#insightprogram

[enthusiasticsobrietyabuse]

For parents desperate to find help for their troubled teenagers, Bob Meehan was a man with the answers.

After a visit by the controversial U.S. therapist, credited for getting actress Carol Burnett's daughter off alcohol and drugs, Breakaway, a peer-recovery group for teenagers, was formed in Burnaby and Penticton.

At the time no drop-in programs for teenagers existed in B.C. and the parents were critical of the government's drug and alcohol outpatient clinics for not providing enough services for youth.

"When Meehan came up there wasn't much help for young people," said Langley MLA Carol Gran, who met the therapist last year during a talk he gave to a group of North Vancouver parents.

"He did this thing about what a terrible person he was who finally got off drugs and alcohol," Gran said. "It was emotional - he was like an evangelical person, who had people crying."

It was through Meehan the parents were able to hire four San Diego counsellors knowledgeable in Meehan's 12-step treatment method.

The three Burnaby counsellors resigned recently after controversy that the dogged Meehan in the U.S. surfaced in B.C. The Penticton's program director is still with Breakaway.

Burnaby's day program was temporarily suspended after B.C.'s drug and alcohol programs stopped referring clients over a concern that it was "cult-like." Breakaway's board of directors said they're now restructuring the program to make it "more palatable" to government.

In 1986 in San Diego, a drop-in program called Freeway, founded by Meehan, disbanded after allegations it was a cult and a front to channel paying clients into Meehan's $5,400-a-month residential, Sober Live-In Centres.

Also in San Diego the same year, officials shut down three of Meehan's residential centres because he had operated them for three years without a license.

"He had three different locations in San Diego, none of which were ever licensed," said Tom Hersant, director of state licensing in San Diego.

"Two were uncovered after he said he only had the one." Hersant said Meehan would no be eligible for a license if he were to reapply because he "deceived" officials. "He's not a person who would respond to regulation."

San Diego lawyer Don Ceplenski said his 23-year-old daughter Jill became active with Meehan's group at age 16. He claims the group alienated Jill from her family and she now refuses to talk with them.

"The group ends up anti-social. It's telling the parents and the public one thing but, when you find out what is really going on, it's very disturbing. In San Diego the group became a gang." Ceplenski said.

"Vancouver is like we were in 1981 when Meehan came to town - there were no drug programs for teenagers. There were no people who could communicate with them."

"What is so hard is unsuspecting parents think Meehan sets it up and leaves town and has nothing to do with the group but the counsellors are in touch with Meehan. The whole operation is set up to feed his SLIC (Sober Live-In Centre) ranches."

In Phoenix, Arizona, another of Meehan's Sober Live-In Centres was ordered closed by the department of health services in 1986 for operating without a license. Meehan appealed the Arizona closure and was reissued a license, which expires this June.

But the Arizona drop-in program disbanded after a visit to its board of directors by a group of disgruntled San Diego parents who claimed it was a cult.

They were led by a 42-year-old, colorful consumer vigilante called Captain Sticky. Formerly Richard Pesta before a legal name change, Captain Sticky said he chose his new monicker 15 years ago because of the "sticky situation" he got into as a consumer advocate.

Speaking from his home in San Diego, Captain Sticky said he has been invited to B.C. to investigate the Burnaby Breakaway program by a small group of parents led by Susan Shoesmith.

Although the date of his visit is not confirmed, Captain Sticky said he will come dressed in his "full-battle regalia" of a blue jumpsuit with a gold "S" on the chest and gold cape.

"It took 19 days to shut him down (in San Diego) and some bizarre action on my part," said Captain Sticky, who is the director of a marketing company called Captain Sticky Promotions.

"I go head on head. It got into a war-like atmosphere. I try to force my opponent into a confrontation. Most parents went into denial and stood with him (Meehan) but most of them said, if Sticky is lying, Meehan should sue him, but he never did."

Meehan, who runs a consulting firm in San Diego, could not be reached for comment. His secretary said he's on a U.S. speakers' tour all this month.