Fornits
Treatment Abuse, Behavior Modification, Thought Reform => The Troubled Teen Industry => Topic started by: Ursus on December 17, 2007, 01:25:35 PM
-
Solacium Holdings LLC. I believe these are all NATSAP programs.
- New Haven - South Campus, North Campus (http://http://www.newhavenrtc.com/)
- Sunrise Academy (http://http://www.sunrisertc.com/)
- Alldredge Wilderness Journey (http://http://www.alldredgewildernessjourney.com/)
- Fulshear Ranch Academy (http://http://www.fulshearranchacademy.com/)
- Transitions of Galveston Island (http://http://www.transitionsgi.com/)
- Sommerville Young Adult Community (http://http://www.sommervilleyac.com/)
- Greenbrier Academy (http://http://www.greenbrieracademy.com/)
- Wilderness Quest (http://http://www.wildernessquest.com/) (pending finalization of Intent To Purchase)
This company surfaced here in the threads (http://http://wwf.fornits.com/viewtopic.php?p=243417#243417) about a year ago; there has been but minor mention of them since. I bring them up again since they recently acquired another filly or two for their stable. They also appear to represent a pattern for the industry: a couple of folk get together who want to make their fortunes in the troubled teen industry; they get some financing from an investment company; they start buying up programs. The probable and probably hoped-for eventual outcome of all this is that they themselves get bought out by some bigger company for millions, thereby making their fortunes, and retire.
The company which owns/runs the programs/facilities is called Solacium Holdings LLC (http://http://www.solacium.com/), and the investment company is CIC Partners LP (http://http://www.cicpartnerslp.com/). I am guessing that together they are known as "Solacium Group" (kind of similar to how Bain Capital's financing of CRC Health Corp. yields an entity known as CRC Health Group, albeit on a much smaller scale).
Solacium Holdings LLC describes itself as owning and operating "educational, recovery, and treatment programs that facilitate superior levels of therapeutic change in emotionally or behaviorally challenged youth, young adults, and their families" (as per their web site). They have a presence in three states thus far: Utah, West Virginia, and Texas.
My best guess as to the time line follows (there may be minor errors, omissions). The current incarnation actually begins in February of 2006, with the purchase of New Haven by Val Christensen via the financial clout of CIC Partners. Main feeders into this consolidation of facilities are New Haven (Utah), Alldredge (West Virginia), and Wellcore LLC (Texas). A probable additional one will be the Wilderness Quest program (originally begun as a prison program with the Idaho Adult Corrections system in 1965, and evolving into Expedition Outreach Inc., then Wilderness ConQuest Inc., and finally Blue Mountain Family Center, Inc. d.b.a. Wilderness Quest). I have only seen fit to expand the New Haven feeder, but the others are certainly worth exploring as well.
- 1995 -- Kathy and Mark McGregor found New Haven (Spanish Fork, Utah). Mark McGregor: BYU Masters degree in Marriage and Family Therapy, 16 years experience as a clinical director or program coordinator in hospitals and residential centers, passed away in July 2005.
- At some point -- New Haven expands to two campuses (the second one is in Saratoga Springs, Utah).
- February 2006 -- Val Christensen, "a successful operator in the healthcare industry" (as per CIC website), organizes purchase of New Haven; Kathy McGregor stays on as "co-founder." Financial partner for the purchase is CIC Partners LP. Jim Smith, a CIC Advisory Partner, will serve on the new company's board of directors. Company is now known as Solacium Group(?).
- July 2006 -- Solacium Holdings LLC acquires Sunrise Academy (Hurricane, Utah).
- September 2006 -- Alldredge Academy (Davis, West Virginia) "joins" Solacium Holdings LLC. L. Jay Mitchell, founder of Alldredge, becomes an exec at Solacium; mainstay Jim Browning gets promoted to CEO/Director of Alldredge. Has been recently renamed as Alldredge Wilderness Journey.
- April/May 2007 -- Solacium Holdings LLC of Utah "merges" with Wellcore, LLC of Texas. Wellcore brings two facilities to the stable: Fulshear Ranch Academy (Sugarland, Texas), and Transitions of Galveston Island (Galveston, Texas). Fulshear founder Anthony S. Geraci, Jr. is made Executive Vice President of Solacium.
- Whether part of the above merger -- or whether acquired/formed shortly afterwards -- is the additional program Sommerville Young Adult Community (Cleveland, Texas). There is some crossover of personnel amongst the three Texas programs/facilities.
- August 2007 -- Solacium Holdings announces intentions of acquiring Wilderness Quest (Monticello, Utah). Contact details for Solacium now note a Missouri City, TX address.
- September 2007 -- Greenbrier Academy opens (Pence Springs, West Virginia). Their website carries the Solacium logo, and the Solacium website describes them as one of their programs on certain pages, but not others, so they must have been acquired/opened recently.
-
If you find additional links, please post them on the talk pages so the articles can be expanded.
Here is what we have so far (http://http://www.fornits.com/wiki/index.php/Category:Solacium_Group)
-
At the time that I originally started this thread, I had meant to make a post regarding Solacium Holdings Executive personnel, and I am sorry that I did not get around to doing that cuz... At that time, just two and a half weeks ago, L. Jay Mitchell was still listed on their website as one of the executive team (part of the pictured line-up with photo and bio). He is now gone. Wonder what's up with that? He had brought both Alldredge Wilderness Journey (WV) and Greenbrier Academy (WV) to the Solacium fold.
Some of you may remember that Alldredge Academy was where Ryan Lewis hung himself, and many blamed Alldredge management's methods and priorities for that. For what it's worth, L. Jay Mitchell was also instrumental in the founding of SUWS...
At any rate, current lineup of Solacium Holdings Executives is as follows. They have more than 6 programs by now, but apparently have not updated that particular piece of info on their website.
================ ================ ================
SOLACIUM EXECUTIVE TEAM (http://http://www.solacium.com/executive2.php)
Solacium owns and operates educational, recovery, and treatment programs that facilitate superior levels of therapeutic change in emotionally or behaviorally challenged youth, young adults, and their families.[/list]
Through the use of our congruent framework of theory and methods, and as a result of the success and scope of our operations, we set an example of excellence in our industry. Our success includes and provides growth opportunities for employees, superior facilities, and clinical effectiveness. We currently operate 6 programs in 3 states. Solacium plans to expand through organic growth as well as acquiring programs that align within our family of services.
Solacium is focused on outcomes and studies related to our students and their family's success.
