Current HLA Staff

[Anonymous]

According to agent Adrienne Baker who investigated for the ORS, HLA ,in order to have prescription meds on the property such Ritalin in the quantities  that they were distributing, HLA should have had a DEA number.  Now that was in 2006.  Since HLA was forced into a CCI license there are clear regulatory laws regarding dispensing meds at a CCI. *See ORS/ DHR web-site.. Priot to licensing in DEC. OF 2006,  whomever was available dispensed medication, which even without licensing was criminal.  There were many errors and the children are who suffered.

So if HLA was in non compliance the audits would have picked this up during the licensing phase and during the follow-up audits.  I didnt see the original findings but the last 2 years they seem to be okay in this area.

I would like to get more detail about pre 2007 to see how they were operating during the times the nurse was there and after whe was let go.  I am sure if it was a bitter split and HLA was in non-compliance then she would have blown the whistle on them.  I'll check out the ORS/DHR site as you suggested...
Thanks Jill

No one blew the whistle on Buccellato ...  You just don't get it.  The fear level for their families and themselves was beyond anything I have ever encountered except in the movies.

[Anonymous]

My son was given the wrong medications and/or the wrong dosages on several occasions. Fortunately, he pointed out the error to the person dispensing the meds - who by the way was not medically trained or licensed to dispense meds. Several of the kids ran out of medications and did not receive their meds for several days (this could also be due to the fact that HLA didn't pay its bill to the local pharmacy) or the bus driver who forgot to pick up the meds from WalMart and tried to blame it on the psychiatrist for failing to write a prescription.

The person they tried to have "oversee" the staff dispensing meds had his own medical license revoked for his own personal prescription drug abuse. Every nurse that was there while my son was there either quit or was fired.

The ORS specifially states that an individual dispensing meds must be a licensed to dispense meds. You can go to the ORS web site to look up this information.

[TheWho]

My son was given the wrong medications and/or the wrong dosages on several occasions. Fortunately, he pointed out the error to the person dispensing the meds - who by the way was not medically trained or licensed to dispense meds. Several of the kids ran out of medications and did not receive their meds for several days (this could also be due to the fact that HLA didn't pay its bill to the local pharmacy) or the bus driver who forgot to pick up the meds from WalMart and tried to blame it on the psychiatrist for failing to write a prescription.

The person they tried to have "oversee" the staff dispensing meds had his own medical license revoked for his own personal prescription drug abuse. Every nurse that was there while my son was there either quit or was fired.

The ORS specifially states that an individual dispensing meds must be a licensed to dispense meds. You can go to the ORS web site to look up this information.

  I have read that the demand in various medical fields now for qualified nurses is staggering.  I am sure HLA doesnt pay top dollar for nurses either.  Even the public school systems are having a hard time keeping qualified people.  I did find the form that needs to be filled out when there is an error in dosage made on the ORS site, But I couldnt find where it states the person must be licensed to dispense the medications.  On the Federal level they specify that the person needs only a GED and some type of oversight but it is not very well defined.  Do you happen to have a link to that page?  I will keep poking around to see if I can find it.

[Anonymous]

Subject: Dispensary Changes- Hidden Lake Academy
Date: Tue, 26 Sep 2006 12:01:07 -0400
From: "Corrie Mishler" <CMishler@hiddenlakeacademy.com>
To: undisclosed-recipients:;

Dear Parents and Consultants:

 

Recently, we noticed an increase in the number of negative incidents in our medications dispensary.  As we all know, degrees and certifications do not automatically make an organized, responsible employee. Personnel are consistently evaluated and staff changes made if we see no way of correcting the situation.  All health-related organizations have negative incidents occur, but we always endeavor to address the issues and make changes in order to move forward.

 

Joe Stapp is now acting as the Dispensary supervisor.  Joe is an Assistant Headmaster, clinical supervisor, and a former peer group counselor at Hidden Lake Academy .  

