"Their own propaganda says their treatments 'cannot be construed as a recommendation of medical treatment or medication and it is undertaken or delivered by anyone on his own responsibility.' In other words, if it don't work, tough cookies."

"mental messiahs with forked tongues"

"The Oklahoma Health Planning Commission, which must have had its head plugged into an E-meter not to discover the true nature of this malignity."

"Narconon, it rams out, is a wonderful program after all:
They said so."

"Harold Miles, with the State Department of Health and a member of the Health Planning Commission which approved a certificate of need license for Narconon in January, said no one opposed the organization then and now it is too late to appeal the state decision. Narconon still must get a license and be certified by the state, Miles said. "

As an employee of the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health, Leroy Bridges "actively lobbied" his colleagues in support of Narconon International's proposed drug treatment center near Newkirk, a memo states.

A judge on Friday ordered the Oklahoma Department of Mental health to determine by next month whether a substance abuse center operating without state approval should be certified to remain open. In the meantime, the Narconon Chilocco New Life Center will be allowed to operate, but is prohibited from accepting new patients, according to an order issued by District Judge Neat Beckman.

[And who is Narconon's lawyer ? Tim Bowles !]

Narconon last month applied to have its program certified by the Mental Health Department. An agency spokeswoman said then that Narconon's program could not be inspected sooner than November and that the State Mental Health Board would not act until January.

If Narconon wins certification from the Mental Health Department, it still must be licensed by the Health Department.

"Funny how they can find the money to pay for the smoke and mirror show but can't find the money for the hardware behind it."

Early last week, according to sources, a Blue Ribbon Panel of experts was to have visited the facility, but was denied access by Narconon officials. The panel was to have been headed by Jerrold Jaffe, a drug abuse and treatment expert with the federal government; Dr. L.J. West, professor of psychiatry at the University of California at Los Angeles; and David Dietch, who has served as chief executive of a large chain of drug abuse treatment centers in the U.S.

Last Thursday, Mental Health and Substance Abuse Department officials completed and released to Narconon it's recommendation that the facility not be certified.

Narconon managed to get Judge Leaman Freeman to toss out the State Mental Health Department staff reconunendation against the certification of Narconon. "Biased", he said.

A state agency barred by a court order from inspecting a Kay county substance abuse center named a Tulsa man Thursday to evaluate the facility. Dr. John Chelf, a board-certified psychiatrist specializing in addiction, will make the review and report to the State Mental health Board, said Rosemary Brown, a spokeswoman with the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health.

The Kaw Tribe has approved a resolution calling for the termination of the lease between the Chilocco Development Authority and Narconon International, Inc.

Reason: they are not paying their lease regularly, and are suspected to dump solid waste on Indian property.

A controversial drug and alcohol treatment center seeking state certification received high scores on a recent state inspection, but that is no guarantee of certification, a state official said Monday.

Narconon Chilocco New Life Center was ordered Friday (Jan. 31) to move its patients out and stop providing drug and alcohol abuse treatment in 10 days. Oklahoma County District Judge John Amick set the Feb. 10 deadline after he denied another request from the unlicensed facility to remain open and admit new patients.

Lawyers for an unlicensed drug and alcohol treatment center argued Thursday that it is exempt from state regulations under the cloak of Indian sovereignty.

But state lawyers, in a hearing in which the Oklahoma State Department of Health is seeking a court injunction to shut down Narconon Chilocco, said the facility' s location is not enough to claim Indian sovereignty. Narconon Chilocco is a non-Indian entity that treats non-Indians, Robert Cole, a lawyer for the health department said.

An unlicensed drug and alcohol treatment center on Indian land will continue to treat patients despite receiving notice from the Bureau of Indian Affairs that it should close because it violated terms of its lease, the facility's president said.

With a crucial court date coming up next month, representatives of Narconon Chilocco New Life Center are trying to silence their most vocal critics.

Narconon lawyers sought telephone records and Lobsinger's files on the center because Lobsinger sent state officials articles about Narconon International, the center' s parent organization, and the Church of Scientology, which has ties with Naconon. Lobsinger eventually complied with a court order last month to answer questions about his correspondence with state officials, but he was not required to turn over his records. However, he may be charged court costs, which could reach about $3,000 with attorney fees.

The center has issued a news release quoting Oklahoma County District Judge Freeman describing Lobsinger as "an obnoxious smart alec so and so." Freeman, who excused himself from the case after receiving mail from Lobsinger said he refused to answer him because "I wouldn' t put myself in the gutter with him."

