune as well. Which Scott am I to believe, the one who spoke on the February 1997 night and was grateful for AARC's help or the one who was interviewed by the Fifth Estate and complained about AARC. Are his comments to Fifth Estate credible? I think not. Maybe a little honesty and lots of AA meetings would help.
I earnestly believe that AARC has helped a lot of people and I fully support AARC and Dean Vause.
Sincerely
J. Gordon Ironside
Calgary
February 19, 2009

Watching the end of this documentry I myself thought for a second, wow, I wonder if this is true! It made my heart break but being a graduate of AARC and having spent 14 months in the program I could not believe this is true. I myself created lies, ran from aarc, told cops they abused me, just to get myself away from the one and only place that made me look at myself and tried to help me. I have never been more loved and understood by anyone that is part of this program. People that have never been part of a rehabilitation center, wont understand, people with past experiance, will completely understand. Thats just the way it is. There is judgement, hate, and discrimination and lies with anything and everything in the world. There are false facts in this documentry and some possibly true. Only god and those girls will know. If there is any truth, let them prove it. Until then my heart goes out to them and i hope they are happy with themselves because that is the true gift that aarc gives you. There is nothing else they want to give you but love and support.

I was talking to my daughter about this program. She is an AARC graduate and is on her way to leading a productive life. She is qualified to speak about AARC and the accuracy of the reporting.

Her comment to me was:

“It doesn’t matter if people believe the lies in the CBC story. AARC saved my life and the CBC can’t prove me wrong.”

The real losers in this story will be the single moms and economically distressed families who want to get their child into AARC. There is no shortage of kids who need the program but this documentary will affect the donations that AARC will be able to raise. This money helps subsidize the 70% of AARC families who receive it.

Once again, the rich will be able to afford a solution but, thanks to the CBC, there will be poorer families who won’t have the subsidy available to them.

While I do believe the documentary was "sentionalized reporting" it does draw into question the behaviour and ethics of AARC and Dean Vause.

To claim an 80% success rate is without a shadow of doubt a blatant lie. If AARC and Dean can lie about this then they fail to practice that principle of "rigorous honesty" which they teach those kids. Good grief, how can you guide and teach others something you cannot do yourself? Where is the integrity in that?

AARC holds close the value of "the means justifies the ends". In other words, they will lie and rationalize their behaviour because they actually believe their program works (or maybe to keep their jobs and the money rolling in). Whatever the case, if AARC truly cared about the "children" they would have performed a independent study worthy of being published.

AARC takes the old draconian, shame based forms of addictions treatment and believe this works best. This type of treatment was not invented by them. It's been around for a very, very long time. Sorry to burst your bubble, but Dean is not some sort of "guru" when it comes to this type of treatment.

AARC and Dean then choose to protect this type of archaic treatment with falsehoods and innuendo because of this simple fact: They do not have the expertise, training, education and experience to provide anything else of theraputic value. Simply put....they are lazy to learn or do anything else because it would cost more money to do so.

The problem with this type of program is that it blames the individual when the treatment fails. Shaming the person. You cannot call addictions a disease then turn around and blame that person for who they are! It's like blaming someone for getting breast cancer!

Well....done my rant (almost). People will go on supporting crappy treatment, with crappy techniques and a crappy history.

80% good grief....does this not send out a big red flag! If it truly was 80% Dean would be richer than Bill gates! (But then again he is getting very rich of this whole very unorginal-scam he calls AARC.)

I was a supporter of CBC, but not anymore. As has been said it was a very one sided view. Decietfull journalizm, ie; hiddden mic & camera, leaving parts out of that parking lot interview, other interviews that back fired & were not aired.
I have witnessed recovery there & if my other child goes down to addiction we'll uproot our home & head right back to Aarc.
Its life and death out on the street when dealing with teenage addiction.
There was no counselor, psychologist, or psychiatrist who could help our daughter.
For the first time in months we feel she is safe and she is in aarc. We've come to know through parent raps and working with the parents that our teenagers are safe with these parents in their host homes.
Nothing or no one is perfect in this world but the commitment, passion, and heart that Dr. Vause & his staff put into Aarc is very inspirational to us.

Addiction treatment is something of significant importance that has been researched for years. World wide and across time, regardless of program approach, treatment modality, duration, etc., all treatment programs experience about the same rate of success – one year after treatment between 5% and 15% of people are still clean and sober. This is because recovery from addiction is not an event, but a process that spans an individual’s entire life. If AARC could really demonstrate an 80% success rate, they’d have governments and treatment centres from all over the world hammering on their door and initiating similar programming. The fact that this isn’t happening suggests that AARC knows their methodology and claims of success wouldn’t stand up to rigorous scientific investigation. If their claims are true and based in fact, why won’t they stand before the scientific community and offer themselves up for scrutiny? Maybe their reluctance to do so is connected to their flagrant violation of something called “ethics” – a concept that every psychologist, psychiatrist, social worker and health practitioner has to study as part of their education because it is considered fundamental to human rights and proper practice. My 15-year-old daughter even had to have her Grade 10 science fair project reviewed to ensure the ethical treatment of animals. Apparently “Dr.” Dean Vauss skipped this class at his alternative university, or doesn’t see youth as worthy of the same degree of respect as a hamster in a science fair. How interesting that people are willing to throw ethics out the window in this case. I wonder if they’d feel the same if this approach was applied to adults. What if your neighbor, parents, partner or employer could have you forcibly taken away, held against your will, robbed of your rights and personal freedom for months or years, all because they didn’t agree with your use of alcohol, tobacco or prescription drugs? How well do you think that would be tolerated in our society??
If even one child is injured or dies because of a faulty crib, contaminated infant formula, etc., there is an immediate recall of that product and a thorough investigation undertaken. Apparently, if four young people that we know of, and potential countless others who did not come forward, are humiliated, hurt, shattered, raped, abused, or held against their will at AARC, these are considered justified and acceptable “losses” in light of the number of young people “helped”. If AARC were a high chair or car seat, they wouldn’t be allowed to exist. Shame on them.

Regarding the comment below mine. I sincerely hope that families considering AARC will now turn away from that wretched place. If they are so credible, why are they not lisenced by the Province of Alberta? The truth is there are better methods of addictions treatment, and the model AARC uses strays so far from evidence-based best practices. I hope, for the good of humanity, that AARC gets shut down.

Sadly, CBC has chosen the sensationalist route in its approach to this story, rather than using balanced interviews and good background investigation. What results is strong emotional reaction, often negative, that would most certainly be different had the whole story been told.
From my experience with AARC, seeing the battered families, the grief, the horror stories of hopelessness, despair, attempted suicides and the disease is gut wrenching. Then seeing the transformation of the kids, the families, the love for these kids in the host homes and the commitment of the AARC staff to both the client and their family is amazing. Parents place their kids here because they care for them deeply. I challenge anyone to attend a graduation of one of these kids without being moved.
My greatest concern as a result of this airing is that some of the families who are now considering AARC may well turn away from their best chance at recovery and success.

Re Powerless. BRAVO 5th Estate. I was thoroughly impressed by the documentary you did on AARC. It is about time that someone was a voice for these young victims. These victims have been disgustingly treated by AARC staff and alumni and repeatedly labled as "psychotic" or "liars". Dr. Vause said something along the lines of "these kids are the biggest con artists you'll ever meet". Well I'll tell you...I think that the so called "Dr" on the show is the biggest con artist of them all. As a sibling of a former AARC "victim", I have seen first hand the everlasting damage that that place has had on my sister. It has been over a decade since she went to AARC, and the abuse that she was subjected to in that place, is still with her to this day. Although I am sure that there are people who have gone through the program who may not have had similar experiences as the people you had on your show, I think that people should respect and understand that these people's stories are real. Just because you may not have "seen any abuse", doesn't mean it doesn't happen or doesn't have the potential to happen in that sort of environment and especially in the "host homes". And might I also point out, we saw 3 or 4 stories of former victims of AARC. Just imagine how many more stories there are that we have not heard. I am sure there are many, many more victims who have experienced abuse at AARC whether it be physical, emotional, or mental. Also as a former "sibling" of AARC, I wanted to mention how much "sexism" I witnessed in that establishment. I remember feeling like I had walked into a time machine, like I was back in the 40s and women didn't have any rights and were treated like they were not equals. It's no wonder they treat women who have been sexually assaulted as "liars"...because after all..they are only 2nd class citizens, right? 5th Estate, all I can say is...I would like to see you follow up on this even more and do at least a PART 2 on Powerless and dive into deeper how this "cult-like" centre operates and by bringing forward more victims and their stories of abuse. I hope you continue to be a voice for these victims. As for the Alberta government, you should be ashamed of yourselves for allowing such a place to continue to exist.

The show was a blatant one-sided bias against Dean Vause and ARC. It came across as a vendetta. If your reporter had done any research on addictions, she would have recognized the fact that addicts are great at bending the truth to suit themselves. If you are going to show programs like this one, both sides of the story should be shown. Do your research first.

Excellent reporting CBC "the fifth estate"! Keep up the great work!

Just ask people who have been brainwashed in these programs...They will tell you exactly what (Thought Reform) abuses to look for! And they will tell you how it works, listen to them, it is very real and very damaging.

For all of the people who have been in a program like this, it is refreshing to see we are finally being given a voice. Thank You.

Brainwashing/Thought reform is real. It was used on me years ago in a program like this and I believe it is still being done in a more subtle way. Thought reform is dangerous. AARC needs to let the newcomers go! Keep investigating AARC!

I wrote a previous comment in which I made an incorrect statement. We have one person with a doctorate, not 3. The other 2 have their masters in family counselling. At AARC there is also 2 registered nurses, and other people who have various degrees including degrees in social work, psychology etc.

I just attended the graduation of a young person from AARC in January 2009. I had been supervising this person for almost 18 months of probation by that time. Prior to AARC, this individual was turned away from a government treatment program due to showing up at their facility under the influence of a substance (what a surprise!). This individual could not benefit from out-patient treatment with the prevailing government addiction organization because of what is referred to, in industry terms, as a "pre-contemplative" mind set(that is...someone who is not yet ready to make change or attend scheduled appointments. Again, what a surprise!). And, even if this person did want to go for residential treatment, the wait list for a bed in Alberta would have been between 3 and 4 months.

After committing a number of offences, which were fueled by drug addiction, this individual ended up in the Calgary Remand Centre. While at the Remand Centre, the family researched treatment options and chose to send their child to AARC. Through the 12 step, family-involved approach they encountered at AARC, not only did the youth get clean and sober, so did both of the parents, who were admitted alcoholics. How many of those stories do you know about? Because in my almost 18 years of youth justice experience, I had yet to hear of any, until this family. On the date of the graduation, I can honestly say that I have never been more proud of a young person on probation.

If improriety or illegal acts have been committed by individuals employed by or involved in the program at AARC, let them be investigated and charged. Their acts do not reflect the norm in the program. If the government needs to put more accountability practices into place for AARC, that should be addressed. However, may AARC be spared from the prevailing government addictions treatment philosophy, where the "non-voluntary" client is under no obligation to receive treatment and indeed is offered little, if any, challenge to get past denial, manipulation and lying, all of which are significant obstacles in the addict's journey towards a clean and sober lifestyle.

I watched this piece on AARC and it brought back a lot of emotions. I can't believe these programs are still allowed to operate. I was so shocked that I had to sit down and stop the video for a while. I was in one of these programs (KHK) a long time ago and (although many support and defend these programs) the so-called treatment these kids are subjected to is unproven, unscientific and harmful. AARC's methods seriously harm kids emotionally and spiritually.

As in other CULTS, AARC's methods attack the "self" in an attempt to destroy elements of a person's defenses and render that child submissive to anyone. Isolation from family and outside world = CULT. Control over environment = CULT. special program jargon = CULT. Peer group confrontation and coercion = CULT. Follow ALL program doctrine or be punished = CULT. Confess negative past = CULT. And the list goes on and on.

AARC is a brainwashing camp, in my opinion. Having been brainwashed myself it is easy to identify. The stare in the eyes, the programmed jargon, the loyal defenders with their unwavering defense of the program. I once was one of those loyal "programmed" supporters. I would say, "This program saved my life" "without this program...insane, dead, or in jail" and "addiction is a lifelong disease" yada yada yada. I didn't know what I was talking about. I was programmed to respond, not to think.

I can see through the lies of AARC. The defenders are only guilty of being misled like my family and I were years ago. It takes a long time to realize what was done to you in there.

BOTTOM LINE: Don't put your kids in this place! Evil people stay evil, regardless of what the name of the program is. Dean Vause has kept the "inner core" methods in AARC that were so damaging in the former KIDS program. I strongly appreciate and support CBC for tackling this controversial issue as well as they did. The TRUTH about these programs needs to come out!

AARC is BAD NEWS. They are hiding their brainwashing techniques from the public.

Kids Helping Kids (former victim) '86-'88

After watching the Fifth Estate's blatantly biased, factually incorrect episode on Shawn Hennessey and the Mayerthorpe Mountie murders I thought Linden McIntyre was the most irresponsible journalist in existence. But then my PVR recorded the episode on AARC. I now realize it is a CBC policy to be irresponsible and one-sided. I actually laughed out loud. It's hilarious how the CBC could only find former teenaged drug addicts who were more than willing to blast the program - but none on the other side. Seems to be plenty of families on this site with positive stories about AARC.

I am still really frustrated with this documentary, but happy to see the many aarc graduates who are NOT afraid to speak out the TRUTH.
Do you ever wonder why the clients in AARC need to be locked up?
As horrible as it sounds, the other option is worse.
When i was in AARC, ALL I WANTED TO DO WAS GET HIGH. i would have used bathroom cleaner, or anything i could get my hands on, i even dreamed of downing bleach, because if i couldn't get out, i might as well die.

With that in mind, if i wasn't secured in a host homes bedroom at night, i most likely would have found my way to the kitchen to find a knife and cut, BECAUSE THAT WHAT I DID BEFORE I FOUND RELIEF FROM DRUGS and ALCOHOL.

Sure life was not pretty for the beginning of the nine months i spent in AARC. i tried to run, i even tried climbing through the roof to escape. And i witnessed a few people who did get away. guess what, some even returned because they knew inside that life was better in aarc than ANY day getting high.

The last posting I wrote cut out the sentence i wrote. I know deep inside that if my parents had not intervened when they did, i would have fulfilled my only life ambition, to die by the age of 17 with a needle in my arm. thats the honest truth of the matter, I was so sick and twisted that this is the only thing that brought me happiness.

Today i live a life of freedom, when i look back at aarc, i do remember the hard time in the first months. But i can also understand and acknowledge that those difficulites served a greater purpose. today i am clean from drugs and alcohol. but that is not the only thing AARC did for me. I have a relationship with my family that i will never let go of again. i have a freedom i could not imagine during those months i sat on newcomer chair, and really i OWE IT ALL TO AARC,

so to the fifth-estate i say shame on you! how many testimonies is it going to take from aarc clients and their familys?
this episode most likely will prevent a few families from getting their children help, and that is a shame!
but the desperation that caused my family to consider aarc will still allow familys to find the help they need.

thanks Dr V. and to everyone there who saved my life. words can not express.

oh and jen mcrea please look me up i miss you!

I'm really tired of all the pro-aarc people complaining that this ONE show has come out and is "one-sided".

