Author Topic: My father is...  (Read 5785 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline Antigen

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 12992
  • Karma: +3/-0
    • View Profile
    • http://wwf.Fornits.com/
My father is...
« Reply #15 on: October 07, 2005, 02:58:00 PM »
Quote
On 2005-10-07 11:27:00, Anonymous wrote:

why did your father have you hanging around PROGRAM KIDS in the first place?


Because they believe w/ the full faith of a religious zealot that the Program is the high holy answer to anything and everything; completely wholesome and good for everybody.

People everywhere enjoy believing things that they know are not true. It spares them the ordeal of thinking for themselves and taking responsibility for what they know.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000051WYJ/circlofmiamithem' target='_new'> BROOKS ATKINSON (1894-1984), Once Around The Sun, 1951.

« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »
"Don\'t let the past remind us of what we are not now."
~ Crosby Stills Nash & Young, Sweet Judy Blue Eyes

Offline Anonymous

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 164653
  • Karma: +3/-4
    • View Profile
My father is...
« Reply #16 on: October 07, 2005, 03:00:00 PM »
Please look into the for profit 'tough love' programs under WWASP/Teen Help. Thanks.

"In the burgeoning new industry that promises parents to straighten out their defiant teens, no programs are more controversial than those linked by several Utah-based umbrella groups [WWASP, Teen Help]. One of the programs, in Mexico, was shut by local authorities in 1996. A program in the Czech Republic was shut by local authorities last fall. A third, Brightway Adolescent Hospital in St. George, Utah, closed during a state investigation last year."

Links:

Ex-Student Sues Utah 'Tough Love' Firm - [Worldwide Association of Specialty Programs and Schools (WWASP) Teen Help, Teen Escort Services, and company officials including Ken Kay, Robert B. Lichfield, Karr Farnsworth, Brent M. Facer, Jay Kay and David Gilcrease] http://www.sltrib.com/2003/Mar/03012003/utah/34117.asp

Morava Academy heads arrested before http://www.nospank.net/n-d77.htm

Kid Help or Kidnapping? http://www.coastalpost.com/98/12/10.htm

'I call it teen torment' http://www.denver-rmn.com/desperate/sit ... rate.shtml

Tranquility Bay student court Testimony http://fornits.com/anonanon/docs/wwasp/toc.htm

Who Really Owns WWASP & Teen Help? http://www.ytyt.org/infobank/document.cfm/parent/1142

"There were little rooms, one meter by one metre, with a small window that were used to contain these girls as punishment for three or four days." http://www.intrepidnetreporter.com/Teen ... beach.html

Specialty Schools For Defiant Teens IntrepidNetReporter.com http://www.intrepidnetreporter.com/Teen ... nhelp.html

Psychologist Warns of an Abusive and Dangerous Residential Treatment Program for Teens [Teen Help] http://www.aizan.net/families/teens_dan ... atment.htm

Officials to Investigate 'Tough Love' Facility Here http://www.ticotimes.net/archive/01_17_03_2.htm

Questions raised about Lichfield [Teen Help] http://www.thehawkeye.com/daily/stories/ln4_1216.html

Is WWASP/Teen Help a form of terrorism? http://www.metafilter.com/mefi/16219

SCHOOLS OF HARD KNOCKS [WWASPS - Teen Help] http://archive.salon.com/21st/feature/1 ... ture2.html

Learn more about the WWASPS, Teen Help seminars also known as TASKS http://denver.rockymountainnews.com/des ... rate.shtml

Youth Facility Director Charged With Sexual Abuse [Majestic Ranch] http://www.sltrib.com/2002/dec/12052002/utah/8391.htm

My Personal Experience At Cross Creek Manor http://www.wwaspisabuse.netfirms.com/my ... ience.html

Deceived At Dundee Ranch http://www.helpyourteens.com/news/janua ... etter.html

Spamdexing the Internet http://www.helpyourteens.com/news/decem ... etter.html

Lost boy http://www.denver-rmn.com/news/0702core5.shtml

Academy at Dundee Ranch breakout http://nola.com/news/t-p/frontpage/inde ... cue20.html

Desperate Measures http://www.denver-rmn.com/desperate/sit ... rate.shtml

gulag school(Diaries) http://images.kuro5hin.org/print/2001/5/16/16455/3295

Horror at Casa by the Sea http://www.google.com/search?q=wwasp&hl ... rt=50&sa=N

Child Abuse In Foreign Schools For Wayward Americans (small details about Morava Academy, a WWASP facility that shut down after local authorities investigated allegations of abuse, child neglect and other wrong doing) http://www.coastalpost.com/98/12/10.htm

The Defiant School - Carolina Springs Academy http://www.free-times.com/archive/cover ... chool.html

Troubled teens are a cash crop http://www.starbulletin.com/1999/09/29/ ... .html#jump

Teen Boot Camps Visitor Comments http://www.rickross.com/reference/teenb ... sitor.html

Teen Concentration Camps http://www.libertarianrock.com/topics/t ... index.html

A Parents' True Story A Wake Up Call to ALL Parents Looking for a School or Program http://www.helpyourteens.com/true_story.html

WWASP/Teen Help Abuses Youth http://www.wwaspisabuse.netfirms.com/

Residential Treatment for Youth: Do No Harm! http://www.wpic.pitt.edu/aacp/Vol-15-3/Youth.html

Who's Guarding The Kids? http://classic.sacbee.com/news/projects ... index.html

Trickery at Tranquility Bay, Jamaica http://www.helpyourteens.com/news/extra ... etter.html

Forum - Testimony of Teens Kidnapped w/ authorization of parents and taken to overseas "behavior modification" schools. http://www.metafilter.com/comments.mefi/20422

Message Board - We've Been There...Over 500+ Posts http://pub57.ezboard.com/bwevebeenthere

MessageBoard - wwasp, Tranquility Bay ,CCM, SCL http://www.voy.com/58570/


To the Minister of Child Welfare:

I worked as the Director at the Academy at Dundee Ranch from March to August of 2002. During this time, Mr. Joseph Atkin was the Financial Director.