VAL CHRISTENSEN
PRESIDENT & CEO
(http://http://www.solacium.com/images/val_christensen.jpg)
Val Christensen is the co-founder and CEO of Solacium Holdings LLC. Mr. Christensen was the founder, former chairman and CEO of Altius Health Plans. Altius is a Utah-based health services company that offers a variety of managed care products to its members. Christensen was responsible for the acquisition of PacifiCare of Utah in September 1998, at which time the name of the plan was changed to Altius. Mr. Christensen also enjoyed a 17 year career with Hospital Corporation of America. He served as the CEO of three separate hospitals for HCA located in Utah and Florida.
ANTHONY S. GERACI, JR
EVP & CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER
(http://http://www.solacium.com/images/anthony_geraci.jpg)
Anthony S. Geraci, Jr. is currently Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Solacium Holdings, LLC. He previously served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Wellcore, LLC, a holding company for behavioral health services, since its inception. During his tenure with Wellcore, Anthony personally developed the San Cristobal Ranch Academy, Fulshear Ranch Academy and Transitions of Galveston Island. In addition, he is on the Board of Directors of Life House Resources. Geraci received his BA from Quinnipiac University.
LANCE DAVIS
CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER
(http://http://www.solacium.com/images/lance_davis.jpg)
Lance R. Davis is the Chief Financial Officer for Solacium Holdings, LLC. He was most recently the CFO of Altius Health Plans, a regional HMO with over 220,000 members, where he served for nine years. At Altius Lance was part of a small team of executives which turned around a failing entity and restored it to profitability while improving operations and service to create the number one rated insurer for customer service in the state of Utah. Lance has worked in health care for 17 years and is a graduate of the University of Utah (BS Finance) and Brigham Young University (MBA).
KACY KILPATRICK
HUMAN RESOURCES
(http://http://www.solacium.com/images/kacy_kilpatrick.jpg)
Kacy has worked in the human services industry since April of 1998. He worked as the Director of Human Resources at New Haven Residential Treatment Center from May of 2000 to February of 2006. During his time at New Haven he was closely involved in three expansions. He has been the Director of HR for Solacium since February of 2006. He has been responsible for the transition of the HR function as Solacium has acquired programs. Kacy earned his bachelors degree from Brigham Young University in 1999. He will earn his MBA from the University of Maryland University College this coming April (2008). He earned his Professional of Human Resources (PHR) certification in 2002 through the Human Resources Certification Institute and has maintained that certification through continuing education. Kacy is a member of the Society of Human Resource Management. Kacy is happily married and has three beautiful daughters.
PROGRAM DIRECTORS
Dustin Tibbitts -- New Haven RTC
David Prior -- Sunrise RTC
Dewitt Hunter Powell -- Alldredge Wilderness Journey
Tracy Schrunk -- Fulshear Ranch Academy
Matt Estey -- Transitions of Galveston Island
Terrence Mullaney -- Sommerville Young Adult Community
-
Transitions of Galveston Island has a confirmed CEDU background.
-
At least in West Virginia, the company was once known as Solacium Alldredge LLC, according to an entry in the Lobbyist Registration/Employer Authorization put out by the WV Ethics Commission on Jan 4, 2007. Note that lobbyist Raymona Kinneberg represents both Solacium and CRC Health Corp. Interesting.
KINNEBERG, Raymona [ 304-343-2462 ] 210 MacCorkle Ave. SE Email: http://wwf.fornits.com/viewtopic.php?p=243596#243596 (http://wwf.fornits.com/viewtopic.php?p=243596#243596)
================ ================ ================
A more recent entry (this past October) confirms that this still is the case:
WV ETHICS COMMISSION (304) 558-0664
[ LOBBYIST REGISTRATION / EMPLOYER AUTHORIZATION as of October 5, 2007
(Alphabetical by lobbyist name)
---------------------------------------------------------------
KINNEBERG, Raymona
[ 304-343-2462 ]
210 MacCorkle Ave. SE Email: http://www.wvethicscommission.org/Lobbyforms/Lobby.pdf (http://www.wvethicscommission.org/Lobbyforms/Lobby.pdf)
Google cache of HTML version of file (http://http://64.233.169.104/search?q=cache:_3KeSedFFJ4J:www.wvethicscommission.org/Lobbyforms/Lobby.pdf+site:www.wvethicscommission.org+KINNEBERG,+Raymona&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=5&gl=us)
-
Ramona Kinneberg works as a "Health Care Consultant" for Bill J. Crouch & Associates. Previously, she worked for the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources. Gee, I wonder if she also compiles a "Fast Facts" matrix for her clients just like Hootie's... :D
From their website:
================ ================ ================
Bill J. Crouch and Associates, Inc. (http://http://www.bjcinc.com/)
Raymona A. Kinneberg, V.P.
Raymona A. Kinneberg, B.A., M.S.
Ms. Kinneberg has more than twenty years of experience in the health care industry. A significant portion of that experience has been devoted to hospital and health care financing, including health care reform financing, hospital rate setting, public employees insurance, Medicaid, Medicare, Workers' Compensation and other finance related issues. Ms. Kinneberg works directly with legislators, congressional staff, state and federal agencies and other community and health care organizations to track information, coordinate efforts, and influence policy development through advocacy. Ms. Kinneberg's consulting projects include rate setting, certificate of need applications, analysis of Medicaid policy implications, assistance with certificate and licensure, advocacy and data analysis. Ms. Kinneberg has strong research, writing, and analytic skills. Prior to joining BJC, Inc., Ms. Kinneberg served as Vice President for Finance for the West Virginia Hospital Association and Deputy Secretary for the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources.
Health Care Consulants
BJC, Inc. offers a variety of consulting services to help you. Some of the services provided include relations with Government: electoral, legislative, and regulatory issues; lobbying; strategic planning; joint venture design and implementation, merger and acquisition consulting; special marketing plans; feasibility studies to include cost/benefit analysis, proposed improvements and evaluation; policy development; DRG analysis and cost comparisons; certificate of need applications; rate applications; preparation of appeals for contested rulings; managed care network development; reimbursement maximization; MIS consulting; systems analysis and development; policy and procedure manual development; RFP negotiation and implementation; preparation and analysis of data reports to include health care utilization trends for statistically valid results; physician practice consulting; and, regulatory compliance reporting.
BJC, Inc. is a group of consultants who concentrate their services in health care matters. The consulting firm represents acute care hospitals, health care systems, individual and multi specialty physician practices, home health agencies, rural health clinics, ambulatory care centers, managed care providers, rehabilitation hospitals, psychiatric facilities, nursing homes, personal care homes, behavioral health facilities, hospice centers, and others.