At least the CBC put in a positive experience in their show. That's better than a lot of other articles regarding AARC!

Please do a 5 second internet search and find all the "glowing" media displays of the AARC program and get back to me with EVEN ONE that is balanced. Showing the negative side of AARC!

Give me a break!

There are many many other articles showing the shiny graduates if that's all you want to hear about.

For me a former Kids of Bergen County/North Jersey client, the simalrities between these two programs were astounding. Not just through this segment but through talking to former clients of AARC. For those of you who said they should have showed both sides well, they tried and were denied. There have been a few programs that showed the good side so why not do a program that shows the other side?
The points that concern me besides the ovious are:
- Teenagers responsible for other teenagers lives. When we are that young we are impressionable and do very stupid things. Yet because they are on a higher “level” they are trusted with other kids’ lives? I am totally for the “hey, I have been there too” mentality but not at the sacrifice of true professionals and these kids safety.
- Humiliation tactics defended as “tough love”, I do not buy that as there is a difference.
- Depressed teenagers, behaviour problems, and true drug addicts are not the same thing yet somehow are all treated the same way?
- The way the “newcomers” can report grevinces is through everyone at the program. They have no one on the outside avicating for them, no one seeing if they are okay , only the people in the program who may not believe them as they are only on the “first level”

I think that as it was with Miller Newton you cannot have one person with so much poiwer and influence over these young minds. There needs to be accountiblity for the way things are run and the people who are running it. If a crime is reported it was Dean Vause’s duty to have it investigated, not just assume these people being accused are honest just so he could pretend nothing is wrong with his “program”. When you leave any one human in charge, they become sick with power and do not even see how sick they are.

Dean Vause – I think it is time for you to stop putting things off on everyone else and practice what yoiu preach. How can one human be so flawless? I don’t buy it. You need to step up and get honest yourself. The government should step in and investigate what is really going on here. What makes you beyond the law? Oh that’s right you say “AARC saves lives”, so we should turn a blind eye?

These teens are our future and it is our responsibility as adults to teach them right from wrong. Dean Vause: You are responsible for what you are teaching these kids and what they are passing down to other kids.

You did the right thing, CBC. I can see this organization is using every bit of monetary, political and media power it can use to belligerently propagandize and deny the truth , but the truth is obvious.
...
The way they deny it and absolve themselves of responsibility (denouncing whistle-blowers as "psychotic" etc.)tells the truth. People of conscience would not be belligerent, people of conscience would give full disclosure to all books , documents and access to all personnel involved.

No organization that has unrestricted power without public accountability can be uncorrupted. Every thing that goes on there is hidden in dungeons and dark holes. No one will probably every know the full extent of their rapes and inhuman crimes. I wonder how many deaths like "suicides" and drug overdoses could be laid at their doorstep.

I graduated from AARC around this time last year. I was in AARC for nine and a half months. I never witnessed abuse, misconduct or the like once in my, almost year long stay at AARC. I was shown love and respect from families and staff alike.

Male and female sides at AARC, are more than separated at AARC, female staff with female clients and male staff with male clients. I did not see very much truth in the fifth estates show on AARC, I found it biased and unprofessional taking to only claims from a few graduates that I'm sure are still resentful for being made to look at their lives honestly.

My biggest complaint against this documentary is bashing Alcoholics Autonomous. This is a proven concept that has been helping clean up drunks all over the world, with more success than any other program.

Anyway, I am saddened to see this kind of media being focused on AARC and thought I would share my story of being at AARC with you.

My family recently spent 13 months at AARC. My son was seriously addicted to crack, was involved in crime to feed his addiction, and wouldn't have lasted long in the state he was in because addicts self-destruct and lose the self-preservation instinct the rest of us take for granted every day. The more I learned about cocaine addiction, the more I realized the short-term, easier-softer programs available in Alberta were not going to help him. I read the web site for AARC and understood that this is what it would take to get our son back as a decent human and not the monster he had become. We were frantic when we arrived at AARC and we were extremely relieved to find that our son was finally in good, safe hands after the gong shows of other so-called addiction centres in Calgary.

Going through AARC as a family was the most fulfilling and life-changing experience any of us have had. It wasn't easy or for the faint of heart or the ignorant of mind...but we all came out of there much richer personally, much deeper, and with much more faith and hope than we had felt for a very long time.

There should be an AARC in every city to transform the destructive and often violent lives of young addicts/alcoholics into decent, productive adults with happy lives and to help their families support and understand them.

I am grateful every day for AARC and the people that comprise it. AARC is not a cult and there is no brainwashing or abuse going on. If you're reading these comments, go back and look at the first hand view of those who have experienced AARC directly. The ones that just saw the show and are all aghast at AARC are the ones sucked in by the poor journalism. How are they supposed to have a clue with such a biased and one-sided presentation of AARC?

The Fifth Estate's coverage of AARC with the program "Powerless" was a prime example of irresponsible journalism. CBC did a great injustice to the viewing public by airing this farce of a documentary. They skewed and twisted a very necessary and complex program into a bad thing. If it wasn't for AARC there would be a lot more habitual alcoholics and addicts on our streets causing chaos and crime.

AARC saved my son's life as sure I'm sitting here and he now has compassion, empathy, a joy for life, a work ethic and a promising future thanks to AARC and the AARC community.

This episode of the FIfth Estate Just proves what damage poor journalism has the power to do, and I hope the Fifth Estate and their poor journalism practices pay in court for this obvious slander on AARC. How dare you allow an incompetent journalist to make a mess like this of an institution that has the guts to confront our addicted adolescents and invest the time into their rehabilitation when no one else does. Shame on you!!!

I was highly disappointed with the unbalanced portrayal of AARC on your show this week. As one of hundreds of families who have benefited greatly from the AARC program, we were dismayed that you did not talk to more of the 400 clients who are alive today because of the AARC model and Dr. Vause's leadership and expertise. Dr. Patton, who over saw the study that revealed the 80% success rate, is an internationally respected arms length evaluator - a fact that you conveniently omitted. Thousands around the world are living a life of sobriety due to the steps of AA which forms the basis of the model and your analysis was based on an unqualified and uninformed understanding of alcoholism and addiction. This unfairly puts AARC in a very negative light which could affect their ability to help other families like ours. You even managed to turn their fund raising efforts, which they do to subsidize treatment costs for low income families, into a conspiracy. Shame on you for such unprofessional reporting. Dr. Vause should be receiving the Order of Canada instead of being vilified by your sensationalized and highly inaccurate story. Our daughter would not be alive today without AARC.

It was with great sadness that I watched your program on AARC. I have always listened to CBC. Now I know that what is reported can not be trusted. As a mother of an AARC graduate I can only say that you have done a great disservice to the families out there who are struggling with a teen who has the disease of addiction. We had been around the block before we got to AARC. We tried family counselling, AADAC and the geographical cure. All to no avail. Our son was 16 and going down before our eyes. We tried everything we could because we loved him so much... not because we wanted someone to take him off our hands! In the end our son was arrested for dealing cocaine and had weapon charges. His health was deteriorating. We were so scared and devastated. He continued to break his conditons of bail and I was afraid he would end up in jail or worse ... dead. We searched everywhere for help. No one would take him and give him help with out his consent and because of the powerfulness of this disease he didn't believe drugs were the problem ... he thought they were the solution.These kids don't know they have a disease but believe they are just bad kids making bad choices. As his parents we believed otherwise. We were so grateful to hear about AARC and that they would take him against his will. I don't understand why people are OK with my son going to jail against his will but not to a place that will help him. We were also grateful that AARC treated the entire family so that we could be with him. We moved so that we could attend AARC. As far as the peer counsellors helping the newcomer ... who better than someone the kids can relate to? After all AA was founded on one drunk helping another drunk. What you failed to mention in the program is we also have 3 people with doctorates and many with various degrees. The peer counsellors aren't doing this on there own. Today my son has been clean and sober for over 3 years, works fulltime, goes to school part time, lives at home, is respectful, a joy to be around and grateful we didn't give up on him. AARC has given him a second chance and our family a second chance. Dr. Vause has a gift and works tirelessly to help our kids ... I will be forever grateful. Unless you have one of your own kids addicted I don't believe you can understand the feelings of despair as you search for help and nothing works and things continue to spiral down hill. For all those parents out there who are living it ... I just want you to know, there is hope.

The truth wasn’t shown in your story. Most families about 65% decide not to sign their kids after the first interview, usually because they don’t want to do the work that is required by AARC. There is a huge commitment from the families of these kids. ARRC also turns away a lot of families because they don’t feel their kids have suffered enough to treat them successfully. They don’t just take anyone.

They don’t keep any kid that walks through the door. Once you completed the 12 steps of AA you graduate the program. The shortest stay in treatment has been 7 months and the longest stay in AARC has been 22 months. Most of the kids take around 10 months to finish this program.

The parents of the kids go through canceling as well. The whole family gets better not just the Addict. They do the steps as an ALANON and attend parent wraps every week. They also volunteer at the center as part of the program. No one can just drop off their children and leave. No one in their right mind would do this program unless you had a huge problem with their child and you thought your child was going to die. The commitment from the parents is huge.

The reason that the CBC didn’t give alternatives to AARC is there aren’t any. The government programs are a joke. ADDAC can only help someone if they can do it on their own. My son did drugs while in treatment there. Some of the counselors were doing drugs along side the kids, and other counselors were selling drugs to the kids while in treatment. The children have to volunteer to go to ADDAC and can leave at any time. The kids in the government-funded program aren’t supposed to hang out together because they do drugs together. Anyone that went here only made the drug problem with their child worse then it already was. No one truly addicted will ever get better here. The numbers of children that get better with ADDAC is horrendous. Why don’t you investigate that CBC?

The only other alterative then is to through your addicted child out on to the streets because they are destructive to everyone in the family. I had to call the RCMP to arrest my son after he attacked me. As a mother this destroyed me. He was angry and abusive when he didn’t get his way so he could use drugs. On drugs he wasn’t my son anymore. He admitted he tried to stop on his own and couldn’t.

AARC has to fund raise because the Government only gives AARC a small amount of funds. Nothing in comparison to the millions they give AADAC. So the majority of the AARC program is funded by private donations. Usually from the people that have been through AARC even if their story didn’t have a happy ending.

If it wasn’t for AARC my son would look forward to life on the streets, which would most likely end up dead or in jail. Or maybe he could live in one of those lovely crack houses. We all know everyone gets such good treatment there.

How concerned is anyone going to be about the addict’s rights when they are breaking into your home to steel from you, or mugging at knifepoint. So they can get their next High. Most of the children that went to AARC had criminal records and were constantly in trouble with the law. Or they were in the hospital or psyche wards from the effects of the drugs. In other words these kids were in trouble. These are not happy teens that just like to party on the weekends.

Until you’ve been in one of these parents’ or the sibling of one of these kids you don’t have a clue on what you’re talking about.

In the end the addicts’ will have the right to go to jail. Or they have the right to die on the streets. Ask the kids’ that know both ARRC and Jail, and see what they have to say about witch is better choose. CBC should be ashamed of this story. Your wrong about AARC and you made it seem that AA was ridiculous.

With the lack of integrity shown in this report, I question the reporter's and the CBC's qualifications. (As were Doc. Vause's) The story was not balanced and seemed more interested in scandal. Why weren't the parent's of the disgruntled children interviewed? It was their decision to enroll them in the program. As far as any abuse be it physical or sexual that should definately be addressed. In saying that, an understanding of addicts and addiction would be required. The episode "Powerless" is a very good example of what good journalism is NOT. For shame!! Ethics, morals, social concern, and journalism were all compromised.

It is sad to see that so many AARC supporters are so willing to attack individuals who have raised serious issues with AARC. AARC should be shut down ASAP. No organization should be allowed to exist in society in which when an individual comes forward with a claim fo sexual abuse they are called a liar or they are asked to keep it quiet. AARC does not have a proven recovery record. It has one study which it relies on for its 80% figure. A study performed by AARC itself with outside experts largely admitting they played no part in the study. The idea that in order to treat addiction you have non-trained underage children dealing with other underage addicts is insane! You do not allow criminals to be in charge of enforcing the law.

At the end of the day it seems AARC does not take sexual abuse seriously but as something that can be easily ignored. AARC is a disgrace to Canada and should be investigated and anybody who harmed underage children through sexual abuse, forced restrains, emotional abuse and physical abuse should be charged.

Jennifer McRae wrote:
"NO newcomer is ever left alone especially with 2 males. "

Not true - as an O/C I took girls home to my hosy home. It was common. Left alone with N/C girls all the time.

I don't think it's so easy to say "AARC helped me, so it's good" or "AARC damaged me so it's bad." After reading through the comments, it's obvious that AARC has both helped and harmed the families who have gone through it.
Some kids probably would be dead if they hadn't gone through AARC, but that doesn't mean that every kid was addicted, or wasn't abused or violated in some way by the staff/other clients. For those who were abused, they deserve explanations, apologies, for staff to be removed or changes made - or at the very least, to just be heard.
Personally, I wasn't addicted, and due to my experience at AARC, and specifically due to the actions of two clinical staff who currently work at AARC, I still have a hard time trusting counselors, and even men in general. It seems like some people don't think that we should talk about what we went through- because we're just casualties in AARC's war on addiction, and we don't matter compared to the hundreds of 'success stories.'
I would have a hard time talking in detail about my experiences on this board, let alone on national television, so I commend the courage of the people who appeared on the show. I have a hard time believing that Dr.Vause would ever condone putting feces in a newcomer's mouth, and especially any sort of sexual abuse - if he was aware of it. But it's not hard for me to believe that abuse and inappropriate behavior is occurring in the treatment centre, because I've seen and experienced it.
If Gillian would have interviewed me and my parents, we would have said that AARC has the potential to be a tremendous asset to the community, but their acceptance criteria and staff members need to be evaluated. The bottom line, in my opinion, is that AARC needs to be monitored (like every other institution of this kind) to ensure that the clients admitted: 1. need to be helped, and 2. receive that help in a safe environment.

You have got to be kidding with this program .... the CBC and Gillian Findlay should be embarrased with the biased view that was taken.

ONE satisfied AARC grad/family were given a few minutes - how exactly does that show both sides of the story.

....and if this was supposed to be a story on AARC - there certainly was an inordinate amount of time spent on the Kids of Bergen County - yes, AARC has some of the components of that program but NOT the ones it was shut down for ... and the amount of time spent on the Kids implied that it did.

CBC needs to correct this injustice by doing a story on some of the VERY successful AARC grads and their families not just a few disgruntled clients.

I will not be watching Fifth Estate again - the National Enquirer has nothing on you.

Thank you fifthestate. I was an early graduate and staff member. My "Peer Councellors" were younger than me had no training and were completely unqualified - as was I!. No one there has ever been an acredited psychologist. Families are told if their child leaves he or she will die or go insane or end up in jail. Parents often stay, relinquishing contact with children. They then parrot the party line to new parents, creating fear. I know of several "clients" who were no addicted who were treated at AARC.

Every client should demand their records - they are yours by right.

Listen to the culty adulation of AARC and Dean Vause. Don't drink the kool-aid folks.

