Show Posts

This section allows you to view all posts made by this member. Note that you can only see posts made in areas you currently have access to.


Messages - Truth

Pages: [1]
1
The Troubled Teen Industry / I have concerns
« on: September 19, 2005, 08:53:00 PM »
Even though I'm a parent that thinks Carlbrook helped her son to a certain extent, I have mixed feelings about the program and to this day wonder about efficacy of the therapy sessions. Did someone here call it Large Group Awareness? I'll have to check into that. I did not hear this mentioned by anyone at Carlbrook nor by our Educational Consultant. I told our son later, that one of the reasons it is so important to maintain self control is that when you lose control and things become somewhat of an emergency situation and you give part of your control to other people. This is a very uncomfortable thing to do. A parent can do their very best in terms of research and still fall
short in trying to find a good match for their child. I have posted on your website to try to help parents when they do their own research and are trying to make the difficult decision with reference to placing a child. In my opinion, these programs do provide a service. There are some good points to Carlbrook, but like I have mentioned before, there were things about the program that were of concern. Of note was that they did not seem to have a strong therapeutic component. Hopefully, they have made some improvements in this realm. If I were a parent looking at this school for my child, this is the area that I would check into very carefully. I would also double check on my child as often as possible. For us, the entire Carlbrook experience ended up a difficult one.
p.s. Our son never graduated from Carlbrook, but just a few months later was doing beautifully with the help of a local therapist. I believe there are certain people in the program that concern him.

2
The Troubled Teen Industry / Carlbrook
« on: September 19, 2005, 08:43:00 PM »
Even though I'm a parent that thinks Carlbrook helped her son to a certain extent,  I have mixed feelings about the program and to this day wonder about efficacy of the therapy sessions.  Did someone here call it Large Group Awareness? I'll have to check into that. I did not hear this mentioned by anyone at Carlbrook nor by our Educational Consultant. I told our son later, that one of the reasons it is so important to maintain self control is that when you lose control and things become somewhat of an emergency situation and you give part of your control to other people. This is a very uncomfortable thing to do. A parent can do their very best in terms of research and still fall
short in trying to find a good match for their child. I have posted on your website to try to help parents when they do their own research and are trying to make the difficult decision with reference to placing a child. In my opinion, these programs do provide a service. There are some good points to Carlbrook, but like I have mentioned before, there were things about the program that were of concern. Of note was that they did not seem to have a strong therapeutic component. Hopefully, they have made some improvements in this realm. If I were a parent looking at this school for my child, this is the area that I would check into very carefully. I would also double check on my child as often as possible. For us, the entire Carlbrook experience ended up a difficult one.
p.s. Our son never graduated from Carlbrook, but just a few months later was doing beautifully with the help of a local therapist. I believe there are certain people in the program that concern him. [ This Message was edited by: Truth on 2005-09-19 17:52 ]

3
The Troubled Teen Industry / Carlbrook
« on: September 17, 2005, 02:43:00 PM »
It's interesting to me that both my child and Karen's child did not graduate from Carlbrook. I know my husband and I were told by Carlbrook officials that our child probably had a VERY serious disorder. The implication was that he would never get better. After therapy by a qualified therapist locally, he received Employee of the Month twice at his part time job. This year, he is on the Dean's list in college.  Truthfully, I don't know anyone his age who is more responsible. Again, I think we got some benefit from Carlbrook. Hopefully, they will step up to the plate and make some improvements to their program. Sometimes parents need a place to take their children when the stiuation is critical. However, I credit my child's local therapist just as much, perhaps more than anyone at Carlbrook for his sound mental health. Cost: $25 per week (after insurance)

 [ This Message was edited by: Truth on 2005-09-17 11:46 ]

4
The Troubled Teen Industry / Carlbrook
« on: September 17, 2005, 02:02:00 PM »
Our child went to Carlbrook but was asked to leave primarily because of two reasons:
1) He did not get along with the owner and because 2) He wrote love letters to a girl.
He was also sent back to wilderness for  rather insignifcant reasons. He was not violent, did not use drugs and was not a threat to himself or others. He was mildly oppositional and depressed,  but that was why he was sent there in the first place.

At the time the school did not have a strong psychological component. It seemed student did not receive first rate counseling services by experienced professionals. Their diagnostic skills were questionable.  When they were upset with a student, those in charge would assume your child had a significant disorder and wouldn't hesitate to imply that something was seriously wrong.  

We ended up sending our child back to wilderness briefly,  where he was re-tested. It turned out that he was not seriously disordered at all. Like I said, he was only "mildly oppositional," which was his official dx.

We then brought him home and he received one on one counseling by a wonderful therapist. He is doing very well today. He attends college and is on the Dean's list. He is ultra responsible and mature.  Many of the students who did graduate from the program it seems ended up having many more problems. (Possible high rate of recidivism??)

Although it may have been limited, I must say that I think my child did receive some help from his experience at Carlbrook. Some of the people that worked with him invidually were very caring. I also felt that the facility is lovely. However, I think that some of the administration and staff could use additional training.

(I do have some concerns that my son might have some mild issues with PTSD after attending this school).    

Hopefully, there have been some improvements since my child attended the program which has been a few years now.

I guess this goes without saying, but I would not send my child to any program without exhausting all other avenues first. Sometimes these programs are all we have left when our children are out of control.

I would not send my child to this particular program without a LONG visit and without asking MANY questions. I would check and re-check on my child OFTEN.  I would not let anything go for even one second.   You can never be too careful.  

Please be CAREFUL.   I can't stress that enough.[ This Message was edited by: Truth on 2005-09-17 11:17 ][ This Message was edited by: Truth on 2005-09-17 11:22 ]

Pages: [1]