Former Hephzibah Girls
Sisters Of Survival
YOU can help!
If you are a survivor of Hephzibah House we would love to hear from you. If you are concerned about the abuse at Hephzibah, here is what you can do. Please contact the following people and let them know that you are not comfortable with a facility like this being in operation.
Governor Mitch Daniels (317) 232-4567 http://www.in.gov/apps/afss/afss2
David A. Wolkins (State Representative) (800) 382-9841 (574) 269-2639
Mayor Ernie Wiggins (574) 372-9595 ewiggins@kconline.com
Sign the petition www.gopetition.com/indiana-law.html
Kosciusko County Task Force: Please contact us at formerhhstudent@gmail.com to get information on the local task force that has been set up in Winona Lake.
Hephzibah House is just one among many abusive teen facilities. Please take a moment to read the following excerpt from CAFETY, which outlines what YOU CAN DO TO HELP!!!
(Thursday, April 24, 2008 hearing before The Committee on Education and Labor)
Representative Miller introduced to the House HR5876 - Stop Child Abuse in Residential Programs for Teens Act of 2008. This bill is designed to protect youth from disciplinary techniques that involve withholding food, water, clothing, shelter or medical care, physical and mechanical restraints that are inconsistent with the well-being of the child, acts of physical or mental abuse designed to humiliate, degrade, or undermine a child's self-respect. Also, the bill provides for reasonable access to a telephone, the training of staff members as to the definitions of child abuse and how to report it, disclosure of staff qualifications and criminal background checks for such staff, policies and procedures for emergency medical care and parental notification of changes in care, and notification of parents of violations of applicable laws and licensing standard.
Please find below a link to the proposed legislation and action steps you can take to help ensure its passing.
http://cafety.org/index.ph