I am a former Graduate of AARC, and i also took home one of the girls you interviewed and i remember her short time at aarc very differently. in fact we even took her home at christmas time and bought her a present. also i remember her talking to me about how some oldcomers were verbally hard on her (nothing to the extent that she says) and i immediatly brought it up in oldcomer rap and she was not hosted out to there houses anymore and the oldcomers were talked to by staff right away. also if you have ever stepped foot into AARC you would know that there is no closets besides the level 3 closet and NO newcomer is ever left alone especially with 2 males. and i know for me that if i sat in group with someone for 5 months and listen to them talk, and then they came up behind me i would know there voice. also when you were talking about the staff and how they are uneducated, i have one thing to say. I HAVE BEEN TO THE EDUCATED PEOPLE! and they could not related to me. being able to see other addicts get through there pain and live a principled life afterwards gives hope! and i would also like to say even though i went through aarc 6 years ago. i didnt grasp on to the program right away it took awhlie i have been sober for about a year now. but even when i was out using if you would have asked me if aarc helped i woold have still said yes. because at least i knew a solution i was just choosing not to work it. and my mom spent 10'000 on aarc and she only works at a grocery store. it took her a long time to pay it off but there wasnt one day she ever thought it was a waste of money and it wasnt it helped her too. i was really hurt and angry when i saw this show, but i think that you could make it right by showing the other 400 graduates and the 2000 family members that aarc has helped.
sincerely
Jennifer McRae

This documentry was a complete joke. I thought it was going to be better put together, but it really was a joke. Anyone who takes this, or any 5th estate program, as solid fact obviously doesn't know how to watch documentries. I think both sides of this arguement are a little extreme; the AARC lovers and the AARC haters. It is just a T.V. program, things will settle down in a couple of days, and everyone can continue to live their lives again.

Congratulations to Gillian Findlay. This program disgraced the whole CBC corporation. I have never been so appalled over watching a TV "documentary". The whole report was completely biased and therefore made the women reporter look like a failure. I actually felt sick to my stomach after watching this. The individuals that you interviewed, obviously did not have a good experience at aarc, but it is interesting to see that Jordan Remple (the aarc graduate who supports aarc) had both of his parents to show up for him. So, personally I think this was a major setback for journalism as a whole. Society already knows that the media is corrupt for the majority of the time, but after watching this program, I will continually question the intelligence of the reporters I watch, as this particular reporter is lacking. It is sad what one will do for a story / headline / recognition.

Enough is enough! Do not accuse these women of lying. Do you have any idea how much COURAGE it takes to go public and admit to being violated and raped? You must have absolutely NO IDEA. For a suggestion to be made that they are lying is disgusting, insulting, insensitive, and judgmental. In addition, a worker from the institution admits to this being true, not that we need this "proof" anyway.

It doesn't matter if you are a drug-addict, or if you are a soccer-mom to 4 children, or if you are a convicted fellon, or if you are entering high school at the age of 12: if an allegation of rape is being put forth, it must be taken seriously.

Shame on you for hiding behind a blog and categorizing people to fit a biased and unrealistic mold in a cynical, egocentric judgement. Shame on you.

Firstly, to all those who support AARC: welcome to treatment centres. A centre where you can place your son/daughter and step away until he/she is "cured" or able to "cope". It's a way out for you. Admit it. Your child is now in someone else's care, and not living under your roof. You can have your sigh of relief, your fingers crossed, but basically you are sleeping much better at night.

Secondly, as with teaching: success is possible, but you must be careful as to how to go about it. An army-style-brain-washing-prison manner may work to help some people (by breaking them down and building them back up by your standards and models), but it doesn't make it RIGHT. You can be very happy your son or daughter are now drug-free or alcohol-free, but look closely as to HOW it has gone about. The life they lived in AARC were similar to the conditions of a prison and WORSE.

Thirdly, if an institution holds a child based on false pretenses, then we call this for what it is: kidnapping. Parents are being told that their children are drug-addicts or alcoholics, and this institution is promising to help these devastated, helpless parents/guardians. What are we accepting here? If this happened EVEN ONCE, there should be an official investigation of kidnapping by an institution. And yet, SEVERAL children were sent there under these conditions?

Fourthly, any institution that houses the elderly, physical and mentally handicapped, etc. must have safety regulations. They must have their staff monitored. Why then would an institution housing our children NOT be open to investigations, routine check-ups, etc by the government? How can children be prevented from speaking to their parents/guardians or anyone else from the "outside"? There are NO valid reasons (whether for treatment purposes or not) for secluding children from anyone on the outside for weeks and weeks and months (unless we are hiding something, and if you want to know what that is, read the next paragraph). And if there were EVER an institution to create such an environment, the government should be monitoring it VERY VERY closely. I can't be the only person here to think that this situation is a HUGE red flag.

Finally, why would they not want children to speak to parents/guardians? Because they are breaking them down in the first few weeks and months. It would not suit AARC if kids called home and cried for help. Why can they call later? Because they have already been broken down, and are being built back up. They are not resisting anymore. They have given up. Given up what you may ask? You may think "bad habits", you may think "their way of seeing themselves and their addiction"...they may give those up, but they also lose their soul, their essence. THAT IS NOT TO BE COMPROMISED, EVER.

They are in the process of being brain-washed (whether it's for the good or not, doesn't matter...the manner is WRONG). Why don't they want them to read? Because they want to control their minds.

It is the process not the product that is important. In Canada, we cannot protect and support a process inside an institution that would be considered illegal.

Thank you Fifth Estate for your research and your story. Whether it is one-sided MAKES NO DIFFERENCE HERE, PEOPLE. The truth to one side is still the truth. And if the truth shows ANYTHING illegal, unconstitutional, or has ANY negative impact on our youth, then it is what it is. It should be shut down.

To all parents and guardians: a positive experience of one DOES NOT outweigh a damaging, traumatic experience of another.

I am a graduate of the AARC program, and I credit AARC, the AARC staff, and Dr. Vause, with my life, and all my accomplishments to date. There is no doubt in my mind that without AARC, I would not be alive today.

It saddens me that these atrocities allegedly took place, but how unfortunate would it be if your television show contributed to the termination of a program that has changed the lives of hundreds of teenagers and their families, for the better? I just wish that you had interviewed a more balanced sample - and included those of us that would have ðied without the AARC program.

Sincerely,
Janine Copeland

As a former AARC client, I would like to know how to access my files from AARC?

In a society filled with drug addiction, teen suicides, drug overdose deaths, daily murders from drugs, gang warfare from drugs and white collar drugs use which feeds the fires of the drug trade - you and your reporter chose to attack a respected organization that saved my son's life when he was aged 15......shame on you and shame on your misinformed reporter.

February 16, 2009
Dear Gillian Findlay.
CBC – Fifth Estate

I am writing to you in response to your documentary on AARC that aired on Friday 13 2009.
My wife and I have been married for 27 years. We have three children. Our eldest is attending University of London, England, taking his masters. Our second son is an AARC graduate in his third year at Olds College and our daughter is in her first year at the University of Lethbridge. We are very proud of our children's success.
Last night we gathered as a family to view your documentary
In 2004 Scott arrived at AARC with a cracked cheekbone, one eye swollen shut, and a badly bruised face from an encounter while drinking.
Scott was what one would call, a well rounded individual in school. He excelled scholastically, socially, and athletically.
That all changed in grade 10 when he was coming home drunk, escorted by the police, beaten and bruised and totally unaware of where he had been or what he had done. This happened over, and over.
As life was spiraling down and crumbling before us we really became afraid for his life. Scott , however was unable to see drugs and alcohol as a problem. Rather, drugs and alcohol were the “solution” to his problems. Casual marijuana, and alcohol use became a daily occurrence. Then he was introduced to cocaine. ……
One Saturday evening he came home and went to his room. His sister joined him, sittting on his bed, talking to him and desperately trying to get him to see that he was destroying his life. He did not know I was outside the door listening. I remember my son saying " I am so F------ stupid I don't know why dad doesn't beat the S--- out of me.” I was dumbfounded. I remember being totally distraught seeing my son in this state. How could he be suffering this way? How could he not see that he was throwing his life away? We have always played an active part in raising our children, my wife quit her job to stay home and raise our children. We were very active in our community, and introduced our children to many extra curricular activities. We had many family vacations together. Why was this happening to us? Where did we go wrong? Admitting our son to the AARC program was the most gut wrenching experience of my life. We simply did not want to believe that this was happening.
It was at AARC that we came to understand that our son is an alcoholic and an addict.
In case you didn’t know (your documentary didn’t really express much interest in understanding the addiction process) addiction is a disease as verified by the American Medical Association.
At AARC the whole family is treated, in parent group we are encouraged to reach out and share our experiences with others. While Scott was in treatment our family was encouraged to take the 12 steps along side him as they are laid out in the program of Al-Anon . It was through this process my wife and I came to understand that we did not “cause” Scotts addiction, nor can we “cure” it.
AARC is a unique program, dealing with a cunning, and baffling and often misunderstood disease. Through the twelve steps of AA, Scott has learned to take responsibility for his disease. In step 1 when he admitted that he was “powerless” over alcohol and drugs, he was, for the first time in his life, admitting the “ truth.” No one wants to admit they are powerless over anything especially a 17 year old. This is where the peer counselors play a huge part. By listening to others share their experience, their strength, and their hope Scott was able to see for the first time how drugs, and alcohol were destroying his life. Scott had been to various therapists, as well as AADAC and only seemed to get in touch with others who were using stronger drugs. It was only through honest dialogue (raps) and witnessing others who had completed the program, that Scott was given hope. In short, “He wanted what they had”.
Our son turned 18 while he was in treatment, and had the option of signing out.
He didn’t . Today he is truly grateful that he finished treatment. He still sober and continues to go back to AARC (5 years later) and help others by sharing his experience.
Our family has found a solution to living with this disease. We may not be perfect, but we are open, and honest with each other. We share in each others joys, as well as disappointments. We know how to be a family again. We learned that at AARC.
I guess in closing I would like to express my disappointment with your documentary. You had an opportunity to focus on the great majority of us who have gone through the AARC program and found freedom from this disease. Instead you chose to focus on a four people , or 1 %. AARC now has over 400 grads.
I would challenge you to do another documentary on the success stories of AARC , there are presently over 400 graduates, most are enjoying a healthy , happy and sober life.
Our family, and many others would be happy to participate.

Yours Truly,
Dean Collin

Frightening stuff. Perhaps a review of this program is necessary -- especially regarding the detention and removal of basic human rights from teens.

It's unfortunate that you (CBC) didn't do your homework on the 4 people that you interviewed. Your program no longer holds any validity in my eyes. Had you done your homework (specifically on 3 people), you would have found their stories don't add up. Sad that many parents out there looking for help will use this program on the basis of their decision in utilizing the services of AARC. I am not a past client or family member of a client from AARC but I have seen first hand what it has done for families and it's too bad you couldn't have done a story on that.

My good friend was submitted to AARC around December 4th 2008, she had been smoking pot, drinking (casually at parties) and, due to an outbreak of ecstasy within the city she had done it as well and her mother had her suspicions about all of it one assumes. Due to a sudden realization of how bad ecstasy is most kids stopped, as did she. It had been months since she last did ecstasy and she had just continued to smoke pot and drink like a teenager. One week prior to her forced submission to AARC she had told her friends that she was going away for the weekend with her mother to Calgary, little did we know this was the featured AARC, she herself had been given sketchy details but we all assumed she'd be fine. Weeks went by and little was known about her whereabouts, the program called AARC in Calgary was what I had been told and looked it up on the internet I figured it couldn't be such a bad place and it wouldn't be that bad for her and she'd come back within the next few weeks most likely after Christmas vacation. Oddly enough, in relation to Rachael’s story, I received a call on New Year’s Day in the early am. I was at my friends house and was sound asleep and couldn't hear my phone on vibrate. I woke up and saw a message on my phone. She had called me to tell me that she had run away from AARC, now confirming what facility she was at, she didn't give her whereabouts or much information besides the hope that she'd return. The time following the call all I did was worry if she was alright if she was out on the streets of Calgary which was a terrible thought in itself. I still worry if she’s out there or if she’s been caught by AARC and if back in. Before I had seen this program I prayed she was back in AARC because at least then she'd be safe, but I still worry. I suppose a hint would have been that why would you run away from something that shouldn't be so bad. Anyhow this is just her story and not much is known up till today her friends still miss her and we all hope she'll get back her safely and not too damaged from this wretched long-term debacle. I personally believe the pain and stress this program causes to those in it and to the family and friends is ridiculous.

With the obvious concern over constitutional rights being ignored wilfully by the Alberta Government on everything dealing with custodial care, it is important for those of us with direct personal experience with the history of such matters as the Protection of Persons in Care Act - we need to compare notes. There is a lot under the surface that the public would have a hard time believing unless it is corroborated.

If you wish to follow up on this matter, please visit the list serve:
"citizensforpeacefulcommunities@yahoogroups.com"

The Fifth Estate documentary "Powerless" is very moving. The techniques employed at AARC are most brutual, it seems more like punishment than rehabilitation. As a parent I can recall our own experiences with the Child and Adolescent Services Association of Alberta(CASA) of which our daughter was a recipient. The treatment employed by CASA on our daughter created substantially more problems than it solved. In Alberta it seems like anyone who has a drug addiction or a mental illness becomes a victim of any bizarre treatment.

I don't know if my previous e-mail went through, so I just wanted to make a couple of comments to the horrible "journalism" that was done in this show.
Did anyone think to ask these girls' parents what they thought of the sexual abuse allegations and the "false" diagnosis?
I wonder, how does a someone live in a community of less than a hundred people and not know the voices of the men who raped her? I've lived in a small community of a hundred people, and within four months I could tell you who was thirty feet ahead of me in the dark, by just the way they walked. How could she not know? Because she lied. These drug addicts lie. Believe me, I lived with one for four years, my brother. He went to AARC and thought afterwards that maybe he was mis-diagnosed, until something huge happened in his life and caused him to relapse. These people that you interviewed were four people... and you didn't even check with others who were at AARC at the same time (like peers and sibilings and parents). This was not journalism, it was SLANDER. This "journalist" should be fired for the crapy job she did.
One other thing, is it not illegal to record someone without their concent? You were given a list of four hundred or more people who were willing to talk to you about AARC, and you didn't contact a single person. All I have to say is that someone should do a report on your life and see how horrible and scummy you come out looking.

I never thought anyone who was not in Kids of Bergen County could ever fathom what we had gone through.
Thank you so much. Just knowing someone understands, and
can show our experience in that living hell for what it
truly was...I almost have hope of healing from it all.
- A victim of Kids of Bergen County, 1988-1990.

I simply, as usual, am horrified that these "Nazi" type organizations can flourish in our Canada, and taxpayers like me, are helping to pay for them. It simply proves that some parents will do anything to rid themselves of the problems that they themselves may have created. Those people and their leader, who abused those people, should be charged and punished for their crimes against humanity.

I am concerned that the slanted view of how AARC was protrayed in this program will compromise families who are in great need of a solution to their children's addiction to drugs and alcohol, resulting in the death, incarceration or mental illness of these youth. There will always be the exceptions who will not succeed or come away with a positive experience, however, I believe the number of successes speak for the true effectiveness of the AARC model. We are not talking about teens will minor issues here. These are teens chronically addicted with the lifestyle and self esteem that goes with it. Youth who have destroyed their relationships with themselves and others. I did not find the covereage in this particular program to be responsible or appropriate for this very serious and painfull subject matter.

