Current HLA Staff

[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.

[RobertBruce]

Then stay on topic Johnny, no one is attacking you. Stop being so sensitive, and accusatory. I've been trying to discuss with you your thoughts on whistle blowers at HLA given Buchi's penchance for bullying would be talkers. Now if you can stop trying to derail the thread long enough we can continue this conversation. If not you'll need to move on.

So again, given Buchi's record when it comes to former (or even ones who were current; see Clarke Poole) employees raising concerns or showing any signs of "disloyalty", do you feel the environment is one conducive to where a person could feel safe calling the authorities, parents, or ed cons, without serious repercussions?

[RobertBruce]

Thanks for the clarification Jill, it had been so long since she was here or emailed me I'd forgotten what it was she taught. I believe she was one of the last special ed teachers at HLA, after that they just pretended.


So how about it John. What are your thoughts on how she was treated?

[TheWho]

Thanks Jill, I noticed many red flags in your posts about how HLA's infirmary was run.  But they seemed to just skim by and stay within the law as far as dispensing the medications.  I wouldnt want my kid under HLA's care, but they couldnt be charged with anything that I can see as far as the dispensing of the meds.
Now that we finished with that let me catch up with how they handled kids on IEP's/ spec. ED.  I have experience in this area from a parents perspective.

[Anonymous]

Buccellato used her certification as a Spec. Needs Teacher to get the IEP children, the problem is he never informed anyone HLA did not have a Spec. Ed. teacher for  7-8 months.   Just as he never informed new families the week and weekend prior to filing bankruptcy.  Just as he neglected to tell the truth about Mr. Erickson and everything else in his den of iniquity.  I had parents in shock calling me .   He could have very well cross utilized  her in English as he did with all the other staff, to that end I have no idea.

[Anonymous]

Thanks Jill, I noticed many red flags in your posts about how HLA's infirmary was run.  But they seemed to just skim by and stay within the law as far as dispensing the medications.  I wouldnt want my kid under HLA's care, but they couldnt be charged with anything that I can see as far as the dispensing of the meds.
Now that we finished with that let me catch up with how they handled kids on IEP's/ spec. ED.  I have experience in this area from a parents perspective.

You are misinformed, HLA did not operate within the laws dispensing medication when our children were there and all the way back to the mid to late 90's . Unsupervised, uneducated night staff, receptionists that didn't even go trade school were handing out meds...Do you not get it?  Children were handed the wrong psychotropic drugs or the children didn't recieve them. Buccellatto only skimmed by with out of court settlements in so many areas it would make ones head spin.  For Gods' sake the tending psychiatrist said Buccellato wanted him to take the kids off their meds a month before graduation, so they would go nuts and have to stay.  His name Horwitz M.D. (a real M.D.) and he wouldn't do it because he feared for the children's health, he wouldn't take that responsibility, he cited his oath, he was fired, he wrote a letter to the parents, he spoke with attorneys and the saga went on with several more Psychiatrists.

[TheWho]

Definitely beating a dead horse here and apologize for my repetition but from what I read none of that is illegal,  The guy hired several nurses, so it wasn’t like he was ignoring the laws.  He had a pharmacy technician on site at one point so he was aware and working towards doing the right thing in that area (at least on paper) and the law typically allows for interim plans to cover employee loss maybe he exploited these loop holes in the law to get by.   As far as I know the law only stipulates that the person dispensing meds have only a GED and some on the job training.

I am not sure why he kept hiring nurses in the first place and paying that salary when he could get away with a pharmacy tech with a GED for $10/hour.  For short money he could have had a visiting nurse come in for a few hours to set things up for the week or on an as needed basis.  That would have been much cheaper.
From a parents perspective, I would never send my kid there especially after reading pieces of the lawsuit and the blatant disregard for the kids safety.

[Anonymous]

I remember when I sent those questions to Charles - he was quite annoyed with my persistence. We were told there was a full-time nurse on staff 7 days a week, which turned out not to be the case. As a matter of fact we were never even told when a nurse quit or was fired - we had to hear it from our children.