Mr. Kenneth Wilson was the Student Director. I replaced Mr. Ron Del Aguila (who replaced Mr. Randall Hinton). After I left in August of 2002, Mr. Joseph Atkin replaced me. Mr. Atkin left in February of this year, and has been replaced by Mr. Francisco Bustos.

I feel that Dundee Ranch Academy should not be allowed to operate because it is poorly managed, takes financial advantage of parents in crisis, and puts teens in physical and emotional risk.

Dundee Ranch Academy is poorly managed, and this is why so many directors have left in the short 18 months that the school has been open. Company

policies and procedures changed daily on the whims of Mr. Narvin Lichfield, the owner. While I was there, Mr. Lichfield and his wife (girlfriend at the time) often made it impossible for my staff and myself to do our jobs. For example, Mr. Lichfield and his wife often changed the rules of the program without informing the staff. They would give kids special permission to

break rules, until it got to the point where the staff gave up trying to

control the students. Mr. Lichfield and his wife often demanded that structural changes be made to buildings or that new buildings be built without obtaining the necessary building permits. Orotina authorities visited several times and threatened to close the place if construction was occurring when they returned. However, because the construction workers

were more afraid of Mr. Lichfield and his fits of rage than they were of the local authorities, they would go right back to work as soon as the authorities were out of site.

The purpose of Dundee Ranch is not to help teens in crisis or their families. It is to make millions of dollars for the owner. Although the profit margins are approximately 50% -75%, Mr. Lichfield is unsatisfied. He continues to try to squeeze out every penny he can. This is achieved by

hiring unqualified, untrained staff, providing the bare minimum of food and living essentials, and by adding huge margins to additional services. For example, if a student needs a ride to San Jose to visit the doctor, Dundee charges the parents $250 when it costs them $50. If a student sees the Doctor, parents are charged $50; Dundee pays $15. If a student needs medicine, parents are charged $30; Dundee typically pays $2 - $3. Parents pay $95 per month for "incidentals" like toothpaste and deodorant. These incidentals, while I was there, cost Dundee $15 per month.

While I was in the process of resigning from Dundee Ranch last August, an American male staff member assaulted and raped a female staff member at a location of about 100 meters from where all the students are housed. I was not on the premises at the time, but was involved in reporting the incident to the Costa Rican authorities and staying with the employee's mother who flew in from the United States. The parents of students who were in the

program were not informed of the incident. Mr. Atkin, one of Dundee's many Directors, dismissed the incident to a Tico Times reporter as a "non-issue." One of the reasons that the incident was not made public was because the employee who committed the crime was a recent "graduate" of an affiliated program. The program claims a 92% "success" rate, and a drunken assault of a graduate would not be seen as a success.

This leads to another issue-untrained, unqualified staff. None of the staff members are trained to work with at-risk youth. The only reason we had hired Mr. Andy Lamb, a young 19-year-old with a history of abusive behavior, is because he knew the program, and was willing to work for the very low

wage offered by Mr. Lichfield. According to the Mr. Lichfield, "there was not enough money in the budget" to hire trained, qualified staff. Here are some other highlights: * The owner, Mr. Lichfield, has been involved with these types of programs for at least 15 years, but as the Marketing person, not as a clinical person. * The current director, Mr. Francisco Bustos, (as Mr. Atkin recently got fed up with the chaos and also left Dundee Ranch) has no experience. If you

look at their website, it states that he has experience owning and operating 5 pizza restaurants. The reason he was hired is because he was a longtime friend of the owner's wife, Ms. Flori Alvaredo. * The "Family Fathers", the staff who spend all day with the students, give corrections and punishment to the students, and who are supposed to teach and kindly correct the students, are minimum wage workers who do not speak English. * The "Family Representatives", the staff that hold daily counseling sessions (called "Reflections") with the students have no training or background in this area. They are also the only point of contact between the program and the students and often find themselves in a family counseling role, for which they are not qualified. * They have only one trained psychologist on staff, who visits once a week, but parents must pay an additional $75/hour for his services. * I am the first to admit that I was not even qualified to be there. I hold a degree in Secondary Education, but took only one class in working with

at-risk youth.

In addition to this, when I was there, most of the staff were disgruntled and frustrated with the way they were treated. Often their paychecks did not arrive on time or with the right amount of money. They often took their frustration at the administration out on the students. They treated students poorly (yelling at them, giving them extra "consequences".) Staff turn-over is very high. This creates additional instability with the students. During the year 2002, there were four different Directors. "Family Representatives" and teachers came and left monthly. This created additional emotional instability in the students who were already torn from their parents and allowed extremely limited time to talk with the other students in the program. The only chance they often had to talk was with staff, and those staff continued to leave the program.

As an employee, the only training I received was on how to manipulate parents. I was told many times that "there is no reason for a student to return home before 'graduating' the program". Once they are in, they are there to stay. This process takes 12 to 36 months. There were many students who had psychological, medical, or special education needs that we could not meet. When I suggested that they be sent to another place where they could receive the help they needed, I was told to "keep my mouth shut and make sure that their parents kept them there." I was threatened with my job. If there were students who would be better off going home or entering another program, I was not allowed to suggest this to the parent. Ironically, if the parents had concerns about what was going on, we were

told to tell the parents that their children were "just manipulating them."