The consultants at BJC, Inc. work collaboratively with clients to deliver practical solutions designed to obtain goals.
-
Re. Solacium's acquisition of Wilderness Quest: I was hoping to find more on the net by now, but so far it is still only the press release on strugglingteens.
Wilderness Quest is a 12-Stepper program "treating at-risk youth and young adults," based in Monticello, Utah. http://www.wildernessquest.com/ (http://www.wildernessquest.com/)
================ ================ ================
Solacium, LLC
Missouri City, TX
Solacium To Acquire Wilderness Quest (http://http://www.strugglingteens.com/artman/publish/SolaciumPR_070824.shtml)
Contact:
Annette Chandler
http://www.solacium.com/ (http://www.solacium.com/)
August 23, 2007
Solacium, owner and operator of behavioral healthcare facilities, programs, and schools, is pleased to announce they have signed a letter of intent (LOI) to acquire Wilderness Quest. The acquisition is expected to be final the first week of September 2007.
Located in Monticello, Utah, Wilderness Quest is a premiere wilderness program focused on both adolescents and young adults. Wilderness Quest is the only wilderness program that is fully accredited by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO). Their program is dedicated to helping students with substance abuse and/or chemical dependency, low self-esteem, depression, attention deficit disorder, abandonment and adoption issues, family discord, sexual or emotional abuse, inappropriate sexual behavior, anger or rage, and emotional pain.
"We are extremely excited about this opportunity. Wilderness Quest fits well into our family of programs which are focused on advancing education and wellness," said Solacium's Executive Vice President Anthony S. Geraci, Jr. "Wilderness Quest has been working with individuals and families for over 35 years. Their commitment to excellence and providing effective treatment is right inline with the Solacium vision and goals".
With 7 programs in 3 states, Solacium is an industry leader in specialized education, recovery, and treatment programs. Solacium offers individuals and families options for residential treatment centers, short-term intervention, and young adult transitional programs. For more information about Solacium, please visit http://www.solacium.com (http://www.solacium.com) or call 281-313-1908.
-
Solacium Rebuts GAO
It seems that the GAO hearings have brought about a competition of sorts: companies seem to be trying to outdo each other with bigger and better GAO rebuttals. This one is 12 pages long (pdf download from the title). Perhaps these rebuttals also serve as a means for engendering "respect" amongst their colleagues, and perhaps also as a means for establishing greater name recognition amongst the populace. lols.
:eek: The Ryan Lewis case: revisited, and rewritten.
This rebuttal was sent to StrugglingTeens as a "press release" re. Alldredge Wilderness Journey from Anthony Geraci Jr. It stoops to revisit the Ryan Lewis case for about 6 pages, suggesting that the judge may not have been privy to all the facts, and attempting to exonerate L. Jay Mitchell!! This starts about halfway through, with "Issue 11."
================= ================= =================
A RESPONSE TO A GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY OFFICE (GAO) REPORT (10 OCTOBER, 2007)
"Residential Treatment Programs: Concerns Regarding Abuse and Death in Certain Programs for Troubled Youth." (http://http://www.strugglingteens.com/news/pr/pdf/GAORebuttal.pdf)
November, 2007
Objectives
The Government Accounting Office (GAO) recently released an official report entitled, "Residential Treatment Programs: Concerns Regarding Abuse and Death in Certain Programs for Troubled Youth" (GAO-08-146T; 10 October, 2007). The 38-page report states it found "thousands of allegations" of abuse. (1) The GAO found these allegations in state and federal records, pending civil and criminal trials, and various Internet sites. It did not "attempt to evaluate the benefits of residential treatment programs or verify the facts regarding the thousands of allegations it received." (2) The report is ripe with broadbrush condemnations of the private teen treatment industry. And those conclusions are reached without a single interview of anyone in the industry, or with any of the tens of thousands of adolescents the industry has helped.
Given the incomplete and one-sided nature of the report, the purpose of this point-by-point response is to provide additional information from objective sources in an effort to provide a more fair and balanced snapshot of the residential treatment industry. The following facts, citations and information presented in this response are all substantiated by official public documents and eyewitness testimony, which may be supplied upon written request.
The GAO Report: A Response and Rebuttal
Problems with Methodology
Issue 1 ... Fails to Define Purpose: Meaning of "Widespread"? (p.1)
- Verifying allegations of abuse cannot be equated with verifying incidents of abuse. The report states that "it is important to emphasize that allegations should not be confused with proof of actual abuse." (p.12) However, the report repeatedly states that it found "thousands of allegations of abuse," and, as noted above, that it made no attempts to verify the validity of these allegations.
- GAO does not define "widespread." Besides the "thousands" of allegations of abuse, how many cases of abuse/death have there been versus how many teens have completed treatment safely and successfully? To characterize something as "widespread," the GAO would need to show the actual size or scope of the problem.
- GAO did not seek to determine how many of these allegations were duplicates. (p.13)
Issue 2: Unidentified, Unbalanced Sources
- GAO conducted numerous interviews, but does not say who it interviewed other than "relevant experts." (3) This needs to be defined, and the experts need to be unbiased. Further, persons other than "experts" would be helpful in reviewing treatment centers -- including former students and their parents, staff members, etc. GAO did not seek a response from the teen treatment industry. In explaining its 10 case studies, GAO stated it interviewed related parties, including current and former program staff and officials, attorneys and law enforcement officials, and the parents of the victims.
- Besides these unbalanced interviews, GAO gathered its information from secondhand sources ("relevant studies and documents"), Internet searches, statistics gathered by a voluntary data collection, and court documents. (p.1) The report offers no citation or substantiation of these resources, and no indication of the reliability of the information gained from these sources.
- The report claims to have identified claims of abuse and death in court cases. (p.12) Specifically, it points to a case that is still pending where parents alleged abuse. This source can only be valued anecdotally as it is biased and unadjudicated.
- The report also claims to have interviewed attorneys who represent youth that have alleged abuse. (p.13) Again, like the parents, this is a biased group.
- The report also gathered information from "various web sites advocating for the shutdown of certain programs." (p. 13) The report does not cite these websites, nor offer any evidence of their credibility. The report mentions in only one sentence that there are some websites that promote closing these programs.
- Each of these sources is one-sided and unproven. While they may be an important component of the overall picture, they only offer a piece of the puzzle.
