Treatment Abuse, Behavior Modification, Thought Reform > The Troubled Teen Industry
Lon of Strugglingteens.com is in it for the money
Deborah:
Lee Ann wrote:
I only charge $800.00 for the entire length of stay regardless of the program. That fee includes monthly contact with the program, reports to the family, and we VISIT the teen at the program often.
At $800 for the entire length of stay, you must have some pretty excellent travel agent to "visit the teen often" and still make a profit. I find this very difficult to believe.
I have a few questions.
How are you qualified to determine what environment a teen needs? Do you have a degree in psych? Do you diagnose?
Do you interview the teen as well as the parent?
Have you ever rejected a client and suggested family therapy?
Have you ever told a parent that their teens problem is that they have an ignorant and lazy parent?
Do you personally confirm that all programs you refer to are licensed, and with the proper license? eg: Not a Therapeutic facility listed with the state as a traditional boarding school.
Does your state require you to be licensed to place teens out-of-state?
Do you ensure that parents and programs follow the requirements of ICPC?
Are you ever compensated (gifted) by the parent or program?
You're not in it for the money?
What, are you independently wealthy or have a wealthy husband? Everyone is into their livlihood and will do what is necessary to make a living. Pahleez.
For the record, the Ed Con (and I do think they are cons) who assisted my ex in our son's incarceration
1) never met my son, OR ex for that matter.
2) did not know if an evaluation had been done-she didn't bother to ask.
2) made a referral over the phone on Fri, son enrolled on Mon.
3) violated the ICPC.
4) was not licensed to refer out-of-state.
5) referred to an unlicensed program-said she referred based on "the owner's reputation".
6) earned several thousand dollars for a brief phone call.
7) was not privy to the semi-starvation diet teens endure while on restriction.
:cool: was not aware of the monitored phone calls or screened mail.
9) didn't know that my son had been referred to the TBSs newly opened AND unlicensed boot camp which they sold as a wilderness leadership program...yeah right, then why employ ex-military.
She apparently was not in possession of a Parent Manual, or had never interviewed one of her placements. In her defense, she was an older woman who seemed very nieve...probably just as dupped as the parents.
As for the facility- at the parent workshop before the first visit, the Head Master told parents they would receive a $250 refund if they showed documentation that they had used an Ed Con. Inferring that it would be a good idea to kick that back to the Ed Con he said, "We can't compensate the Ed Con, but parents are free to use the refund as they choose".
Come on...you do not provide a community service. It's a business, and for many of us, is highly questionable. The Industry you support is nothing short of a psych scam. No therapy should include the risk of death or emotional distress.
If you're truely interested in helping teens, you might consider abandoning your support of this abusive industry and figure out how you can really help. You could start by helping their demented parents who have more money than sense.
I have a general request to those who erroneous refer to these psych facilties as "schools". They are not. They are psych facilities with an academic component. And the only thing teens learn is "how to manipulate the manipulators".
Deborah
Carey:
Deborah, you hit the nail right on the head!!!
This is a sick industry from the consultants who recommend them, to the escorts who take them there, to the the owners and staff who run them. Anyone and everyone who has profited off of these facilities should be held accountable.
Deborah:
Hi Carey,
I'm very curious to hear your story with the Industry. I've gathered little bits and pieces and it sounds like we may have had some similarities (but don't we all). The story seems to be the same with minor differences. Is it posted somewhere that I might read it without you duplicating? If so, please provide a link.
Thanks for the work you do in exposing the truth.
Deborah
Carey:
Hi Deborah,
My boys were at Dundee. I can give you the links to articles on what has happened. That will probably be the esiest thing to do to give you a little history on my experience. Then if you have any questions you can ask away.
http://www.strugglingteens.com/news/let ... carey.html
http://fornits.com/anonanon/articles/20 ... 1021-0.htm
http://www.ticotimes.net/archive/01_17_03_2.htm
http://www.ticotimes.net/archive/03_20_03_2.htm
http://www.ticotimes.net/daily.htm
I am sure this is a similar bad experience that alot of us parents share.
I promise you, they have not seen or heard the last of me.
Carey
kel78:
Please excuse me while I take just a moment to toss in a "YAY JANET!" and a "Thank you!" to her for her earlier post. Granted, there are teenagers out there with serious problems, there are real, deep cases of depression and addiction (just like in adults, but no one seems to notice that either). Sending a child away from family and friends, cutting them off from whatever social network they have, and forcing them into homes and facilities hundreds or thousands of miles from home does not, at least to this halfway sane mind, seem right on any level.
I know there are people, like Lee Ann, who say and may truly believe that they're doing the right thing, that what they do is helping. But, I was always told that the road to hell is paved with good intentions. A real service would be helping those parents who don't have the financial means to cut back and work part time to spend more time getting to know their child. Real service to help would help parents and families work through the process of adolescence, instead of simply sending the problem away. A good public service would involve maybe even someone to listen, to offer a neutral, getting nothing financially out of dragging it out forever opinion. Someone who didn't have an interest in exploiting a kid, but in helping a kid deal with the shit that gets dealt to teenagers and young adults these days.
It's really easy to get so involved in something that you don't see ulterior motives. Believe me, I've been there done that and all I got was this lousy t-shirt and matched baggage. You get so caught up in "maybe this is what it takes to get me or help me (or my kid)" and you don't take the time to really even get to the root of "is this even an issue?" It's sad but true, and happens so many times. It happened to me, and to probably a lot of people who read these and other boards. Point is, once you realize something's not right, it has to be acted on. A parent has to trust their kid enough to know the difference between NORMAL teen angst and depression and that kind of thing, and something more. When I finally broke down and told my parents, look this is messing with me worse than what you sent me here to get over, they listened. I'm fortunate in that.
I guess my point is, if someone really wants to help, help the family get itself back together. Do what you can to help a single mom working a couple of jobs have a break or two to sit down and if nothing else, just eat a decent meal with her kid. Or, help parents find things for their kids to get involved in, band or sports or anything that lets them have a positive outlet for things they might be holding inside. Support the local after school programs in your area, if you want to help. Think about how many kids $800 bucks would pay for band uniforms for, or how many kids that would feed supper to, so that parents could be home to deal with things. Sorry to ramble on so... thanks for reading.
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