Fornits
Treatment Abuse, Behavior Modification, Thought Reform => The Troubled Teen Industry => Topic started by: MOMMABEAR on September 13, 2007, 04:02:49 PM
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THERE WAS A YOUNG MAN THAT COMMITTED SUICIDE AT ASPEN ACHIEVEMENT ACADEMY IN APRIL OF 2007. I AM INTERESTED IN HEARING FROM ANYONE WHO MIGHT HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL INFO. IF YOU WERE THERE OR KNOW OF SOMEONE WHO WAS THERE AROUND THAT TIME PLEASE POST A REPLY OR SEND ME AN E-MAIL OR PRIVATE MESSAGE WHATEVER YOU ARE MORE COMFORTABLE WITH.
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I hope you get your answers Mommabear. I'm bumping this up.
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word.
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IM STILL WAITING AND HOPING SOMEONE HAS ANSWERS.PLEASE HELP.
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It seems like many kids choose this sad route of escape from abusive programs, and for some reason they don't get included in the deaths like they don't count or something, like they are damaged and not humans trying to escape a bad situation. People kill thesmelves in jail and people understand that, so why not this?
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It seems like many kids choose this sad route of escape from abusive programs, and for some reason they don't get included in the deaths like they don't count or something, like they are damaged and not humans trying to escape a bad situation. People kill thesmelves in jail and people understand that, so why not this?
I don’t think anyone knows for sure why a person takes their own life, but what we do know is many times that the people who are left behind feel a tremendous amount of guilt, the parents of the child feel they could have done something to prevent it like address the problem sooner, the ex-girlfriend/boyfriend who just broke up with them wish they hadn’t written that letter, the brother or sister who laughed when they finally got rid of their sibling for a year, the staff member who feels he/she might have been too harsh, the therapist who missed some of the warning signs. It is fair to say that everyone feels they are somehow responsible…but not every child can be reached or root cause determined… I have had my share of families who had to bear this tragedy in their lives.
But don’t let the silence fool you…. These kids are remembered well by everyone…. but it seems the families just need a little more space and privacy than in other circumstances of the death of a child (i.e. car accident, health problems)…it’s a little more personal because of the reasons I described above and obituaries are not always placed in the paper celebrating the child’s past football accomplishments or love of cars. So don’t despair that these kids are forgotten because their name wasn’t placed on the internet or in the paper …..they are not… the ones that count, those who were close to them and knew them well will remember them and the good they did for others and all the people they touched during their short time here… these thoughts will linger forever.
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It seems like many kids choose this sad route of escape from abusive programs, and for some reason they don't get included in the deaths like they don't count or something, like they are damaged and not humans trying to escape a bad situation. People kill thesmelves in jail and people understand that, so why not this?
I don’t think anyone knows for sure why a person takes their own life, but what we do know is many times that the people who are left behind feel a tremendous amount of guilt, the parents of the child feel they could have done something to prevent it like address the problem sooner, the ex-girlfriend/boyfriend who just broke up with them wish they hadn’t written that letter, the brother or sister who laughed when they finally got rid of their sibling for a year, the staff member who feels he/she might have been too harsh, the therapist who missed some of the warning signs. It is fair to say that everyone feels they are somehow responsible…but not every child can be reached or root cause determined… I have had my share of families who had to bear this tragedy in their lives.
But don’t let the silence fool you…. These kids are remembered well by everyone…. but it seems the families just need a little more space and privacy than in other circumstances of the death of a child (i.e. car accident, health problems)…it’s a little more personal because of the reasons I described above and obituaries are not always placed in the paper celebrating the child’s past football accomplishments or love of cars. So don’t despair that these kids are forgotten because their name wasn’t placed on the internet or in the paper …..they are not… the ones that count, those who were close to them and knew them well will remember them and the good they did for others and all the people they touched during their short time here… these thoughts will linger forever.
