Tennessee Congressman David Davis Visits Peninsula Village

Louisville, TN, January 22, 2008 --(PR.com)-- Congressman David Davis (District 1) and his Tennessee office manager Paul Chapman recently accepted an invitation to visit Peninsula Village in response to Congressional hearings that took place in October of 2007. These Congressional hearings were to review the US Government Accountability Office’s report on “Cases of Child Neglect and Abuse at Private Residential Treatment Facilities”.

The Report was calling into question the validity of adolescent residential treatment as a treatment modality and discussions were held surrounding legislation to regulate the residential industry.

Congressman Davis is the only Tennessee Congressman who is a member of the Committee on Education and Labor and participated in the hearings.

Village staff felt that it was important to be proactive in this issue and to make sure legislators understand the difference between a licensed, accredited facility and unregulated boot camp type programs.

This time spent with Congressman Davis provided an opportunity to discuss in detail the specific issues surrounding regulation of the residential treatment industry and some of the challenges that facilities face on a daily basis. The Committee on Education and Labor is going to discuss their course of action regarding these issues when they reconvene later this month. Congressman Davis’ tour of the campus included the school, cabins, and other campus areas. One of the high points of the tour was when a female Village patient from North Carolina led a tour of one of the cabins and gave the Congressman the gift of her story.

The patient told him very honestly and frankly how she got to the Village, the behaviors that led to her stay and the value of the treatment she and her family had received. She talked about how hard she had worked and how difficult it was to get better but that she now has hope for a future.

The congressman asked difficult questions and she answered them without hesitation. One of the best moments was when the patient talked about the issues that she still needed to work on and told him that she felt socially awkward talking to folks without using drugs and alcohol.

Congressman Davis stated, “Well, you are doing a fine job talking to a United States Congressman.” and gave her a pep talk about succeeding in her goals. It was a powerful visit; one that showed the value of residential treatment to troubled young people, their families and our community.

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