Pathway Family Center

Pathway Family Center currently has drug treatment facilities in Ohio, Michigan and Indiana.

The Pathway programs are direct descendants of Straight, Inc.

Straight, Inc. is considered to be one of the most abusive programs in United States history and has been classified as a cult.

Straight, Inc. Michigan closed in 1993, not long after the Atlanta Journal Constitution reported that "Michigan regulators plan to inspect the facility weekly, after finding the program had twice inappropriately restrained clients, injuring one. Michigan has ordered the program to get a residential license, entailing more stringent inspection of host home arrangements."

Helen Gowanny, the director of Straight, Inc. Michigan, along with the parents of some graduates, then opened Pathway Family Center.

Terry Nissley, the current director of Pathway Family Center, was one of those parents. Her daughter is a graduate of Straight, Inc. Michigan.

The after-care coordinator at the Indiana facility is reported to be a Straight, Inc. graduate as well.

A relative of Ambassador Mel Sembler - the founder of Straight, Inc. - was a client at Pathway and ISAC has received reports that the child was allowed to fly to Florida for the weekends.

Other children in the facility are not offered such privileges.

Former clients have told ISAC that Mel and Betty Sembler were named on the "host home list" even though they live in Florida and Pathway is located in Michgan and Indiana.

According to survivors, the program is still very much like Straight, Inc.

Contrary to the claims of parents, this news footage shows that first phase clients weren't allowed to wear shoes in the building in 2003.

One survivor has reported being forced to wear wet socks and pants all day after a toilet overflowed in the facility.

He requested permission to change his soiled clothing, and was refused.

A 2003 investigation by ISAC revealed that Pathway was placing children in host/foster homes even though they are not licensed by the state to do so.

As a result of our investigation and subsequent report, Pathway Family Center was placed on probation by the Council on Accreditation (COA).

Pathway director Terry Nissley, then sent these letters to representatives of various state agencies.

In the letters, Nissley deliberately directed people to the wrong website, said ISAC is "fighting on behalf of the disease," and accused us of using "unethical and inappropriate methods" to discredit the program when in FACT, we filed formal complaints with the appropriate state agencies and the Council on Accreditation.

In March 2006, Pathway Family Center acquired control of Kids Helping Kids (details located below).

Kids Helping Kids was formerly known as Straight, Inc., Cincinnati.

Those Wackos at ISAC

Additional Information from Shelby Earnshaw

Director of ISAC

In January 2007, the Northwest Indiana Times ran a series of articles exposing Pathway Family Center as a spin-off of Straight, Inc.

ISAC supplied the reporter with substantial documentation showing that Pathway Family Center is Straight, Inc. Michigan renamed.

Pathway Family Center even used the same office equipment and internal documents. In some cases, Pathway executives neglected to remove "STRAIGHT" from the documents or just crossed it out.

The reporter for the Northwest Indiana Times asked Pathway's director, Terry Nissley, about us, the International Survivors Action Committee.

Her response?

Nissley said we're "wackos."

It made me wonder what she calls her daughter.

You see, I, like Nissley's daughter, am a graduate of Straight, Inc.

And so is my husband William, who happens to be the President of ISAC.

We're graduates of the same program that "saved" Nissley's daughter.

We're graduates of the same program Nissley copied back in 1993 and still runs to this very day.

Yet, we're "wackos."

Nissley also went so far as to tell a blatant lie. She told the reporter we want to "legalize drugs" when in fact, we simply want to ensure that children in treatment aren't abused - the way we were in the very program Nissley copied.

Cockroaches

Instead of offering evidence to counter our claims, most of those involved with Straight spin-off programs use the same approach.

Loretta Parrish was the marketing director of Straight, Inc. Orlando when the facility changed its name to SAFE, Inc.

Following a protest outside the facility, Parrish was asked about Straight Inc. survivor's claims that SAFE was Straight, Inc. renamed, she called us "cockroaches."

Parrish NEVER offered any evidence that SAFE wasn't Straight. She just called us "cockroaches."

In 2003, Betty Sembler, founder of Straight, Inc., now called the Drug Free America Foundation, said we "should all get jobs."

Sembler also falsely accused us of being critical of Straight, Inc. because we want to "legalize drugs."

However, I have reason to believe Terry Nissley went even farther in her attempts to discredit us.

Stuck in Their Own Drug Problem

Since the NWI Times articles were published, ISAC has received emails from parents of several Pathway graduates. Some of the emails mention our city of residence and could easily be classified as "hate" mail.

