For a few hours every morning, Tanya Lariva attends Edmonds Community College. It's the only time of day she's away from her treatment facility, Family Resources, and the tight grip the director has on her life.

KING

Dr. Florence Greff

"It makes me feel like… like I'm trapped," she said.

Dr. Florence Greff is that director. She runs an unlicensed treatment facility in an apartment complex in Shoreline.

Clients live there for years, attend group counseling and receive medications in the office.

It sounds good. But people who have lived and worked there say behind closed doors, it's another story: absolute control.  

The clients' mail is opened and read, all phone calls are monitored. At election time, Dr. Greff even gathers the clients in a group and tells them for whom to vote.

Investigators: "Are you saying people didn't have a choice in who they voted for?"

Lariva: "No."

Investigators: "They had to vote for who she wanted in the positions?"

Lariva: "Right."

Some former employees are so disturbed by the treatment, each formally complained to the state, saying there is "severe emotional and verbal abuse exercised against the clients."

"She would tell them to shut up. She would kick them out of the room. She would belittle and degrade them in front of the other clients," said Tamar Druxman.

We asked respected mental health clinician Leah Burton to examine Family Resources' internal memos and program notes obtained by KING 5.

Investigators: "Do you think that these people could be at risk?"

Burton: "Absolutely, absolutely. They're being highly manipulated and micro-managed and that does not engender anyone with mental illness or any other issues with a sense of integrity and self."

Tanya Lariva ended up here after a shattering experience three years ago. At the end of her shift at Starbucks in Des Moines she took the garbage out back, alone.

A man in a ski mask was hiding. He forced her into the dumpster and raped her.

"I didn't want to live, I didn't want to be in this world anymore," she said.

The attack led to drug addiction, depression and a suicide attempt.

After treatment at the University of Washington Medical Center psych ward, professionals there referred her to the program in Shoreline.

Lariva says in a year-and-a-half at Family Resources, Dr. Greff never asked about the attack.

"Sometimes she would answer our phone in the middle of our conversations," she said. "One time she was painting her nails during our conversation."

Client safety is also of concern. The KING 5 Investigators have found Dr. Greff's son, Nikolai Pete Greff, worked at the facility, with unsupervised access to the vulnerable adults. 

But Nikolai Pete Greff is a level 3 registered sex offender.

"It's disgusting, it's unethical," said former employee Jesse Benet. "She's putting people who are vulnerable, completely at more risk."

Dr. Greff boasts an impressive resume. She's says she's a licensed marriage and family therapist, and much more.

We asked Leah Burton to call Dr. Greff to ask about her credentials.

"She said, 'I'm a doctor, a psychologist,' and I said 'What kind of a doctor?' And she said 'I'm a psychologist,'" said Burton.

A KING 5 producer went to Family Resources undercover to get more information about the program.

Dr. Greff told her she was a psychologist and drug and alcohol counselor and has been a leader in psychology at the University of Washington.

"She just told me that she teaches staff at the UW in dual disorder, that they come to her, and she also said that she ran the psych department at the UW years and years ago," said the producer.

Florence Greff has a PhD from the School of Philosophy from a correspondence college in Florida. In Washington she's a registered counselor, which means she paid $40 and took some AIDS training.

But here's what she isn't: The University of Washington has no record of her ever working there. State records show she is not a licensed chemical dependency counselor. She's not a licensed marriage and family therapist. She's not a licensed psychologist either.

In the state of Washington, it's against the law to say you're a psychologist when you don't have a license.

"It's very serious," said Laurie Jinkins, head of licensing for the Department of Health.

Investigators: "Is that enough to shut someone down?"

Jinkins: "Certainly."

We gave Dr. Greff several opportunities to sit down and talk with us. She declined.

The state's investigated 11 complaints against Dr. Greff since 1989.

All but one was closed without discipline. Two are still open.

And because of the KING 5 investigation, the Department of Health says they are taking those two more seriously.

"If she was flying under the radar, it's not under the radar now," said Jinkins.

Tanya Lariva was thrown out of Family Resources a month ago for breaking a rule - having a cell phone. She's now living in a group home, studying hard and seeing a future after Family Resources.

"I feel like there is some hope for me," she said.

How to report abuse or neglect

If you suspect a child or a vulnerable adult is being abused or neglected, call DSHS toll-free at 1-866-END-HARM. When you call, you will speak with a real person, who will connect you to the direct number to make your report. The answering service operates seven days per week, 24 hours per day.

If your complaint involves a regulated health care provider, contact: Department of Health, Health Professions Quality Assurance at 360-236-4700

If your complaint involves a health care facility, contact: Department of Health, Facilities & Services Licensing at 1-800-633-6828 or 360-236-2905.

More information:

King County Crisis Line
461-3222 or 1-866-4-crisis

Affiliated Mental Health
206-322-5258
affiliatedmentalhealth.com

Community Psychiatric Clinic
206-461-3209
cpcwa.org

Seattle Mental Health
206-302-2300
www.smh.org
e-mail: questions@smh.org