 

In order to minimize errors and continue to provide quality care for the students, Joe is looking to implement the following changes:

1.      Blister packaging medication in order to help with better medication management.

2.      Acquiring delivery service from the pharmacy with whom HLA contracts.

3.      Increasing communication among the dispensary staff in order to better coordinate dispensary duties.

4.      Begin a more formal process of tracking dispensary activities to catch problems before they occur.

5.      Begin cross-training assistant counselors on Dispensary duties to ensure adequate coverage in the Dispensary.

 

If you have any additional issues needing to be addressed involving the Dispensary, please feel free to contact Joe Stapp .  We look forward to another great school year at HLA.

 

Sincerely,

Nicole Fuglsang , MA, NCC, LPC

Director of Admissions/ Public Relations

Hidden Lake Academy

nicolef@hiddenlakeacademy.com

phone (706) 864-4730

fax (706) 864-9109

[Anonymous]

http://www.hiddenlakeacademy.com/FrequentQuestions.aspx

 

What happens if my child is not feeling well?

We have a full-time nurse on staff seven days a week. A pediatrician visits campus at least once a week to see students (twice a week when needed). For routine appointments/check-ups, we ask that parents try to schedule appointments during the student's home visits. If this is not possible, we are able to take students to appointments for an additional fee (if the visit is not local). Parents will need to let the nurse know what appointments are necessary. In most cases, the nurse will schedule the appointment and a staff member will escort the student to their appointment. If a student has a medical emergency, we will take them to Chestatee Medical Center 's Emergency Room (Dahlonega), or to Northside Hospital 's Emergency Room ( Atlanta ).

What if my chil d is on medication?

Upon enrollment, disclosure of any psychotropic medications a student is on must be declared in a written form. If a student is on psychotropic medications, they need to see a psychiatrist for medication management or to receive a weaning schedule. HLA has a "no medication" policy and prefers to wean the students off psychotropic medications whenever poss ible. The structure that we provide enables most students to succeed without being medicated while at HLA. Our consulting Psychiatrist meets with students on a weekly basis.

[Anonymous]

-------------- Original message --------------
From: " Charles Cates " <headmaster@hiddenlakeacademy.com>



Let me respond to your questions.

Though information has been sent re; these questions, we are updating the Web site to include these changes.

1.    There is a Practical nurse on campus in the Dispensary. Students in need of a doctor are scheduled for off campus appointments   asap.< /SPAN>

2.    Students who see a Psychiatrist are taken to an appointment off campus. There is a charge for transportation.

3.    Meds are given by the Dispensary staff which includes a Pharmacy Technician.

4.    Clay Erickson does not practice medicine and is not a Licensed Physician.

 

Please understand that we have and will continue to be diligent to provide for the medical needs of our students. Our new procedure better establishes a relationship between parent and physicians.

If you have specific questions, you may contact Clay Erickson directly.

 

Charles W Cates, Ph,

Headmaster

Hidden Lake Academy


 -------------- Forwarded Message: --------------
From: "Charles Cates" <headmaster@hiddenlakeacademy.com>
To:
Subject: RE: Clarification on Frequent Questions
Date: Mon, 31 Jul 2006 20:34:55 +0000

LPN- Full time.

 

Charles W Cates, PhD

Headmaster

Hidden Lake Academy

[Anonymous]

Clayton Erickson was the Director of Addiction Services at Hidden Lake Academy.  Mr. Erickson was also dispensing children's medication at HLA.  Mr. Erickson counseled the children re: addiction.

Addiction counselors in Georgia are certified by two agencies - the Alcohol and Drug Abuse Certification Board of Georgia and the Georgia Addictions Counselors Association

Neither agency ever issued any certification for Clayton Erickson.

Erickson was licensed to practice medicine in the state of Washington until 1993.

His licensed was suspended by the Washington State Medical Disciplinary Board.

 The Disciplinary Board determined that Erickson "engaged in unprofessional conduct" and obtained Vicodin, Tylox, and morphine "for his own use and without authorization or prescription."

In 1998, Erickson petitioned to have the suspension lifted.

The Disciplinary Board denied the petition and determined that Erickson "failed to present evidence that he is currently capable of practicing medicine with reasonable skill and safety as required by the Agreed Order."

Erickson's license was revoked by the Medical Commission in May 1999.

