On 2006-04-30 15:36:00, Anonymous wrote:
"Whenever a parent posts and asks for information on a specific program, they hear the pros and cons from a number of people who have actually had experience with the program. Many parents did not like some things about the program or some of the staff- they will communicate this to anyone considering the program.
It is not just a one-sided picture. No program is perfect. It is a matter of making the best choice for a particular teen. "
Theyre told shit by other program parents on struggling teens, edcons, and anyone else lurking there. There is no open discussion or criticism. There is no challenging, there is no accountability, its just whoever gets to them first.
Its also not a secret taht a lot of the way these programs are 'sold' is to either create, or take advantage of an existing emotional distress of the parent and offer the program as a solution to that. :roll:
That, alone, is basically bullshit and nothing but a vehicle for selling programs.
The other thing? How is any of this about the "best interest of the teen" when in 25+ years, not one program in this screwed up industry has ever proven its effectiveness? How is it they still operate so secretively?
Why is the isolation justified? How about the long term stays? Thats not how REAL therapy works! The nonconsentual commitment and forced captivity is not how therapy works either. Its a necessary evil for someone whose actively tryign to hurt himself or others, but guess what? As soon as that risk is over, theyre let out. Be it in a hour, or days, or weeks, or whatever - not months to years.
Restraint is used as corporal punishment in programs! Thats torture and abuse in and of itself, but in addition they use PAIN COMPLIANCE restraint, stress positions, and being locked up in "OP" or "R&R" or whatever euphamism they have for "the hole".
These programs operate in a behavior modification model, nothing more, nothing less. They cant prove they work or provide any therapy at all, have not really changed much over the past 3 decades, and a lot of what they use is either anachronistic and abusive (LGAT seminars) or just ineffective.
So, considering not one place can even prove they work or help anything, there are constant accusations of abuse against a lot of these, and what they ADMITTEDLY USE is either ineffective or abusive, how the hell is this good for any child at all?
Its not. Its to make the parents feel better by taking the problem away for a long time, and to make a lot of money for the people running these places, and Ive yet to see a shred of evidence to the contrary.