In refusing to release his records, Lobsinger sought protection under state shield laws that protect news reporters.

Oklahoma County District Judge Daniel Owens ordered Lobsinger to answer their questions.

"I'm adamantly opposed to newspaper people using their newspaper as a club and a shield and basically saying they can do anything they want because they are affiliated with the newspaper, and this is what is happening in this case," Owens said. "This was not a newsman working on a story, but a newsman on a personal crusade."

Narconon then went back to court to try to collect $7,000.00 in costs and fees because of the "delay" I had caused them by refusing to answer. Judge Owens agreed, but only allowed them $2,150.00. The decision was made not to pay; however citizens in Newkirk are holding fund-raisers to collect the money, which will be sent directly to Judge Owens.

The Tonkawa Tribe, one of the five who own Chilocco, has decided to go into the Health Regulation business and set up their own Health Department (probably courtesy of Narconon lawyers) which immediately certified Narconon.

Narconon also applied to CARF (Committee on Accreditation of Rehabilitative Facilities) out of Tuscon, AZ., for accreditation. CARF sent several investigators to Narconon, which immediately hired two of them as "consultants". CARF granted Narconon a one year accreditation.

Narconon has asked for another hearing before the Mental Health Board, hoping to receive an "exception" to the state law requiring state certification because they are accredited by CARF. That hearing is supposed to be in July.

The Oklahoma Board of Mental health and Substance Abuse Services voted unanimously Friday to exempt the facility from a requirement to be certified by the state.

Narconon Chilocco still must be licensed by the state Health Department. The state licensing would be based primarily on whether a facility's buildings, which were the old Chilocco Indian School north of Newkirk, meet fire and safety codes.

The health department could rule the center does not need a state license, harry Woods, a lawyer for Narconon Chilocco, said. "I expect that the department of health will recognize that with this exemption from certification, Narconon can lawfully operate in Oklahoma," Woods said. "The form of the action would either be a license, or a decision by them that we don't need a license ."

The Oklahoma State Department of Health issued a license Monday to the drug and alcohol abuse center, marking the first time since it opened for business more than two years ago that it officially can be called legal.

The license issued Monday dealt with the structures and buildings making up Narconon Chilocco, located on the campus of the old Chilocco Indian school about six miles north of Newkirk. The license is good for a year and can be renewed.

State licensing makes it easier for Narconon Chilocco or its patients to get reimbursement for its services through insurance companies.

Several former employees of Narconon Chilocco New Life Center criticized the facility Wednesday for failing to promptly pay their salaries and overtime, and claimed that the recently licensed drug and alcohol abuse facility is a front for the Church of Scientology.

An official of a sanitation company said Friday the firm has stopped trash and garbage pickup service for a drug and alcohol abuse center because it failed to pay its bill. Gary Davis, owner of Davis Sanitation of Tonkawa, said Narconon Chilocco New Life Center has not paid its trash service bill in more than four months.

Payments the tribes receive from Narconon Chilocco usually are tardy. "They haven't paid us with a payment since last September,"

In spite of their own opinion of the Narconon treatment program, the Oklahoma State Board of Mental Health in August 1992 granted Narconon-Chilocco an exemption from the requirement of state certification because they had shown evidence of obtaining certification by the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitative Facilities (CARF).

In exchange, Narconon agreed to drop a number of lawsuits against the department, the state, and the individuals on the board.

Documents exist that show Narconon hired the first two "inspectors" CARF sent to Narconon Chilocco to evaluate their program. One of them reportedly married the Narconon director of Education recently in a Scientology ceremony performed by a Scientology "minister."

Rumors abound that CARF has been infiltrated by the Narconon organization, and that one Ken McGreggor serves as an official on both boards. This has yet to be independently substantiated, however.

The Mental Health Board of the State of Oklahoma pointed out that the exemption granted to Narconon was entirely based on state statute that allows for such exemption. The board's attorney, Patrick Ryan, said, "That's different from certifying them. The board has not ever, and did not by today's action, give a stamp of approval of NARCONON".

Narconon-Chilocco (the largest drug rehabilitation program in the world, according to Narconon propaganda) today has about 15 staff people and 12 patients by recent report, (all previous graduates of the program who obviously were not cured of anything or they wouldn't be back again), and some foreign "trainees" who pay them to work there.

Narconon Chilocco has been forced, within the last month, to pay something in excess of $15,000.00 to former employees in settlements.