Evangelical treatment program gets $2.4 million from state

[Ursus]

Brought to fornits' attention by someone in the Straight forum: Original post with link.

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Evangelical treatment program gets $2.4 million from state
Public funding of Minnesota Teen Challenge raises constitutional questions
By Andy Birkey 9/22/09 11:32 AM


Minnesota Teen Challenge's headquarters in Minneapolis' Elliot Park neighborhood. Photo: Andy Birkey, Minnesota Independent

A former crack user says she kicked her addiction because she found Jesus at Minnesota Teen Challenge. A man says that God healed his liver after a prayer service at the Christian drug treatment facility. While its clients sing its praises — some claiming it saved their lives — should such an overtly religious program be receiving taxpayer funding? According to state records, MNTC has gotten more than $2 million from the state of Minnesota in order to run its faith-based chemical dependency treatment centers.

The overtly evangelical nature of the program raises questions about the constitutionality of the large amount of state money flowing into the program. Teen Challenge has received $2,388,947 in state funding since 2007, mainly from the Minnesota Department of Human Services, according to the state's new Transparency and Accountability Project website.

Teen Challenge has been in the spotlight recently because of concerns about the separation of church and state — and, specifically, the program's receipt of federal funding. Americans United for the Separation of Church and State sent a letter to U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder in June requesting the department halt federal grants to Teen Challenge.

"In providing these grants, the U.S. Department of Justice is unconstitutionally aiding religion," the complaint read.

But while much attention has been paid to the program's federal funding, its receipt of state funds has largely flown under the radar.

Chuck Samuelson of the Minnesota chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union said the program has the appearance of running afoul of the constitutional principle of church-state separation. "Everything they talk about is about God in relation to the program," he said. "That's a lot of [state] money."

Samuelson said ACLU-MN has been looking into the drug treatment center, but it's difficult to prove whether Teen Challenge is misusing state dollars.

"We don't have data that is supportable in a court of law," he said. "What we don't have is anybody with direct knowledge of the program to come forward."

Eric Vagle, Teen Challenge's communications director, acknowledges the religious nature of the treatment centers but says state money is kept separate from evangelical programming.

"The program services that are funded through the government are non-religious in nature, and while we do offer religious programming, it is not funded by government dollars and clients voluntarily choose to participate," he said.

"It is important to note that a number of studies suggest that spirituality can play an important part of the recovery process for many people, and therefore most treatment programs have some sort of spirituality component to them."

Alex Luchenitser, senior litigation counsel for Americans United for Separation of Church and State, sees the program differently.

"Teen Challenge is a program that should not be receiving state money," he said. "It requires people who participate to convert to Christianity."

Luchenitser says that the constitutionality of the program depends on the payment process through the state. He noted that court decisions have made voucher payments — state money given directly to the client to choose a treatment service — legal. Minnesota doesn't use the voucher system and instead reimburses counties that pay Teen Challenge in a fee-for-service system. The state mechanism for that system is the Consolidated Chemical Dependency Treatment Fund (CCDTF).

State authorities conducted an analysis of CCDTF (pdf) in 2006, which described the payment structure:

The payment system is on a fee-for-service basis, but counties, within state-wide guidelines, determine which clients need treatment, and which provider will serve the client. Two thirds of all CCDTF admissions were referred by government social service and criminal justice agencies.[/list]

The report acknowledged that the county authorities who choose the treatment centers to provide services aren't always looking at federal standards for treatment programs. Therefore, faith-based programs, such as Teen Challenge, don't get carefully vetted.

County monitoring does not assure that certain Federal requirements regarding spending practices are met, and whether performance is adequately monitored. With the CCDTF accounting for 45% of the treatment market share, the county contract can be a powerful tool for change regarding providers that have not yet linked the most modern science to their program design and operation.[/list]

Because Teen Challenge is licensed by the state — and has been since 2001 — and is listed as a service provider for Hennepin County, the treatment center will continue to receive state funds in the future.

God is Teen Challenge's treatment strategy

While MNTC's Vagle says state funds don't go to evangelical programming, most of the language about the program — coming from its managers, Web site and clients — references the transformational power of Jesus Christ, as opposed to chemical health and behavior therapy. A glowing review of the program by the Alexandria Echo Press tells of Carlos, Minn., resident Nikol Foss, who sought treatment for crack addiction. Her probation officer recommended Minnesota Teen Challenge, but she rejected the suggestion, saying she wanted nothing to do with a Christian drug program. She eventually relented and signed up.

