Seven Myths, Misunderstanding & Misperceptions
The Other Side Academy is an evidence-based, effective solution for those who have destroyed their lives through drug abuse and criminal behavior. However, it is new to some in Utah, there are misperceptions about its model. This document addresses some of these myths in hopes of clarifying the truth regarding misleading claims.
Common Myths About our Program
Myth #1
'“Students are exploited and forced to work. They don’t get paid. They can’t leave because of sentences hanging over their head, so they are trapped.”
Fact:
All students are here voluntarily. People come from jail to programs every day as an alternative to a jail or prison sentence. Everyone who chooses a program as an alternative to their sentence does so with full knowledge of the commitment they will make. They are always free to choose something other than The Other Side Academy.
Do they feel coerced to work? About half of our students are here as walk-ins with no outstanding sentences. And yet, a similar percentage of them complete their 30-month commitment as those who have outstanding sentences. Why would so many stay if they felt the therapeutic work model was exploiting them?
Similar to other programs, those who come with outstanding sentences who leave early risk incarceration. Many, however, are allowed to enter other programs or options. The perceived consequences are not a strong impediment to leaving the program as we also see close to half of this population choose to leave before they complete their program. Our doors are not locked and no one detains someone who wants to leave.
One of the biggest indicators that students find value in the program is the fact that 62% of our students voluntarily elect to stay months or years longer after graduation. These remarkable men and women have paid their debt to society but stay longer because they love who they are becoming and want to continue their work. They are still not paid wages and they are completely free to leave and get a paycheck from some employer. Why would they do this if they were feeling exploited?
Finally, while the students don’t get paid wages, they do receive housing, clothing, food, access to medical and dental care and all other basic necessities to live. They learn vocational and life skills necessary to not only get a job but to stay employed. If they don’t have their GED, we provide tutoring, online-class accesses, study groups, and additional support to help them earn it. We assist them in restoring their driver's license, obtaining necessary id documents, and clearing all obstacles necessary to acquiring stable work when they leave. At program completion, we place 100% of our graduates into full-time employment. The students are not charged for any of these services.
The best evidence of the voluntary nature of our model is the words and actions of the students themselves. Our campus is open to the public 24-hours per day. We invite all community members to come for a tour, meet our students and ask them yourself. You will find that they have pride in their work, are appreciative of the life skills they are learning, and are grateful that there is a place that allows them to be part of the solution of bettering their own lives.
Myth #2
“We do not provide treatment for substance abuse.”
Fact:
We provide a heavily researched and proven “community as method” approach to treatment for substance abuse. Our treatment method is not the clinical professional version that many treatment centers offer. The fact that we use a different, and for our population, a superior method for treatment for substance abuse has been mischaracterized by some as meaning that we do not treat substance abuse. Nothing could be further from the truth.
There is a rich history of over 60 years of research and practical application with successful outcomes from a peer-community “non-clinical” treatment, often described as a Therapeutic Community approach. Substantial data shows that the Therapeutic Community approach is among the most effective treatments for repeat offenders with chemical addictions.
While in our 30-month program, staff direct students to focus on the underlying behaviors that led to their drug abuse and criminal activity. Our program focuses on addressing anti-social patterns, impulsivity, low competence, and emotional regulation that lead to chemical addiction. Our focus is on whole-person change, so the student can reenter society and live a sober and productive lifestyle while maintaining a stable job and housing.
70% of our graduates have remained drug-free since graduating from The Other Side Academy.
Myth #3
“You do not run an “evidence-based” model. There is no research to show this model works."
Fact:
The Therapeutic Community is an evidence-based model followed by The Other Side Academy. This model has been extensively researched over the last 60 years.
The effectiveness of this model is noted in the United States National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) Research Report on “Therapeutic Communities'' (NIH Publication Number 15-4877 • Revised July 2015).
Studies find that therapeutic community (TC) participants show improvements in substance abuse, criminal behavior, and mental health symptoms; this is especially true of participants who enter treatment with the most severe problems.
A long-term NIDA outcome study examined the effectiveness of several types of drug abuse treatment programs in the United States, including TCs, methadone maintenance, outpatient drug-free treatment, and short-term inpatient programs. The study found long-term residential programs and TCs (like The Other Side Academy) to be an effective approach.
Another peer-reviewed research study published in the International Journal of Addictions found that 75% of participants of a 2-year TC program remained drug-free and crime-free 5 years after program completion:
George de Leon, Harry K. Wexler & Nancy Jainchill (1982) The Therapeutic Community: Success and Improvement Rates 5 Years after Treatment, International Journal of the Addictions, 17:4, 703-747, DOI: 10.3109/10826088209053012
Furthermore, a review of multiple studies about the Therapeutic Community model conducted by the National Development and Research Institute on the TC model produced this conclusion:
“All studies show significant decreases in measures of drug use, criminality and psychological symptoms, and increases in employment and/or educational involvement.”
Those who claim the Classic Therapeutic Community model, to which we adhere, is not evidence-based are either misinformed or misleading. The truth is that the TOSA model is extensively researched and
Myth #4
“Courts can only send people to Justice Certified programs who are on the JRI list of certified programs.“
Fact:
In March of 2022, the Utah Legislature eliminated the JRI certification process for any drug treatment program in Senate Bill 179. The bill also clarified that licensed residential, vocational training and life skills programs like The Other Side Academy, were viable options for court sentencing, in addition to drug treatment programs.
See details of the bill here:
Myth #5
“You are not licensed by the State of Utah.“
Fact:
We are licensed by the State of Utah under the Department of Consumer Protection as a “Residential Vocational & Life Skills” program. Every year, we are audited by the state. Our students are randomly interviewed by the state to determine compliance with our licensing requirements, and the state verifies compliance with all state and local health and safety requirements. Please check our good standing with the State here:
https://dcp.utah.gov/registered.html
Under Entity Type, select the Residential Vocational & Life Skills Program.
Myth #6
“You don’t have any data to show your effectiveness and back up your claims.”
Fact:
We have extensive data and share it publicly. In addition, we urge other service providers to do the same. standard of outcome transparency that The Other Side Academy has held itself to a standard of outcome transparency since its beginning and encourages interested individuals to hold other substance abuse treatment providers to do the same. Our data for the current year is published here: Results
The Other Side Academy has shared our data with Jim Behunin, a retired Utah State Legislative Auditor. His research findings independently confirm our outcomes. Here is a link to his findings: Link to Jim Behunin’s letter
We firmly believe that if all service providers were required to disclose their completion and long-term success rates, more lives would be saved and the already scarce public resources would be invested more wisely. Measurement and accountability are the engines of all learning.
Myth #7
“Because you don’t have to pay your workers, your moving company and other social enterprises compete unfairly in the market and undercut existing businesses.”
Fact:
This would be true only if our market rates were lower than the competition. They are not. We do not compete based on low prices and never have. Even at our Thrift Boutiques, our prices are slightly higher than other thrift stores in the area. Our prices for The Other Side Movers are the highest in the industry, so there is no basis to a claim that we undercut other movers. We compete on quality and service, not on price.
The best evidence of this is found on public review sites. Take a look at our social enterprises on Yelp, Thumbtack, Home Advisor, Google Reviews or others. These sites showcase endless rhapsodies about the incredible customer service, integrity and kindness we offer. There is no mention of “ridiculously cheap prices.” Each of our enterprises rates highest in the state because we do a better job than others.
This should also serve as evidence that our students bring genuine motivation to their work – not what you’d expect from “exploited” labor. They learn to work out of love and integrity while at the same time becoming better people through this process.