We were disturbed by your report on AARC. You used poor journalism to show a few disgruntled people who put forth some damning accusations about AARC and it's Staff, but didn't give the rest of us a chance to comment on our experiences, there are over 450 Graduating Families.Why not seek us out for our testimonies?
13 years ago our Son was spiraling down into the depths of drug addition. We were frantic, and went the way of Government assisted programs to help save our Son's life. These Civil servant run programs are a joke, he was allowed privilages that an out of control, untrustworthy drug addict should not have, thus he came out worse than before. I say worse because each time these kids are exposed to unsuccessful treatment they come out with more material to snow the professionals.We heard about AARC and after experiecing the discusting way the Government treatment centers failed we decided to go into the AARC program. This was a one year life changing experience for our entire Family. There is no easier, softer way to deal with a condition that was destroying our Kid and Family! So until you have experieced such devastation don't suppose that you have any idea to the severity. My heart broke when I saw you sneek a camera onto AARC property to try to trap Dr. Vause into making a spur of the moment comment.Dr. Vause has a gift to work with young people trapped in a life threating disease.I have a world of graditute to him and the AARC program.Your documentary has offended me but far worse you could be responsible in influencing people who need to consider AARC to help save their Kid's lives.

At one time I wished to have my daughter attend this program but she was older by the time I heard about AARC and more unmanagable from my perspective of having parental rights. I did attend Al Anon for a few years and did a twelve step program myself. I somehow realized that what I was attempting to do for my daughter was not working and I needed a support group. When you deal with an addict their behaviour is unpredictable and they will not tell the truth to their parents and they get their friends to lie and this is to keep the parent powerless. The spiritual principles that are behind the 12 step program cannot be fully grasped unless one has had experience dealing with addictive personalities or a deeper look at soul issues such as this. From my own experience, the AA personality is generally a type A personality who has control issues, then there is the more introverted idealistic al anon personality who lives with the alcoholic and helps to create a codependent atmosphere. It is hard for either personality to break certain patterns as they both do not see their own dysfunction in the situation, the codependent wanting to make things better and the addictive personality unable to break the cycle:compulsion, impaired control, persistence, irritability, relapse, craving. Addiction is characterized by behaviours such as impaired control over drug use, compulsive use, continued use despite harm and craving. The key features are the use of drugs or alcohol despite negative consequences and relapse therefore you often hear people say, " I cant be an alcoholic because I dont drink that much", even though everyone else in their life can see the negative consequences of continued use. What I feel about your coverage is that you were very irresponsible in giving a one sided view, you expected people to give an accurate account of a highly complex topic despite the fact that you gave them no warning that you wanted an interview. You instead got emotionally-charged interviews from type-A personalities who do well in the circumstances you provided for them. As type-A personalities do not do well with introspection it seems irresponsible to showcase their opinions- the addictive personality- and people who obviously had difficulty with the program provided them. Have you ever heard the opinions and stories of recovered alcoholics who say they have been saved by the grace of God, actually heard them say how they have no other explanation of their conversion from alcohol except by divine grace? How open minded are you at CBC?
There is so little help for parents who have teenagers gone beserk, but all society these days supports an addictive personality. IN our consumer-comercial driven world, youth can get all kinds of support to self-serve and self destruct. How dare you so recklessly attack an organization trying to counteract these negative effects of society, their job is extreemly difficult because people do not understand the complexity of addiction. How do you expect to get a well rounded understanding of 'powerlessness' from someone who did not make it through the program - and who still has monkey-mind telling her what to do. Powerlessness to me means that I make the attempt to rely on my higher consciousness and not my monkey-mind any more. Monkey-mind is the voice that is constantly talking in your head, the one that tells you things like, " who do they think they are, who do they think they are dealing with, I am better than they are, only I can fix this, if I dont do it who will do it, don't tell this secret as it will be bad for the family, you keep your dirty laundry to yourself, my family will disown me, what will the neighbours think" to give you a small example. Powerlessness is a term used to assist individuals who are dependent on monkey-mind to see that there is help for us, a higher power will assist in ways that you obviously 'cant think of' or 'can't do' because of entrapment in a dysfuntional situation that has occured over time. One of the first steps is to understand we are powerless, and we need some outside energy to get us over the dysfunction, there is a better world out there, we arent meant to suffer alone. Dysfunction means that we have closed ourself off to help, we keep doing the same things over and over and expect different results ( AA definition of insanity) The words we speak, our habitual actions keep us on the same tread mill and that is powerlessness. WE all think we can do it alone, are afraid to tell our secrets and become exposed, but when we do tell our secrets and when we do risk, it leads to better -more healthy- outcomes. To see our powerlessness is to break through our isolation and to seek the help of others perhaps healthier, recovered, and now gifted to assist.

In my view your understanding and comprehension of the problem was woefully mis-guided and not what I would have expected from such venerable and well respected veterans of the fifth estate.
Your bias was so blatantly obvious in the staged obligatory ambush "interview" that it translated as humour. The notion of being concerned at street kids being locked up, while humorous, is yet another example of how tragically and completely Ms. Findlay mis-understands the problem.
I sponsor one of the early AARC graduates who is currently making a good living and living a good clean sober life. At the age of 15 he was a street kid being trained by his Father to do B&E's as well as being schooled in how to remove the registration numbers off stolen cars. One of those welfare cases Ms. Findlay dismissed so lightly. Currently he is a house builder and fishing guide on the west coast.
The really sad part about the so called "Documentary" is that there may be some families whose children will be denied the gift of sobriety and a good life because of it

This is poor journalism folks, 3 negatives 1 positive. I would have like to see a parent of a troubled teen interviewed,and let the rest of the public see the parents alternatives.I suppose if you gave a balanced view it wouldn't sell.then the producers job would be on the line, yes its all about ratings,does any network have worse ratings? No wonder few view CBC.

After watching this show and 'collateral damage' it is apparent that canadians can not trust what gets produced by fifth estate 'journalists'. They have shown without a doubt the inability to produce balanced reporting. Not only should their show be questioned but their funding by the Canadian public needs to be questioned.

There is NO public interest being served by the shows they are producing.

When I tuned into the Fifth Estate this weekend, I was shocked to discover that an addiction centre in my community was actually abusing children and not helping them! The stories of the victims is awful to hear about but I'm so glad they had the courage to come forward and tell their story. Without them, we would have no idea how abusive, manipulative and controlling this centre is to teens.
I was wondering if anything is being done to put a stop to AARC's abuse?

When I was 19 years old my parents had an interview with AARC. They took me shopping for non-descript clothing afterwards as they were fully prepared to check me in. At the last minute my mother sat me down at the kitchen table and told me there was something about the place that felt wrong and that no matter what kind of trouble I was in, she didn't want my spirit taken from me.

I am now 32 years old, and up until now felt like maybe my mom's "feeling" was just an excuse not to help me. My life has not been without suffering, pain and mistakes.... it has been a long road to complete sobriety. Tonight, I saw myself in Rachel and realize my story could have been hers. She is a brave, incredible woman and I commend her for speaking her truth so loudly, and clearly. It means she is a strong, intelligent human being whose spirit is indeed "intact".

My mom's feeling was right, and that was confirmed for me tonight on this sleepless, lonely evening. Thank you for this story. If there is any way you could pass this message along to all the participants of this story so they know the impact that this had for at least one person, I would appreciate it.

I have one suggestion; it would be nice to offer up some type of alternative for teenagers who are truly addicted. That was the only thing I felt was missing from this story. The story runs the risk of leaving parents seeking help with an even more helpless feeling.

Thank you!
E.J.

I just want to say, and a previous Aarc client, that I think what powerless has to say about Aarc is slander.Yes some of the practices of AARC may to an outside seem extreme, but for me it is what saved my life. I was a herion addicted crystal meth addict by the age of 15, when my family brought me into AARC, i had to be dragged down there kicking and screaming. i weighed 80 pounds, and I KNOW FOR A FACT IF I HAD NOT BEEN KEPT IN AARC to the people interviewed, i have to say give your head a shake... aarc saved my life, and does for any person who finds their way through the doors, if they let them. I know that aarc will be there to help face ANY situation in life!

I watched the doc, and thought the tretment being adminstered at AARC was useless, and abusive. As K.Dick put it at the end of his "A Scanner Darkly", 'let them play again', what else do you expect kids to do? We all make mistakes, and need to be put on the right path, but not by fake pHD's, and their weird ways. The girl in the doc, Rachael, reminded me of Thomas Hardy's 'Tess', and how she was violated by men because of her beauty and her honesty. Finally, let's shut this place down, I mean this is Canada, and we will not let people be violated on our soil!

Dr. Bruce Perry who coauthored with Maia Szalavaitz the book, "the Boy who was Raised As a dog" is Senior consultant to the Ministry of children' Services in Alberta. He is one of the key authorities on trauma damage to children. It is amazing he is not vocal about the serous nature of this program. you are on to something very important, don't stop now.
I got the information on Maia Szalavitz book through Dr. Alexander. This Dr. Perry has done extensive research into the danger and damages to children through tough love programs.

There is 4% unemployment in Alberta. That means 96% of the people are working.
AARC has about 500 graduates. With an 80% success rate that means there are 400 teens who are living oroductive quality lives. Why would W5 choose to publicize two or three that have not been as successful?
Oh way a minute, this is what the news media is all about in these times. Why not give us a good news story for a change? Perhaps you could start with AARCs successes.
R. Dean Cowan
Red Deer, AB

Seven years ago, our family was devastated by our son's addiction. At 15 he went from a loving son to someone we didn't know. He eventually quite school and all his sports and good friends. Drugs became an everyday necessity. Crime, police and psych wards replaced our once normal family.

This only happened to other people. The next few years can only be decribed as a nightmare.

We went from our local government sponsered addiction service (which is good if your child will cooperate) to pleading with the doctors to please do something to save our son. We called every agency and private centre. Their reply - he needs to want the help.
We cried as the police handcuffed him and arrested him. Next day they let him go, and off to start more destruction. This scene would be repeated again.

We then heard about AARC, 3000 miles away. Within 2 weeks we were off to Alberta.
AARC was exactly what we needed. We were battered and exhausted from our ordeal. AARC took our son and gave him a safe environment. He eventually saw the hopelessness fading. He was able to identify with the peer counselors. They had turned their lives around. They also taught us about addiction and how to deal with it.

Dr. Vause has devoted his life to these kids. He truly cares. Along with his staff they show the kids there is a way out of the madness. We have seen many kids come into AARC completly lost and in very bad shape.
Over time, we saw them transformed into the beautiful people they really were.

AARC is there for the kids that need it. Addiction is not easy to overcome. We are so grateful to AARC for being there when no one else could help. I would highly recommend AARC to any family lost to addiction.

We were very disappointed in your negative portrayal of AARC. It is such an injustice. Why not interview more graduates. It was a very one sided documentary.
At no time did we see any form of abuse in AARC. Our home like all the host homes was a very safe and caring environment. This place saves lives.
Thank you for listening
A very grateful family

Greetings,

The Fifth Estate is a program I savour and enjoy very much. Your documentary on ARRC though, I found really drew a negative and unfair light on Alcoholics Anonymous. The manner in which the highly dysfunctional fundamentals of ARRC and the manner in which they conduct their program were correlated with the principles of AA in a way that was totally off of the mark; they ridiculed a program that has enabled millions of alcohoics around the world not only stop their addiction but recontruct clean, productive and meaningful lifestyles.

I truly believe the Fifth Estate has to come back and rectify some significant collateral damage done here by bringing an understanding, affecting perceptions by clarifying the multitude of paradoxial meanings there is within many asppects of the AA program that were totally ridiculed, distorted and awfulized in your ARRC documentary. One manner of doing that would be to ask sober alcoholics to provide and outline of how AA has helped them and what such elements as powerlessness, surrender, acceptance and being part of the fellowship means to them. I think you may gain a totally different understanding than what was conveyed in the ARRC documentary about AA and for that matter, what it means to be sober.

Sincerely,

Roger R
Saskatchewan

Everything I have seen in this documentary runs contrary to common sense and Canadian law concerning individual rights.

Using powerlessness as a means to coerce conformity reminds of torture and the Inquisition. I doubt their success rate authenticity.

Those under "treatment" were broken in the same manner people get broken in Guantanamo prison; they recant their ways just to make it out of this hell hole.

The "seniors" also remind me of concentration camps "kapos".

Empowerment and self-pride in achievement have proofed morally more sound and efficient like is the case, for instance, in "Voiles de l'Espoir" programs where youth are challenged to get tall ships sailing skills.

Just imagine climbing the main mast, overcoming your fear and self-doubt every ladder of the way, to come up to the "crows nest" knowing you "can do it"

In my humble opinion, I think this concept of helplessness is sick, morally impaired and shows a complete lack of wisdom where teen psychology is concerned.

It also shows parents unwillingness to be ... parents.

I'm disappointed in the FIFTH ESTATE and their very biased viewpoint against Mr Vause and his treatment program. His program is based on the 12 Steps and 12 Traditions of Alcoholics Anonomous which, in deed, HAS worked miracles. In every organization there are a few people who 'spoil' its image and who carry out deeds that are unacceptable-that's not to say that the 'program' is flawed. I'm a recovering addict myself and years ago if I would have been allowed to talk on the phone to my mother, I too would have pleaded with her to get me out. I might not be here today if she would have came and got me. We're ALL in denial when we enter such facilities. We all try to intellectualize our disease. We have to learn that we ARE POWERLESSS over it and Yes, there are Spiritual Readings all around you- it's a spiritual program-not religious. The young girl asked WHY was she kept there when her drug test came back negative after two weeks?....anybody's test would come back negative after TWO WEEKS. I feel most treatment centres operate along the same lines as this TV program- Addicts helping addicts.One-Day-at-a-Time.

I am completely dismayed at the motivation on this investigative report and angry at the damage such biased and unsubstantiated reporting can do to something that is incredibly positive and lifesaving as the AARC program. Whoever is in charge of the standards of this program needs investigating!!
I hope you will look at the many people who have gone through AARC who so outweigh the experiences (real or fabricated) of these 3 people.
This report was a witch hunt.
I sign in disgust with the CBC,
A grateful AARC parent who experienced incredible concern and caring at a desparate time in the life of my family and one who agrees with the comment - Dr. Vause would never knowingly allow abuse or harm to any of the kids in AARC. He is a completely just and dedicated man. Not dedicated in the way Kids was - to his own reputation but to the kids and families!! The representation on 5th Estate was ignorant and biased.
Linda Barton, Provisional Psychologis and
Grateful Parent of an AARC graduate.

Unbalanced report in that only one 'success' was followed for a proportionately short amount of program time relative to the 'unsuccessful'.

Alcoholics Anonymous is not allied with any sect, denomination, politics, organization or institution; does not wish to engage in any controversy, neither endorses nor opposes any causes. (from the AA preamble)
As a long-time member of AA, the comments I make are my own opinion ... In your report on AARC, I believe AA has been protrayed in a very bad light. AA has been one of the most effective programs to help the suffering alcoholic for 74 years. These young people being subjected to the AARC program which includes exposure to AA would seem to turn them away from the very thing that at some time in their lives may be their saving grace.
I would like you to keep my anonymity ... Thank you for the chance to express my personal views. Bob.