Problems with Statistical Analysis
Issue 3. "GAO found thousands of allegations of abuse" (p.1)
- If there were indeed such an alarming number of allegations, where, when and to whom were they reported? The report cites no specific study or cases. It did not say how many actual cases (ending in death) there were to consider; this matters because it would show the scope of the problem -- were there 12 total deaths, and they studied 10, or were there 10,000 total deaths and they studied 10? Any teen death is tragic. Still, a report based on statistics must be examined in context of statistics. The report does not discuss general teen suicide statistics, the suicide rate of teenagers under the care of doctors or therapists, or the suicide rate of these programs in general. Perhaps, in fact, the suicide rate at these programs is significantly lower than the average rate of teen suicides which occur at home.
- The report does not define "abuse" in any meaningful way -- i.e., what must occur to constitute abuse? Many teen treatment centers include elements of military-style behavioral discipline, limiting contact with family or friends, or therapeutic physical containment. Parents are advised of this prior to admission. This leads one to ask, "Would any one of these constitute abuse, if a teen complained about it?"
- A 2005 report from the Department of Health and Human Services found that about 60 percent (60.3%) of the reports of abuse in the United States were found to be unsubstantiated. (4) How does that finding affect this report?
- Of the "thousands" of allegations, the report focused on ten cases that ended in death.
Issue 4. "33 states reported 1,619 Staff members involved in incidents of abuse" (p.1)
- This information comes from the most recent National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System (NCANDS) data (p.12). Submission of data to this database is voluntary.
- This statistic does not distinguish staff members in private facilities from staff members at public facilities, yet the GAO report inexplicably focuses its critique on private facilities. (p. 2)
Issue 5. "GAO found significant evidence of ineffective management in most of the 10 cases." (p.1)
- GAO does not indicate the size of the pool from which it drew these 10 cases. It is impossible to know if ineffective management (even assuming it was indeed ineffective) in 10 cases is a lot, or is a commendably small percentage.
Issue 6. "When identifying our cases, we specifically excluded teenager deaths at public programs." (p. 2)
- What is the rationale for excluding public programs (local, state and federal) from this study? Would not public programs and their programming, procedures and statistics provide a fair benchmark for comparison?
- Despite excluding this information in its anecdotes, GAO did not (reportedly could not) exclude this information from its statistics. This obviously skews the statistics' reliability, as it is impossible to know how the "allegations of abuse" were distributed between public and private facilities. The report (p. 3) admits it "could not determine what percentage of the thousands of allegations ... are related to [private] programs."
Issue 7: Cases selected on the basis of factors including victim age, program location, type of program the victim attended, and date of death
- Why these particular factors? Why do they matter to the study? Are they trying to be representative, or more general? No explanation is offered as to how various criteria might affect the report.
Issue 8: Statistics not viewed in backdrop of average statistics
- The report acknowledges that teen treatment programs serve a high-risk group, providing an alternative to "incarceration or hospitalization" for teens with a "variety of addiction, behavioral, and emotional problems" (p.1) who sometimes have "life threatening addictions and diseases" (p.2). It does not seem to account for the unfortunate fact that some of these risks are statistically likely to play out.
- The report does not say how many students there are in such programs nationwide, or how many of them commit suicide, or how many of them die from other causes. Thus it is impossible to compare these numbers to an average teen death rate, and the breakdown of causes. This lack of information leaves open the possibility that there are fewer teen suicides in these programs than the national average would suggest.
Report Over Generalizes
Issue 9: Over Generalizing Types of Programs
- The report discusses that there is no standard licensing scheme, nor is there a standard definition for the various types of programs (p. 5), yet it characterizes the types of programs as if they were all more or less identical. It describes features, such as a student-written journal that is read by staff, or security measures, or living conditions, and suggests that these are consistent across all programs. (pp.6-11)
Issue 10: Sweeping Statements
- The report uses sweeping statements like "in some cases, program leaders gave their staff bad advice." (p.13) Advice may have been "bad" when given the benefit of hindsight, but the report does not consider the context of the advice or the facts known at the time it was given.
- The report indicates that some leaders did not have the credentials in therapy or medicine they claimed. False advertising is of course inappropriate, but the report suggests that individuals without appropriate credentials cannot provide "proper treatment." (p.13) This overlooks the fact that many uncredentialed individuals have extensive experience and may be able to provide "proper treatment." Furthermore, it fails to consider that in many cases, parents who use treatment programs may have tried various credentialed therapists or doctors and found them ineffective.
Case Study: Ryan Lewis & Alldredge
Issue 11: Report Suggests Blame Lies With Facility When It May Not Have Been Given All the Information
- The report is clear that a third-party, hired educational consultant unrelated to the program recommended the program to the parents, after discussing with the parents Ryan's conditions. This educational consultant had used the facility previously, and found success as evidenced by numerous other referrals to Alldredge. (5)
- The report does not say to what extent the parents informed the program about Ryan's conditions. Their application included mention of two incidents where Ryan threatened self-harm, but did not actually harm himself. These should not rationally be construed as suicide attempts. The psychiatrist report provided by the parents also did not mention that Ryan was a suicide risk. This report focused on Ryan having a difficult time with peer relationships, family dynamics, depression and self-esteem. The program was not told or given a written report from a mental health professional stating that the parents were not taking seriously a possible diagnosis of bipolarity. There is no government data available on the annual numbers of attempted teenage suicides. However, other research indicates that there are an estimated 8-25 attempted suicides for each teen suicide death. (6)
- The GAO report states that "the program did not have any procedures for addressing suicidal behavior even though it had marketed itself as being able to provide appropriate therapy to its students." (p.24) The program did have procedures for dealing with suicide patterns, and they were followed in this case. (7) Ryan was found to be future-oriented, not withdrawn or euphoric, demonstrating appropriate affect, had easy interaction with peers and instructors, and evidenced empathy for other students. This information was gleaned by five staff members who observed Ryan from morning until night on the day of the incident. If these positive signs had not been observed, alternative procedures would have been immediately implemented. There was no concrete evidence that his death was intentional and in fact, could have been accidental. That was corroborated by a renowned clinical psychologist who investigated the death and concluded that it was not intentional and that the facility was not at fault. (8)
Issue 12: Sensationalization of Non-Essential Information
- The report indicates that the owner did not have any formal training to provide therapy. The field of wilderness therapy emerged in the 1980's. Mr. Mitchell was one of the pioneers in the concepts and methods of this discipline. (9) He has decades of experience in wilderness therapy programs, which has only recently become a course option at a select group of colleges and universities. As testament to Mr. Mitchell's expertise in this field, many of his wilderness therapy ideas and practices have been adopted into other wilderness programs. It is important to understand here that wilderness therapy is not just classical therapy with a therapist counseling students in a wilderness setting. (10) In fact, some wilderness models do not require an accredited therapist or counselor in the field.
