EXCLUSIVE: Investigating Claims of Doctor Fraud
KENNEWICK -- A local dad followed a Yellow Pages' pitch but said he just got scammed.
"I love my daughter, she's my whole world," Chris Dauenhauer said.
Chris is a dad going through a divorce, desperately looking to spend more time with toddler, Lillian.
"I wanted to get a parenting assessment to bring to my wife," he said. "I was doing it as a good thing."
So Chris called Dr. Anstine's ad in the phone book.
"My eyes are drawn to it, you know it's a big color add and big balloons."
And why not? Doctor Bob Anstine at Trinity Counseling in Kennewick promises 1,200 marriages saved. So Chris called for the assessment.
"He said 'yes, I will do it and it will cost $180," Chris said.
"No, that's not what happened," Dr. Anstine argued. "He didn't ask for a parenting assessment. We asked for a suggested donation of $180 dollars. We don't charge fees here, we're not profit organization."
Anstine claims chris originally came in to his office for a letter for visitation rights, and the parenting assessment came later.
After several sessions and tests, Chris paid the cash, but said he got no results for the assessment. Chris claims Dr. Anstine withheld the paperwork until Chris paid extra for them.
So I confronted the doctor: "(Chris) said you demanded an extra $150 on top of the $180 dollars to get the parenting assessment."
"No, that's not true either," Anstine said.
Anstine's version is that Chris demanded the tests within three days, which Dr. Antine said was a time conflice since he said his church was working to feed the poor.
"And so that's when he got violent with me and so I gave him a choice: if you have to have it Monday, then you're going to have to cover the costs," Anstine said.
Doctor Anstine never gave Chris the paperwork but a receipt shows, Anstine did charge a fee. A receipt with Dr. Bob Anstine's letterhead clearly states "Fee: $180,Paid: $180."
It was this point Chris starting researching Anstine. And so did we.
Anstine isn't licensed to practice counseling in the state. If you check the Washington State Department of Health, he's not registered. But they have received four complaints about Dr. Anstine. Kennewick Police are also looking in the case, as well as the City of Kennewick Business Licensing office, since they confirmed to me, he should have a license.
"Well, we're a non-profit organization and there are five exemptions for law in the State of Washington," Anstine said. "So they're dead wrong."
Action News double checked: Astine is registered with the Secretary of State's office as having as non-profit organization which falls under the name Armour Baptist Bible College. And state health officials said Astine is exempt from needing a counseling license to practice because he's running a religious, non-profit.
You can see the exemptions under RCW 18.19.040, and state health officials admit, "this is a grey area." The Department of Health received four complaints against the doctor, three of which were ultimately closed because Anstine fell within this exemption.
But state health reps said, nowhere is Anstine allowed to charge a fee. And the ad under "counseling" certainly doesn't sell his services as a charity.
Action News also looked into his doctorate credentials. Anstine told me he has a doctorate of psychology and religous counseling which he said he earned at Carolina University of Theology. He would not show me his diploma but Carolina University of Theology is not accredited by the US Department of Education.
"I'm getting more and more depressed because this guy's just a bad, bad person," Chris said. "You know, he's doing it to other people and it's one thing after another. Wow, it makes me feel like I've got to do something."
Since Chris never received the parenting assessment he filed in small claims court to get his money back - and once he served the papers to Dr. Anstine - Anstine sent the parenting assessment to Chris' wife.
Chris is still doing homework on the doctor and knows he'll do more research before believing another ad. But for now, he just wants to see his daughter.
There are a number of ways to verify the background of a doctor or other professional. One way is to search for under the Washington State Department of Health's website.
Go to http://www.doh.wa.gov/, click on "Provider Credentials Search" in the left-hand column, then you can search for the names of health care providers.
Or you can always call the State Department of Health, the Better Business Bureau, city hall or police.
"I love my daughter, she's my whole world," Chris Dauenhauer said.
Chris is a dad going through a divorce, desperately looking to spend more time with toddler, Lillian.
"I wanted to get a parenting assessment to bring to my wife," he said. "I was doing it as a good thing."
So Chris called Dr. Anstine's ad in the phone book.
"My eyes are drawn to it, you know it's a big color add and big balloons."
And why not? Doctor Bob Anstine at Trinity Counseling in Kennewick promises 1,200 marriages saved. So Chris called for the assessment.
"He said 'yes, I will do it and it will cost $180," Chris said.
"No, that's not what happened," Dr. Anstine argued. "He didn't ask for a parenting assessment. We asked for a suggested donation of $180 dollars. We don't charge fees here, we're not profit organization."
Anstine claims chris originally came in to his office for a letter for visitation rights, and the parenting assessment came later.
After several sessions and tests, Chris paid the cash, but said he got no results for the assessment. Chris claims Dr. Anstine withheld the paperwork until Chris paid extra for them.
So I confronted the doctor: "(Chris) said you demanded an extra $150 on top of the $180 dollars to get the parenting assessment."
"No, that's not true either," Anstine said.
Anstine's version is that Chris demanded the tests within three days, which Dr. Antine said was a time conflice since he said his church was working to feed the poor.
"And so that's when he got violent with me and so I gave him a choice: if you have to have it Monday, then you're going to have to cover the costs," Anstine said.
Doctor Anstine never gave Chris the paperwork but a receipt shows, Anstine did charge a fee. A receipt with Dr. Bob Anstine's letterhead clearly states "Fee: $180,Paid: $180."
It was this point Chris starting researching Anstine. And so did we.
Anstine isn't licensed to practice counseling in the state. If you check the Washington State Department of Health, he's not registered. But they have received four complaints about Dr. Anstine. Kennewick Police are also looking in the case, as well as the City of Kennewick Business Licensing office, since they confirmed to me, he should have a license.
"Well, we're a non-profit organization and there are five exemptions for law in the State of Washington," Anstine said. "So they're dead wrong."
Action News double checked: Astine is registered with the Secretary of State's office as having as non-profit organization which falls under the name Armour Baptist Bible College. And state health officials said Astine is exempt from needing a counseling license to practice because he's running a religious, non-profit.
You can see the exemptions under RCW 18.19.040, and state health officials admit, "this is a grey area." The Department of Health received four complaints against the doctor, three of which were ultimately closed because Anstine fell within this exemption.
But state health reps said, nowhere is Anstine allowed to charge a fee. And the ad under "counseling" certainly doesn't sell his services as a charity.
Action News also looked into his doctorate credentials. Anstine told me he has a doctorate of psychology and religous counseling which he said he earned at Carolina University of Theology. He would not show me his diploma but Carolina University of Theology is not accredited by the US Department of Education.
"I'm getting more and more depressed because this guy's just a bad, bad person," Chris said. "You know, he's doing it to other people and it's one thing after another. Wow, it makes me feel like I've got to do something."
Since Chris never received the parenting assessment he filed in small claims court to get his money back - and once he served the papers to Dr. Anstine - Anstine sent the parenting assessment to Chris' wife.
Chris is still doing homework on the doctor and knows he'll do more research before believing another ad. But for now, he just wants to see his daughter.
There are a number of ways to verify the background of a doctor or other professional. One way is to search for under the Washington State Department of Health's website.
Go to http://www.doh.wa.gov/, click on "Provider Credentials Search" in the left-hand column, then you can search for the names of health care providers.
Or you can always call the State Department of Health, the Better Business Bureau, city hall or police.
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