Students were not allowed to communicate freely with their parents, or anyone else. They were allowed to write a weekly email and letter, but the staff was instructed to read the email and letter and take out anything they did not like, or write comments to the parents. The students were not allowed to express their true feelings. Students were not allowed to talk with their parents until they were "Level 3", which could take anywhere from 4 to 24 months. At that point, they were allowed a 15 minute phone call

once a month. Staff was instructed to hang the phone up and terminate their conversation if the student said anything negative about the program.

Students were not allowed to talk without permission. Typically, they would be able to speak with their friends for about 15 to 30 minutes a day. They were isolated from the outside world. They did not have a chance to view a newspaper or the internet. Emotionally, this was very difficult for the

students, as many of them processed their emotions by talking about them.

When I first arrived, "restraints" were common. This was when a staff member would twist a student's arm around their back and throw them to the ground or against a wall. I know of at least one case where an arm was dislocated. I insisted that this stop, and I am fairly certain that it did not happen while I was there. However, I have heard reports that this was started again after I left. Further investigation should be done.

Another punishment was writing "essays" of 3000 to 150,000 words. Students were required to sit in a dark room without proper back support, and write these essays until they finished the required number of words. Often, staff members, for no apparent reason, would rip up the essays and make the students start over. Students were required to write for 8 hours a day until their words were completed.

The worst punishment was "OP" or "Observational Punishment." In this, students were required to stand, kneel, sit, or lay on a cement floor without moving for 30 minutes at a time. They had to do this for 8 hours a day, until they had "served their time". When some of the kids accepted

this, the staff made them run 100s of laps around the pool, just to make it miserable enough that the kids would want to comply.

Students had no voice. If they had a complaint, they were supposed to write a "grievance" on a piece of paper. Often, these were lost or confiscated by staff who did not want to look bad.

I stayed at Dundee because I wanted to make things run well, because I believe that when administered well, the program can be effective for some teens. However, many of the teens that were there at the time (and probably still there) would be much better served somewhere else. This was not an option because it would take money out of Mr. Lichfield's pocket. I also

realized that my efforts would never be successful. I could not hire and keep trained staff. I could not spend money on things the kids needed.

Several times we ran out of toilet paper and the kids had to use notebook paper. I could not get Mr. Lichfield to begin the dorms that were so desperately needed, and that he promised to parents "were in the works". Everything was focused on the profits Mr. Lichfield could make, not on the health or welfare of the students. Some additional examples of this are: * The city water was disconnected and students were given well water to drink, because the city water was "too expensive". Shortly thereafter, approximately 40 students got diarrhea and eventually drinking water was filtered. This may have been a coincidence. But even if the water did not have any problems, they should have tested it before they began giving it to students. * The kids are crowded in their rooms. There are as many as 15 kids in what used to be a single hotel room. They were required to sleep from 8:00 pm to 6:00 am to save on staff costs. (We only needed 2 staff when the boys were in their beds, versus 6-8 staff when they were awake.) Mr. Lichfield did not want to spend the money to hire additional staff. * For the first 10 months that the school was open, there were no trained staff administering medicine. After several students were given the wrong medicine, or were not given their medication, I insisted on hiring two full-time nurses. Before that, the minimum wage staff members who could not speak English were required to pass out medicine. I did not have the resources or support necessary to provide what I felt was a humane and safe environment for these teens. I was also concerned about the "High Impact" extension that was a copy of a program that was shut down in Mexico because of the death of students. For these reasons, I decided to resign in early August. It would be my pleasure to speak to someone about these issues. I can be reached at this email address, or by phone at 001-313-577-2704 during the day, or at 001-248-545-4163 during the evening.

Kind regards, Amberly Knight ***************************************

March 3, 2003

To the Minister of Child Welfare,

I am a parent of a former student at Dundee. My son was there from November, 2001 ? August, 2002. I am very concerned for the children that are still there. I worked closely with the school while my son was there, but still did not get answers to the questions that I asked.

It started with the lies that were told to my husband and I. We were looking for a boarding school for our son. After looking into many schools, we thought we found the perfect one. WWASP explained to us that Dundee had an aggressive academic program, a program to work with the locals to learn a new culture and a strict environment where teens would learn accountability. We were never told of the "program". We felt comfortable sending him to beautiful Costa Rica.

My son went through the first "levels" quickly so we were allowed to speak with him on the phone. He knew what kind of school we were looking for. He told us that this was not what we were told it was, that it was a program and not a boarding school. He said that the staff read his e-mails to us and when he had something to tell us, he had to wait and talk on the phone. When we addressed this with the director at the time, we were told that we were being manipulated by our son. Over time, I realized that this is the answer the staff gives the parents for any complaints that the students have. This was a red flag for me.

We decided to keep him there until PCI. This is the first time that parents are allowed to visit their children. This was one of the lies told to us from the beginning, that we would be able to visit our son after 2 1/2 to 3 months. We waited almost 6 months. I was concerned with what I saw. The staff was inexperienced. They were very nice people, but not one of them had the credentials to be able to speak to me about my son. The bottom line for them was to say anything they could so that the parent would not pull their child from the school. I knew that this was a rustic place, but the overcrowding was terrible. There were 12-14 grown boys in a small room. The beds were small and close together. The doctor even said that it was not healthy to have them so close together. When one got sick, they all did. The kids were really out of shape. Not enough organized exercise. Their diet wasn?t bad, but very little meat and vegetables. The academics were not what was promised. And the rules were somewhat scrambled. When I returned to the states, I wrote a long letter to the school with my concerns. I represented many other parents. We couldn?t believe how much of our money was being taken in, and how little was spent on the kids. I was granted a phone call from Narvin Litchfield about these concerns. He proceeded to tell me about all the great plans he had. He even sent me the blue prints of what the school would soon look like. To this day, with the quick growth of this school, I don't think that they have built the new dorms yet. It hasn?t changed much except for the building of the "High Impact".