It's nothing new, really. I receive hate mail and death threats from militant program supporters on a regular basis.

But these emails were different.

They were different because they were the same.

The Pathway Family Center supporters conveyed the same message, word for word.

They described my husband and me as being "stuck in [y]our own drug problem."

Imagine that.

Five different people, whom we have never met, all convinced that we use drugs and using identical wording to say so.

Where would they get an idea like that?

What kind of person would look these parents in the eye and lie to them like that? Who would fabricate such a story in order to garner support for a Straight, Inc. spin-off?

Terry Nissley would and I believe she did.

As the Director of a nationally recognized charity, I would like to remind Terry Nissley that the civil penalties for slander and defamation of character can be severe.

As the mother of six teens and young adults, I would like to remind those who are considering Pathway Family Center that Terry Nissley will be in charge of your child's "rehabilitation" and I urge you to look elsewhere for help.

Pathway Family Center is Straight, Inc. Michigan renamed.

Pathway Documents with STRAIGHT on them

Pathway Seeks Licensing Exceptions to Avoid Host Home Regulations

Name Changes for the Last Two Straight, Inc. Branches - Michigan and Georgia

Dire Straight Inc.? An Investigative Piece from the Atlanta Journal Constitution

Is it Straight or Pathway? Page 1

Is it Straight or Pathway? Page 2

ISAC's Preliminary Pathway Report

Gaming Commission Letter

Gaming Commission Page 2

Pathway Flyer

Interview With Pathway Parent

Indiana Mental Health Information

Terri Nissley, Director of Pathway, and her Troubles with the IRS

Kids Helping Kids - Ohio

Kids Helping Kids is located in Milford, Ohio and was previously known as Straight, Inc. - Cincinnati.

ISAC has received recent and credible complaints from former clients and/or their parents alleging physical abuse, unwarranted and brutal physical restraint, intimidation, humiliation, brainwashing, and fraud.

The complaints specifically allege the following occurred in early 2004:

A male client suffered a broken leg during a particularly violent physical restraint performed by other clients.

A brand-new female client was dragged out of an Open Meeting by 2 staff members and 2 fellow clients.

The child was supposed to stand in front of a room full of strangers, say her name, list off the drugs she had used, and tell a humiliating story from her "past."

Instead, the child said: "Let me tell you what really happens here..."

According to witnesses, the child was then tackled, dragged out of the open meeting and screamed for 15 minutes while being restrained.

With no instruction from the staff of Kids Helping Kids, parents attending the Open Meeting stood up, turned their backs to the struggle, and began to loudly sing "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" in an attempt to drown out the child's screams.

Witnesses describe the incident as "horrifying" and "traumatic."

Official police reports obtained by ISAC substantiate these complaints.

The records also reveal a disturbing number of calls for assistance with "suicide attempts."

ISAC has filed a welfare and whereabouts demand with Ohio officials and will follow-up on the condition of both of these children.

At a Kids Helping Kids "host" (foster) home, another child forgot to ask permission to pick up his fork. As punishment, the child was not allowed to use silverware during dinner and had to eat spaghetti with his hands.

When the facility finally returned the child's belongings, this "letter of encouragement" was found in his suitcase.

This child has since been diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

Another child who spent just 2 weeks at Kids Helping Kids has also been diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder as a result of his experience in the program.

According to parents of former clients, staff members at Kids Helping Kids deny any connection to Straight, Inc. during pre-intake interviews.

ISAC has collected corporate documents and other information that show a series of name and location changes, that prove Kids Helping Kids is indeed Straight, Inc. renamed.

More importantly, ISAC has obtained internal documents that show Kids Helping Kids currently employs policies and treatment methods that are identical to Straight, Inc.

Straight, Inc. has been classified as a cult by leading experts including Rick Ross, Steve Hassan, and FACTNet.org.

Documents

Protesters Demand Investigation of Kids Helping Kids

Protest at Kids Helping Kids

Inside Kids Helping Kids

Kids Helping Kids/Straight, Inc. Corporate Document History

Comparison of Kids Helping Kids and Straight, Inc. According to Program Documents

Additional Information

For more information about Straight, Inc., please see our archive page and visit these other web sites:

thestraights.com

A Survivor's View of Straight

Mel Sembler, founding member of Straight, Inc.

Survivors

One of the best ways you can help prevent abuse is to share your story.

If you would like to submit a statement about your experience, use the form below.

Federal Declaration Form

If you have documents and are willing to share them with us, please contact us immediately.

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