"I was going to be tough," she told the paper. "I wasn't going to let Jesus into my life, but I'd take the treatment."

But it didn't work out that way. "I decided that if I accepted Jesus, it was going to be better, so I accepted Jesus," she said. "I was happy immediately."

Pastor Rich Scherber, executive director of the program, used similar language when he took Minnesota Teen Challenge's message of healing to the Minnesota State Fair this summer. During a live show there by Christian talk radio station KKMS, he spoke of the "perfect storm" last fall when the economic recession reduced donations and a scandal involving Tom Petters wiped out a foundation that supported a large chunk of Teen Challenge's programs.

"God has helped us. I mean, we are operating in the black, not in the red," he said. "That's what Teen Challenge is all about. God is working miracles at Teen Challenge."

Scherber said that Christian teaching is one of two keys to Teen Challenge's success: "Number one, the Christian approach," he told KKMS listeners. "That's by far… The Bible says that any man that be in praise, he's a new creation, old things are passed away, behold all things are become new." The other key Scherber says is the fact that the residential treatment lasts longer than the typical 28-day program.

Scherber brought a number of current and former clients on the KKMS show to tell their stories of transformation through Jesus Christ.

Jim, who had a history of abusing alcohol, heroin and pain killers, said, "We have healing [prayer] services at Teen Challenge and God healed my liver."

"He came into Teen Challenge and God healed his liver," said Scherber. "What the doctors have said is that he is a walking miracle."

The KKMS host chimed in to say, "God has blessed the socks off this guy!"

Heidi, a current client at Teen Challenge, also claimed that finding God at Teen Challenge helped her kick a cocaine and heroin addiction. "I was at a low point… and ended up going to a secular drug treatment program," she said. "When I came out I started using again. It didn't do what Teen Challenge did for me."

She continued, "I know now that it's for [sic] this time, this time that I'm at Teen Challenge. I'm learning about God, I'm learning about Jesus."

"I know that I have victory in Christ. Thanks to Teen Challenge I've been learning about God," she said.

Virtually every testimonial on the program's Web site by current and former clients of Teen Challenge say they kicked their addictions because of God, and a number say they converted to Christianity while in the program. For example, "Craig," a current Teen Challenge client, said, "When the [District Attorney] recommended Teen Challenge, he told the judge he was tired of sending me to jail, because I came out worse every time. But Teen Challenge isn't just a drug program. It's a discipleship program. Because of Christ, I have new heart… and I don't ever want to hurt people again."

Directors and staff members aren't shy about calling the program a ministry. Kirk Noonan, news editor of the Pentecostal Evangel, the official publication of the Assemblies of God, spent a weekend at Minnesota Teen Challenge in November 2007 and described the religious curriculum of the program (PDF).

In the television room we gather for the nightly devotion, which is part pep talk, part town hall meeting. With Bibles in hand we hear a devotion. This is perhaps one of the most important routines the residents are developing. "Staying in the Word will keep you grounded," a staff member tells us. "Having a daily devotion is critical to your success both in here and after you graduate."[/list]

Noonan writes that every Sunday, Teen Challenge clients sing in the Minnesota Teen Challenge choir. They are required to, since "every resident is a member."

"The choir's chief purpose is to share the ministry of Teen Challenge and gain support for the program," Scherber told Noonan. "When we go out and sing, people see good fruit and they want to invest in this ministry. Nearly 85 percent of our budget is raised by the choir."

The choir's music is overtly Christian with a style that "varies greatly, ranging from contemporary gospel songs such as, 'This is How it Feels to Be Free,' to worshipful hymns like, 'I Was Made to Worship You.'"

"We license faith-based organizations all the time"

The state did not respond to the Minnesota Independent's requests for details about how taxpayer money is being spent by Teen Challenge and how the state vets and licenses chemical dependency programs.

But, in 2004, state officials talked to the Star Tribune for its coverage of President Bush's faith-based initiatives and his push for charitable-choice initiatives, including Teen Challenge.

"We license faith-based organizations all the time," Donald Eubanks, director of chemical health for the state Department of Human Services at the time, told the paper. "We do not dictate treatment philosophy at all. We make sure that when people choose that form of treatment that they are aware of what they are getting."


© 2009 The Minnesota Independent

[Ursus]

Comments for the above article, "Evangelical treatment program gets $2.4 million from state" (9/22/09), #s 1-22:


Emo D Comment posted September 22, 2009 @ 12:07 pm

From my understanding–all political/religious issues aside, doesnt Teen Challenge have the highest success rate in getting people sober?
Thats impressive imo.