This brings me to a major concern. When I was there in August to pull my son from this school I saw "High Impact". This is a place where children are taken to if they do not behave. Dundee already has a punishment system that I feel is very excessive. OP as they call it is a place of isolation. Some kids stay there for weeks at a time until they conform to every rule. The children often have to lie on a cement floor, hands behind them for long periods of time. You may end up there for a very minor infraction. This is something that I would appreciate someone looking into. I don?t know if the High Impact building is open yet, but it is something that really needs to be looked into. They closed the one down in Mexico, where a teen died. Once a child is taken behind those walls, I don?t feel that there is anyone there to be able to make sure that no real harm comes to this child.

Another event happened while I was there in August. A male staff member seriously attacked and raped a female staff member. They were both graduates of the program and returned to this school to work. This happens frequently in these schools, as grads work for very low wages. I was in Joe Atkins office while he was talking with authorities to try and find this boy. It was pretty serious at the time, but later Mr. Atkins shrugged the story off in the Tico Times.

I feel that there is both physical and mental abuse to these teens. Some of the children that are there may have been headed for jail back home but there are also many of them like my son, whose parents wanted them to have an opportunity. An opportunity to catch up in school, learn a new language and culture and get back on the right path. The parents are so manipulated that they don't really know how there son or daughter is doing, and would never get a call from the staff that they thought that this was to harsh for them and they need to go home. I don't believe this has ever happened in any of the WWASP schools. With vertually no screening of these teens before they enter the school, it is hard to understand that some one would not recognize that this is not the place for everyone. Once you enroll your child, you are pressured into thinking that he will only succeed if he "graduates the program". This can take from 18-24 months.

I do believe that there is physical abuse going on. I understand that there are times when a child may need to be restrained, but I believe it is happening to often. The mental abuse is worse. They are not allowed to talk with each other except in group to talk about their problems. They have absolutely no contact with the outside world. They can not read a newspaper or hear a newscast. Current events are taken away from them and my son had no idea what was happening in our world while he was there. I was told that there was a music department at Dundee. I had to fight to let my son have his guitar. They said that he needed to concentrate on other things. It was so sad when I left the school with him last August. So many of the kids were upset and crying because my son would play his guitar at night while they were trying to go to sleep. This was the closest thing to real life that they had.

Mr. Narvin Litchfield, his brother and friends own many of these schools, both in and outside of the U.S.. The ones in Cancun, Samoa, and The Czech Republic were closed down. Carolina Springs is often visited by child welfare in the states and has been cited with many violations. One important one is that the upper level children give out punishment to the lower levels. This is illegal in the states. Children can not dole out punishment to other children. There is also overcrowding.

I also have concerns about your organization interviewing the students. There are ramifications that can happen if the staff or owner do not like what the students say. The children don?t have any representation while at this school. If they say anything to their parents they are called liars and manipulators. From my experience, the parents are just as manipulated as the students in this program. You are told to "trust the program" and let them do whatever they feel is right for your child. Not a good concept when no one at the facility is really trained or qualified to be working with teens.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me. Work 716-635-9820 Home 716-759-2676

Thank you, Martha Martin

http://www.unicef.org/voy/cgi-bin/zdisc ... 2324-12840
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »

Offline Anonymous

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 164653
  • Karma: +3/-4
    • View Profile
My father is...
« Reply #17 on: October 07, 2005, 03:08:00 PM »
A Texas Father's True Story
 
 
 
   
 Being conned by Casa!

"It all started when my son was born (10/07/84), him aging and me fermenting."

In May of 2002 I had just about had enough of the lies, arguments and late night worries with our son. Ryan was 17 at this point and going through the same aging techniques many of us chose in our lives. The school of hard knocks combined with a destructive path escalating out of control. Ryan had been diagnosed as ADD at twelve years previous to his junior year. However the latest symptoms did not indicate ADD behavior. His behavior had now turned into disgruntled child. We as parents could see his grades dropping, the attitude changes, mood swings, etc. He was just starting to experiment with marijuana and chasing that with alcohol.

As a parent, I've always wanted the best for my children. And as parents who were raising three children, they had the best I could afford. The way I was raised and with my values, my goal was to provide modern society with a young man, who was accountable for his actions and could survive in today's economy. We have achieved that mark with our oldest daughter this past September. However, with Ryan, we were having difficulties. His disrespect and lackadaisical attitude towards everything and everyone had us concerned.

Our search began. I contacted local and state agencies, as well as private facilities within our financial range. Because of his age & being six months from turning the magical age of "18", any local or state treatment facilities were out of the question. All of them basically stated; "he was to close to becoming of legal age." I then increased our search nationwide. Again, I was informed, because of his age, no one wanted to take on the task of a soon to be legal adult.

Then, I stepped up our search to the Internet and found the World Wide Association of Specialty Schools (WWASPS). I couldn't help but find them they were with every search term I typed in. I also realized that they owned so many different URL's, as every toll free number I dialed, they answered! That should have been my red flag, but I was desperate enough to believe anything and discard red flags. All of a sudden the telephone was ringing, the emails started to pop up, etc. I was informed that they had a special school for every child in need. I sat down with Ryan, informed him of our plans and he was not receptive of the idea. Once he saw the school was in Mexico, he really didn't like the concept. However, once we received the marketing literature & brochures, he was curious. We too could not believe that such programs existed without any prior knowledge on our part. After a couple of weeks, we as a family, Ryan included, decided that he would be willing to try this at least until he was "18". Casa By The Sea here we come! We flew out to San Diego, California and had a mini vacation prior to our beautiful drive down the Mexican coast. When we pulled up, Ryan, stated, "I can't believe you are going to leave me here." "This place is a dump," not actually a club med but it had potential. The price, we were paying nearly $3,000 per month. Not to mention the $2,000 administration fees, and the $295 for uniforms, and the $95 a month for incidentals, $35 for a physical, $50 for a visa, etc. Total over two months was approximately $15-20K, including expenses. So much for a less expensive program as reality is, the costs add up like a Wal-mart receipt.

