Reveal American Rehab: A Desperate Call
Aug 20, 2022
Shoshana Walter, an investigative reporter known for her in-depth stories on controversial rehabs, shares a gripping account of a desperate call from Penny Rawlings. Penny seeks help for her brother, who is trapped in a work-based rehab model with alarming conditions. Together with Ike Shreeskandaraja, they unravel the dark legacy of Synanon, the origins of confrontational rehab methods, and the exploitation of vulnerable individuals. Their harrowing exploration reveals the stark contrast between rehab promises and the unsettling reality faced by many.
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Sister Pays For Supposed Rehab And Panics
- Penny Rawlings paid nearly $3,000 to send her brother Tim Roe to Cenikor hoping for eight months of treatment.
- She later learned Tim faced two years of restricted contact, unpaid labor, and limited counseling, prompting frantic calls to reporters and police.
Work-Based Rehab Functions Like Temp Agencies
- Shoshana Walter's reporting exposed rehabs acting like temp agencies that send participants to work unpaid for corporations.
- That model generated significant revenue for rehabs while sidelining clinical treatment and worker protections.
Participant Sent Straight From Intake To Labor
- Tim Roe describes being sent immediately to work with little counseling and no training at Cenikor's Baton Rouge site.
- He endured dangerous job sites, unpaid labor, and abusive group therapies like mirror work and the 'verbal chair.'