Issue 13: The Other Side of The Story
- The report repeatedly states that the parents told the GAO that Ryan had attempted suicide twice. It does not explain these attempts. "His parents specifically called these actions 'meltdowns' as a part of temper tantrums when he could not get a B-B gun on one occasion or a dog on another occasion," said Mr. Mitchell. (11) "Ryan got upset on one occasion and threatened to put a fork in an electrical outlet. He did not do so and was not injured. On the second meltdown he got upset and put a cord around his neck. Again, he was not injured. The Lewises took him to a clinic where he was evaluated and sent home that day. He was not held for overnight observation and Alldredge received no record of any follow-up treatment." These actions by Ryan do not constitute "suicide attempts" per se and there was no self-harm. (12) He may have been seeking special attention, trying to scare his parents, or attempting to get his way. Consider also that the Lewises sought professional, licensed treatment in evaluating and treating Ryan. And the response they received was that Ryan's risk of self-harm was not significant enough for admission as an in-patient. The parents did not claim that he received follow up treatment for attempted suicide or self harm.
- The record talks about Ryan "cutting" himself the day before the suicide. The report does not define cutting. The cuts were superficial cuts or scratches that did not draw blood and did not even require a band-aid. (13) This fact was corroborated by both the autopsy report and by statements from emergency medical personnel dispatched to the scene. By discussing this incident in the same paragraph with, and in greater detail than, the actual suicide, the report gives the impression that Ryan tried to significantly harm himself, and that the knife incident was a suicide attempt. However, the report clarifies in a footnote that "cutting is a common practice of superficially cutting oneself to draw attention and is often associated with adolescent mental health and behavioral issues. It is not considered an attempt to commit suicide." Ryan told the instructors that he had scratched himself because he wanted to go home. (14) Nevertheless the next day Ryan was watched carefully from morning to night and a group process was held wherein his attitudes and feelings were explored. (15) On the day of his death Ryan stated he was looking forward to some time with Mitchell the next day. (16)
- The report describes the knife scenario as follows: "On the day before he killed himself, while participating in the first phase of the program (survival training), Ryan deliberately cut his left arm four times from wrist to elbow using a pocket knife issued to him by the school. After cutting himself, Ryan approached a counselor and showed him what he had done, pleading with the counselor to take the knife away before he hurt himself again. He also asked the counselor to call his mother and tell her that he wanted to go home. The counselor spoke with Ryan, elicited a promise from him not to hurt himself again, and gave the knife back. The next evening Ryan hung himself with a cord not far from his tent." This version of the knife episode sounds very dramatic, and needs to be considered side-by-side with the staff members' version which is a much more objective description of actual events: "Ryan showed the scratches to the instructors and said he wanted to talk. The instructors observed the scratches had not drawn blood and decided that it needed no bandage of any kind. The instructors had extensive wilderness first responder and first aid training. Ryan then told the instructors that he scratched himself because he wanted to go home. In an effort to console him, the instructors talked with Ryan for an estimated 20 minutes. Ryan said he could be trusted not to cut himself, and he asked to demonstrate his honesty. The knife was given back to him for 10 or 15 minutes during which the instructor supervised him the entire time. He did not hurt or even attempt to hurt himself during this time. As per protocol, the knife was then turned in to the instructor, and all student knives were collected for the evening. Ryan had a quiet and uneventful night. He made no mention of the scratches the next morning to anyone. (17) It is important to note here that in most treatment facilities--be they in wilderness or in a 24-hour in-patient medical facility--one of the most common behaviors among troubled adolescents today is scratching or cutting. Most all of these actions at self-harm are for a living purpose, that is, to relieve pain, stress or get someone's attention. The report does not acknowledge this fact and makes no attempt to present a balanced or confirmed view.
- The report notes that the owner and another counselor visited Ryan's campsite the day he died. During this visit, field staff told them about the self-inflicted injury and statements Ryan had made the night before. According to Ryan's father, the owner then advised field staff that Ryan was being manipulative in an attempt to be sent home, and that the staff should ignore him to discourage further manipulative behavior. Immediately after the briefing, Mr. Mitchell and instructors conducted a three-plus hour group session. (18) In this session Ryan was carefully observed and evaluated as to his participation and affect. Mr. Mitchell denies telling the staff to simply ignore Ryan, and in fact it was the staff that told Mr. Mitchell that Ryan said he scratched himself so he could go home. But he did suggest that Ryan needed to be observed to see if he was trying to attract attention or creating a reason to go home. Mr. Mitchell also stated that since Ryan was not making an issue of the scratches that morning, that he should be observed during the day to see if he would bring it up, but not to draw Ryan's attention to the scratches. (19) Ryan was watched carefully from morning to night, and although he interacted with staff and students during the day he did not bring up the scratches. He did ask Mr. Mitchell questions about the school phase and whether he could have a bike there. Ryan also said that he was looking forward to seeing Mr. Mitchell the next day. (20) It is possible that Ryan was indeed scratching himself to create attention or get permission to go home. If that was indeed the case, scratching himself was not a precursor to committing suicide. Regardless, the staff spent all day observing and interacting with Ryan to more carefully evaluate his emotional well-being.
Issue 14: Drawing Flawed Conclusions from the Court Case
- The report indicates that the owners and the program were indicted by a grand jury on criminal charges of child neglect resulting in death. However, this is the same courtroom in which the official court transcripts record the judge remarking that, "any prosecutor was not worth his salt if he could not get a ham sandwich indicted." (21) Subsequently, the prosecutor offered the program to plead nolo contendere, which is not a guilty plea and does not require admitting guilt. This plea is used when a defendant does not want to spend large sums of money and time to defend a case, but instead turns itself over to the mercy of the court. The program director would not accept the prosecutor's offer unless the program was able to write the nolo contendere plea in order to insure that the program did not admit to any wrongdoing. The judge accepted the plea, its language and a corporate resolution explaining the business reasons behind making the plea. (22) No trial was held, and the program agreed to pay a $5,000 fine. The program director suggests that the $5,000 fine represents the court's skepticism of the merits of the entire case.