 Mr. Erickson was uncomfortable with Buccellato's insistance that M.D. be kept after Mr. Erikson's name on HLA's web-site. Buccellato was said to be insistant as it was good for marketing. The State intervened in 2006 after parents filed complaints.  Mr. Buccellato was forced to remove the M.D. after Erickson's name.
Apparently, it depended on who was writing an email to which parent in disclosing exactly who was responsible for handing out medication.  When the nurse was fired, the receptionists, night staff and anyone who was available handed out meds.  Trust me, even after licensing if you are a wage earner, and the ORS even after licensing asks who hands out medication, it won't be them.

[Anonymous]

What you don't seem to understand is that HLA was run under the premise "DON'T ASK, DON'T TELL".  An example:  Marla the Special Needs teacher was gone in Februaruy of 2005.  HLA had IEP students specifically for Special Needs.  Until Marla wrote her open letter(blowing the whistle) and was silenced by  Buccellato's goons "Quirk and Quirk", parents did not even know there was no Special Ed. teacher.   She was brave, paid dearly with Buccellato's wrath. It was now May of 2005.  If it was not for Marla, no one would have known.  Eight months later, HLA replaced her, under pressure.  It was no different with the meds.  As long as Buccellato remains on the thrown he will do as he wishes, unless he is caught with his hand in the cookie jar, no pun intended.  Again, his staff are chosen for the most part because they are weak, needy or have/had a 'hidden past' like Clay which guarantees his leaverage  over them and the odds are highly in Buccellato's favor that they wouldn't turn him in.

[Troll Control]

Slavery is illegal, Jill.  But you own TheWho.  Well, partially own, anyway.  Deborah, DJ, RB, and many others also own that idiot.

[TheWho]

Slavery is illegal, Jill.  But you own TheWho.  Well, partially own, anyway.  Deborah, DJ, RB, and many others also own that idiot.

Ah, come-on Bruce, lets keep it in the garbage thread.  You were doing really good up until now.  Jill is trying to get the thread back on topic and push the subject of "drug dispensing" along a little faster, I think.

[RobertBruce]

I often wonder if you actually attack yourself from the shadows just so you can claim someone else is not only attacking you, but mucking up the thread as well. Either that or you really are so arrogant you don't understand how many people other than myself view you as a complete dooche.


Regardless of that fact though, lets try and stay on topic.


You brought up an interesting point that merits a response:

I am sure if it was a bitter split and HLA was in non-compliance then she would have blown the whistle on them.

About a year or so before you began posting here there was a poster by the name of Marla. Marla McGee had been a teacher at HLA for about six months, english I believe. She found it to be an abusive and intolerable situation and so quit, at which point she began talking. She shared her experiences and listed off things at HLA she found to be dangerous or abusive. Buchi and Joey from Q & Q dropped the hammer on her. Now the things she was talking about were all things she had witnessed first hand, and there wasnt a great deal of hyperbole, yet that didnt stop them from literally silencing her. They threatened to take everything she and her husband had, and bullied her into signing a non disclosure agreement. How ever many phone calls you've had with Buchi regarding your son, or referalls you've sent them, I can assure you, you do not know this "man". I'm not surprised at all to hear so few "blew the whistle", Buchi does his utmost to ensure the silence of everyone. He even tried the same thing with me. Job well done on that Buchi.

[TheWho]

I often wonder if you actually attack yourself from the shadows just so you can claim someone else is not only attacking you, but mucking up the thread as well. Either that or you really are so arrogant you don't understand how many people other than myself view you as a complete dooche.

Ah, come on Bruce, why start that here.  Why the personal attacks in an attempt to derail the thread?  You created a whole garbage thread dedicated to just those type of comments.  Please lets keep the discussion on topic.  Jill , myself and a few others have done well today exchanging information without the personal attacks.  Please save it for the other thread.

[RobertBruce]

Yeah that's what I thought, you attack yourself so you can then try and blame it on others. Neat.


Anyway what are your thoughts on my comments regarding Marla? How does that coincide with your "whistle blower" theory?

[TheWho]

I often wonder if you actually attack yourself from the shadows just so you can claim someone else is not only attacking you, but mucking up the thread as well. Either that or you really are so arrogant you don't understand how many people other than myself view you as a complete dooche............ Yeah that's what I thought, you attack yourself so you can then try and blame it on others. Neat.

