I dunno Niles - this has got me thinking
maybe it would have been better, I mean these staff are dealing with lots of really angry teens (I'm not going to go down the path of them having every right to be angry and wouldn't you be angry, the fact is they are angry)
So if there were smaller groups, maybe the staff wouldnt have been so stressed out to deliver the perfect child back to the parents as promised and not do stuff like restraint, more one to one would surely be beneficial - i often wonder if the staff lose control of the situation and lash out like an out of control parent does, of course you are going to get the odd power crazy member of staff who'll do it anyway - it must be quite difficult dealing with kids in withdrawal etc
I think TSW might step in on this - I'm wondering what his take would be if he had dealt with a handful of kids rather than a school full, he seems to feel that he was under alot of stress and had to be on the defensive or at least aware that he would be targetted as a result of the teen being unable to direct their anger at their parents and/or situation
TSW?
I've dealt with groups of 8 to groups over over 80 by myself. On one occasion at 3 springs I covered the entire boys campus for several hours alone. Some crisis broke out that required the attention of every single counselor for some reason or another. It wasn't hard to handle the main campus. For the most part they seemed content to behave and where sympathetic to my situation.
Enough establishing my credentials in this matter.
No matter what the premise that guides the program is the key to this issue. Straight to Three Springs and onto WWASP you all have the exact same premise. Break them down to build them up.
Most of my career was spent dealing with groups of 6 to 10 students. Let it be noted that the level of violence was actually higher in groups that were smaller. With smaller groups you certainly have more time to focus on individual residents. However, the premise of the program nullified any positive aspects that could have came from it. Most of the positive moments I had with the kids came when I stepped outside of the program mode and started taking on responsibilities that weren't in my job description.
* I taught some of my residents how to read properly.
* I taught some of them how to write properly.
* I taught those who it applied to how to write a resume and do a proper job interview. Interesting skill for a 13 year old, but they have to learn it sometime.
These are all tasks not assigned to me by the facility. However it was through these moments that my group seemed to thrive the most.
Until a program moves from its traditional aim of breaking them down to build them up to something more positive it really doesn't matter what size the group happens to be. By positive I mean focusing on each resident as an individual rather than attempting to use a one size fits all Stage System.
Respect for the individuality of the resident must be paramount. Also notice I'm not referring to these kids as patients, incarcerated youths, or whatever else they label them as. One thing I always taught my residents was never to buy into the Alphabet soup mumbo jumbo labels they've had assigned to them all their lives.
If I could do it all over again I would do the following:
1) Get drunk and get a job at Wendys.
2) If I don't do number 1 I would ensure that each child had an individual treatment plan.
3) Their weekly goals are based on that treatment plan.
4) Constantly find activities that are new and engaging to spark the minds of the young men in my care. Of all the things that happened at Three Springs this lack is the one thing that dissappoints me the most about my time.
5) Find ways to encourage the boys to educate themselves in accordance to their individual interests.
6) Accept that leadership is not a needed quality to graduate the program. Another failing point of all these programs is they insist on leadership, or the program's definition of it, from the resident prior to graduation. I would see to it that the behavioral goals on the treatment plan are simple, clear, and concise. Completion of those behavioral goals are what would be needed to return home in a timely manner.
Of course the big thing to remember is even with the above mode of treatment I still would have to say its all bullshit.
Why?
Care must be voluntary. We should never force it on anyone.