Yadda yadda ya... It does matter if they are in the internet or the paper. Especially when there are industry shills running around claiming that such things are necessary for their statistics on the safety of such places. Pfft... (and stay the hell away from that thread, please, please, please)
Let me give you a different version of what others think might think. Let's take George at Benchmark... George went to Benchmark, a NATSAP program that is not licensed as a treatment center or accredited as a school. George was bipolar and already suicidally depressed. Benchmark has no licensed therapists / counselors on staff. Some don't even have high school diplomas. Students who were there at the time say that Benchmark made the situation much much worse with him. Eventually, an extra-harsh confrontation from counselor Joelle (according to multiple witnesses with identical accounts of the event) was too much for him and he jumped off a bridge onto his head. Nothing was in the papers. Nothing was on the internet. The family got the consolation of having a nice special parent group with hand-picked students. Jayne (the owner) admitted to most of this, but insisted his death was inevitable, that it would have happened no matter what.
My opinion: the school is directly responsible for his death. They claimed to be able to help him when were not qualified, or otherwise able to do so. They also knew he was at a risk to himself and allegedly ignored his suicidal behavior as "manipulation". Furthermore, verbally attacking an already fragile teen with a pre-existing and noticable history of depression is reckless, in my opinion.
Why no lawsuit? Probably because Benchmark's contract has a liability waiver and "covenant not to sue". It probably wouldn't hold in court, but most parents wouldn't know that. Furthermore, the parents, with all the LGAT seminars and incessant propoganda, probably left the situation believing the school: that their child was depressed and destined to die (according to the all-knowing deities of the cult/school).
Let's talk about ambulance records. An investigator for the California Alcohol and Drug programs went down to Benchmark and happened to ask about the semi monthly suicide attempts I alleged. Jayne Longnecker claimed that there were no suicide attempts, and that the investigator could check with the local police department (whom her husband and son in law work for, as well as the family of other staff members).
As you might expect, there were no ambulance records... However... Like all crooks eventually do, Jayne Longnecker made a mistake: she forgot that both ex-students and their parents had copies of the ambulance bills (and now, so do I). What this adds up to is this: I have proof that Jayne lied to an investigator about the suicide attempts. Later on, she did worse, but I won't / can't talk about that until the time is right.
How many deaths are covered up, Who? Given the frequency of suicide attempts at Benchmark, the age of the program, and the effectiveness of their cover up, it really is anybody's guess; however I do know that the official record is not accurate, and in case you have been sleeping around here, Benchmark is not exactly the only school around with the "aid" of local law enforcement.
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I am not a NATSAP employee or member. I am sure there are exceptions and incidences of corruption or corrupt employees in any industry. But the population of TBS are much higher at risk than an average cross section of the public sector. What you describe, if true, is horrible and should never happen to anyone, but the kids at TBS are typically at a higher risk of suicide because many come to these schools with that precondition as you had mentioned… I am sorry for what happened to George, I truly am, but I don’t think this is typical of all schools or school employees.
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Kids are at higher risk in TBS schools because they are forced into mentally taxing situations that are a. abusive, like being forced to relive a rape in front of groups of kids and later get "confronted" for it or reveal private and humiliating things and have it told to a group of kids in a manner that furthers the kid's humiliation, b. Most of these situations are not directed by people trained in dealing with the high trauma that comes out of these "sessions", of course most professionals would not allow these sessions to take place to begin with.
In TBS schools you have non-professionals or people armed with crackerjack therapy that try to systematically create trauma. They admit to trying to break kids and are quiet good at it. Doing this to an already at risk population, of which most teens are by TBS standards, you ask for suicide. As psy said we know that programs cover up suicides/attempts and we also know from looking at other traumatized populations, like war vets, that suicide due to trauma can take years to play out. But I'm not out to convince anyone so.........
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THE CHILD THAT WE ARE TALKING ABOUT AT AAA WAS A GOOD KID THAT HAD ISSUES THAT NO ONE COULD FIGURE OUT OR UNDERSTAND HIS OLDER BROTHER DIED THREE YEARS EARLIER IN A CAR ACCIDENT. THIS MADE HIM HIS PARENTS ONLY LIVING CHILD. HE DID NOT DO DRUGS, HE WENT TO SCHOOL , WAS A GOOD SON AND A GOOD FRIEND .HE JUST NEVER THOUGHT HE WAS GOOD ENOUGH. AFTER SEVERAL THREATENED AND ATTEMPTED SUICIDES HIS PARENTS WERE DESPERATE FOR HELP(like many others).SO THEY TURNED TO THE "EXPERTS" YOU KNOW THE ONES AT ASPEN ACHIEVEMENT ACADEMY THAT SAID THEY WOULD HELP HIM AND PROTECT HIM . WELL GUESS WHAT THAT IS NOT HOW THIS STORY ENDS BUT THE PUBLIC WILL NEVER KNOW THAT AS LONG AS AAA HAS THEIR WAY ABOUT IT WHEN YOU LOOK THEM UP ON THE WEB ALL YOU WILL SEE IS ALL OF THEIR PROMISES AND FALSE ADVERTISEMENTS . ONLY THE "SUCCESS STORIES" WILL BE TOLD. THEY CERTAINLY WONT TELL THE STORY ABOUT THE AMAZING 17 YEAR OLD BOY THAT THEY WERE "HELPING" AND "PROTECTING" THAT HUNG HIMSELF ON THIER WATCH . THE TRUTH DOESN'T ALWAYS MAKE FOR VERY GOOD PUBLICITY DOES IT?????