The marketing glossy brochures and video's, depicted children swimming on the beach, horseback riding, being able to work in the local town, fishing, snorkeling, group therapy, onsite counselors, etc. They lied, it's on the water, but the cliff to dive into it, would most likely kill your child. Snorkeling? Who are they kidding! Fishing? Dream on children. Group Therapy? Where is the therapist? Counseling? Oh, you wanted counseling? Not included, please pay more.

The therapy that is included consists of your dysfunctional child sitting with my problem child and his delusion of earth as it is to him discussing 25 other messed up children's problems in a group. I wonder why my insurance is having a problem covering this one? The family Representative (FR) / Therapist (not a real therapist) is a person who I understand receives less than minimum wage, and not licensed. For the most part a poorly paid babysitter with your child being their only income. The FR's job is to inform the parents to disregard the letters your child is sending you. Everything he is writing about does not or did not happen. During this time, everyone from "the program" is constantly telling you to hurry up and get to the Resource Realizations seminars. Another form of misrepresentation, now the blinders are in place. The seminars are basically everything I have been through as businessman with the exception that they "Act" like they are therapists. The seminar is to make you aware of why you messed your child up. Then they attempt to change your lifestyle forever. I personally think they change your lifestyle by soaking your bank account. I think humiliating people in front of others is simply not appropriate. Making people cry, telling them they should blame their parents for the way they have been raised, in your face until you disclose some deep dark secret. The worst part was when a facilitor (who is not a qualified therapist) tells the parents to go to Hawaii (or any trip) and send your child a postcard, "Having a great time without you." Now that was an eye opener. I will disclose to anyone, how I love my parents and they did the best they could with what they had. Look at me, I'm not a model citizen, but I do know the difference between right and wrong. I forgot to mention the end of the seminar, they sales pitch about signing up others to defer your expenses. Pyramiding, I believe, is the correct term, at your child's expense. For every parent I could refer in, they would give me a free month of tuition. If Ryan is already home, I would receive $1000.00 for each referral in. Sounds like an Amway pyramid to me. I believe it is worse, since children are involved.

The seminars are design to teach accountability. Who was accountable for watching over my son in Mexico? A drunk? The night watchman reeked of alcohol. How do I know? Ryan knows his beer. No, I am not proud of that, but realistically, that is why I sent my son to Casa By The Sea to stop him from starting to drink. Now, they place a man who does not speak our language, add alcohol and place my son in his care. Ryan was capable of hanging out with drunks in Texas and he failed Spanish. Boy, did I ever make a valid point with him on this decision.

The food, what there was of it, was not fit to feed to animals. Ryan lost about 20 pounds while residing at Casa By The Sea. Please understand Ryan was under weight prior to entering. He was hungry all of the time, then given categories and worksheets for eating someone else's food that they didn't want. Punishment for eating? My son returned home underweight and I paid near $3000.00 per month? It was clear to me this is not the place for my son or any human in my opinion. However his FR would continue to inform us everything is going fine with Ryan.

Everything I was hearing, smelling, tasting, seeing was all adding up to a very bad situation. I believe their term for this is "pigs chattering." Well my pig wasn't buying into this scam any more. So I removed Ryan in late August of 2002. We traveled to Casa By The Sea unannounced and picked up our son. The school wasn't thrilled we were there. Ryan was elated to see us, underweight and glad to be going home. His biggest regret when we were leaving was worrying about two students who had grown up at this facility. The two boys, ages 13 & 14, had been there 36 & 24 months, respectively. That is truly sad, and I feel the parents should put themselves there to understand the depth of agony they suffer. If you really don't want to be parents, give your children to a relative or even a ward of the state. At least then they would get an education and food. Many parents are paying thousands of dollars for this deluxe (and that is a very loose word) babysitting service.

The Director of this program, Mr. Dace Goulding, continued to inform us that he had nothing to hide. Mr. Goulding also personally stated that we would receive a full refund. Did I mention that this is on tape? Mr. Goulding knows he said it, my wife heard it, another adult who traveled with us heard it, my son heard it. After returning to the United States, Mr. Goulding developed convenient amnesia, and he instructed me to contact their headquarters in Utah. Now I thought I was making some progress. I was speaking with the man in charge, Mr. King Kay. Mr. Kay also informed me I would get a full refund, if I signed a settlement agreement. After further discussions, Mr. Kay decided I was not entitled to a full refund and expenses unless I signed his "confidentiality agreement." That was his settlement agreement, "keep my mouth shut about our findings, our recordings (tapes), and the facts that they fully misrepresented us as they are doing to many others." Obviously I decided not to sign any such agreement, as I believe parents need to know what is going on. Freedom of speech is our First Amendment, and when children are involved, I will shout it from the roofs. I am fortunate to be in a spot that I did not have to sign the agreement, as I believe many have, since they were striped of their savings.

That is where we are today, I have obtained legal council and will be filing a lawsuit against everyone involved with this organization of what I believe to be con men, thieves and liars. This merry band of so-called religious people, are raping families of life savings to warehouse their children. What a big mistake I made concerning my son's health and welfare. Our family is currently in licensed counseling and progressing towards a happy means.

I would recommend anyone who is contemplating placing a child in a WWASPS facility, to do your homework! Don't believe everything you hear, and remember those reference parents they give you may also have a hidden agenda. They are part of the pyramiding referral ladder. This has been a very learning experience for our entire family. Again, please do major research prior to placing your child in a warehouse for others to raise.