- The report notes that the program remains open and operating. However, soon after the incident, an unnamed source told the Charleston area media that the program had been shut down. Despite the fact that the program was never shut down, Charleston area newspapers falsely reported that the program had been shut down. Even when the error was pointed out the newspapers never followed up with a retraction. (23) Somehow these 7 year old false reports continue to have a prominent place on the web. Despite such shameful muckraking Alldredge continues to thrive. It is important to note here that following Ryan's death the DHHR contracted with a clinical psychologist, Dr. Richard Workman, to spend several days at Alldredge and evaluate the program. His written report stated that the program was the most effective of its kind that he had seen, and that he recommended the facility not be forced to change its programming. (24)
- The report indicates that ownership has changed hands, with approval from the state. However it makes no mention of the fact that, following this case, the facility and the state were in disagreement about which state agency had jurisdiction to regulate the program. To reconcile this disagreement the facility agreed with the West Virginia DHHR to jointly create rules of operation for the facility to follow until legislation regulating wilderness programs in West Virginia was passed, and/or the facility became licensed by the DHHR. (25) The facility was not licensed because West Virginia did not have rules and regulations governing wilderness programs. The facility had been regulated by the West Virginia Department of Education because it provided a high school curriculum. The West Virginia DHHR audited the program periodically and in fact commended it in writing for being in compliance with this agreement. (26) The report also fails to mention that the facility assisted the state legislature in drafting rules and regulations to govern wilderness programs in West Virginia.
- At no time has the facility admitted any legal fault in this case, and no court has found it guilty or culpable for any wrongdoing. While expressing sorrow for this tragedy, the actions by Alldredge have borne out as being reasonable under the circumstances. (27) The facility has admitted moral responsibility for Ryan Lewis' plight, because its overarching objective is the well being of every student in the program, irrespective of the outcome. Nevertheless, surreptitious, false and sensationalized statements continue to be published and perpetuated on the Internet. The GAO's report fails to acknowledge or address this.
- The report fails to mention that the facility has not received a claim of any kind since this February, 2001 incident, and that an estimated 30% of the over 1,000 enrollments since 2001 have come from loyal alumni. (28) In fact, alumni have created with their own initiative and funding a 501(c)(3) Alumni Foundation in support of the Alldredge programs. (29) Also of note is the fact that the president of that association is father of a son who was in Ryan's wilderness group at the time of this tragic incident. This alumni association has reached out to the deceased boy's parents on several occasions but has had no response. (30)
- The report also fails to indicate that the parents of the students in this group (after notification of the incident) elected to keep their children at the facility, and that those students successfully graduated. (31) Nor does it mention that the West Virginia DHHR sent representatives to the facility on the day after the incident and found that the remaining students were not at risk.
Issue 15: Relevance of Forest Service Allegations
- In a case supposedly dealing with a suicide, toward the end of its report the GAO suddenly shifts gears and concludes by throwing in a note that Alldredge is not in compliance with U.S. Forest Service regulations, and has "not paid required permit fees in almost 8 years" (p. 25). Before answering this charge (see below) it should be noted that this is clearly an odd and highly unusual deviation. Why, in a case supposedly involving the safety of children, would one suddenly delve into fee compliance? It is clearly further evidence of an agenda-driven, incomplete and biased reporting effort by an entity charged with objective and honest investigations.
- Alldredge has documentation (letters and bank records) from the U.S. Forest Service showing that in fact Alldredge has paid all fees as calculated by the U.S. Forest Service from 1991 to the present day. The only possible exception is from the years 2003-04 where documentation is incomplete and/or missing. However, at no time does the Forest Service show Alldredge in arrears. This is corroborated in various correspondences from Laura Hise, Special Use Manager for the Monongahela National Forest. It should also be pointed out that Alldredge students rarely even use this public land other than to cross it and occasionally camp on it, preferring to camp with permission on private land.
- The GAO "investigation" of Alldredge facilities and programs was surreptitious and carried out in a completely unethical manner. GAO investigators initiated their work under false and misleading pretenses. For example, instead of telling Alldredge staff that the inspection and tour was optional, the three investigators from the GAO intimated that their visit required compliance. While stating that they were going to "take a few still photos," (32) they were instead caught shooting videotape. When confronted, the investigators admitted they had mislead Alldredge staff and videotaped students and facilities despite the specific request not to do so, and in complete violation of HIPPA privacy regulations. In general, the investigators were unprepared and had little knowledge of the industry and its practices.
Conclusion
Perhaps the most telling indication of the incomplete, biased and shoddy nature of this report comes from the report itself. After a titillating headline reading, "Widespread Allegations of Abuse and Death at Residential Treatment Programs," (p12) the report immediately contradicts itself by noting the limitations in collecting and accurately reporting data. It further enjoins the reader to not confuse "proof with actual abuse."
We couldn't agree more.
Why then did the GAO--an agency with a mandate for fairness, accountability and accuracy--spend taxpayers' time and money to produce what is, in essence, a sensationalized, tabloid-style report? Why did the agency resort to generalizations, assumptions, conjecture, unreliable sources and selective samples to impugn and demonize a proven and essential segment of the adolescent mental health industry? To be fair, there have been a limited and regrettable number of serious accidents and deaths. The industry and the humans who administer it are not perfect. But the GAO does not provide one compelling shred of evidence nor justification for a blanket indictment or Senate hearing. When compared with the incidence of mortality in the general adolescent population, the industry's track record of treating its at-risk youth population is commendable if not remarkable. Yet, this grandstanding "investigation" would have the reader believe that the industry is rife with spurious entities filled with wanton disregard for the safety and well-being of the youth it treats.
Nothing, as this point-by-point rebuttal clearly point out, could be further from the truth.
Footnotes
1 GAO Highlights; (GAO-08-146T) 10 October, 2007; p. 1
2 ibid.
3 ibid, p. 1
4 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration on Children, Youth and Families. Child Maltreatment 2005 (Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office, 2007).
5 Sworn testimony of Alldredge Admissions Coordinator
6 "Family First Aid" (web site) http://www.familyfirstaid.org/suicide.html (http://www.familyfirstaid.org/suicide.html)
7 Sworn testimony of Alldredge Wilderness Instructor
8 Investigation Report of Licensed Clinical Psychologist
9 Note: Mr. Mitchell founded and directed the SUWS Adolescent Program 1982. He has presented a paper at an APA annual conference and co-authored a chapter in an APA published textbook.
10 See curriculum for Wilderness Therapy, Naropa University, Boulder, Colorado
11 Sworn testimony of Mr. and Mrs. Lewis
12 Investigation Report of Clinical Psychologist. After reviewing transcripts of witness interviews, autopsy report, personnel records, Ryan Lewis's journal, application for admission submitted by Lewis's psychologists, psychiatrist and other mental health professionals. This clinical psychologist has directed Clinical Training for therapists at a major university, is a full Professor of Psychology at another major university, has consulted for inpatient and out patient mental health facilities, has published over 120 referred articles and 6 scholarly books. Member of the APA Council of Representatives.