We've seen this all before. Residential schools, boot camps for teen delinquents, private mental hospitals and addiction treatment centers like this one. They all end up abusing those they purport to help. The government would shut down anyone who opened a private cancer hospital that employed unqualified staff and questionable treatments but they give these jokers $400K/Year. I will be writing to people I know at Nexen urging them to withdraw support from this so called addiction treatment center.

I'm very glad this program was produced. The stories of the former residents of these supposed "treatment" programs are very believable, and the methods used are very reminiscent of those used by cults and other extreme fundamentalist religious organizations.

I hope those who managed to live through the experience have been able to get past what was thrust upon them and live good lives in spite of it.

Thankyou for your exposure of AARC in Calgary. The public in Alberta now know about it and have a responsiblity to look further and question our MLAs. The province finances an obviously flawed system and must be held accountable. We have a very good agency, Aadac which is staffed by qualified professionals plus a number of Graduates from University Degrees in Addiction Councelling and Family Councelling. I call on Albertans to press our government for proper programs for victims of drug addiction in this province.

This center really needs to be closely monitored and investigated allowing non traineed teens to be counsellors is ridicoulous

I watched Powerless and i am full of distraght. Isn't anything being done to get those teenagers out of that rehab centre? Is the Government doing anything? Is justice in full swing here?

An incredible episode! It's great that the CBC is willing to tackle these types of issues and expose this type of abuse to the Canadian Public.

Great journalism! As a former director of mental health services, I am appalled that there appears to be no oversight of this program.

Modern health care regions all engage in extensive quality management of clinical methods and outcomes. The Alberta government is rightly insistent on the need for health programs to demonstrate and quantify client outcomes to ensure they are delivering what they promise. With AARC, where's the evidence??

Claims of up to 80% "success rates" are extraordinary in the addictions treatment sector - extraordinary claims deserve extraordinary evidence.

However, the most shocking issue in your report was the fact that "Dr." Vause violated client confidentiality and slandered a former client by name in front of a CBC reporter!! In my mind this is a clear indication that Mr. Vause has not a clue about professional ethics. Maybe he skipped those classes in the "alternative" university he attended...

I can bet that if any hospital or health region had these allegations leveled against one of their programs there would be a real hue and cry throughout the media. However, I have yet to see any mention of this story in the Calgary Herald. Given the prominent families and politicians associated with this program, I can see why....

I find it interesting that in 2003 Christine Lunn was so happy with the role that AARC played in her recovery that she and her mom spoke to a group of parents concerned about their out of control teenagers. I remember her saying that she had tried every other facility in Calgary and had been rejected by all of them. The only one left was AARC. She knew she had to go there if she was going to get help. At that point in time she had a criminal record for armed robbery (arrested at age 15). In 2003 she had been sober for 7 years thanks to AARC (her words). In 2006, I heard her mother speak again about how the program at AARC had helped her and her family. In fact, it was Christine's story that convinced me that my family should look to AARC for help. My question is, what happened in Christine Lunn's life over the last 5 years that now she finds she has to blame AARC? Interesting how Fifth Estate neglected to mention what Christine's life looked like before AARC. It isn't every kid who is arrested for armed robbery at age 15. I wish her well in her search for a better life.

I watch FIFTH ESTATE regularly, but this is the first time I’m commenting on a certain episode only because it was really disheartening and also it was something which was happening in my own backyard.

I don’t why this city or this province don’t do anything about this and or is it something what nobody cares. Those heartfelt confessions by the old inmates made me think about the third world jails or asylums; may be not the physical treatment in whole but the mental treatment, which is just demoralising and whatever success they claim it is absolutely 0% success to an individual who have experienced the worst of their lives later down the road in their life. Funded by top corporations! What were they thinking, just a funnel to pour their money to get that Tax Credit, is that all.

This so called institution is nothing but helping these individual to make a mask and wear it rest of their life; maybe the parents are to blame to certain extend too. My prayers with all who have gone through this pain and will go through it.

this is a very poorly researched work of journalism.
Sensationalism seems to be more important than the facts of the story.

Another reason why CBC funding needs to be reduced. less garbage journalism would be produced.

a disgusted taxpayer

Thank you for this story. It once again reinforces the importance of investigative journalism. I hope other viewers will be as utterly shocked and outraged as I was at the incarceration and abuse of vulnerable teenagers (and what teenager is not vulnerable?). Thank you to the former victims who were willing to articulate so well their painful experiences so that the public could be made aware. I am reminded of the compensation for residential school abuses and wonder whether the government is now willing to compensate these victims. I wonder what the next step is to replace this appalling institution with proper centres with qualified counsellors who can help young people overcome addictions in a loving, empowering and effective way.

I just wanted to express my anger that such a place has retarded the tenets of AA into sheer abuse. As a drug addict and alcoholic who has been clean and sober for nearly seven years now through the AA program, there are many things that were said by ARCC that I can agree with - addicts are often dishonest as the drug is more important than integrity; nevertheless, to blatantly disregard allegations of rape or to use physical and emotional abuse to 'breakdown newcomers' is, in my opinion, criminal.

But, I was also disturbed at the irresponsibility of the journalist who assembled this expose to pair AA with ARCC as though the two were not separate entities. AA requires a freely made choice on the part of the alcoholic or addict to admit that they need help and everyone's 'program' is personal in ways that most world religions do not allow. What we watched here was the Jesus Camp of AA and not reflective of a program that through free choice assists millions of people to free themselves from the bonds of addiction and alcoholism. I found the lack of distinction inflammatory, and I fear that that its absence may bar those could use the help that I found in AA from taking that route. That said, I do not believe that AA is the only way, but it was what worked for me. I now am gainfully employed having graduated from university with full honours and am giving back to my community by working with the homeless. I hope this show does not prejudice those people as desperate and broken as I was from the disease of alcoholism and drug addiction from a solution that they might find in AA.

everyone is to be viewed as a full person; to make people to do things by force is abuse. abuse is illegal no matter who does it and where it is done. I am very angry at knowing that people here in Canada are being treated in such a demeaning and demoralizing way.forceful and abusive treatment may work for some people (although it is still abuse) but for others (depending on the type of family you come from) could mean a life long psychological trauma. this is completely unacceptable. a different way has to be found to treat people with drug problems. I think that there is no genius in blackmailing someone to do things that he/she doesn't want to do by using threats that can range from never being allowed to leave the place where you are being "treated" to even sexual assault. This place should not exist here in Canada, and it should be shut down. let's prevent young people from being treated as if they have just been kidnapped by terrorists in the middle of a war torn country. again,the negative psychological effects this "treatment" has on the minds of these young people is too high a price to pay for something that amounts to nothing less than bulling. the owner(s) of this place is(are) getting rich by treating people in a way that in any other place outside that facility is considered criminal.

I was involved (through my son's "recovery") with AARC in 2000, for about 5 months. I can't forget the horrible treatment applied to us (parents) and the way these "clients" were dealt with.
It's a "brainwashing" organization, brutal and lacking any kind of human feelings. My other two kids were called "Satan's children" just because my daughter who was not even involved in the use of drugs refused to admit that she/they were not in "denial", my youngest son was traumatized.
We were not "well off" and this organization treated us like garbage. i was asked to kick out my husband and my daugher "Satan and his child", when I refused to break down my family, I was kicked out for not complying with the rules. (I still have the "rules")
My guess, after watching this episode, is that people still fear the, considering the fact that they have a lot of political support behind. Honestly, I don't understand how they are allowed to operate.
Nothing on your documentary was new to me, and there is still a lot to be shown. This is pure abuse!
Marina Niculcea
(403)238-0710; fax:(403)238-0717

Wow! That was quite a show. I do have a few questions, though. Out of over 400 grads of AARC, you found 4 people that were unhappy with the program, and only 1 that said AARC had changed his life for the better. As a member of the local AA community, I have seen more than 6 or 8 ARRC grads in a single AA meeting, all happy, pretty normal looking kids. Seems kind of odd you could not find more than one to speak well of AARC, out of more than 400 grads. Unless, of course, if you found, lets say, 80% were happy with AARC? I guess that would not be much of a story. A treatment program that works? For teenagers? Unheard of-must be wrong. Oh yes, that 80% sucess rate you refer to so sarcasticly- I take note you were unable to refute that number. Also, when you state that the Gov't of Alberta gives $400,000 to AARC, you dont mention the total budget for AARC per year of over 2 million. That comes from the parents of AARC kids, because, as you know of Alberta, we are"user pay". I guess my last question would be about the parents. Over 400 grads and you could not find any ticked off parents? No one taking action against AARC? Cops lining up to "free the prisoners"? I see none of the parents of the unhappy victims showed up, either. Wonder what that means? Hey next time drop me a line, maybe I can find some grads for you, too bad they are all such a happy bunch, the losers are much harder to find.

I'm a graduate of the AARC program. I spent ten months in intensive therapy, being confronted, and feeling horrible. You can blame AARC, but i felt all those things for close to three years, livving on the streets, and drinking and getting high every day. AARC and it's program helped me too confront these feelings, I was never a victim of sexual abuse, physical abuse, or verbal abuse. I was given the treatment that was necessary for me, I'd been to consellors and therapists, and nothing changed. There may be things wrong with AARC, but there is no perfect system. I highly doubt your reporting methods are perfect. AARC did nothing but show me how to be sober. I have over a yeah sobriety, and though I did not enjoy my experience in AARC, i wouldn't be alive with out it.

I'm shocked that something like this could operate in Canada and not be investigated by Government officials. Is there anything people can do to help see this place shutdown/investigated?

It was very difficult to watch this program and to find out that there is no government agency monitoring this org.
I have worked in education and contract work for social services and I have witnessed how children's right have been violated by a system that panders to the needs of the adults and little feeling is given to the needs of children, even though the programs are suppose to be there to assist, care and guide children.

This ARRC program carries the banner I have seen before....We love and care for your child...but when you flip the signs over.. the truth is "secretly we kick when your not looking"
We need a system that can offer kids in trouble loving clinicians who value individual spirit and do not feel that kids with troubles are evil, broken,or need to be shamed,demeaned and abused in order to get back as a productive participant in their lives.

Shame on our weak politicians, parents who contribute to their children's misbehaving attitudes and zealots posing as care givers.

It is more than apparent from the episode that the so-called "counsellors" had little or no professional training. Within this milieu, claims can become truths,hopes become achievements, and propaganda is taken as science. When bad bias is allowed to drive the "business of labelling and classifying" human beings, it strangles our speech and constricts the space in which we feel safe, free, and proud. Coercive institutionalized confinemenet does not serve the needs of our youth and in many ways leads to social injustice. As adults of this country we should be more proactive toward rationally and intelligently rejecting such "facilities".

This was a powerful presentation on rehabilitation centers. It was very difficult to watch. My daughter died as a result of being forced to sign in to such a place in California by her father and her step mother. I always said nothing like what she experienced could ever happen in Canada.
I do not understand why Dr. Bruce Alexander was not give an opportunity to address the problem of addiction and its overarching effect on parents who often think they must do the thing that will only make the situation worse. These are destructive, horrible places and the program needs to go much further in exploring and in educating the public about what addiction is about.
I ask that Dr. Bruce Alexander be given a place to present his views and his knowledge on a subject close the the hearts of almost every Canadian whether they realize it or not.
Thank you Jillian for a great presentation, now please take us to the core of the issue.

I no longer have any respect for CBC. The people of Fifth Estate, and CBC as a whole should be ashamed.

AARC saves lives. Hundreds of lives have been saved, how can you make that wrong?

You present the relapsed crack-smoking drug users to portray a false image of what AARC really is. For what? Good peoples' humiliation and false representation? OR good ratings. You even bought the relapsed people you interviewed liquor. The people involved with this disgust me.

Your pathetic.

People who practise punitive psychiatry or regimes/groups that rely on it, not only show a blatant disregard for human rights/human life but can be used for something worse. Like locating a person that is both suicidal and hostile. They can be used to perform attacks on targets if you can position them, and program them properly.

It’s a method of warfare.

How about some research into drug adicts/drug users?
How can you tell if a drug addict/drug user is lying?
Answer: Their lips are moving.

I’m not say that young woman is a liar – but take a long hard look at this whole issue.

How about some balance and a look at what drug misuse is about?

I am a member of the support group Parents Forever and of From Grief to Action – a group that grew out of the first group and was instrumental of the establishment of BC’s first publicly funded adolescent residential treatment center – The Crossing that just opened.

How about a show on the toll drug use takes on families, – on the ‘collateral damage” it leaves behind, on the harvest of lies that just keeps on giving.

I partially seen your show and understand a little about what the people are saying. You have an army of rich people with addictions, but teens and poor are being penalized for it.

I see people trying to get others to admit to things they haven’t done, on a daily basis. Not only that, but they are carting this information to Police, doctors, and Universities. In forms of survey with the purpose of stereotyping.

I guess they don’t know the extent of their destruction carting that information across the country and across boarders. If we had to stereotype me from where I have been and things I seen, I would be a monster.

“I guess your still guilty by association, and guilty before innocent. The crimes being committed are more illegal then the person detained. Like the beating of children in correctional homes.”

I’ve seen way too much of it.

I never went through Aarc but, a close friend of mine did.
After watching the show, I am grateful there are others who see it as I do. I have been reading the posts published on a facebook group and it saddens me how brainwashed the Aarc community is. Before the show even aired the Aarc community was talking about how the show is a bunch of lies and how the media has twisted the story. How can you say the show is dishonest when it hadn't been aired?? From what I have seen regarding how Aarc is actually run, the show seemed very factual. The methods used to treat the questionable addicts is disgusting! Kids try to run away from Aarc but the staff members actually go on a hunt to track down the kids. The kids have no where to go because their family will take them back to Aarc. They new comers are treated like criminals, until they realize the only way out is to give in. They are in Aarc for over 6 months. By the end most of them are so brainwashed they will always need Aarc to survive!!
How can an 18 year old with no background education or work experience counsel a level 4 drug addict?
How is legal to take away all basic rights of a human being?
Like an Aarc family member would say "I'll pray for you", well I pray for you guys. I also pray that Aarc gets shut down ASAP!!!!!

This information presented in this documentary is so untrue. I put 2 kids through AARC, they were strict, but never abusive. They saved my kids lives and I will be forever grateful to Dr Vause and his staff.

After watching this. As a parent. I firmly believe that the powerless need our help!
This center requires some type of Governmental monitoring.

These young addicts need some help!