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THE CHILD THAT WE ARE TALKING ABOUT AT AAA WAS A GOOD KID THAT HAD ISSUES THAT NO ONE COULD FIGURE OUT OR UNDERSTAND HIS OLDER BROTHER DIED THREE YEARS EARLIER IN A CAR ACCIDENT. THIS MADE HIM HIS PARENTS ONLY LIVING CHILD. HE DID NOT DO DRUGS, HE WENT TO SCHOOL , WAS A GOOD SON AND A GOOD FRIEND .HE JUST NEVER THOUGHT HE WAS GOOD ENOUGH. AFTER SEVERAL THREATENED AND ATTEMPTED SUICIDES HIS PARENTS WERE DESPERATE FOR HELP(like many others).SO THEY TURNED TO THE "EXPERTS" YOU KNOW THE ONES AT ASPEN ACHIEVEMENT ACADEMY THAT SAID THEY WOULD HELP HIM AND PROTECT HIM . WELL GUESS WHAT THAT IS NOT HOW THIS STORY ENDS BUT THE PUBLIC WILL NEVER KNOW THAT AS LONG AS AAA HAS THEIR WAY ABOUT IT WHEN YOU LOOK THEM UP ON THE WEB ALL YOU WILL SEE IS ALL OF THEIR PROMISES AND FALSE ADVERTISEMENTS . ONLY THE "SUCCESS STORIES" WILL BE TOLD. THEY CERTAINLY WONT TELL THE STORY ABOUT THE AMAZING 17 YEAR OLD BOY THAT THEY WERE "HELPING" AND "PROTECTING" THAT HUNG HIMSELF ON THIER WATCH . THE TRUTH DOESN'T ALWAYS MAKE FOR VERY GOOD PUBLICITY DOES IT?????
If you really want to fuck them up, create a videotaped sworn statement and put it up on youtube. Talk about what happened... etc. Just make sure to post a link here.
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or give a sworn statement to isaccorp
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bump.
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THE CHILD THAT WE ARE TALKING ABOUT AT AAA WAS A GOOD KID THAT HAD ISSUES THAT NO ONE COULD FIGURE OUT OR UNDERSTAND HIS OLDER BROTHER DIED THREE YEARS EARLIER IN A CAR ACCIDENT. THIS MADE HIM HIS PARENTS ONLY LIVING CHILD. HE DID NOT DO DRUGS, HE WENT TO SCHOOL , WAS A GOOD SON AND A GOOD FRIEND .HE JUST NEVER THOUGHT HE WAS GOOD ENOUGH. AFTER SEVERAL THREATENED AND ATTEMPTED SUICIDES HIS PARENTS WERE DESPERATE FOR HELP(like many others).SO THEY TURNED TO THE "EXPERTS" YOU KNOW THE ONES AT ASPEN ACHIEVEMENT ACADEMY THAT SAID THEY WOULD HELP HIM AND PROTECT HIM .
I have known a couple kids who had siblings die in terrible accidents. As anyone might expect, it was very tough on the surviving kids as well as their parents. Lots of depression, grief and survivor guilt, so it wouldn't surprise me if suicidal tendencies are more common in a kid or even a parent who has suffered that loss.
It's just unbelievable that a parent could be convinced that sending a depressed, grieving kid away from his family after the loss of a sibling could possibly help him. Even more unbelievable when you realize that the place he's being sent to is a behavior modification facility that offers no real therapy.
