Teen Reach

[Anonymous]

Does anyone have information regarding Teen Reach from Arizona. They are moving into our area, appalachia, and I was just wondering about them. From the website they profess to be bible based, however, they chare $40,000 for 90 days of treatment with teens. Seems steep to me. Just wanting some information.

[Anonymous (68.3.90.129)]

You can check current critical situations regarding TEEN REACH ARIZONA at the following links:
http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/0402teenreach02.html

http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/local/articles/0403teenreach03.html

http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/0401sr-teenreach-ON.html

The founder, Bobby Torres defies ARIZONA STATE guidelines regarding corporal punishment. License to operate have been revoked. They also attempted to establish the same organization in Ohio and ran into the same situation there and left.
http://www.religionandsocialpolicy.org/news/article.cfm?id=550
http://www.enquirer.com/editions/2000/10/20/loc_troubled_teens.html
http://www.enquirer.com/editions/2000/10/23/loc_teen_house_raises.html
http://www.enquirer.com/editions/2000/11/10/loc_fed-up_harveysburg.html

http://www.enquirer.com/editions/2001/01/18/loc_teen_program_leaving.html

[Anonymous (69.242.21.100)]

teen reach has helped many teens live productive lives , witnessing to them the gospel of Christ and teaching them to do the right thing

[sweetsue (sweetsue)]

Are you kidding? You must be reading the written propaganda they put out......try finding more than five teens that are still living for the Lord after their involvement with Teen Reach.... good luck. Many of them have been permanantly spiritually damaged by the off-the-wall Christianity this group has exibited. They live by "19 principles", which consist of the 10 commandments and nine others they say are scriptural. They monitor all music, believe only in courting for marraige, no dating, and strict dietary requirements for employees and followers. Founder Bobby Torres, a licensed Assembly of God minister with his "foundation" in Tommy Barnett's Dream Center and Phoenix Church, has had several run-ins with the State of Arizona, State of Ohio, and recently pulled up and left a little town in West Virginia after attempting to settle there. His staff mostly consists of marginally educated former gang members, such as himself, and with his personal charisma, has convinced many parents to send their kids to him for spiritual rehabilitation for drug and rebellion problems. No money, no problem.......you can apply for a "student" loan, and pay for it for 15 years or so, even though Junior may return to his/her former lifestyle. Oh, well....at least they get paid!
As for teaching them to do the right thing.....that is questionable. Teaching young people to give evasive and misleading answers to State officials under the guise of "doing the Lord's work" is not, in my opinion, teaching them to do the right thing. When the Word says to obey them that have rule over you, it doesn't give license to circumvent zoning laws, housing authorities, fire codes, noise ordinances, and implement supervised spankings that leave marks on children already suffering from societal or self-induced abuse. Once again, in the name of the Lord..........the adults that become involved with this "ministry" have to learn their own lessons, and make decisions accordingly. But the children's view of God and his love and forgiveness for the errors they make is warped forever, unless they are able to walk away, loose their new-found friends, and somehow manage to maintain their faith in Jesus as they move toward adulthood. Recent issues of Charisma Magazine, a favorite place for Teen Reach's ads, have not featured anything from them. Hope that helps........

[mydraya (mydraya)]

What can I say. I am one of the former teen reach rehab person. Who has also been wounded and still suffering from some of the things they have tought me.
I must say I strongly dissagree with teen reach and am very glad it has been shut down. I can't even begin to talk about some of the things I have witnessed and experianced my self. Although. I will say that there has been some good that I have gotten out of it. But for the most part, I hate it, I am angry and very risentfull towards them.
I think it is one of the worst christian exemples I have ever known. It makes me sad. If thats how christ treats his people and if thats how God is, then sertently I don't care to be a christian. As a christian "Christ like" we are to be a mirro's to this world. We are to be models for Christ. All I saw power tripers, judgemental people who no nothing about truelove. Perhaps they know the word of god "the bible" and they mamerize it word for word, quik to judge and make you feel like crap. But they don't know jesus christ himself. They don't have a relationship with god, but with the bible.
I love Jesus even if there are other christians who suck at being good exemples. This is the world and no one is perfect. We all are responsible for our own actions and we will all answer to god someday. Bobby Torres will answer for his. Good Luck all...http://www.factnet.org/discus/clipart/new.gif

(Message edited by mydraya on November 05, 2005)

[jenna]

I was in teen reach in like....1999...and hadnt checked up on the place till now. Im confused as to what happened with them? I never agreed with all of their standards..they were a little over the top. I am a Christain but never have i experienced the neglect that i experienced there. When i went it was ONLY 20,000....that was WAY too much concidering we lived in one tiny room with 4 girls, one closet, and two bunkbeds that sat 2 feet apart. But now i hear they were getting 40,000???? That is insane. Is there any law suites being pressed against them? I would love to get my mothers money back. Because of these people i cant go to college without taking out a student loan...my parents borrowed and spent all of my college money on this stupid program....I was there for 90 days and they onkly sent me home because they were afraid i would sue them for neglecting to trake me to the doctors....wich almost made me have to get surgery. I want my money back, sure its been like 7 years, but they didnt help me one bit infact they messed my life up a lot. They are a cult more than a rehab place....plus, i never even had a drug problem, i was just depressed and rebeliouse.

[janna]

I was also in teenreach in 1999. I was there for almost 11 months. They kept telling my parents that I wasnt "stable" enough to return home. I remember at one point we ran out of food, I was strip searched because someones money disapeared, and I once had a 103 fever and they would not take me to a doctor! My family tried to get a lawsuit after I finally returned but nothing came of it.

[mydraya]

All I can say you guys is that those bastards are nothing more than selfish money grabbing <font color="ff0000">•</font><font color="ff0000">•</font><font color="ff0000">•</font><font color="ff0000">•</font><font color="ff0000">•</font><font color="ff0000">•</font><font color="ff0000">•</font><font color="ff0000">•</font>. My parents had to pay 40,000 when I came to the God damned program. Can you say Ghetto?...I sure can...sucked <font color="ff0000">•</font><font color="ff0000">•</font><font color="ff0000">•</font>! If some of you want your money back...I know that you most certainly deserve it...However, I would not count on it. Chances are that those greedy, canaiving, monupulitive people will sit there and lie like there is no tomorrow through their fugly <font color="ff0000">•</font><font color="ff0000">•</font><font color="ff0000">•</font> teeth. Anyway...I wish to all of you luck if you want to try to get the money back. I am really sorry to hear of your situation Jenna, and I wish you the best and best only...for you and your family...and to all of those out there who have been hurt by this matter.