If you have any questions or comments, I welcome you to contact me via the number below. I do have all documents, tapes and evidence to back up my story. I do know there are many parents that fall for their tactics, and for this, I am sorry. If you are currently involved with WWASP, please disregard my story, or if you desire, do your homework. This is a factual story of our experiences and opinions.

Respectfully,

Lee E. Colburn

Pearland, TX

(281) 485-2522

http://www.helpyourteens.com/news/decem ... etter.html
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »

Offline Anonymous

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 164653
  • Karma: +3/-4
    • View Profile
My father is...
« Reply #18 on: October 07, 2005, 03:33:00 PM »
Quote
On 2005-10-07 09:48:00, Antigen wrote:

"Charles Manson is a thoughtful poet and decent musician. What! Ever met him? Then what do you know? STFU


Charles Manson is a far better human being than any of these program staffers could ever hope to be, Antigen.  It's not nice to slander him by making comparisons with program directors/staff, even if it is to prove a point to the dipshits that defend those child-abusers.
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »

Offline the sunday stealer

  • Posts: 44
  • Karma: +0/-0
    • View Profile
My father is...
« Reply #19 on: October 07, 2005, 04:10:00 PM »
My father is...







a scumbag.<---- PERIOD
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »

Offline Anonymous

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 164653
  • Karma: +3/-4
    • View Profile
My father is...
« Reply #20 on: October 07, 2005, 09:03:00 PM »
Gimme a moment to wade through everything here. You all seem so eager to beat a dead horse.
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »

Offline Anonymous

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 164653
  • Karma: +3/-4
    • View Profile
My father is...
« Reply #21 on: October 07, 2005, 09:46:00 PM »
.
When I found out my boys were sent to Dundee Ranch Academy in Costa Rica I was concerned. I began to do some independent information gathering. I wanted to make an informed decision as to whether or not I was in an agreement with the program chosen and be sure that it had the resources necessary to help my boys. I first began reviewing the information provided on the internet website for the WWASP schools and the website for Dundee itself. I followed that up by directly contacting the school. I emailed the director asking him to provide me with information on the school's employees. I wanted to know things like: where they had worked previously, how long they had worked with teens in crisis, how they were trained, what their specific credentials were and whether they did criminal background checks on all individuals who had contact with the teens. (The school does credit checks on the parents, why should I not be able to have criminal background checks done on the employees?) The reply that I received back from the director at Dundee, Joe, was that he did not have time to provide me with that information. He suggested that I look again at Dundee's website. I explained to him that I needed information, and not just boiler plate information, but specific information on the individuals who worked with the boys on a day to day basis and who were responsible for their well-being. I believe as a parent it was not only my right to have access to this information but my responsibility. Needless to say, after many requests, I was never provided with any information from Joe.

I then heard a story about a very serious incident that occurred at Dundee. I heard that as a result of the incident there were employees who had been fired. I emailed Joe, the director, and Ken Kay to see if they could either confirm the incident or deny it. I asked them why certain employees were not longer employed by Dundee. Neither one would address my question. Why? Don't parents have a right to know? If there is an explanation why would they not be willing to provide it?

The next thing I did was to have my attorney get me a copy of the enrollment agreement that had been signed. The first thing that I noticed that did not seem right was that the cover page of the enrollment agreement stated that "if joint custody both parents must sign." Well my case is and was a joint custody case and yet I never signed anything. I had never even seen the agreement. Anyway, I began to read over it. What I gathered from reading the contract was that it was written to protect the school and all affiliates and not the teens. I decided to have it looked at by a licensed clinical social worker. I wanted the opinion of a professional. I took it to an individual who has worked with Boys Town for over 10 years. This individual has had experience working with at risk teens and the credentials necessary for providing a professional opinion. This is what was pointed out by this professional:

     1) By signing the agreement parents are signing over their right to what is known as in the States as "informed consent." (The right to be informed about all decisions relating to your child.)
     2) The staff employed by Dundee are not professionals. These individuals who are responsible for the health and well-being of the children do not have to be qualified, trained or certified to provide the types of services that at risk teens need.
     3) Teens were allowed to punish other teens. (Are these teens emotionally stable enough to punish other teens at lower levels? If so why are they still in the program? Wouldn't they or shouldn't they be able to go home if they are at a stage where they are emotionally stable enough to determine what is right or wrong for another student? Or, could it be that the students at higher level are cheap labor for the school?)
     4) The school is not licensed or regulated by any outside agency that has the ability/power to monitor the methods and techniques that are being used in the school. (That will likely change now that the local authorities know that the school is there and that there are children there.)

There were many other red flags noted in the enrollment agreement. These were the ones that were the most concerning for me.

Children have to be protected. Information is vital for making informed decisions. They should never be isolated and not allowed to contact their parents. Even if they are the "manipulators" the school claims them to be. I would think that the very parents who lived with them for the first 12-18 years of their lives would be able to determine whether or not their child is being manipulative. There is nothing more important than communication between parent and child, direct open communication that is uncensored. If my child wants to vent or complain, then let them do that, I am an adult and I will decide whether or not it is something I need to be concerned with. I do not need someone who is 26 years old with degree in economics who has never had kids of his own telling me that my kids are manipulating me and that I should not have contact with them.

Carey " alt="" class="bbc_img" />
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »

Offline Anonymous

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 164653
  • Karma: +3/-4
    • View Profile
My father is...
« Reply #22 on: October 07, 2005, 09:53:00 PM »
Quote
In this context, how is your dad any different from Charles Manson? Do you feel that you can form a reasonable opinion of Charles Manson w/o having to get to know him intimately and personally?

