SB 1372 goes in front of the Arizona State Senate
More testimony was heard on a bill which would ban reunification therapy in that state.
SB 1372 had its day in front of the Arizona House of Representatives.
Some of the same people testified again, including Tori Nielsen. Tori is now eighteen but was forced to go through reunification therapy in 2021.
David Segui, whose two sons were forced into the same camp, also testified. I previously did his story in 2021.
Reunification therapy forces kids to go with strangers and spend several days being bombarded with information which is designed to make them believe that their abusive parent is a loving parent, while their loving parent is trying to convince them of abuse which is not real.
The state representatives- like the state senators before them- largely understood just how obscene this whole thing is.
Several asked interesting questions worthy of further explanation.
Republican State Representative Leo Biassiucci asked the same question several times.
“Who is authorizing these treatment camps?” He asked once.
The answer is that they are court ordered.
He was looking for a different answer.
“Is it statute? Is it law?” He asked further.
{Check out my interview with Marty Lynch from last year about another law which State Representative Biassiucci sponsored}
The reason he kept asking is because Tori and others pointed out that largest purveyor of these camps is Randy Rand, who has an inactive medical license.
How can someone without a medical license be ordered by the court to do this quackery?
It’s a question State Senator Buassiucci asked. it’s a question I have asked. It’s a question David Segui and other parents asked?
At one point, Segui responded, “We’re trying to figure that out as well?”
Arizona Republican State Senator Shawna Bolick testified and attempted to answer the question.
“They’re court ordered. So, basically there’s a list of third-party providers.” She responded.
This means that Randy Rand- and his inactive license- got on this list.
In practice, another court appointee recommends both reunification therapy and Rand.
In Segui’s and Tori’s case, that court appointee was Stephanie Stromfors, the best interest attorney (BIA).
A BIA is the equivalent of a guardian ad litem.
Courts trust Stromfors, and others like her, and that’s how Rand has built this lucrative business without a medical license.
The other question which came up repeatedly was on data. Was there data on how often these were ordered?
No one had any data and that’s not surprising. Scant data is gathered on this so-called treatment. When the Center for Investigative Reporting looked at reunification therapy, none of the therapists could provide data on how often their treatment is effective.
When NBC reporter Vicky Nguyen reported on reunification therapy, she tried to get data from California courts.
Here’s what she found, “Five counties told us they don’t track this information at all.”
Others did not respond or told her they never order the therapy.
Ngyen discovered that Rand calls his programs “educational” which is how he gets around practicing without a license.
It would be more interesting if the State House called some of the judges who order this therapy and ask them what data they saw before they ordered this treatment.
The answer is likely to be “none.”
Check out the hearing in front of the Arizona State Senate below.