What really angers me is that the managers and staffers at the program don't reject kids like this and tell the parents sorry, we can't help you. The program knows that it is all about trying to make unruly kids behave themselves with a tough love approach. The program should know better when they see a kid who's depressed and suicidal, who is obviously not going to respond in any positive way to the program's methods of breaking kids down and teaching them a lesson or two about acceptable behavior.
Either the program owners are just too greedy or the staff just too incompetent to make any sort of diagnosis at all. Probably both.
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bump.
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is this in-patient or out-patient?
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inpatient
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or give a sworn statement to isaccorp
CAN I DO THAT EVEN THOUGH I AM NOT HIS PARENT
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Yes.
But CAPS LOCK, while it is in fact cruise control for cool, probably won't go over very well with the GAO.
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possibly. At the very least flip them an email. I
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I worked for Aspen at the time of the suicide and was there several years, and know everything that happened. It saddens me to hear all of these attacks on Aspen, and its employees. Although it is in fact part of a corporation, the employees and management are the most loving, incredible people I've ever met in my life. During the whole time I worked there as a field instructor, I've never seen anything remotely abusive. Every week, during graduation at Aspen, several parents come up to our director and literally say to him 'You saved my kids life'. He has heard this hundreds, if not thousands of times from parents and students alike. How come you guys never talk about this?
Do you know why the suicide did not become news? It wasn't some elaborate coporate coverup....the student's family wanted to keep it quiet, they did not feel ANY bad feelings toward Aspen. To this day, they are still 100% supportive of the academy. Sorry for going on here.....I understand why this is important, I believe completely in accountability...and I know there are programs out there that need more accountability, but I can tell you this--Aspen Achievement Academy is not one of those.
It was rarely the case when I met a student or parent on graduation day that was not completely grateful for being involved with AAA. I understand that it is had to believe someone like me, who is not an independent source.....but it is the truth.
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Other parents have also thanked the program where their child died. It's called denial.
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I worked for Aspen at the time of the suicide and was there several years, and know everything that happened. It saddens me to hear all of these attacks on Aspen, and its employees. Although it is in fact part of a corporation, the employees and management are the most loving, incredible people I've ever met in my life. During the whole time I worked there as a field instructor, I've never seen anything remotely abusive. Every week, during graduation at Aspen, several parents come up to our director and literally say to him 'You saved my kids life'. He has heard this hundreds, if not thousands of times from parents and students alike. How come you guys never talk about this?
Do you know why the suicide did not become news? It wasn't some elaborate coporate coverup....the student's family wanted to keep it quiet, they did not feel ANY bad feelings toward Aspen. To this day, they are still 100% supportive of the academy. Sorry for going on here.....I understand why this is important, I believe completely in accountability...and I know there are programs out there that need more accountability, but I can tell you this--Aspen Achievement Academy is not one of those.
It was rarely the case when I met a student or parent on graduation day that was not completely grateful for being involved with AAA. I understand that it is had to believe someone like me, who is not an independent source.....but it is the truth.
Thanks for posting that. There are a few of us here who understand this and know that the vast majority of children who graduate do extremely well and look back on their experience at Aspen or other TBS's as a positive changing point in their lives. There are a few posters here on fornits who did not do well or did not benefit from their stay at other RTC's either because they didnt finish or didnt apply themselves. This has left them bitter against anyone who had taken the opportunity they were given and moved on with their lives. They tend to run other people down and the schools they attended.
Many parents don’t post here because they see thru the negativity and hostility towards other posters who are trying to share their positive experiences. But it is nice to hear the good stories when some stay and decide to share with us despite the lack of a warm welcoming.
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I worked for Aspen at the time of the suicide and was there several years, and know everything that happened. It saddens me to hear all of these attacks on Aspen, and its employees. Although it is in fact part of a corporation, the employees and management are the most loving, incredible people I've ever met in my life. During the whole time I worked there as a field instructor, I've never seen anything remotely abusive. Every week, during graduation at Aspen, several parents come up to our director and literally say to him 'You saved my kids life'. He has heard this hundreds, if not thousands of times from parents and students alike. How come you guys never talk about this?