Karl Comment posted September 22, 2009 @ 12:08 pm

This is no surprise, given Tim Pawlenty's close ties to Minnesota Teen Challenge and other unsavory characters:

http://tinyurl.com/tpaw-vennes[/list]
Emo D Comment posted September 22, 2009 @ 12:11 pm

secondly, as long as States and the Fed do not give solely to one denomination/religion or organization, they can, in theory give to all to allow local organizations to serve the community in their unique ways.

KC Comment posted September 22, 2009 @ 12:33 pm

Emo D, There is no proof of what the success rates from Teen Challenge are. They can report what they want as their success rates.

There are tons of rumors out there about Teen Challenge. Some are in the internet, but are a lot are in the community, particularly of the community of gov't workers who have to work with them, in which I was one once. It is believed that their success rates are for people who complete the program. They kick people out who they feel will fail.

oh lordy Comment posted September 22, 2009 @ 12:59 pm

If you've ever been to treatment, you know that you get a heaping helping of God no matter where you go. "Christian" values dominate the curriculum. Lots of prayer and other "turning over your will" is involved in any 12 step program. If people have a choice of where they can seek their treatment, I have no issues with this Teen Challenge program if they have high success rates. But if it is court-ordered that people attend Teen Challenge, and people are required to "convert" and participate in their "Songs for Dollars" Choir, THAT is a definite no-no. I think more NON-FAITH based programs are needed for those that do not have a desire to follow religion.

It's going to be hard to take on this Teen Challenge program. They are "saving" people, and drugs are the scourge of the Earth, so people will think it's GREAT. Having witnessed many addicts go through the motions of "converting" and saying all the right things only to relapse, the success rates of any program are questionable. I'm not sure how one would measure these "success" stories unless a person was on probation and was required to pass drug tests. Even then, a person could use "hard" drugs that leave your system quickly and pass drug tests. The current system of judicially-forced "treatment" is pushing people toward harder drugs for this very reason. In this respect, marijuana IS a gateway drug in that many people use harder drugs to be able to pass a drug test. Our current "treatment/punishment" of individuals with addictions problems is not working.

Rob Levine Comment posted September 22, 2009 @ 1:11 pm

Teen Challenge is a favored recipient of Conservative Philanthropy money. About those "studies" that showed TC success: They only counted people who *finished* the program – not those who dropped out along the way. Sophistry.

Randy Comment posted September 22, 2009 @ 1:35 pm

The ACLU_MN doesn't think that there is sufficient reason for bringing an action against Teen Challenge, but has no problems suing the state over the TIZA charter school.

Sounds like they're making an all-out effort to shed that anti-Christian image.

Craig Westover Comment posted September 22, 2009 @ 5:16 pm

First, I agree with Randy, although my opinion is the state should keep hands off TIZA, not go after Teen Challenge. Both organizations produce good results, which is precisely the point.

This article appears to be a tit for tat counter to all the bad press ACORN is getting, rather than a effort to look at the issue of separation of Church and State. So be it, but let's look at the larger issue.

Do we really have a separation fo Church and State when the state has the authority to determine how a rehabilitation center accomplishes its goal? That is not a separation, it is the state deciding what constitutes religion and what doesn't. The state's interest in this is whether or not the program is meeting rehabilitation objectives. Period.

Unless Teen Challenge is forcing people into their program against their will, seems to me that we ought to be more concerned about their results than whether or not their method is based on religion. Same for TIZA — if they provide kids with the education they need to be productive citizens, should it matter if they are also trying to preserve Islamic tradition along with American instilling values in their students? And in either case should it be the state that decides the matter?

Personally, I'd rather the money went to patients and students and in turn they decided where it would be spent, but short of that, it seems like at both ends of the political spectrum we have a lot of vindictive people out to make political points who really don't give a damn about whether people's lives are made better or not.

Andy Birkey Comment posted September 22, 2009 @ 5:47 pm

Craig Westover: "This article appears to be a tit for tat counter to all the bad press ACORN is getting, rather than a effort to look at the issue of separation of Church and State. So be it, but let's look at the larger issue."

In what possible way did you get to that conclusion? I've been writing about separation of church and state since I began writing 6 years ago. The program calls itself a ministry and receives state funding. The government cannot support the promotion of religion, and the leaders of Teen Challenge aren't shy about promoting their program as a discipleship.