13 Sworn testimony of three eyewitness Wilderness Instructors
14 ibid.
15 Sworn testimony of three eyewitness Wilderness Instructors and Mr. Mitchell
16 Testimony of eyewitness Wilderness Instructor
17 Sworn testimony of three eyewitness Wilderness Instructors
18 ibid.
19 Sworn testimony of three eyewitness Wilderness Instructors
20 ibid.
21 Taken from the actual court transcript!
22 Written Plea and Resolution accepted by the court
23 The Charleston Gazette
24 Written report of Richard Workman
25 Written stipulation between the WV DHHR and Alldredge Academy
26 Written correspondence from WV DHHR to Alldredge Academy
27 Written report of Licensed Clinical Psychologist
28 Alldredge Academy Admission Records
29 See http://www.AlledredgeFamilyFoundation.org (http://www.AlledredgeFamilyFoundation.org)
30 President, Alldredge Family Foundation
31 Alldredge Student Records
32 Memorandum, Jim Browning, 23 October 2007
* All facts in this rebuttal have been drawn from court documents and eye witness accounts.
-
I noticed activity today on the Fornits Wiki page about the facility.
Here is a link to how the page looked before (http://http://www.fornits.com/wiki/index.php?title=Greenbrier_Academy_for_Girls&oldid=1429)
Here is a link to how the page looks after they edited it. (http://http://www.fornits.com/wiki/index.php/Greenbrier_Academy_for_Girls)
Ursus: Do you have additional info about this new facility? Fornits wiki was not created as a marketing place for these facilities, so I am going to revert it, but I need info and I have searched on all serch engines without finding anything.
-
I noticed activity today on the Fornits Wiki page about the facility.
Here is a link to how the page looked before (http://http://www.fornits.com/wiki/index.php?title=Greenbrier_Academy_for_Girls&oldid=1429)
Here is a link to how the page looks after they edited it. (http://http://www.fornits.com/wiki/index.php/Greenbrier_Academy_for_Girls)
Ursus: Do you have additional info about this new facility? Fornits wiki was not created as a marketing place for these facilities, so I am going to revert it, but I need info and I have searched on all serch engines without finding anything.
There really isn't a whole lot of information out there on it. It just opened this past fall, from what I gather. It is probably somewhat like the New Haven RTCs and Sunrise Academy out in Utah, since they are all owned by the same organization. Do note, however, that L. Jay Mitchell was instrumental in bringing this one to Solacium. Greenbrier Academy and Alldredge Wilderness Quest (also from L. Jay Mitchell) are both in West Virginia.
Perhaps you should consider locking that Wiki if the revisionists continue their efforts?
-
I noticed activity today on the Fornits Wiki page about the facility.
Here is a link to how the page looked before (http://http://www.fornits.com/wiki/index.php?title=Greenbrier_Academy_for_Girls&oldid=1429)
Here is a link to how the page looks after they edited it. (http://http://www.fornits.com/wiki/index.php/Greenbrier_Academy_for_Girls)
Ursus: Do you have additional info about this new facility? Fornits wiki was not created as a marketing place for these facilities, so I am going to revert it, but I need info and I have searched on all serch engines without finding anything.
There really isn't a whole lot of information out there on it. It just opened this past fall, from what I gather. It is probably somewhat like the New Haven RTCs and Sunrise Academy out in Utah, since they are all owned by the same organization. Do note, however, that L. Jay Mitchell was instrumental in bringing this one to Solacium. Greenbrier Academy and Alldredge Wilderness Quest (also from L. Jay Mitchell) are both in West Virginia.
Perhaps you should consider locking that Wiki if the revisionists continue their efforts?
Just revert it and ban that IP address. You also might want to note the attempt at revision on the page itself along with the IP address of the vandal. I don't think locking the page is necessary unless the attempts continue.
-
I protected it and locked it for everybody but sysops. Wiki researcher, if you aren't already a sysop, contact me and i'll make you one.
-
I protected it and locked it for everybody but sysops. Wiki researcher, if you aren't already a sysop, contact me and i'll make you one.
Geesh! I saw that they tried reverting the revert back to their own material again this morning! I think it would be wise to keep a close eye on Solcium's other programs as well...
-
bump
-
I can't believe these programs are allowed to continue operating on federal lands.
-
From 7-8 programs at the beginning of this thread...down to four. Their website is completely different too. Looks more like your typical "troubled teen" program site (previously, it looked more like an investment company, which, I guess...it really is!). There have been some major OUTER changes, not just "inner" ones!
—•?|•?•0•?•|?•— —•?|•?•0•?•|?•— —•?|•?•0•?•|?•—
InnerChange
Addison, TX
Solacium Changes Name to InnerChange (http://http://www.strugglingteens.com/artman/publish/InnerChangeBN_081103.shtml)
Contact:
Ashley Auchterlonie
Director of Marketing
281-414-3026
http://www.InnerChange.com (http://www.InnerChange.com)
November 03, 2008
"I have very exciting news to share with you about Solacium," reports David Michel, President & CEO. "We've started a new chapter in our company's evolution, and we've chosen a new name that captures our fundamental mission - to help students and their families achieve positive internal change that lasts a lifetime. No longer will you stumble over the spelling or pronunciation of Solacium. In the spirit of what we do, I invite you to begin calling us by our new name - InnerChange."
InnerChange programs include New Haven, Sunrise, Fulshear Ranch Academy, and Alldredge Wilderness Journey. As you dig into our materials, you'll find that our core programmatic and clinical offerings are congruent throughout all InnerChange programs. We are committed to providing the most robust family programming in the industry, building our treatment on a foundation of clear treatment values, and providing the most clinically sophisticated approaches available.
In order to measure the effectiveness of our continuous quality improvement initiatives, we are also conducting ongoing outcome studies at all of our programs. This process has taken the excellent work our programs were already doing to a whole new level. We are pursuing our mission of being a true family of programs unified by the clearest, highest standard of care in our industry.
We've assembled a robust leadership team with a shared commitment to, above all, supporting the excellent work of our teachers, clinicians, and staff as they guide families through a powerful healing process. That said, we are currently in search of additional masters level therapists, marketing professionals, and senior program leaders.
Please take a close look at our new website (http://www.InnerChange.com (http://www.InnerChange.com)) to get a better feel for where we're heading.
InnerChange provides educational, treatment, and recovery programs for adolescents and young adults experiencing emotional or behavioral difficulties. Each of our wilderness therapy, residential treatment, and transitional living programs is clinically sophisticated and designed to facilitate whole-family healing. We are committed to restoring hope in the lives of those we serve. InnerChange programs include New Haven, Sunrise, Fulshear Ranch Academy and Alldredge Wilderness Journey. To learn more about InnerChange, please visit our website at http://www.InnerChange.com (http://www.InnerChange.com).
Copyright © 2007, Woodbury Reports, Inc.
-
Unfortunately they are not all closed but sold off.
-
Unfortunately they are not all closed but sold off.
...or a parting of ways going on within the inner circle. At least 3 people left, at least one of whom took a program with them.
—•?|•?•0•?•|?•—
Info from the OP of this thread; programs highlighted in red in this list are still owned by Solacium, now known as InnerChange:
Solacium Holdings LLC:
- New Haven - South Campus, North Campus
[li]Sunrise Academy - Alldredge Wilderness Journey
- Fulshear Ranch Academy
- Transitions of Galveston Island
- Sommerville Young Adult Community
- Greenbrier Academy
- Wilderness Quest (pending finalization of Intent To Purchase)
[/li][/list]
—•?|•?•0•?•|?•—
It was announced on April 30, 2008, that Anthony Geraci (COO) and Val Christensen (President and CEO) of Solacium had resigned. They used some more euphemistic way of phrasing it; can't find the link at the moment. It was in the 'Breaking News' section; I remember that much. Geraci had brought Fulshear and Transitions of Galveston to Solacium; Christensen had brought New Haven and perhaps also Sunrise (neither of which he had been instrumental in creating).
On July 3, 2008, it was announced that Transitions of Galveston Island would simply be closing (http://http://www.strugglingteens.com/artman/publish/TransitionsGalvestonBN_080706.shtml).
Somewhere in that time period L. Jay Mitchell also left, taking Greenbrier Academy with him. Ironically, he did not take Alldrege Academy with him (renamed Alldrege Wilderness Journey), which is the program he brought to Solacium's doorstep and with which he had been identified with for a very long time.
I'm not sure what happened to Sommerville Young Adult Community. Their website is no longer functional. All this happened during the time we had the DB wipeout earlier this year. I remember posting from time to time about it, though those posts are, of course, now gone forever.
I also don't know what happened to Wilderness Quest. They were in the middle of negotiations a year ago, perhaps those broke down and it was never acquired in the first place.
-
According to a pressrelease published at the industry marketing firm the wilderness program is going to close: Alldredge Academy To Close Dec. 31 (http://http://www.strugglingteens.com/artman/publish/AlldredgeAcademyBN_081216.shtml).
More info: Alldredge Wilderness Jouney wiki datasheet - European copy (http://http://www.secretprisonsforteens.dk/fornitswiki/index.php?title=Alldredge_Wilderness_Journey)
-
I have found extensive information about "Solacium Fulshear Ranch" as they now sometimes call themselves. They have several alias's: Fulshear Ranch Academy, I-4 Investment Group, Solacium Fulshear LLC. While they tout themselves as a therapeutic ranch, they don't help these women at all. They instead have them brainwashed! The facility is not fenced, but the girls won't leave because they believe that if they leave they have nowhere to go.
I wouldn't mind sharing notes and learning any info anyone might have...I have a 3-inch binder full of info on Fulshear Ranch Academy and the "goings'-on" so if you are interested, reply.
-
MMmm... thank you for your offer... yes, we would! I believe Solacium now goes by the name of InnerChange; however, that name change was relatively recent. My general impression is that the collection of programs under their banner are primarily for investment purposes.
It is not uncommon for kids to be so brainwashed that they don't leave even if they physically can. It's part of the "break them down, then build them up in the desired image" methodology, if you will.
-
Dale Erdmann, LCSW, DCSW, formerly of Island View Residential Treatment Center and Aspen Institute, joins Innerchange's Fulshear Ranch Academy:
-------------- • -------------- • -------------- • --------------
Breaking News
Posted: Dec 4, 2009
Fulshear Ranch Academy
Needville, TX
Dale Erdmann Joins Fulshear Ranch Academy (http://http://www.strugglingteens.com/artman/publish/FulshearRanchAcademyBN_091204.shtml)
Contact:
Ashley Auchterlonie
Director of Marketing
281- 414-3026 (Mobile)
http://www.InnerChange.com (http://www.InnerChange.com)
December 4, 2009
InnerChange is pleased to announce that Dale Erdmann, LCSW, DCSW, has joined the clinical team at Fulshear Ranch Academy. Dale has spent over 40 years working with adolescents struggling with complex emotional and behavioral issues. Most recently, Dale was a primary therapist at Island View Residential Treatment Center and Aspen Institute. Dale is well known and respected in our industry, most notably for his work with adopted students and their families. "Dale's vast experience and proven clinical skills makes him a perfect fit for us", commented Kathy Donovan, Executive Director at Fulshear Ranch Academy. "We have assembled quite an impressive staff at Fulshear and we are thrilled to have someone with Dale's expertise join our team!"
Fulshear Ranch Academy, located in Needville, TX, is a young adult treatment and transition program for women ages 18 through 24 experiencing emotional and behavioral issues that could prevent a safe transition to independence. Common issues treated at Fulshear include dual diagnosis, personality disorders; bi-polar, post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), addiction, severe depression and anxiety, and poor body image. Many of the young women at Fulshear have histories of multiple failed placements, and for these families, Fulshear provides the tools needed for lasting independence. Our three phase program allows girls to learn, grow, and thrive in an environment of intensive and clinically sophisticated treatment, health and wellness education, equine therapy, academics, and experiential life-skills training. Our goal is to support and empower young women towards healthy independence.
Learn more about the program at http://www.FulshearRanchAcademy.com (http://www.FulshearRanchAcademy.com).
InnerChange provides educational, treatment, and recovery programs for adolescent girls and young women experiencing emotional or behavioral difficulties. Each of our residential treatment and transitional living programs is clinically sophisticated and designed to facilitate whole-family healing. We are committed to restoring hope in the lives of those we serve. InnerChange programs include New Haven, Sunrise and Fulshear Ranch Academy.
To learn more about InnerChange, please visit our website at http://www.InnerChange.com (http://www.InnerChange.com).
Copyright © 2009, Woodbury Reports, Inc. All Rights Reserved.