Do you know why the suicide did not become news? It wasn't some elaborate coporate coverup....the student's family wanted to keep it quiet, they did not feel ANY bad feelings toward Aspen. To this day, they are still 100% supportive of the academy. Sorry for going on here.....I understand why this is important, I believe completely in accountability...and I know there are programs out there that need more accountability, but I can tell you this--Aspen Achievement Academy is not one of those.
It was rarely the case when I met a student or parent on graduation day that was not completely grateful for being involved with AAA. I understand that it is had to believe someone like me, who is not an independent source.....but it is the truth.
Thanks for posting that. There are a few of us here who understand this and know that the vast majority of children who graduate do extremely well and look back on their experience at Aspen or other TBS's as a positive changing point in their lives. There are a few posters here on fornits who did not do well or did not benefit from their stay at other RTC's either because they didnt finish or didnt apply themselves. This has left them bitter against anyone who had taken the opportunity they were given and moved on with their lives. They tend to run other people down and the schools they attended.
Many parents don’t post here because they see thru the negativity and hostility towards other posters who are trying to share their positive experiences. But it is nice to hear the good stories when some stay and decide to share with us despite the lack of a warm welcoming.
Referring to himself alone as "us" and "we" again... What a cukoo!
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Many parents don’t post here because they see thru the negativity and hostility towards other posters who are trying to share their positive experiences.
Or they catch on to the lies that the pro-program people pump out trying to discredit the truth and make people believe that the abuse that happened decades ago does not still still go on in programs.
"Proof shown in article below"
http://www.browardpalmbeach.com/2004-12 ... -together/ (http://www.browardpalmbeach.com/2004-12-09/news/suffering-together/)
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Instead of "we" or "us", I could use "Programmies" !!!! or "Non Anti-program people" or "ProProgam people" or "People who dont agree with anti-program people" or "People who dont buy into mindcontrol"
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Or you could just speak for your own damn self instead of trying to insinuate yourself into what "we" do around here. You are not part of "us". You never have been, you never will be.
From now on just use "I".
kthxbye
::fu::
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I worked for Aspen at the time of the suicide and was there several years, and know everything that happened. It saddens me to hear all of these attacks on Aspen, and its employees. Although it is in fact part of a corporation, the employees and management are the most loving, incredible people I've ever met in my life. During the whole time I worked there as a field instructor, I've never seen anything remotely abusive. Every week, during graduation at Aspen, several parents come up to our director and literally say to him 'You saved my kids life'. He has heard this hundreds, if not thousands of times from parents and students alike. How come you guys never talk about this?
Do you know why the suicide did not become news? It wasn't some elaborate coporate coverup....the student's family wanted to keep it quiet, they did not feel ANY bad feelings toward Aspen. To this day, they are still 100% supportive of the academy. Sorry for going on here.....I understand why this is important, I believe completely in accountability...and I know there are programs out there that need more accountability, but I can tell you this--Aspen Achievement Academy is not one of those.
It was rarely the case when I met a student or parent on graduation day that was not completely grateful for being involved with AAA. I understand that it is had to believe someone like me, who is not an independent source.....but it is the truth.
Do the parents have to attend group meetings at aspen? That could be the reason they feel the program saved their lives.
Or it could be because you torture the kids and tell them the only way they can leave is to convince you that they beleive the program saved their lives, as they were headed inevitably, twords being deal/insane/jail
They then communicate this to the parents
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I worked for Aspen at the time of the suicide and was there several years, and know everything that happened. It saddens me to hear all of these attacks on Aspen, and its employees. Although it is in fact part of a corporation, the employees and management are the most loving, incredible people I've ever met in my life. During the whole time I worked there as a field instructor, I've never seen anything remotely abusive. Every week, during graduation at Aspen, several parents come up to our director and literally say to him 'You saved my kids life'. He has heard this hundreds, if not thousands of times from parents and students alike. How come you guys never talk about this?
Do you know why the suicide did not become news? It wasn't some elaborate coporate coverup....the student's family wanted to keep it quiet, they did not feel ANY bad feelings toward Aspen. To this day, they are still 100% supportive of the academy. Sorry for going on here.....I understand why this is important, I believe completely in accountability...and I know there are programs out there that need more accountability, but I can tell you this--Aspen Achievement Academy is not one of those.
It was rarely the case when I met a student or parent on graduation day that was not completely grateful for being involved with AAA. I understand that it is had to believe someone like me, who is not an independent source.....but it is the truth.