And as with the case of TIZA, if religious instruction is the goal or even a large component, why not ask parishioners, congregations and denominations to chip in and support it? Or ask God for the money? Why ask taxpayers to pay for other people's religious conversion? Or their study of their personal, private faith?

And the state does have the authority. They are paying the bills and by extension, so are we. So it should matter. Teen Challenge is state funded but is not open to all people, except for those that accept Jesus Christ as their religious leader.

Stunning Steve Comment posted September 22, 2009 @ 6:19 pm

MN Teen Challenge does NOT have the highest success rate of any treatment center. They manipulate their data, and lie about it. In fact, their "success rate" is quite poor, and I think state investigator Jim Nobles ought to look into this, and the bookkeeping practices at Teen Challenge, since they're receiving so many taxpayer dollars.

Craig Westover Comment posted September 23, 2009 @ 12:26 am

"Why ask taxpayers to pay for other people's religious conversion? Or their study of their personal, private faith?"

Maybe for the same reason we force policy holders to pick up the tab for other people’s mental parity treatment, which I believe Rep. Ramstad pushed because of his personal experience and which he said is the "moral thing to do." Or for the same reason Dane Smith says that progressive taxation is a moral issue.

On political principle, I agree with you — government shouldn't be funding religious rehabilitation programs because it shouldn’t be funding rehabilitation programs — at least directly. If we want to fund rehabilitation (and certainly to some extent we should), we should do it through market mechanisms — provide vouchers to needy individuals and allow them or their guardians to choose a program, religious or not (as we should do for education).

But if the state is going to fund programs, then the only criteria should be results — at least if one truly has the benefit of the recipients at heart and is not out to grind political axes.

As for TIZA, which is a charter so attendance is voluntary, if you want to strip away all semblance of religion (again irrespective of results) you are telling low-income Muslims that they cannot have access to a school that reflects their values — kind of like conservatives telling low-income people tough luck about that pre-existing condition. You are saying diversity is great, as long as you don't practice it in school. Hardly a liberal position.

I seem to recall you wrote an article, knocking the Minnesota Family Council, by citing favorably a study by a college professor who used scripture to justify progressive taxation or some such angle. I believe I commented at the time that consistency would dictate that you treat the use of scripture equally in both cases as an invalid source of political influence (unless of course you were out to grind a political axe). Consistency here would dictate that if a moral premise makes Teen Challenge wrong, then a moral premise should also make mental health parity wrong — the replacement of a supreme being with a supreme government notwithstanding.

It's a good, well-researched piece, Andy. It's just too bad that you use it to create heat instead of light.

September 23, 2009 - Science and Religion Today Pingback posted September 23, 2009 @ 7:41 am

[...] Minnesota Gives Controversial Faith Program $2.4 Million [...]

Tim Comment posted September 23, 2009 @ 9:12 am

The results speak for themselves.

The separation of church and state argument is bunk because many other programs are 'humanistic' in nature and humanism is a decleared religion. So funding would have to stop for many other programs as well. The program should be financially supported annually.

ADF Alliance Alert » Paper Says Minnesota's Funding of Drug Program Raises Church-State Issues Pingback posted September 23, 2009 @ 11:01 am

[...] Clause Blog: "Yesterday's Minnesota Independent features an investigative article on state funding of Minnesota Teen Challenge's faith-based [...]

ZNOFOB Comment posted September 23, 2009 @ 12:41 pm

Teen Challenge is just another foot soldier on the war against drugs.

Wouldn't our tax money be better spent by not creating a class of criminal for their behaviors/habits/addictions?

Wouldn't our prisons be much emptier and more humane in treatment of their clientelle?

And if a person really wants to destroy their lives, is it any of your business?

Religion is the bane of mans existence on this pale blue dot we call earth. It is the main reason for hatred (of other religions) and murder.

If Jesus (or name your religion here) followers would simply follow the good advice in their collective textual literatures and denounce the hatred, racism, labeling, and intolerance within the same literature, wouldn't it be nice? But IT HAS NEVER HAPPENED. Never will either.

At least someone is asking the "constitutional" questions here. Rare.