I am horrified at the one sided "journalism" that was done on this show. I am a sister of a drug addict and lived with his lies and addiction for years. All drug addicts are great at lying, they will say anything to get the kind of response they want. All that was interviewed were the four kids that thought they were wronged, but there was no EVIDENCE, which is what I thought journalism was all about. Did you test these kids for drug use when you did the show? How do you know that they weren't doing drugs at the time? My brother relapsed a year ago (after nine and a half years of being drug free thanks to AARC), he went back to AARC and was helped a second time. He thought he was wrongly accused of being a drug addict, until he realized that he was wrong when he relapsed. And you know, none of us knew he was using again until he was caught by his wife (who also went through AARC ten years ago). He was lying to all of us again, and none of us could tell. That's how good these addicts are, no one can tell.
How about checking on some of your facts before doing a clown show? Did you ask any of the other kids who were there at the same time as these girls who were "sexually abused"? This would be called Journalism-101! Why didn't these girls come forward right after getting out of treatment? Why don't they have any proof? I could claim that anyone sexually abused me, but until I have any proof it is called slander... and that's exactly what you did. There were three girls that claimed these things, what about the hundreds of other kids that came out that would say otherwise?
This was not journalism, it was slander at it's best.
I will NEVER watch your show again, because I now know that it is based lies and not any kind of facts.
Cheri

I've read about nine pages of comments here, and it's getting rather repetitive. It is clear who the people are who are using this episode as their only source of information. It is also clear who the people are who do not have any PERSONAL experience with the disease. One of Dr. Vause's favorite lines was (and I was disappointed that we didn't hear it (we did hear the marmalade joke though) was "It's your best thinking that got you here" That goes for the addicted kids, and it goes for the parents. A hug and a nice talk is not going to fix any of their problems. These families needs to change their lives as they were living them, and it needs to be aggressive.

With regards to the episode itself, I thought it was terrible. The majority of the footage was at least 10 years old and their attempts at impartiality was laughable. I did not know one of the girls who was allegedly raped, but I did know who she hung out with, and if that is a testament to her credibility, I would not believe her. If she is telling the truth though, she does have my sympathies. That should not happen to anyone. However, this sort of thing happens everywhere. There are occurrences of people abusing their power in schools, offices, hospitals, churches, even the government *gasp*. I am not saying it is acceptable, I am saying it happens, and is not cause for an institution to be "burned to the ground" as some have suggested.

As for accusing a drug addict of lying... well that's absurd, they'd never do that!

The CBC and reporter have done a great disservice to Dr. Vause, AARC and quite possibly will result in the lost lives of young people and parents who could have benefitted from this program. I am a parent of one of the 420 plus graduates. Our son was a level four destined to destroy himself and us with him.

If your reporter had a modicum of knowledge of the 12-steps, AA, the history and development of this, and the tens of millions of people who have benefited from it, she would have understood the significance of these in the treatment.

Addiction of any kind is life, relationship & soul destroying.

I think this program was libelous and slanderous. I think you should have talked to some of the parents and more of the kids who are alive today because of AARC.

Host homes were responsible for the well-being and safety of the young people entrusted to them. Some could harm themselves or be on the streets and be back into their destructive habits, so there were bars on lower windows and alarms on the doors to prevent this from happening.

Host home parents had a greater understanding of the nature of addiction and fewer difficult memories of the past behaviour and were more likely to know how to interact with the newcomer in a positive, respectful manner. The newcomers were almost always courteous and respectful as this was an element of their improving well-being.

Respectfully,
A grateful parent

If these young girls have in fact been violated then an investigation must be made. My impression of AARC is that they try to keep everyone involved as safe as possible. The Fifth Estate did not clarify that clients 16 and over are free to leave at any time. And those under 16 have been signed in by their parents, excercising the rights they have to keep their children safe. I respect Dr Vause and the work he is courageous enough to carry out for children who would otherwise be written off and would grow up to be burdens and dangers to society. The Fifth Estate endangers this incredible opportunity for our deeply troubled youth by allowing uninformed comments to pass as judgement on this program. It is 'alleged' that investigators of the Fifth Estate in fact bought drinks for a youth that participated in this program during their interview with him. Anyone with experience with addiction would be outraged to hear that this abuse for information would be tolerated.

Thank you so much for reporting on the AARC ;prison; for teenagers. It is horrible to think that parents are so ignonant of their own children and prefer to jail them than to love and education them. It is also revealing how the government agencies simple ignore the profit takers of such nonsence schemes designed only to torture the youth of today. The young women were courageous to speak directly about their horrors lived at AARC. They will hopefully open the eyes of parents and governments! Also rape is a crime against females. Is justice ever going to come to these brave females? What another shame of our society!

I watched the show last night on the 'Powerless' in the treatment centre AARC and was very disappointed with CBC's bias opinion.
Young people going into AARC or any other treatment centre are angry. Most addicted people (young or old) will not always admit to their addictions.
I first heard of AARC when a coworker placed her daughter in the program. Acouple of years later my nephew went into AARC.
Your program only dealtwith the angry upset adicted (former addicted) youth but did not interview the parents. AARC not only works with the addict but also the families.
Watching the show last night with a friend they recognized Rachel. Rachel had spent a great deal of time in Foothills hospital and knew her RIGHTS. It is my understanding that her parents and split and were not on the best of terms. "Dady" had bought Rachel a furnished condo for her to move into when she turned 16 and would be able to live on her own (She was 15 at the time)
As for being "locked up" yes there were locks on the doors but Rachel led you down the garden path. They were allowed to close the bathroom door when using it. They were allowed to read. In fact Dr. Vause encouraged the clients to continue their education. Many student went to Chinook College while in treatment.
Myu nephew was in when the Flames were fighting for the Stanley Cupand yes they were allowed to watch.
Dr. Vause rewarded clients with trips to football games (the joke was however if Sask. was playing you had to cheer for them)
It is also my understanding that one of the interview was done inside a bar where Jillian(?) bought the client a drink Is that responsible giving an addict a drink.
You failed to mention between the States and AARC Ddr. Vause was in Vancouver.
As for the peer counseller who better to work with the youth than someone who has been through it and around their age.
Until you have lived with an addicted person you have no idea of how it tears the family apart.
I hope that Jillan does not have to go hrough this with her children.
As a tax payer helping support CBC I would apppreciated gettin both sides of the story so I can make an informed choice. AArc may not work for everyone but it did help my family.

I wonder how the people at The Fifth Estate would feel if it was their child living on the street at 15 years of age, using heroin and living in drug houses. No amount of pleading can convince them that they need help. In fact they think you are the problem because you are making such a big deal about nothing.

Perhaps you would have a different take had you walked the street like we Aarc parents have, trying to find help only to be told repeatedly that there is no help unless our kids sign up voluntarily. How would you feel if your child was dying in front of your eyes and none of the health care professionals could offer help?

But you have not lived this nightmare yourself so I can only guess that it was easy to take a judgmental stand and produce a sensational yet biased piece of journalism about a place like Aarc. I have been through the Aarc program and both my son and I are extremely grateful for the healing we received. Today we have a relationship based on honesty and love. A far cry form when we first went in.

It is really too bad that The Fifth Estate only told one side of the story. I am really quite shocked that the truth can be so skewed by a reputable program.

Are the comments responses posted on your site for viewers to see?

I submitted a comment on this story "Powerless" and how do I know if you received it and if it is posted somewhere to be viewed?

Thank you

How dare you publish something that you know nothing about.
How dare you listen to a girl who is a complete pathological liar and complete NUT CASE. She stayed at my house many times while she was in treatment. Our family was HER family while in treatment, We loved her unconditionally and she got a long great with us.

For this to happen is a complete joke. Us siblings and parents of the youth who are admitted into AARC would LOVE for the chance to be councelled like them. We wish that we could all beat our demands and learn to accept, let go and love. So for you to completely bad mouth a program that saves lives, MY SISTERS life... our family... you definitely have problems.
How RUDE.
How hurtful.
You are all jerks and I hope that you cannot sleep at night.
Oh and by the way. I wish that the next drug addicted adolescent is one of your own, so that maybe you will understand things a bit better.
Oh, and realize that there is NOTHING out there to help them and your family except AARC. To bad your chances of helping your child will be minimum, as you will not be accepting into the AARC family.

Thanks a lot
ASSHOLES

As a parent of an AARC graduate, I am saddened by your "story" last night. I have always had a lot of respect for the CBC, but seeing your extremely biased view of AARC has changed that opinion.

I am sure many of us (graduates of AARC) are asking the same question, "Why did you only choose to interview 5 graduate clients, with only 1 one them reporting their gratitude for the program?" Given that last night AARC celebrated it's 403rd graduation, I do not feel that due diligence was taken to accurately portray AARC.

It is quite obvious that you had an agenda and a very negative one at that.

So, what about all the teens and families, like ours, who have found hope where none existed previously. We thought we had lost our daughter forever - she hated us and herself. At 15, she had run away and was living a life that was spiraling downward. Drugs were her only constant companion. We feared for her safety and were completely hopeless... until we found AARC.

Yes, we had to "trick" her into AARC and she was angry at at first for that... since graduating, she has also expressed her gratitude to us for doing that. And ours was not an easy-ride through AARC either.... it took our daughter 14 months to complete the program. Our whole family struggled because each of us had become dysfunctional without even realizing it.

I had become almost crazy with wanting to try and control her every move so that I would know when she was and who she was with. Over time, that behavior manifested itself in other areas of my life and all my relationships became strained. AARC helped me realize the patterns I had formed and I was able to free myself from the need to control. You cannot imagine how different life has become for me. I am now able to just let life happen on life's terms. I cannot change anyone but me. But now I can be a support to others who are going through what we have been through.

I also want to address three specific areas in your "story":

Firstly, you say that the program costs each family $50,000 but you are wrong. Fees are based on income and that is why we do significant fund-raising, so that families who are unable to pay the $150 per day, can be subsidized. No one is turned away from AARC because of finances.

Secondly, your "story" portrayed recovery homes very badly. We had our recovery home open for 4 months, without any incidence. The clients we had stay with us were keep out of harm (from themselves or others) and were treated with love and respect. The proof of that is obvious, if you were to take the time to investigate further, you would find that many of the clients keep in regular contact with the recovery home families that they were cared for by. We have come to love these kids like members of our own families.

Thirdly, the program is not a religious one. I know this because I have a very strong Christian faith and at AARC the 12 Steps of AA are used and throughout AA God is referred to as a "higher power" - each person's choice as to what that is. Neither AARC staff nor recovery home families are permitted to share their religious views with the clients.

In addition, knowing AARC and all it's staff as well as I now do, I find the accusations made by your 4 dissatisfied interviewees very difficult to believe. If what they said is true, then they should have contacted the appropriate authorities. Parents are in and out of that building throughout each day and not much goes on that we don't all hear about either from the staff or from the clients themselves.

In closing, while I agree that AARC is not for every family, based on their situation and the level of addiction, I hope that families in real need of AARC's help will not be put off by your "story"... where else are they to take their children. Leaving them in jail, on psyche-wards, or on the streets to die is not an option!

This is a big eye opener. While a need to recognize drug & alchol abuse as a medical condition,this should not warrant this type of behaviour from those involved in the running of this program. The most disgusting part of this documentary was at the end with Dean Vause standing with so called graduates a girl on each side of him, and HIS HAND FIRMLY PLACED ON THE ONE GIRLS WAIST IN WHAT CAN ONLY BE CONSTRUED AS A POSSESIVE NATURE. Perhaps one should look into that aspect.

I watched Fifth Estate last night re AARC and found it rather "one-sided" and more of a smear campaign than informative. I am disappointed that CBC would not present a more balanced view. Any institution (school, hospital, treatment center) is going to have some failures and make some mistakes, and AARC is no different.

Success stories would have been a welcome relief. Surely they outway the unsuccessful clients, but we have no way of knowing because no statistics were given, and lengthy interviews were given mainly to the people who were complaining.

We have a serious health problem with adolescents and drugs, and too few beds to house them in for help. Do you really think slamming one of these few institutions is going to help anything? Your show has really tarred and feathered AARC.

Powerless? It is not a four-letter word. Yes, we are powerless over a number of things in our environment--bacteria, weather, what your investigators are going to choose to show on Fifth Estate, the color of our skin, aging, etc. Being powerless just means we have to acknowledge what is, and make choices regarding what we can change and what we cannot change.

It is disturbing that your invesigators couldn't have done the public well by informing parents of just what is available when their adolescent children are prostituting themselves (boys and girls)just to get the money to get high, jumping over the counters of Mac Stores to steal some money to get high, doing things that make them so ashamed of themselves just to get high that their self esteem is zero and they see no way out and want to kill themselves. How about helping parents with that information--rather than putting the doubt in their heads about one of the few places available to get help. Your journalists get the prize for negative reporting on this one. It really was unjust and corrosive to say the least.

I personally have no interest in AARC outside of being a citizen of Calgary and grandmother of six grandchildren entering their teen age years. If one of them gets hooked on drugs--and no one is exempt--let there please be help for them.

IDEA; How about the journalists giving us a run-down on adolescent drug treatment centers in Canada--how many beds are available for how many estimated adolescent drug addicts and alcoholics.

IDEA: How about the journalists, who are SO INTERESTED in this topic, spending some of their time and money helping out at one of these institutions; and, then they can give us a more balanced view of what really happens in a treatment center and the results.

Regarding "Powerless": I am appalled and shocked by what it revealed. And by the silence and neglect of the authorities. Don't these youngsters have any rights? Are they not Canadian citizens with all the rights granted by the Charter? Don't the authorities, and all of us, have duties toward them? Even if it was true that they had used some drugs --which does not seem to be true in some cases-- have they lost all of these rights for this? Without any trial at all. And does it justify jailing them for this and abandoning them to the whims of unsupervised abusive "authorities"?
There must be a public investigation and this place must be closed forthwith at least until the publication of the results of the investigation.
I am surprised to be the first one to comment on your excellent program. I thought that there would be a huge outcry and that my comment would be redundent. Don't anybody give a damn about the rights and freedom of these youngsters? Shame on us!
Andre Sirois

I viewed this program and felt it was very one sided. Were there any interviews done with the parents of these disgruntled people? As a parent of two daughters that needed the help of AARC, I will always be grateful for what AARC has done for our family and I know that my daughters are too.

As one of the many graduates of AARC who was never addicted to drugs or alcohol, I'm grateful that our stories have been told.
I have mixed feelings about the treatment centre. I don't believe it should be shut down, but I have felt strongly for years that it should be regulated and monitored. There are former and current staff who I believe, from personal experience, should not be in a position to deal with troubled youth.
It seems to me that AARC has 'gone to war' with teen addiction, but unfortunately has chosen to carpet bomb the community, accepting kids with even the mildest emotional issues - rather than accepting a select few based on accurate and reasonable criteria. The casualties of AARC - the dozens, perhaps hundreds, of teens who truly are not addicted - have had to rebuild their lives after AARC, often on their own as young adults with a Grade 7-8 education. The 16 months I spent in AARC weren't nearly as challenging as the years it took to adapt to life in the real world, catch up in school, and regain my true identity.

It is hard to believe that such an unprofessional, cultist outfit like AARC is operating in Canada with impunity. Its appears that in the USA, all the offshoots of the KIDS program have been shut down and succesfully sued for their abuses. AARC have been on the radar of the International Survivors Action Committee (www.isaccorp.org) since at least 2003.

