------------------------------------------------------------------- F.A.C.T.Net, Inc. (Fight Against Coercive Tactics Network, Incorporated) a non-profit computer bulletin board and electronic library 601 16th St. #C-217 Golden, Colorado 80401 USA BBS 303 530-1942 FAX 303 530-2950 Office 303 473-0111 This document is part of an electronic lending library and preservational electronic archive. F.A.C.T.Net does not sell documents, it only lends them according to the terms of your library cardholder agreement with F.A.C.T.Net, Inc. ------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 PROFESSIONAL PROFILES: Melinda Haas Melinda Haas (M.S.W., New York University) is a clinical social worker who for the past two years has worked at the Cult Hotline and Clinic of the Jewish Boardof Family andChildren's Services in New York City. For two previous years, she counseled children and adults, families, individuals, and groups at the Madeline Borg Counseling Service of the JBFCS. On her arrival at the new position with the Cult Clinic, she found it in a "major tran- sition," moving to a new location. Within six months she was helping run the national hotline, which requires "a tremendous amount of telephone work." In this post she works closely with Arnold Markowitz, the head of the American Family Foundation's Family Guidelines Committee. The JBFCS Hotline and Clinic is thus an unparalleled referral resource and clearinghouse for both the AFF and the Cult Awareness Network. Ms. Haas says that many problems can be handled by telephone, if information is being sought, but when further counseling is neces- sary the Cult Clinic is ready to help. She spends the majority of her time in long-term work with former cult members, runs a monthly parents' support group, and is a regular speaker at conferences, schools, and religious organizations. The Hotline brings a variety of groups to her attention; lately, there have been many ritual abuse calls, some of which might have been inspired by media publicity.. Many are from people already in therapy, in which case the Clinic's usual advice is that they take the issue back into their treatment, in an effort to "refuse" the past and integrate it with their present reality. Much of the Clinic's work is based on the belief that vulnerability to cults is influenced by something in the family dynamic, and that the core issue of separation of young adults from parents needs to be addressed in order to "leave space" for a young person to emerge. Ms. Haas brings to her work an unusually varied background, as a social work intern at a community school for high school dropouts and at Maimonides Community Mental Health Center, in New York City. But she is also a professional musician who has taught Dalcroze Eurhythmics, piano improvisation, and dance composition privately and at the university level from Florida to Canada and points between, including the Boston Conservatory. She continues to compose, and is still a professional dance accompanist. Ms. Haas proves, as do many of AFF's professional associates, that personal or family involvement with cults or cult-like groups is no prerequisite for understanding and dealing effectively with those who are suffering because of them. 2 PROFESSIONAL PROFILES: Arnold Chanon Bloch Arnold Chanon Bloch(M.S.W., University of Southern California) first became involved in cult- related matters in 1983 when he took on a student internship as a clinical social worker with the Cult Clinic of the Jewish Federation Council of Los Angeles, which was from the early '80s a pioneer institution helping individuals and families enmeshed in cultic situations. It was a good place to learn firsthand the range and depth of the problem. In time, Mr. Bloch became the Director of the Cult Clinic, a position he held for three "intense, demanding, and interesting" years. There, he began and conducted a group for families with kin in cults, and another for ex- members themselves. While at the Cult Clinic, Mr. Bloch co-wrote an article forSocial Case Work (April 1989) entitled "From Consultation to Therapy in Group Work with Parents of Cultisis." The essay focused on the value of time-limited but intensive family therapy as opposed to the more typical family support group mode of assistance with a cult involvement. The theory, says the author, was that the support group tended to be primarily information oriented, while the intensive mode offered the parents a deeper look at themselves as parents. The hope here was to move successfully from an emphasis on support to one stressing therapy by providing insight into the skills needed to cope with a cult involvement crisis. The approach, which often worked, reflects Mr. Bloch's belief that in addition to exit counseling, the more that families know about themselves, and the more expertise they have at interpersonal communication, the better they can reach out to estranged relatives in cults. Leaving the Cult Clinic did not mean leaving cult concerns. Now in private practice, Mr. Bloch says that about half of his work consists of counseling individuals and families with relatives in cult groups, and with former members. In all cases, he aims to help family members become more empowered and effective communicators. At times, the families he sees are successful not only in breaking out of frozen communication patterns, but they become even better communicators than ever because of the effort needed to surmount the crisis. Through the years, Mr. Bloch has done -- and continues to do -- a great deal of public speaking on cultism in a variety of forums as well as teaching educational workshops for professionals in clinics and hospitals on cult-related issues. He also supervises other mental health professionals faced with cult-related cases for which they have as yet inadequate background and understanding. Mr. Bloch now does this while in private practice in Thousand Oaks and Los Angeles, California, offering individual, conjoint, and family psychotherapy with children, adolescents, and adults. ================================================================= If this is a copyrighted work, you are acknowledging by receipt of this document from FACTNet that on the basis of reasonable investigation, you have not been to obtain a copy elsewhere at a fair price, and that you are and will abide by the following copyright warning. WARNING CONCERNING COPYRIGHT RESTRICTIONS: The copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) governs the making of photo copies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. Under certain conditions specified by law, libraries and archives are authorized to furnish a photocopy or other reproduction. One of these specified conditions is that the photocopy or reproduction is not to be "used for any purpose other than private study, scholarship, or research." If a user makes a request for, or later uses, a photocopy or reproduction for purposes in excess of "fair use," that user may be liable for copyright infringement. FACTNet reserves the right to refuse to accept an order for copying or other duplication, or delivery of copied or duplicated material if, in its judgment, fulfillment of the order would involve violation of copyright law. ------------------------------------------------------------------- CARD CATALOG ENTRY DOS FILENAME OF TEXT FILE: CO0892AF.TXT DOS FILENAME OF IMAGE FILES: CO0892AF.TIF ADMINISTRATIVE CODE: OK SECURITY CODE: SCO DISTRIBUTION CODE: RO DESCRIPTION FOR BBS FILE LISTING: The Cult Observer, Vol. 9 No. 8, 1992. SORT TO: AFF CONTRIBUTOR: American Family Foundation (AFF) LOCATION OF ORIGINAL: American Family Foundation (AFF) NOTES: Back issues and selected reprints of the Cultic Studies Journal are available from the American Family Foundation, P.O. Box 2265, Bonita Springs, FL 33959-2265. PROFESSIONAL PROFILES | 1 Melinda Haas | 2 Arnold Chanon Bloch For additional verification see the contributor of the document. This text below was produced by scanning a printed copy of the Cult Observer. Hence a few errors may have been introducted inadvertently. Please consult the printed copy if there is any question about the text. UPDATED ON: 10/12/94 UPDATED BY: FrJMc =================================================================