I will agree the term "Child Care Worker" is a loosely defined term and HLA may have been operating within the law IF they were licensed by ORS at the time. However, HLA wasn't licensed and we were told the monies we were paying for our children to attend HLA included a full-time nurse on staff. They staff dispensing medications weren't handing out a Tylenol or Tums - they were dispensing medications that the kids needed for psychological disorders, as well as serious physical conditions such as diabetes. Given the serious nature of the medications, and the impact on the kids' mental and physical health, the person dispensing those medications should have been trained to look at the medications to identify the medications to ensure the kids were receiving the correct medications, as well as to observe any mental or physical changes with the kids.

Again, we were sold one thing (a full-time nurse) and we received another (receptionist handing out meds).

http://rules.sos.state.ga.us/docs/290/2/5/12.pdf

-------------- 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]

I believe there was confusion as well because the rules for Outdoor Therapeutic camps, such as Ridge Creek, have different rules. And Ridge Creek was found to be in violations of the rules regarding the administering and dispensing of medications. Still, it doesn't matter. Unqualified individuals were administering and dispending medications.

So the big question is now that Hidden Lake is really Ridge Creek which set of rules apply? I'd like the ORS to answer that question.

Here are the rules for OTCs:
http://rules.sos.state.ga.us/docs/290/2/7/10.pdf

[TheWho]

Reading thru the documents it seems the rules are fairly wide open as far as the qualifications of the person dispensing the medication.  Virtually anyone can dispense drugs.  If RCS is licensed and overseen by a regulatory agency then they will be monitoring the process of medication control and distribution.

[Anonymous]

Reading thru the documents it seems the rules are fairly wide open as far as the qualifications of the person dispensing the medication.  Virtually anyone can dispense drugs.  If RCS is licensed and overseen by a regulatory agency then they will be monitoring the process of medication control and distribution.

Wishful thinking.

[TheWho]

Reading thru the documents it seems the rules are fairly wide open as far as the qualifications of the person dispensing the medication.  Virtually anyone can dispense drugs.  If RCS is licensed and overseen by a regulatory agency then they will be monitoring the process of medication control and distribution.

Wishful thinking.

Yea, I hear ya, but we have to let the governement get in there and regulate the best they can if the schools are not following the rules.  I am not a big fan of regulation but in some cases (like this one) I think it is neccessary.

[TheWho]

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.

Each time I hear a story like this I think of how the kids and families would benefit more and more from having a third/fourth party sign off on each placement....i.e. school counselor, childs therapist, local hospital etc.  There are much better programs where the kids are treated better, parents can show up unannounced, take their kids off campus for the day, have sports teams which compete against local schools, therapists on site etc.
I dont think there is a doubt in most peoples minds that programs are effective.  The ones that dont work receive most of the attention (which is how it should be) so we dont hear about the better programs as much on fornits.
CEDU and the seed seems to grab all the attention and then if a kid gets hurt or killed in a program somewhere in the country that gets the focus for awhile but for the most part it is a few programs that have a bad reputation and dirty up the industry.

[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.

Each time I hear a story like this I think of how the kids and families would benefit more and more from having a third/fourth party sign off on each placement....i.e. school counselor, childs therapist, local hospital etc.  There are much better programs where the kids are treated better, parents can show up unannounced, take their kids off campus for the day, have sports teams which compete against local schools, therapists on site etc.
I dont think there is a doubt in most peoples minds that programs are effective.  The ones that dont work receive most of the attention (which is how it should be) so we dont hear about the better programs as much on fornits.
CEDU and the seed seems to grab all the attention and then if a kid gets hurt or killed in a program somewhere in the country that gets the focus for awhile but for the most part it is a few programs that have a bad reputation and dirty up the industry.

A third party like your friend Leslie Goldberg who continued to send children to HLA, would sell her soul for the almighty dollar, I don't think so.  OR maybe Sue Scheff,  who refers children to foster care facilities, who touted the "renowned psychologist "Bernie Farrow, who didn't even have a degree.  Please.

[TheWho]

A third party like your friend Leslie Goldberg who continued to send children to HLA, would sell her soul for the almighty dollar, I don't think so. OR maybe Sue Scheff, who refers children to foster care facilities, who touted the "renowned psychologist "Bernie Farrow, who didn't even have a degree. Please.

A very strange response The leslie person I am not familiar with and why would anyone seek Sue S. out for a signature?  And how would this help reduce placements?  I was talking about someone who knew the child.  If the parents could get a third party and/or have the child tested at a local hospital prior to any program being able to take them would go a long way in eliminating unneeded placements in my opinion.