Adventures with Dr. Lady Cutie Troublemaker

While driving, I had a flash of inspiration. What if card-carrying members of the two APAs (and maybe even all the other opponents of Reparative Therapy) started a letter-writing campaign. My dad and I know plenty of members of both organizations. There is definite illegailty here. I was shocked at the response my Dad received from the Tennessee Department of Mental Health.

The Tennessee Department of Mental Health licenses mental health facilities that treat mental illnesses.  The group/program in question is not a mental health facility and we have no relationship, nor do we have first-hand knowledge of the group/program you reference.  The Tennessee Department of Mental Health is in compliance of all laws related to mental health issues and mental health facilities. However, the program/group in question is currently being investigated by the Tennessee Dept. of Childrens Services, which is the proper channel.

Whuh?! LIA/R is treating homosexuality as if it is a pathological mental illness, even though all of the major mental health associations say it isn’t. So all I have to do if I want to skirt the laws of the Tennessee Department of Mental Health is to say, "I’m not a mental health facility." Wow… so that’s easy. Good grief.

After driving, I read about this on EJ’s blog. It’s very good news. I think I’m going to continue to think through my idea of earlier this evening. See, I keep my online life and my work life separate… and for good reason. But just because I learned about this online doesn’t mean it isn’t highly relevant to my professional life. Enlisting the support of other APA member in Memphis may be just the ticket. I’m still considering it. 

My Dad’s resonse to the message he received from the TDMH was classic Abby’s Dad. I know you fans out there won’t be disappointed:

I appreciate your response, though I don’t agree with it.  Love in Action IS a mental health facility.  They claim to be treating an "addiction,"  They "hold" children based on their parent’s wishes.  If you read their application – it is written like a "mental health" application.  Their facility IS a treatment facility, hiding as a ministry.  If they were "treating" any of the more usual "addictions," you’d require a license.  Maybe it’s too delicate to want to take them on, but don’t kid yourself – it is a treatment facility skirting your laws.

This latest Blade article makes me wonder if maybe they read dad’s letter.

When it comes down to it, I probably wouldn’t be putting up this fight if it were only serving adults who signed up willigly. I’d heard in a Psych seminar at the beginning of this year that a place like this existed, and I thought LAME, but I didn’t get all activist about it, but this? Completely ridiculous, and it seems illegal.