Thanks for posting that. There are a few of us here who understand this and know that the vast majority of children who graduate do extremely well and look back on their experience at Aspen or other TBS's as a positive changing point in their lives. There are a few posters here on fornits who did not do well or did not benefit from their stay at other RTC's either because they didnt finish or didnt apply themselves. This has left them bitter against anyone who had taken the opportunity they were given and moved on with their lives. They tend to run other people down and the schools they attended.
Many parents don’t post here because they see thru the negativity and hostility towards other posters who are trying to share their positive experiences. But it is nice to hear the good stories when some stay and decide to share with us despite the lack of a warm welcoming.
Looks like some of the regulars here are starting to change their minds some?
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I worked for Aspen at the time of the suicide and was there several years, and know everything that happened. It saddens me to hear all of these attacks on Aspen, and its employees. Although it is in fact part of a corporation, the employees and management are the most loving, incredible people I've ever met in my life. During the whole time I worked there as a field instructor, I've never seen anything remotely abusive. Every week, during graduation at Aspen, several parents come up to our director and literally say to him 'You saved my kids life'. He has heard this hundreds, if not thousands of times from parents and students alike. How come you guys never talk about this?
Do you know why the suicide did not become news? It wasn't some elaborate coporate coverup....the student's family wanted to keep it quiet, they did not feel ANY bad feelings toward Aspen. To this day, they are still 100% supportive of the academy. Sorry for going on here.....I understand why this is important, I believe completely in accountability...and I know there are programs out there that need more accountability, but I can tell you this--Aspen Achievement Academy is not one of those.
It was rarely the case when I met a student or parent on graduation day that was not completely grateful for being involved with AAA. I understand that it is had to believe someone like me, who is not an independent source.....but it is the truth.
Thanks for posting that. There are a few of us here who understand this and know that the vast majority of children who graduate do extremely well and look back on their experience at Aspen or other TBS's as a positive changing point in their lives. There are a few posters here on fornits who did not do well or did not benefit from their stay at other RTC's either because they didnt finish or didnt apply themselves. This has left them bitter against anyone who had taken the opportunity they were given and moved on with their lives. They tend to run other people down and the schools they attended.
Many parents don’t post here because they see thru the negativity and hostility towards other posters who are trying to share their positive experiences. But it is nice to hear the good stories when some stay and decide to share with us despite the lack of a warm welcoming.
Referring to himself alone as "us" and "we" again... What a cukoo!
Here's the original quote. Please note that TheWho altered his post to to try to attribute his words to Anne. In some strange way, like a five year old, he has an enormous crush on Anne, but he is so emotionally underdeveloped he can't just say it, so he acts out like a child.
For chissake, Who, if you want to fuck Anne, just come out and say it already.
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I worked for Aspen at the time of the suicide and was there several years, and know everything that happened. It saddens me to hear all of these attacks on Aspen, and its employees. Although it is in fact part of a corporation, the employees and management are the most loving, incredible people I've ever met in my life. During the whole time I worked there as a field instructor, I've never seen anything remotely abusive. Every week, during graduation at Aspen, several parents come up to our director and literally say to him 'You saved my kids life'. He has heard this hundreds, if not thousands of times from parents and students alike. How come you guys never talk about this?
Do you know why the suicide did not become news? It wasn't some elaborate coporate coverup....the student's family wanted to keep it quiet, they did not feel ANY bad feelings toward Aspen. To this day, they are still 100% supportive of the academy. Sorry for going on here.....I understand why this is important, I believe completely in accountability...and I know there are programs out there that need more accountability, but I can tell you this--Aspen Achievement Academy is not one of those.
It was rarely the case when I met a student or parent on graduation day that was not completely grateful for being involved with AAA. I understand that it is had to believe someone like me, who is not an independent source.....but it is the truth.
Thanks for posting that. There are a few of us here who understand this and know that the vast majority of children who graduate do extremely well and look back on their experience at Aspen or other TBS's as a positive changing point in their lives. There are a few posters here on fornits who did not do well or did not benefit from their stay at other RTC's either because they didnt finish or didnt apply themselves. This has left them bitter against anyone who had taken the opportunity they were given and moved on with their lives. They tend to run other people down and the schools they attended.