Interesting Comment posted September 23, 2009 @ 1:05 pm

The connection with Tom Petter's right hand ponzi man Frank Vennes Jr. and rethuglican poster children Michelle Bachmann and Norm Coleman is an interesting one. Tim Pawlenty also wrote the Pres asking for Venne's pardon. Why are these people writing the president to ask for a pardon of Mr. Venne's past transgressions of cocaine dealing, gun running, money laundering, etc.? Oh yeah- they liked the fact he was one of their biggest political contributors! Why did Tim Pawlenty send $86K in campaign money to MN Teen Challenge? Why did Bachmann send them money (only to have it returned as "dirty money?") Pawlenty's wife sat on the Board of Directors at MN Teen Challenge with Vennes. Vennes was tasked with bringing "Christian" organizations into the Petters Ponzi scheme. How much $$$ did Pawlenty and others see as a result of the Petters Ponzi scheme? MN Teen Challenge is not smelling so rosy throughout all of this. It seems to have been a vital cog in the Petters scheme. The fact such an organization is receiving tax money is appalling.

Laser Comment posted September 23, 2009 @ 7:49 pm

Being one who has studied both Christianity and Jewish Law (which really is part of Christianity) we find it odd that the State cannot find a treatment center separated from Church n State.

Do they turn away those who refute to be converted?

Do they treat them with disdain?

How much perversion of justice must we see – including the Judicial Immunity granted to Doug Kelley before MN citizens wake up and cry foul?

Will Teen Challenge work with the Federal Prison in MN where Tom Petters former partner Paul Traub has found his other Ponzi scheme partner (Marc Dreier) doing 20 years?

http://blogs.wsj.com/law/2009/09/02/fee ... ace-to-be/[/list]
Minnesota Central Comment posted September 23, 2009 @ 7:59 pm

The payment system is on a fee-for-service basis, but counties, within state-wide guidelines, determine which clients need treatment, and which provider will serve the client.

QUERY : Has anyone evaluated the breakdown by counties involved ? Did counties see success in the program and rewarded them with more work … or did they just keep funnelling "clients" to them ? If its broad support based on success that's one thing, but if a (or a few) counties just kept sending them business, that is a concern.

gwh Comment posted September 24, 2009 @ 4:38 pm

Why are atheist, liberal-leaning, uneducated writers like Birkey allowed to spread their anti-religion rhetoric in this so-called independent, non-affiliated media news source. MnTC has great results with drug and alcohol treatment program. People aren't forced to enter the program. This is a violation of church and state. Is the State of Minnesota telling offenders they must attend only one state-sponsored church? or only teen challenge? MnTC is one of several choices, but the results reveal that they are, by far, the best.

gwh Comment posted September 24, 2009 @ 4:45 pm

Correction – This is not a violation of church and state. IMO

Dave Comment posted September 24, 2009 @ 8:30 pm

-I have been coming here a long time and I can't tell what religion Reporter Birkey is – he does a great job of keeping it professional. You have no basis to call him uneducated, however.
-There is at least a healthy chance that he is liberal, facts seem to matter to him, and don't confuse him.
- anti-religion rhetoric? Most of the time that requires nothing more than bare reporting on something some cult member did or said, and then mentioning a few relevant facts to point out to the reader why this is news. They do it to themselves, mostly.

V Comment posted September 25, 2009 @ 9:41 am

gwh: "Is the State of Minnesota telling offenders they must attend only one state-sponsored church?"

How many other churches are state-sponsored? Why isn't MN endorsing the Scientology-based rehabilitation program? The Scientologists over in CA report a near 100% success rate. That sounds like a much better program to me, based entirely on the self-reported, unregulated, non-transparent success rate. So how much money has Scientology gotten from the Minnesota taxpayers? I would venture a guess that it's close to zero.

It doesn't matter anyhow. The government should not be in the business of funding religion in the first place. GWH, your first post was absolutely correct – prior to your correction a few minutes later. It IS a violation of church and state. By funding a religious program, it is endorsing the establishment of that religion. Plain and simple. It doesn't matter if they force citizens to go to this program – the simple fact that the taxpayers are paying for it violates the 1st amendment of the constitution.

© 2009 The Minnesota Independent

[Ursus]

While MNTC's Vagle says state funds don't go to evangelical programming, most of the language about the program — coming from its managers, Web site and clients — references the transformational power of Jesus Christ, as opposed to chemical health and behavior therapy. A glowing review of the program by the Alexandria Echo Press tells of Carlos, Minn., resident Nikol Foss, who sought treatment for crack addiction.

Unfortunately, that article on Echo Press is a pay-per-view or subscriber option at this point. However, it was still recently available on a local on-line press's archives and can be found in the following two threads:

Former crack addict: MN Teen Challenge saved her life  
viewtopic.php?f=57&t=28777[/list]

Crack addict says Minnesota Teen Challenge saved her life
viewtopic.php?f=9&t=28711[/list]