I, Debra Taylor Sinclair, declare and state as follows:

1. La Amistad Behavioral Health

2. Maitland, Florida

3. March 12, 2012 to March 31, 2012

4. Statement

My daughter was in residential care at La Amistad Behavioral Health Services being treated for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Severe Depression after being raped. While being treated, she attended school at the facility. One of the teachers at the school (Mr. Alberto) accused my daughter of stealing gum on March 15. Extremely concerned about the charges, my daughter talked to a staff member who told her to tell one of the other staff members (Mr. Dwayne) and the principal (Michelle Nye). My daughter went to these adults assuming they would help her to clear up this misunderstanding. Instead, Ms. Nye, after "investigating" the incident (i.e., asking Mr. Alberto what happened), called my daughter into her office on Monday, March 19. At this time, Mr. Dwayne was also in the office. Ms. Nye told my daughter that she needed to tell the truth and apologize to Mr. Alberto. Being alone in a room with adults who were accusing her of theft and lying caused my child to go into a panic attack. She told them that she was having a panic attack and asked them to call her parents because she did not want to speak to them alone. Rather than call her parents, they called in the teacher, Mr. Alberto (her accuser). My daughter proceeded to tell them that she couldn't breathe; however, rather than end this bullying, they continued calling her a liar and telling her to admit it and apologize. When their "meeting" was interrupted by another staff member (Mr. John), Mr. John took my daughter to the psychiatrist, Dr. Sieg, who immediately recognized that my daughter was experiencing a panic attack and summoned medical help. The staff continued to harass my daughter until she felt unsafe, and we were forced to terminate her (much needed) treatment by picking her up and bringing her home.

My husband and I tried for over a week to bring this issue to the attention of senior management. Immediately following the incident, Rodney Letterman, the CEO, was out of town. My daughter’s counselor, Kristen, put us in touch with Brian Sellers, Director of Clinical Services, who was supposedly in charge while Mr. Letterman was away. Brian essentially told us that he stood by his staff and their actions and that, if we didn’t like it, we should come and get our daughter. Given Mr. Sellers attitude and the fact that our daughter felt unsafe there, we removed her from treatment on March 31, even though we felt like the counseling side of the program was wonderful and really helping our

daughter. On Monday, April 2, upon Mr. Letterman’s return, we contacted him and explained the situation. He concurred with Brian Sellers and "supported his staff".

I explained to Mr. Letterman that bringing a child into a room with three adults, shutting the door, and then accusing her of stealing and lying and demanding an apology is tantamount to intimidation and bullying. Mr. Letterman defended the actions of his staff by explaining to my husband and I that this was a common medical treatment called an "intervention". Given that not one of the staff members involved is a counselor, psychologist, or psychiatrist—and considering that my daughter had a counselor on staff who had been working with her but was not involved in this "meeting"—I find their attempt to justify this treatment as proof that they are all covering their own rear ends rather than worrying about the welfare of a sick child. That they also endangered my daughter’s health by ignoring the fact that she was having a panic attack during their interrogation further illustrates the facility’s careless disregard for the health of their patients. In fact, when my daughter told them she was having a panic attack, Ms. Nye’s response was, "You wouldn’t be having a panic attack if you weren’t guilty."

It is a shame that such excellent medical treatment has been marred by such a petty incident created by petty people who seem to feel that it was so important to stand their ground and save face with a child that they were willing to jeopardize her mental health treatment. My fear is that other children, children with more severe problems who may not defend themselves against an abusive staff, are being and will continue to be mistreated by these people if I don’t speak up.

I give HEAL permission to use this statement. I declare under penalty of perjury that the foregoing is true and correct. Executed on April 12, 2012.

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Debra T. Sinclair, PhD, AVA, CMA