Many parents don’t post here because they see thru the negativity and hostility towards other posters who are trying to share their positive experiences. But it is nice to hear the good stories when some stay and decide to share with us despite the lack of a warm welcoming.
Looks like some of the regulars here are starting to change their minds some?
Why cant you guys just ignore thewho. You give him way too much credit and putting his name on all the anon posts isnt fooling anyone at least the guy has a log-in name.
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I worked for Aspen at the time of the suicide and was there several years, and know everything that happened. It saddens me to hear all of these attacks on Aspen, and its employees. Although it is in fact part of a corporation, the employees and management are the most loving, incredible people I've ever met in my life. During the whole time I worked there as a field instructor, I've never seen anything remotely abusive. Every week, during graduation at Aspen, several parents come up to our director and literally say to him 'You saved my kids life'. He has heard this hundreds, if not thousands of times from parents and students alike. How come you guys never talk about this?
Do you know why the suicide did not become news? It wasn't some elaborate coporate coverup....the student's family wanted to keep it quiet, they did not feel ANY bad feelings toward Aspen. To this day, they are still 100% supportive of the academy. Sorry for going on here.....I understand why this is important, I believe completely in accountability...and I know there are programs out there that need more accountability, but I can tell you this--Aspen Achievement Academy is not one of those.
It was rarely the case when I met a student or parent on graduation day that was not completely grateful for being involved with AAA. I understand that it is had to believe someone like me, who is not an independent source.....but it is the truth.
Thanks for posting that. There are a few of us here who understand this and know that the vast majority of children who graduate do extremely well and look back on their experience at Aspen or other TBS's as a positive changing point in their lives. There are a few posters here on fornits who did not do well or did not benefit from their stay at other RTC's either because they didnt finish or didnt apply themselves. This has left them bitter against anyone who had taken the opportunity they were given and moved on with their lives. They tend to run other people down and the schools they attended.
Many parents don’t post here because they see thru the negativity and hostility towards other posters who are trying to share their positive experiences. But it is nice to hear the good stories when some stay and decide to share with us despite the lack of a warm welcoming.
Looks like some of the regulars here are starting to change their minds some?
Why cant you guys just ignore thewho. You give him way too much credit and putting his name on all the anon posts isnt fooling anyone at least the guy has a log-in name.
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I worked for Aspen at the time of the suicide and was there several years, and know everything that happened. It saddens me to hear all of these attacks on Aspen, and its employees. Although it is in fact part of a corporation, the employees and management are the most loving, incredible people I've ever met in my life. During the whole time I worked there as a field instructor, I've never seen anything remotely abusive. Every week, during graduation at Aspen, several parents come up to our director and literally say to him 'You saved my kids life'. He has heard this hundreds, if not thousands of times from parents and students alike. How come you guys never talk about this?
Do you know why the suicide did not become news? It wasn't some elaborate coporate coverup....the student's family wanted to keep it quiet, they did not feel ANY bad feelings toward Aspen. To this day, they are still 100% supportive of the academy. Sorry for going on here.....I understand why this is important, I believe completely in accountability...and I know there are programs out there that need more accountability, but I can tell you this--Aspen Achievement Academy is not one of those.
It was rarely the case when I met a student or parent on graduation day that was not completely grateful for being involved with AAA. I understand that it is had to believe someone like me, who is not an independent source.....but it is the truth.
Thanks for posting that. There are a few of us here who understand this and know that the vast majority of children who graduate do extremely well and look back on their experience at Aspen or other TBS's as a positive changing point in their lives. There are a few posters here on fornits who did not do well or did not benefit from their stay at other RTC's either because they didnt finish or didnt apply themselves. This has left them bitter against anyone who had taken the opportunity they were given and moved on with their lives. They tend to run other people down and the schools they attended.
Many parents don’t post here because they see thru the negativity and hostility towards other posters who are trying to share their positive experiences. But it is nice to hear the good stories when some stay and decide to share with us despite the lack of a warm welcoming.
Looks like some of the regulars here are starting to change their minds some?
Why cant you guys just ignore thewho. You give him way too much credit and putting his name on all the anon posts isnt fooling anyone at least the guy has a log-in name.