In all honesty, no. I can't form a personal opinion of Charles Manson himself. His acts however, I can. Comparing the acts of Charles Manson, a man in prison for life tied to several murders, to the acts of Narvin Lichfield is ridiculous.

As for your other point, I'm willing to admit there are many things about my father that I don't know and have yet to learn. But the hate I see here is infantile and baseless.

Quote
Son, when you were "younger" why did your father have you hanging around PROGRAM KIDS

Oh, dear old dad regularly left me in the boy's dorms overnight, said it'd be healthy for me!

...Don't be an idiot. How could I possibly avoid contact with kids in the program? I lived on the campus of one for two years, and traveled with my father many times as he set up different programs. I find nothing my father did then to be irresponsible.

Quote
From how you describe these program kids, why would a responsible father want you being a "tutor" for them? PERHAPS, training you to be IN the FAMILY business later on? From your attitude here, seems like you might just fit in: you show no respect for these kids, have a belittling attitude towards them, view them as "manipuliative little liars and druggies." Just a little more training, and YOU WILL BE ABUSING THEM, JUST LIKE DADDY, WON'T YOU?

Calm down, I can feel the spray from here.

First of all, I'm a tutor helping kids who have difficulty in English. I fail to see where this becomes a problem; I was a regular A+ student in English classes, and most of the kids who enter the problem routinely failed their English courses. I'm helping them out.

Second of all, you're suffering from an acute case of "Oh, save the children!" If you met any one of these kids, you'd know they NEED help. Yeah, most of what they've done is incredibly stupid. STUPID. Stupid kids. Wah-wah, poor them; the point is, if they really try for it, these programs DO help them. I've seen it.

Third, I'm avoiding the "family business" like the plague. That's my personal choice, but I really don't see what the big conspiracy is with my cousins and uncles getting involved with the business. Isn't that kinda what capitalism is about? "Callahan and Sons" doesn't get nearly as much attention.

Also, fun fact: Narvin Lichfield has never abused any of the program children. You're choking on digital vomit.

Quote
Funny, I've never seen a kid in a program post here, only the ones who have already left/graduated.

Oh, we have a winner! Two points.

Maybe because...they're STILL IN THE PROGRAM? You're not allowed to waste your time on the internet while you're still inside.

Quote
According to you, the only people accusing staff/programs of abuse are those wanting to leave. Doesn't exactly make too much sense does it? It's okay though, I understand you are only 18 and your post certainly shows it. I'm sure it will take you many years to work out the teachings of your father, I couldn't imagine having such a useless individual as a parent. Your mind must be seriously warped. When you grow up maybe you can come back and we can have an adult conversation. Until then, good luck overcoming your future demons.

Point out what doesn't make sense about that. The only people who "want to leave" are those not working to graduate. They want to go back to what they know. Don't be stupid. It looks bad in a person of your age.

And condescencion only works when the person you're trying to talk down to actually thinks you're somehow justified in talking down to them. Nice try though, I'd applaude the effort in anyone else.

Quote
The most interesting part of your post is the fact they allow 18 year olds to 'tutor' other students. What are you a few months older than the oldest students at the program?  What qualifications do you have? Ohhh... that's right, you don't need any to work at a shitty program!

Oh, so clever! What do I have? Let's think about this one for more than the three seconds it took for you to regurgitate.

Hmmm...a GED? Something these kids altogether LACK?

Quote
That's horrible your parent(s?) held that threat over your head your entire adolescence. I've met a few people who were placed in programs at the age of 12 and 13 and they were definitely the most worse off. They routinely were the punching bags of the older students who wanting to 'let off steam'. It's a pity you support your fathers evil deeds. Although I am sure you will, I would work hard at trying not to follow in his footsteps. He is one of the most hated individuals in this industry. For good reason!

No, it was a good thing. Do you honestly think I was tempted to screw myself up nearly as much as some of the kids in there have? It was extra incentive not to be a complete idiot.

And the "punching bag" statement is laughable. If anything, the older kids befriend and encourage each other to befriend the younger ones. Of course, you'd know the inner workings of the program having spent so long with them, so I'm not going to question your authority on the matter any further.  :tup:

As to my father's "evil deeds": name one. Please. Point out one thing beyond "Oh heavens he opened these satanic child-eating hellpit schools!" bullcrap.

Quote
What kind of 'treatment' facility needs to give thousands of dollars, in other words, bribes, to public officials?

Go down to Costa Rica.

Try, I repeat, try to open a business without paying the local officials for their support.

Fail miserably.

It's not called a third-world country for nothing.

Oh, and: you're laughably stupid if you believe most anything coming from the Tico Times. It's not your fault, it's just ignorance; the Tico Times is considered by most to be almost a tabloid.

Quote
"They told us you have the right to speak, you have the right to speak to your parents, you have the right to leave if you feel you've been mistreated," said Hugh Maxwell, 17, of Rhode Island. "Kids heard that and they started running for the door. There was elation, cheering and clapping and chaos. People were crying."

Adults beat some of the children to quell the uprising, according to six people present. The academy's owner, Narvin Lichfield, was jailed for 30 hours, may face criminal charges and has been ordered by a judge to remain in Costa Rica. Four staff members feared by the children are being deported to Jamaica, government officials said. Most of the children are going home, many to an uncertain future.

Yeah, it's best to stay current with the times, hombre.

That's been proven to be the biggest lie Tim Weiner ever bothered to report.

"Laughing, cheering, elation?" The kids were raping each other in the bathrooms and attacking the buildings with hammers and rocks and whatever they could get their hands on, while local police sat and watched and prevented the staff from doing anything. I went down to the facility right after it closed. The place was a mess from these "poor little kids" had done to it.

Chaos indeed.

Quote
does anyone have a picture of this piece of shit Narvin Lichfied?