Hello. For context I will tell you that I practice law in Calgary exclusively in the area of youth criminal defence. I have been involved in this area of law since the Young Offenders Act was new in 1984. You might be familiar with my name since I was interviewed for this show. Of course, nothing that I said in my hour long telephone interview was repeated on the show. That might be because I support AARC. Over the years I have come into contact with hundreds of youth who's lives have been profoundly impacted by their addiction issues. They are estranged from families who are so frustrated by victimization that they have no choice but to lock their children out of their home. These children are the homeless, the ones sleeping under bridges,the ones begging outside of the local coffee shop that we avert our eyes from, the ones who commit acts that would repulse the most cynical adult. These are the kids that I deal with and am asked to help. I have seen children near death, with collapsed veins, injecting into their breasts. I've been to too many funerals where the pallbearers are teenagers. So,to say I was dissappointed in the focus of your program is an immense understatement. You could have put a face on adolescent addiction that made a difference to the viewing public. You could have talked about the many professionals and Board Members that keep this program accountable. You could have aired the testimonials of parents who are grateful to AARC because their child was given a set of coping skills that will carry them through their lives, healthy and sober. Alot of them are are grateful their children are not dead. I was interested to note that none of parents of the ex-clients that were featured were interviewed. Those parents would have been an integral part of how those clients got to the program in the first place. The program you aired even diminished the efficacy of the 12 step program. AARC has helped hundreds and I am proud to support them. Shame on you. Cathy Lane Goodfellow

Where on earth did you get your facts & background information. When doing a story on an individual or organization I would think it should be from all sides & factual. I watched the program & am angered by the lack of detail used in describing AARC and it's program. While I acknowledge there are two sides to every coin, it appears to me that the 5'th Estate has gone out of their way to slant the true story & slander the AARC program. I will not dispute the story of the 3 dissatisfied former clients/patients, but what about hearing from the nearly 400 others??? I see you selected 1 family supporting AARC giving them 5 minutes air time, yet ran AARC down for the remaining hour - DO YOU BELIVE IN TRUTHFULNESS & HONESTY?

I will be sending a written letter of complaint to the 5'th estate and a copy to CBC, CRTC and AARC. I am ANGRY for the 1'st time in a very long time - congratulations - you have lost a viwer.

Do the ends justify the means.
If there is nothing to hide, why not fling open the doors and show off your program?

How horribly sad that the hundreds of parents, siblings and graduates who are grateful for AARC and the people who support it were not interviewed.
The show was so unbalanced I don't even know where to begin to respond.
We are parents who lived with a desperate situation for 6 years before finding AARC. It is way more important to us that others find the hope that we did than argue journalistic integrity.
To those who so faithfully support AARC, whose work, experience, and donations allowed a way out of the despair of addiction and for our family to be together again. Thank you.
To those families still living in this despair. Call us anytime. We would be more than happy to share our personal experience with AARC and how it benefited our family.
Paula & Ron Remple
(403)678-3735

Dear Gillian Findlay and CBC's Fifth Estate,

I am appalled at the lack of journalistic integrity in your latest piece "Powerless". I felt that after watching the show you had slandered the name of AARC and all those associated with it. Without due diligence on the part of your research team to find out what the AARC Treatment program is really about; healing kids from terrible addictions.

I have gone through the program as a sibling, I have seen the raps, the "tough love", had kids in my home, and all of it has been a part of one of the best experiences in my life. I learned a lot about myself, about family dynamics, and how to care about my family again in a healthy way.

My sibling was on death's door, they had been in the hospital on numerous occasions, for lengthy month long stays. In and out of different kinds of treatment, spoken to doctors, and counselors; nothing helped.

My sibling was coughing up blood and was so thin that I could see each and every one of their ribs. They had been using and dealing for 4 years; addicted to everything from Cocaine to Oxycontin, chugging cough syrup to smoking a joint, all the while abusing alcohol and dealing drugs for some very bad people.

In AARC my sibling met with a psychiatrist who specialized in Adolescent and Child Health once a week, had access to a RN that is on staff, and was counseled by a staff member that has a degree. Our experience with peer counselors has been an impressive part of the treatment, these men and women have been living clean and sober and can give the right kind of support to kids that feel alone in their illness.

The Fifth Estate show seemed to doubt the claim that Addiction is a disease; the American Psychological Association explains that Addiction is a Brain Disease on their website and in numerous articles.

All I know is that I am forever grateful to AARC and Dr. Vause for their support and help in my family's time of need; and for giving my sibling their life back.

My sibling is healthy clean and sober, back in school, working part-time and has healthy relationships with friends and family.

I hope that you will retract your biased and slandering statements about AARC so that other families and their addicted teens can get the help that is not offered anywhere else in the country.

Thank you.

Thank you CBC and those at Fifth Estate for your long hours put into the making of this episode.

I would like to comment on the part of the show involving Rachael, where Dean Vause is warning Gillian to be careful and explaining to Gillian Findlay the complexity of Racheal's "problems". It seems he's admitting that AARC knew she wasn't an addict but felt they were somehow qualified to treat such an "extreme" case anyway.

I believe this admittance is in direct violation of the Health Act where unqualified staff are performing restricted activities outlined in the act.

Thank you again for running this important piece!

I can't believe this is going on in Canada. Where is our Goverment? I to was an addict and A.A WAS VERY LITTLE HELP OR NONE AT ALL. I feel for these poor kids something needs to be done!

Enjoyed the "Powerless" seagment.. As a former Kids of North jersey inmate from 1991 to 1994, The evilness of Newton was not shown in my opinion.. Parts of his story are not told.. Moving from bergan county to Seacucus NJ and changing the name to Kids of north jersey.. This man hide us in Peoples homes and fire houses and churches as he was being investigted.. There are also more details to his torture and levels of brainwashing which I don't think were touched upon..

Sorry for the bad spelling but writting this quickly before work...

Thanks
Lenny Zimmerman
Kids 1991 thru 1994

You want some real honesty and emotion drop me an e-mail..

Did Rachel and Blina both get raped while they were "clients" of AARC? If they were, has the Fifth Estate reported this to the police in Alberta and have the police started a criminal investigation?

It is a sad day when a few incidents by unproven accusations can be made into a full program of attack on a program that saves lives.

I guess it is more chance of getting viewer attraction to watch something is is negative and untrue than to see AARC as it is - a very open, monitored program that is difficult because the situations are difficult and life-threatening.

You should be ashamed of what you expressed to Canada. It is false. AARC saved my life and two of my children's lives. If you talk to the hundreds of other graduates of the program you would hear very different stories.

I am sickened and horrified to see this happening in Canada.
This is behaviour modification through torture. It's Canada's very own Guantanamo Bay torture camp.

The "oldtimers"old timers sound very much like recruited child warriors in Africa. Their only qualification is cult brainwashing.

Intellectualism and reading are crimes?! Robbing children of an education and the freedom to learn and think are the real crimes.
If any institution has absolute power over children with no oversight, then rape, beatings and abuse is inevitable.
As soon as I understood that this was a situation of ordinary and many individuals having absolute power over children and teenagers I knew there will be rapes and extraordinary abuse and sure enough the documentary in short order began to talk about rapes and being forced to eat excrement etc.

Giving absolute unsupervised power to individuals over other individuals guarantees that they will be made into virtual slaves used for sexual and power gratification purposes.

In such a situation of secrecy and unaccountability and propaganda cover-up very like only the tip of the iceberg has been uncovered.

It's outrageous that Alberta taxpayers money goes to pay for this and that the media have been used to propagandize for his horror institution.

How far up does the corruption in our political system go that this could have occurred?

We need to find out what politicians and organizations have approved giving these abusers our money and have them disempowered.

Its hard to beleive a place like exits today in a country like canada.The reason they have such a great success rate is because these kids are so afraid they might end up back there. Especialy when you have rape and other sorts of abuse . Maybe goverment should start watching the fifth estate.Then they might know what goes on in our country.The Alberta goverment should launch an investigation into what to goes on there.The RCMP just might find some GUILTY people.

dissapointing journalism. very biased. very harsh. over the top negativity.

I was shocked to learn something this barbaric is happening in the western world, let alone my home town!

Even more shocking is the funding, not to mention the silence and lack of monitoring by the Alberta Government.

AARC seems nothing short of a modern day concentration camp and should be shut down - immediately! There is no excuse!

Having finally rerun the Bountiful piece enough times to get Winston Blackmore charged with something, 5th estate finds a new crusade to embark upon - a program, funded partly by a government, which treats teenage drug addiction with remarkable success.

Having taken down the leader of a peaceful, prosperous community whose principle sin was of following a religious commitment to polygamy (illegal in Canada, as is prejudice based on religious belief - no dichotomy here?) 5th estate now turns its ugly head toward a new supposed problem.

We have seen our justice system turn away from parents trying to keep their kids out of trouble (we can't legally discipline them. Even a spank on the bum when they're 2 gets Family Services knocking on the door), so by the time they're 13, 14, 15 they have no self-discipline, no respect for their parents, the law, their peers (unless said peers are in possession of a handgun) or themselves. There was a point in their lives when a harsh word and a swat on the bum would have had an effect, but that time's long past. This is the reality that AARC deals with. It's a job that few (myself included) would have the patience, strength or optimism to do, but the testimony of graduates of the program speak to its neccessity.

Huggy-kissy psychologists have, with zero-outcome games, no exams (to make sure they've learned what they went to school for a year to learn), re-taking tests they did poorly on etc., all-but destroyed our ability to raise a generation of responsible, well-educated kids so, now, when kids mess up, they mess up big-time, and getting them back isn't "No" and a swat. It's bootcamp, and that's what AARC does. If the producers of 5th estate think they can do the same job with the kind of huggy-feely tactics they seem to be espousing, I have a couple of candidates. Good luck.

Jordan's an engaging young man, well grounded, who now recognizes how close he came to disaster and is giving back to the institution (and the parents) that saved him.

My heart goes out to the young ladies who were victimized while at AARC. Such conduct can never be tolerated, and it is my fervent hope that the perpetrators of the assaults be brought to justice. I am saddened , however, by their failure to recognize that, without the intervention of AARC and its curtailment of their downward spiral, sexual assualt would, by now, be a daily event. The willingness of the detractors of AARC to blame AARC for the hardship of overcoming the temptations which it exists

After watching the program tonight i was very disapointed on what was said. I went to AARC and i was in there for 11 months. It was the hardest thing i ever had to do. It is a family based treatment centre, my whole family commited to be there and show up for me. My life was destroyed and i was in denial and could not see it when i went in. After being in the program i started to see the way my life really was. All i have to say is that i am so grateful to have gone into AARC. It saved my life! Dr. Vause and all the staff there are wonderful people and they all helped me in some way. All the staff deticate there lives to helping teens, just like me. If it wasnt for AARC and the staff there, i would not have been able to get sober and be where i am in life today! You only interviewed one person who is a staff at AARC today. AARC has changed so many peoples lives in a possitive way! I love AARC and i will always remeber how it changed my life and how i watched it changed many others! Thanks so much!

Thank you Rachael. Thank you Simi. Thanks Bodanna, Christine, and Scott. Your courage to speak out on camera is impressive to the those of us who have yet to do so.

And thank you Fifth Estate for bringing some much needed critical light to AARC. It's almost 20 years since I was in Bergen County with the rest of the Canadian contingent (so strange to see us all flapping our arms on national television...), and it's absolutely amazing that AARC is still going strong. Hopefully this important piece signals a changing tide in the way Alberta tolerates and subsidizes abuse in the guise of help.

To those still under the spell, there is a better way.

I just witnessed this mockery of documentaries. The reporter was clearly biased in her opinion, took the one side of the story fed it steroids and shoved it in peoples faces.

I do sympathize for those horrible that things that happened to those couple people. I did feel for them and the pain they must've gone through. However I think it was unethical to take those minor things that happened in the past and make it seem like that's how things are run now?! Maybe interview some recent graduates?

My family went through this treatment center. Not once but twice. My step sister signed herself out when she turned 18. My sister just recently graduated within the last month. When she went in, my family was a disaster. Everyone was so clearly beaten down from the destruction that was her using. We became desensitized and just didn't want to deal with pain anymore. Aarc may seem forceful, but really if they went halfhearted and allowed people to wallow in themselves; nothing would change and these addicts would go back to using. You have to work through the pain, it gets worse before it gets better.

I do realize I am very biased towards Aarc, however the miracle is I have my sister and family again. Nothing in the world can compare to that. Honestly, you have to look inside the institution to truely appreciate it. Not the few who unfortunately had a bad expirence.

Aarc changed my life for the much better, and I'm not even an addict.
Thank you.

I would just like to comment on the dishonesty of this segment, and the blatant attempt to discredit a very reputable place that has saved so many lives, including my own.

My little sister was part of this program, she was in it for almost a year. Before she went it, our family was destroyed. My own blood and flesh has stolen from me, had tried to kill me in one of her withdrawals from drugs. how can you say that I just couldn't handle her? She almost stabbed me to death. My parents were being dragged over broken glass trying to help my sister. We tried AADAC, who only tried to get my sister to use cocaine 6 times a week instead of 7. AARC saved my family.

And just for the record, any parent who has been in this program will laugh at your face for saying it was an easy way out. Living with someone with an addiction can impact your lives as well. They had to work almost as hard as the kids in rehab. Dean Vause is a brilliant man who's only crime is being extremely blunt. He told you what you were in too much denial to see yourself. He said it to the kids, the parents, and siblings too.

These kids got where they were being being a con artist. They stole from their friends and family just to get their next high. They are obsessed and just want to feel good the only way they can. Not once have I ever heard any be called worthless, or useless. Or any other derogatory term other than "druggie" because in truth it is who they have become.

AARC also helps the families. We all get counseling and are encouraged take the 12 step program. I am agnostic but this allowed me to believe what I wanted to believe. I also suffered from depression and had suicidal tendencies. AARC was a safe place that I would turn to. They didn't only help my sister, who is now alive and we are best friends, it helped me and thanks to them I am still alive.

This program is not easy, but there are people out there who need it, and this may have destroyed that last hope. Think of how many kids will die because of it. Maybe there are a few who claim they can do drugs and live a normal life but they are few and far between. Most of them die, or get fired for taking too much time to do drugs or are in serious debt and poor health.

So I may get edited and this may never see the discussion board but this will not be the only place I will post this. You cannot insult people who are just trying to help others and not have people who have been healed by them be angered.

I saw Dean Vause tonight, and I know he is thinking of all those kids whose parents will not turn to them because of this. He cares about every single one of those kids, I have seen it myself.

What yellow journalism presented unethically by Gillian Findlay. Dis Dr. Dean Vause know he was being recored and taped in the parking lot. If not this in violation of the code and ethics among journalists. This report was biased in that it did not present balance in allowing the many clients, families and friends whose lives have been positively changes due to recovery from alcohol and drugs. Working with this population (chemically dependent teens) is the most challenging and difficult and requires harsh, confrontation. Let Gillian Findlay come to the funerals of about 100 clients that I have worked with over the past fifteen years who failed in their personal battle with drugs and alcohol. You never realyy understand the magnitude and collateral damage of addiction until it comes knocking on your door and enters your house. I expect more balances, ethical coverage from the C.B.C. If I want sensational statements form a few malcontents who love to stir up controversy then I will purchase a copy of the National Enquirer.
Daryl Samson
Program Director
The Orchard Recovery Center
Bowen Island B.C.
www.orchardrecovery.com

Child Abuse is NOT "serious help". What this centre is doing is illegal and should be stopped. This is blatant abuse, false imprisonment and brainwashing.
Bars on the windows and doors?? {firehazard?}
Being watched in the washroom??
Limiting books, TV, current events, media, education, FAMILY??
AA literature only??
Graduates turn counsellors/staff???
What the hell is going on here????
Liars, cons??? Looks like Vause was grasping at straws and searching for any answer, when confronted by the reporter.
Those girls are amazingly brave to share their story.
No one should have to go through that...ever!

While your program did point out some serious flaws with the ARC program and the urgent need for some professional evaluation, there is a need for forced rehab programs in this country.

I have seen the effects of drug addiction on a teen and it is horrific. Parents are powerless to intervene. The justice system has taken away all parental rights so that parents cannot protect their children that they are supposidly responsible for. Children are taught in schools now that they can do what ever the heck they want thanks to the young offenders act. Children all know that is a joke and it gives them unlimited power over the system. It's a free ticket to ride!

Add drugs to the mix and some kids become monsters which the police, parents teachers and society have no authority over until they pass the age of 19 and commit a major crime. Many of them won't live to be 19 with crystal meth addiction these days.

So a program that can take these messed up kids and lock them up and use some tough love is needed in the extreme cases for the love of the child and to protect their life.

So there should be more programs that do that, however they cannot have older kid graduates, looking after new comers to the program. Some qualifications are needed and there needs to be some serious oversight.

Serious abuse should never be tolerated. Be it abuse from the staff at the ARC program, or the self abuse that the kids did to themselfs via drug abuse!

This is very dissapointing. Sensationalism. You had no professionals on the topic, you used untreated alcoholics, who publicly display their untreated alcoholism for testimony. You claimed your main story had phycosis that passed after 48 hours. You didn't bother to explain that the episode passes, but the phycosis doesnt. You interviewd many people, you could have been objective as is demanded from your eithics as journalists, but you chose not to.

You used inferrence to drive all your information without solidly linking anything together.

Fail.

I am truly disappointed in the biased view that AARC was portrayed on your show this evening. I am empathetic to three individuals on your show who allegedy had a horrible experience at AARC. However your show should be held accountable for not providing the truth, and furthermore, not showing the successes of the 80% of the children who have made it through AARC and are successful people today. I was sincerly disappointed in the one sided story based on three individuals rather than the thousand of families that could share a successful story.

It is sad to see a program decide a story then find all the elements to validate that story. Good journalism collects all data and then from that data produces a program based on facts. It is clear from this story,CBC people decided their story was to smear AARC,even with Jordon Remple the interviewer was trying to draw out 'how hard it really was'. This is bush journalism and the couch potato sitting at home would gasp at such a program.Maybe CBC could hire the US lawyer to make a quick buck for himself and sue the crap out of AARC, a true American way of life! This was bush journalism,looking for a good rating for a Friday night,but without places like AARC,kids wouldn't be watching this program,because Friday night they would be out doing drugs and breaking into our houses.Wait a go CBC another feather in your cap!

After watching your program tonight I have learned the true meaning of the term, 'slanted.' My sister spent 14 months in treatment at AARC, and I participated, voluntarily giving up 3 nights a week to be there and support her. I spent 14 months at AARC, knowing the families and clients firsthand and watching the most incredible transformations. It wasn't that I observed everything at AARC without a critical eye, for I certainly did.

One of the guys you interviewed said that there was stuff about God all over the place. Really, the program is based on the 12 steps of AA and these steps include a "higher power" which is completely up to the kids to choose, they are free to believe in any sort of god or none at all. It is not a strange cult and it is not a place that forces religion on anybody.

Out of the nearly 400 graduates of the program at AARC I cannot understand why the majority of your program was spent with ONLY ONE of them. Is it perhaps because if you had interviewed other kids you would have gotten too many positive reports? I guess that would have hindered your obvious goals: slander and sensationalism.

What was most clearly communicated to me through your program this evening was not that AARC should be shut down, but that The Fifth Estate deserves the boot. You have ruined not only CBS in my eyes, but all media and all journalists. When I see how very, very slanted the "news" can be I realize that I cannot trust anything I see in the media.

Dr. Dean Vause deserves to be held in highest regard for giving his life to help bring hope and change to teens (and their families) who suffer from addiction. You have done many, many people a great disservice, and you owe an apology to Dean Vause, to AARC and all of its staff, to past, present and most importantly future clients (especially the teens whose families will believe what you have reported and not consider AARC an option).

I am disheartened to see that 'a moderator' will review this comment and decide whether or not to post it. I see you take your slanting to extremes: you even conveniently decide which comments to post and perhaps delete the less flattering ones? Even if my comment is censored here I can still post it on various Facebook groups etc. I hope that you will not censor me and at least redeem yourselves a little.

From personal experience, having been through AARC and worked there, many years ago, I do agree that AARC does need more qualified staff. As peer cousellors we really did not have the education or the maturity at the time to handle many of the issues that came up, therefore perhaps did not give proper care to those that needed it. I have not been a part of AARC for many years now, and I admit it did help me by taking me away from bad influences at the time, but I also felt trapped in a treatment bubble for the year I spent in treatment, plus the three years that I worked there afterwards. I am so glad that I was able to move on. I do enjoy the occasional drink now, and I am not in the gutter...which you really do think you will be. I feel sad for people that are still there after all of these years and that have never ventured outside of the box. AARC in my opinion is very black and white, and there is a whole world of grey that they may never see. I do agree that people are mis-diagnosed, many kids that I went through treatment with had only used a handful of times, and definately could have probably sought other counselling options as opposed to being locked in rehab for a whole year. I do think that we as a society need to find treatment that is suitable to help people from all walks of life. Many kids that are severely addicted to drugs, and do not have the family support or the $50,000 that it costs for treatment, desperately need help - what is there for them? There really is a poor lack of options for long term treatment for youth and adults in Canada.

It isn't easy being a parent and Canadian society needs to step up to the plate! As a parent of one adult daughter and my 15 year old son, I'm consistently amazed at the abdication of responsibility. I struggle constantly with parenting my son, and its OH SO easy to think someone else can do it better.

If parents can feel safe opening up to health and education professionals, as well as each other, we can find all kinds of FREE support, research and coping skills. When heads of government can't control alcohol and drug abuse, why should our children try? Agencies like AARC exist because children are vulnerable, and have few rights.

If someone offered me $50,000 to look after their child for one year, I'd say yes...its more then I get for child support.

Lorraine

After viewing the Fifth Estate show "Powerless" I was not surprised by the denial of so many politicians, child welfare agents and even parents to the potential abuses in the AARC programming.

As a person of Aboriginal decent and a professor of Native Studies I could not help but draw a parallel between this story and that of what victims of Residential Schools experienced. I found it comparable that the victims of AARC were not taken serious and even to the point of abuse against them to prevent the truth to be heard.

The Holocaust comes to mind when I think of the denial of these abuses. Any type of abuse is a black eye in human history. But that seems to be what some humans in power choose to do by refusing to investigate the allegations.

No amount of good intentions, as a defense by AARC, should result in the theft of a child's or adolescent's life or their humanity.

As we look back at the injustices of Residential Schools, so to can will we of any program or institution that is quick to punish the youth of society.

If Canadians were exposed to the true history of Residential Schools more might be done to prevent Canadians today from doing it to themselves.

Since we continue to educate Canadians of only a surface history of out past, we will repeat the mistakes of our parents.

Whether it is a lack of knowledge or denial of the truth or both, about these abuses at AARC then we have learned nothing.

Thank you CBC. This is by far the most accurate documentary on a Straight/KIDS based program i've ever seen.

THIS IS A SITE FOR SORE EYES. I MY-SELF TOTALLY UNDERSTAND ALL INTHIS HEARTFEL REPORT ON FAILED CLOAK-ED INVESTAGATION INTO ADDICATION!! IN THIS DAY-N-AGE WHO COULD ACCEPT THIS B.S.! I WOULD LIKE TO HELP!!! HAVE MANY YEARS OF EXP. IF ANY PEOPLE IN YOUR INTER-VIEWS WOULD LIKE TOO GET MORE INFO ABOUT HOW TO RESOLVE THESE MENTALLY & SPIRT, PLEASE FORWARD MY E-MAIL ADDRESS TO THOSE WHO WOULD LIKE HELP. FROM A HEARTFELT ST.VINCENT DE PAUL COORDINATOR. MAY ALL BE WELL WITH WHO FELL THAT JUSTICE DOES NOT EXSIST.

WOW 80 % success rate, I hope we get one here in Ontario. But it will never happen in this left wing province. They prefer to give out needles and crack pipes out to 'save them from them selves'. Yet stats show drug use is on the rise because of these programs. Left wing answer to these stats is we need more needles and crack pipes.

This whole story failed to see the forest because of the trees. There is a choice here to be made. Dead or drug fried kids or the AARC choice cleaned up successful adults with emotional scars. I choose the AARC choice every time. Drugs have already scared them anyway! DID YOU NOTICE THAT EVEYONE IN THIS STORY WAS CLEAN! It works...

What is amazing is the reporter her self did not notice the so called professionals that were 'missing' at AARC only get 20% success rate or worse if you look at the needles and crack pipe programs. They are killing your kids!

To blame AARC for a rape sexual abuse is bad reporting. The individual person who committed this crime should be blamed. To close down an organization because sexual assault occurred there is WRONG. If we should then lets close all Universities that sexual assault occurred at (I am guessing all of them). Or close churches that priests sexual assaulted persons at. I think NOT. AARC is sensitive that the left wing media will use kind of bad reporting to aide in trying to shut them down.

why not do a full story on AArc - don't just focus on 2 failed cases. What about the successes.

If it weren't for AARC my nephew and niece would be dead from the drugs and alcohol they consumed, I know these people and even though some of their methods seem harsh, the measure of the program worked. Today my nephew is working and making a life for himself. My niece is attending school and is more happy about her life when her life back then was not upto snuff. They lost their father to lung cancer and who knows what was going through their minds back then, the loneliness they endured, their mother trying to keep a roof over their heads, food on the table. When your lost and alone and someone introduces you to drugs, there is no way out but death. AARC has saved my sister from having to attend another funeral, I thank God for these people and I would NEVER question their methods, methods I have never seen or heard my nephew or niece feel they say were ever threatened towards them. That's too bad what happened to those children who went through the AARC program and whomever knows why it happened to them.

I watched the show with great interest. My heart goes out to those young people that had such horrendous things happen to them. I have to say though, that as a parent that has and is still going through hell right now, I have sympathy with the parents that made the choices that they did. They were obviously seeking help when they had no where else to turn. They had no where to turn ....Why is that? .... Where does one turn when you have a precious child, the love of your life, that is addicted to alcohol, or to oxycontin? They lie and steal and sell all that they can carry out of your house for the drugs. They jump out of their bedroom windows and run away in the night. They threaten that they will commit suicide unless you give them money. They steal the flat screen T.V., and when you confront them they insist they need the money. Parents have usually reached the end of their rope, so I can understand that they will grasp at anything as they hope to find help for their family. But that being said, what about children over the age of 18? Then what is one to do?

You may want to investigate what is happening in Northern Ontario. (Although it is likely happening everywhere) Many feel that there is an addiction problem with the drug Oxycontin. Yes, I understand that drugs such as this are a problem everywhere. My understanding that the detox centre in Smooth Rock Falls is the only detox centre in this area (keeping in mind that it is a big area) that will hold the patient until a bed is ready for them in a rehabilitation centre. I have been told that other detox centres will only hold them for a very short time and then, due to costs, must release them to wait on their own for beds in rehab. There was a news release recently that the government was considering closing the facility in Smooth Rock Falls down because of lack of funding. Why is anyone even considering that as remote possibility? It should never even be considered for closure for any reason as it is a God-send to this area. When there is such a wonderful facility, doing a fantastic job, and it is the only one of its kind in the huge remote area, why is such a facility not being made larger? Drug problems are increasing, as we can see by the number of Methadone clinics that are appearing. For people who wish to get off of narcotic drugs, it takes many attempts. We need to be providing them with increased assistance. I am not saying that the increase in Methadone clinics are not providing a valuable service, but when people wish to come clean with their addictions all avenues must be available.

Thank you for this. It saddens and frightens me that such a facility is allowed to run, without government supervision, in Canada. I am angered by AARC's appropriation of the 12 steps into what seems to be a twisted and abusive program. My heart goes out to those teens who have suffered, and I sincerely hope that your program will be the catalyst to shut this place down.

WOW -- What an eye opener. Something needs to be done here. It is obvious to me that enough people have stepped forward with stories of abuse that an investigation should be done - especially when this place is getting government funding. I applaud Rachel and the other girls that have come forward - that could not have been easy, these girls or women I should say are entitled to JUSTICE~ RAPE IS A CRIME!!!!

A discusting abuse of power in the treatment of those kids at AARK. Why don't you do a follow-up program of another addiction centre with a 86% success rate using a completely different process? Its Passages Malibu, in Malibu, Ca. -- Web Site: TheAddictionCure.com. Usually in 30 days (not several years) they obtain what they call a cure with love and 12 professional counsellors with one on one treatment. They do not use the 12 step program and do not consider addictions a disease. In fact they consider addictions "dependancies"
and when they treat the reason for each person's need for the drug they use, the addiction disappears. Their relapse rate is unusually low, according to their claims. I have no personal experience with this centre but would like the fifth estate to research it further and report. I enjoy your programs.

Your show "powerless" bothered me very much and I am sure it will haunt me. I could not believe that this is going on in Canada and worse that the government is funding it. I have spent some time in the Netherlands. The Dutch are a model in management of Cannabis and alcohol. We could take the money wasted on programs like AARC and send teens to the Netherlands for a few weeks. I am sure the result would be more positive.

the view you took of this center is absoultley disgusting. I would not of had my brother if it wasnt for this program, and there are MANY MANY familys and people who would of lost their kids to addiction without this place. Dr. Vause and all his staff are the best people in the world, and without them I myself probably would of killed myself, SO YOU SHOULD BE ABSOULTLEY ASHAMED OF YOUR SELF.

I was particularly moved by this episode. It is appalling what happened there, and it was hard to fight back the tears. No-one should have to go through what those kids did, and although I can't feel what they felt, and I hope I never will, I can imagine such horrible feelings of powerlessness.

The documentary explained enough, but I just wanted to send some kind of message to those affected. That I know what happened to them, as it has not fallen on deaf ears this time, and that I hope that they can carry on with their lives as unimpeded as possible.

All the best,
Marcel Humelnicu

I saw this show tonight and it really has me thinking about how this program can still be running. I sufferd from over using drugs and alchole i have been in in a outpatient treatment before for 3 months. So i can relate to this story. However and thankfully my rehab centre was nothing like AARC.

Why wont any one stop this what is going on?
Why dosent CBC get some one, hell even i would do this, do be ammitted into AARC and go undercover to get the truth?

AARC has to be stoped!

After watching this program I was horrified. I can't believe that with all of the individuals AARC has helped, that you are calling AARC a bad place. This is ridiculous. There are mistakes made everyday by hospitals and other recovery groups, there are bad people everywhere you go. People are not perfect. But AARC has a proven recovery rate, shouldn't that be taken into account and mean something. Dr. Dean Vause is doing a wonderful thing for individuals around Canada. As to kids counseling kids, I say what better person to help an addicted than a recovered addict. No one knows what your going through better than a recovered addict. I feel this show was one sided. Where are the interviews with those who have gone through the program with great success? There are more people helped with AARC than was portrayed on this show. This program have done AARC and Dr. Dean Vause a great injustice. I feel The Fifth Estate used its media resources to give a half sided argument and boost ratings.