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ok so i am a past student from aspen academy and you guys dont know what the hell you are talking about.
apen does nothing but care for their kids. if it werent for them, i would have never lived past another year. but now, im doing amazing!
all of us were put before them not matter what, they always wanted us to be safe.
here's an example:
just like every student first starting out in a wilderness program, i did not want to be there for a little while. so one day, we were taking a day hike up a mountain. once we got up there, they told us we had to go back to our main camp because base had just radioed in a said a strom was coming. i was annoyed so i just stod there and since were a group that sticks together, the other girls and staff were staying with me. but once the weather conditions were extremely life threatening(hail, thunder, lightening, sleet, rain, you name it) they were begging me to go back to camp. but i would not go. normally, they would all have to stay with me then but because the weather was so bad and it was life threatening and they wanted to KEEP US SAFE, one of the staff took the rest of the group down to camp and the other stayed with me. i then made a big scene and basically faked a seizure so that they would send me home. she was on the radio non stop trying to get help. it was all muddy and every step you took you sunk down. no truck could get within miles of us. even so, other staff from base came out there in those terrible conditions and walked through all that mud to get me. they wanted to save my life and completely put their own lives in danger just to help me.
they care about everyone as if they were their own kid.
if they knew this kid was going to do this, they would have stopped it right then or taken him out of the program.
i know people that their parents attempted to send their kids to aspen academy but the academy wouldnt take them because the kid had suicidal thoughts and they did not want to risk the kid's life. i love that place and everyone there. it changed my life and it will continue to do so for anyone that ever goes there.
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I worked for Aspen at the time of the suicide and was there several years, and know everything that happened. It saddens me to hear all of these attacks on Aspen, and its employees. Although it is in fact part of a corporation, the employees and management are the most loving, incredible people I've ever met in my life. During the whole time I worked there as a field instructor, I've never seen anything remotely abusive. Every week, during graduation at Aspen, several parents come up to our director and literally say to him 'You saved my kids life'. He has heard this hundreds, if not thousands of times from parents and students alike. How come you guys never talk about this?
Do you know why the suicide did not become news? It wasn't some elaborate coporate coverup....the student's family wanted to keep it quiet, they did not feel ANY bad feelings toward Aspen. To this day, they are still 100% supportive of the academy. Sorry for going on here.....I understand why this is important, I believe completely in accountability...and I know there are programs out there that need more accountability, but I can tell you this--Aspen Achievement Academy is not one of those.
It was rarely the case when I met a student or parent on graduation day that was not completely grateful for being involved with AAA. I understand that it is had to believe someone like me, who is not an independent source.....but it is the truth.
Do the parents have to attend group meetings at aspen? That could be the reason they feel the program saved their lives.
Or it could be because you torture the kids and tell them the only way they can leave is to convince you that they beleive the program saved their lives, as they were headed inevitably, twords being deal/insane/jail
They then communicate this to the parents
Ok, so I attended aspen achievement academy and successfully graduated. I am here to tell you that in absolutely no way does AAA even attempt to brain wash you. That’s why it works and that’s why the results actually last. When I first got to aspen, I did not want to learn anything. I didn’t want help and I hated everyone in my life. I stayed like this for the first couple weeks of my stay. And you know why it took me so long before I realized how amazing and life changing the place was that I was at? Because they never pushed the program on me. All they did was love me and care for me. If I wanted to rant and rave about how much I hated them and I thought that place was stupid, they would sit there and let me. I was a lot to handle but they never lost hope in me, even for a second. Soon, I started becoming accustomed to aspen on my own terms. I started being receptive and letting people in. For the first time, I actually showed my emotions to another human being. I started making relationships with people and feeling love and attachment, which was all new to me. I could do this because I started feeling love for myself. I started feeling like I could actually do things on my own and that I was worth things being done at all. When I finally busted my first fire, a huge new window of light opened for me. I thought, “maybe there is something to all this.” That’s when I began changing my life. *notice I said that I (meaning me) began to change MY OWN life* All aspen ever did for me was give me a place of love and support and showed me that I was worth something and that I actually did want to make something out of myself. I am now attending a college in New York where I am studying Psychology. After this, I aspire to first, work at one of the many aspen programs, and then, eventually, open one of my own. Without aspen, my life would never be what it is today and I would never have had experiences that I will cherish for a life time. One of the greatest things about aspen is that they have you do things on your own, they aren’t going to hand things to you on silver platter; including your emotions.
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