Struggling Teens?

If you are considering residential treatment for your child - be sure to read through this Blog - it will be very enligthening and help educate you on a loosely regulated industry - "teen help."

Carolina Springs Academy - Teen Help - Read A Parent's True Story, by Sue Scheff

My true story is based on our experiences (my daughter and myself) with Carolina Springs Academy in Due West, SC.

It seems that Carolina Springs Academy representatives are telling parents that my story is false and I lost in a lawsuit with them.

This continues in their pattern of misrepresentation in my opinion.

I not only defeated them in a jury trial - I went on to defeat them in the Supreme Court of Appeals when they tried to appeal it!Click here for more details.Wit's End! coming soon - will give you our story, with my daughter's voice of her experiences at CSA.

Carolina Springs Academy - Sue Scheff - A Thorn in WWASPS Side

For those of you that don’t know my story - it all began when I was struggling with my daughter through her teenage years.

After placing her in an abusive environment - in my daughter’s experiences - (Carolina Springs Academy) - thinking I was going to get help - quite the opposite happened.

Litigation followed - I won victoriously, not once but 3 times. I defeated WWASPS aka Carolina Springs Academy in August 2004 in a jury trial in their home state of Utah. I further defeated them in the Supreme Court of Appeals in June 2006. In September 2006 I won an unprecedented jury verdict for damages of $11.3M!

Teen Help Sales Reps, such as Mark Peterson, Lisa Irvin, Jane Hawley and many others (their marketing is second to none in my opinion) continues to attempt to discredit my victories as well as my experiences. I guess you can call this Spin -They certainly are creative in spinning the story to fit their needs. Several months ago - I was actually contacted by a former employee of Carolina Springs Academy - this person told me that many of the staff have no clue I won, and this person told me so much more is still going on. But due to fear, people are silenced.
I wasn’t silenced - my story is here - and a jury heard it and I won.

My book - Wit’s End! - which is being published by the same people that brought you the Chicken Soup for the Soul book series, will not only share our experiences at Carolina Springs Academy - it will give you hope and inspiration if you are struggling with your teen today. People will hear my daughter’s voice for the first time since her time in Carolina Springs Academy.

For more information - Click Here.

Sue Scheff: Learn from Mistakes

It is not easy to admit you have made mistakes, especially as a parent when our kids are involved.

However, it is so important to take your mistakes and learn from them then move forward.Having an at risk teen can truly put any parent at risk in making rash and wrong decisions.

Learn from my mistakes - slow down, think it through - gain from my knowledge.

I am constantly battling the attacks of people I defeated in both my victorious jury trials as well as the Supreme Court of Appeal. Their obsession with me has become, at times, frightening - not of them, but for them. It seems like a true sickness.At the end of the day - yes, I made a lot of mistakes. I have fought a solid fight and won against one of the largest corporations in the Teen Help Industry - World Wide Association of Specialty Programs and Schools (WWASP or WWASPS).

I further held my ground when a former WWASPS parent received $12,500.00 (which I believe was money to help destroy me) - to go on an Internet Smear Campaign of my family, my organization and myself.Winning an unprecedented $11.3M jury verdict for damages for Internet Defamation has become a turning point for people that believe that free speech condones defamation.

My mistakes? Trusting. I trusted Teen Help/WWASPS/Carolina Springs Academy - I was desperate and they preyed on that. My story - http://www.aparentstruestory.com/ will give you a more detailed outline of my mistakes.

Now we are in 2008 and through all my trials and tribulations I have become a voice for not only parents struggling with today's teens, but a voice to help create a safer Cyberspace. I have recently meet with my Congresswoman as well as a Florida Senator a few times - and we will continue to fight to provide safety for people in Cyberspace and children.

My first book, Wit's End!, will be out in July 2008. This will be full of inspiration, hope as well as vast resources for people working with today's kids. The second book is in progress, and will be a continuation of hope. With today's generation of kids - hope and inspiration is something you can never have too much of.

I am fortunate that my books are being published by the same people that brought you the Chicken Soup for the Soul book series. I feel honored to be part of their family.

Sue Scheff: Admitting Mistakes as a Parent

I am sure there are many parents that have struggled with their teen or teens and have had some ugly times. I am no different, however since I was involved in two jury trials (both victoriously), my life seems to be more exposed. Personally, I can handle it, but when it effects my children it is painful.

My daughter is now 22 years old and doing very well. She wrote a recent Blog I want to share with parents. Click Here.