Bruce, please dont do this here, keep to the topic, no one is attacking except you.  Look at your last post.   Last warning, if you cant stay on topic or keep it in your garbage thread, I wont be responding to your posts any further.  Jill offered some interesting insight into the dispensing of drugs at HLA, which was the topic, which raises some red flags in my opinion.
Another poster indicated that the ORS had some requirements on licensing requirements for the dispensing of drugs that I am looking into also.

[Anonymous]

For the record...Marla was a Spec. Ed. Teacher.
Author  Topic:   Teacher Runs From HLA  
marla  posted 2/7/05 5:15 PM        
I am a rare adult survivor of HLA - I got out IN FEBRUARY 2005,with a little sanity left. After teaching special education for nearly 20 years, I only survived 6 months at HLA. The kids don't feel they can talk to their counselors - maybe its manipulation - maybe not, so they told me things, but I was not in a position to do much except listen without criticizing them and then report safety concerns.ACTUALLY I REPORTED A SAFETY CONCERN TO A COUNSELOR (D.S.) THE DAY I LEFT. IT WAS ABOUT A GIRL WHO HAD JSUT RETURNED FROM A PSYCH HOSPITAL FOR TRYING TO COMMIT SUICIDE WHILE SHE WAS ON "clean air" _ where there is supposed to be extra supervision - THE GIRL HAD CUT SEVERAL MORE TIMES (mostly small stuff)DURING THE 24 - 36 HOURS SHE HAD BEEN BACK AT HLA AND TOLD ME SHE DIDN'T FEEL SAFE AND THOUGHT SHE NEEDED TO RETURN TO THE PSYCH HOSPITAL - I TOLD DOUG S. - ONE OF HER COUNSEWLORS ABOUT IT AND HE SAID "WELL, TELL HER TO CUT AGAIN AND THEN WE'LL SEND HER BACK TO THE PSYCH HOSPITAL." They certainly can't tell their parents their real feelings and experiences without being punished for being manipulative by those who are assigned to monitor their mail, email and phone calls. HLA is not the panacea for all teen problems - most of which kids grow out of or learn to use to their advantage in the business world. Some HLA kids need counseling, some need AA, some need psych hospitals; most need love and time to mature - most are there because their parents were MANIPULATED BY ED. CONSULTANTS AND HLA advertisements. Want a GREAT LAUGH? Go to "struggling teens.com/archives/2001/6/visit01.html" this is a site from "Woodbury Reports, Inc." some ed. consultant deal out of Idaho . This site, while only a few years old, certainly did not describe the HLA I just left. The article claimed the campus was attractive - that's about the only info. I can agree with in their entire review. All the "players" names have changed, except Len, who still owns it and seems like a decent guy, only he leaves the "Mice to play" while he does all his other business things and they do whatever they find most convenient (and maybe even sadistically fun). The article says all teachers are certified - try maybe 20%! The site claims all the kids have IEPs - not! Even if they come in with an IEP, HLA does not have to abide by it because they are a private institution. 100% do not attend college! The cafeteria does not over look the lake - maybe they visited on a rainy day! Restrictions kids get less food and water and are supervised by folks with questionable objectives. Most of the counselors are straight out of college with no experience, so they buy into what the administrators feed them about treating kids in a very punitive way and being constantly suspicious, not to mention telling them behavior modification works. It has been proven that behavior modification in humans is temporary at best.PARENTS - DO YOURSELF AND YOUR WALLET A FAVOR - BEFORE PICKING ANY BOARDING SCHOOL, VISIT UNANNOUNCED AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, AFTER PLACING YOUR KID IN ONE, VISIT UNANNOUNCED. Refuse to be treated like a mushroom- kept in the dark and fed crap! (Parents need to know when their son has been beaten up by a group of homophobic guys. (Some of the kids who came to tell me their problems were gay and felt they were being discriminated against because of this by their counselors and others.) Parents need to know when their daughter has stepped in big puddles of blood first thing in the morning that were left behind by her suicidal roomate. Parents need to know that group therapy has been shown to be more harmful than helpful for "cutters." THIS IS ALL SERIOUS AND FROM THE HEART BECAUSE I TRULY CARE ABOUT THESE KIDS.