Heres a picture of his fatass ugly brother;

 

So sonny boy, is your dad as fat and ugly as his brother? Looks like they are eating well.

Haha, look at you! Taking potshots at people over the Internet. I bet you feel accomplished.

I frankly don't care what you think about my uncle. You're probably more of a troglodyte than he is.

Quote
You just don't get it. These kids were trying to convince you of the truth, not poison your mind; rather free your mind! If you came near me and I found out you were the program owners son I wouldn't have 'talked' to you if you catch my drift. I would of gotten together with some others and taken you hostage. This isn't a game, son. I hope you realize that.

And then of course, the psychotic bottomdwellers raise to the bait.

Free my mind. Right. Despite the fact that everything they tried to tell me was a blatant lie? Good job, junior.

Oh, and lay off the drama. Taken me hostage? Besides making you sound like a psychopath, it also proves that you are incapable of connecting action and consequence. Follow your own soiled line of reasoning: if you were to have "taken me hostage," what in God's name makes you think my father, apparently the most recent incarnation of Satan, would not make the rest of your existance utterly miserable for it?

The program kids never did this because they, unlike you, have at least enough intelligence to try turning the doorknob instead of ramming the door with their skull. Metaphorically speaking.

Quote
Because they believe w/ the full faith of a religious zealot that the Program is the high holy answer to anything and everything; completely wholesome and good for everybody.

This has almost no connection to anything the person you quoted said.

That aside, everyone involved with the programs will openly admit that the programs do not work for every single case. Some kids are beyond the help the programs can offer.

Quote
Please look into the for profit 'tough love' programs under WWASP/Teen Help. Thanks.

"In the burgeoning new industry that promises parents to straighten out their defiant teens, no programs are more controversial than those linked by several Utah-based umbrella groups [WWASP, Teen Help]. One of the programs, in Mexico, was shut by local authorities in 1996. A program in the Czech Republic was shut by local authorities last fall. A third, Brightway Adolescent Hospital in St. George, Utah, closed during a state investigation last year."

"Last fall"? Do you even know how many years ago that was? What is the obsession this forum has with outdated media?

...I'm not even going to bother wading through the articles you all keep posting. For one thing, almost all of them have come under legal attack for libel. For another, it's a waste of my time to try and respond to the personal bias of a journalist. Get your own opinions, people.

Amberly Knight has changed her story so many times that her testimony is now a common joke.

Quote
Charles Manson is a far better human being than any of these program staffers could ever hope to be, Antigen. It's not nice to slander him by making comparisons with program directors/staff, even if it is to prove a point to the dipshits that defend those child-abusers.

By far the worst reply yet. You're not even forming your own words anymore, you're just channeling the concentrated stupidity of everything that's been posted so far.

Quote
I would think that the very parents who lived with them for the first 12-18 years of their lives would be able to determine whether or not their child is being manipulative. There is nothing more important than communication between parent and child, direct open communication that is uncensored. If my child wants to vent or complain, then let them do that, I am an adult and I will decide whether or not it is something I need to be concerned with.


Oh wait, scratch that, this one takes the cake.

I don't even need to point out that being a parent does not somehow make you a walking lie detector. Half of the kids in the program I work at were involved with drugs and sex for years upon years and hid it so well that their parents didn't find out until they discovered evidence of some kind.

You're entirely too gullible if you believe you can't be manipulated by your children.
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »

Offline Anonymous

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 164653
  • Karma: +3/-4
    • View Profile
My father is...
« Reply #23 on: October 07, 2005, 10:20:00 PM »
Nobody in their right mind would send their kids to Costa Rica so don't blame the kids who end up there ... it's ain't their fault their parents are sick in the head.

 :skull:
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »

Offline Deborah

  • Posts: 5383
  • Karma: +0/-0
    • View Profile
My father is...
« Reply #24 on: October 07, 2005, 10:32:00 PM »
*** I was a regular A+ student in English classes, and most of the kids who enter the problem routinely failed their English courses. I'm helping them out.

Freudian slip???   :lol:
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »
gt;>>>>>>>>>>>>>><<<<<<<<<<<<<<
Hidden Lake Academy, after operating 12 years unlicensed will now be monitored by the state. Access information on the Federal Class Action lawsuit against HLA here: http://www.fornits.com/wwf/viewtopic.php?t=17700

Offline Anonymous

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 164653
  • Karma: +3/-4
    • View Profile
My father is...
« Reply #25 on: October 07, 2005, 10:48:00 PM »
More like a typo.  :roll:
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »

Offline Anonymous

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 164653
  • Karma: +3/-4
    • View Profile
My father is...
« Reply #26 on: October 08, 2005, 12:04:00 AM »
Wow. You put a lot of the other program trolls to shame.

Quote
God's name makes you think my father, apparently the most recent incarnation of Satan, would not make the rest of your existance utterly miserable for it?


That says it all...  :lol:

You are one funny kid.
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »

Offline Anonymous

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 164653
  • Karma: +3/-4
    • View Profile
My father is...
« Reply #27 on: October 08, 2005, 12:05:00 AM »
So do ya'll think this poster really is the son of Lichfield as they claim? I find this all rather laughable.
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »

Offline Anonymous

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 164653
  • Karma: +3/-4
    • View Profile
My father is...
« Reply #28 on: October 08, 2005, 12:08:00 AM »
The fact an 18 year old kid with a GED is working for the program discredits it. What exactly do you do there anyways? How much do you get payed?
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »

Offline Anonymous

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 164653
  • Karma: +3/-4
    • View Profile
My father is...
« Reply #29 on: October 08, 2005, 12:10:00 AM »
Quote
For one thing, almost all of them have come under legal attack for libel.


Ah. You spend your blood money to silence the truth. How admirable of you all.
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »