Carlbrook

[Badpuppy]

I did notice she didn't say anything about Karen's posts. She was responded to with the disrespect she showed others.

[Anonymous]

O, by the way.  Dysfunction Junction is a MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONAL.  sheesh.

[Anonymous]

Cram it, Karen.  ::both::  ::nod::

[Anonymous]

Dj knows it.  I'm not Karen.  Just calling BS when BS is due.

[Troll Control]

On 2006-04-10 14:48:00, Anonymous wrote:

"

On 2006-04-10 13:46:00, Anonymous wrote:


"I just read through a few of the threads on this forum. I found my way here by googling the names of a couple of programs that have been suggested for my daughter, who is now in a wilderness program. My wife and I are about to visit some schools, and I wanted to do some research ahead of time.





I have never seen such an immature, disgusting group of posters on any internet forum I have frequented. The way you respond to parents and teens who try to report positive things about a program is absolutely vile. I noticed that a few of you are so obsessed that you come across as absolute freaks- especially Dysfunction Junction. From reading the Hidden Lake topic, one would have expected the doors to be closed by now. What possibly can be so compelling that an adult would spend hours every day trying to bring down a boarding school?  And the vulgarity and anger directed at this supposed Karen is beyond childish. The good news is that the more you post those kind of things, the more any credibility you could have is gone.  


I got almost no helpful information, except for a few posts by students or parents who actually had experience with the programs we are considering- and that experience was fairly recent.  It is very, very sad that so many of you have not been able to move on with your lives and delight in attacking people in such a vicious way.


I really feel sorry for Eudora, who appears to be the moderator of this forum. The Eudora posts are incoherent and sound very much like the writer has some brain damage.


Nihil..., Dysfunction, Paul, Puppy, Luke- I just can't get over the low level of humanity this site attracts.


I'm sorry I stopped by, and I won't be back."

Knew you'd be back today Karen!!!  ::both:: "

Thirteen sentences containing ten ad hominem attacks.  

"Hello, Pot?" he said, "It's Kettle."   :wave:

[Badpuppy]

What are the therapuetic techniques, dogmas, and
philosophical approaches of Carlbrook? Alumni, parents, all posters feel free to share your experience and give your input and opinion.

[Anonymous]

Look back through the thread.  All of that has been discussed by several parents.  For the most part, we are not MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS and can't discuss it in the depth that you want us to.  

The website is informative.

[Troll Control]

On 2005-09-13 11:22:00, Anonymous wrote:

"I have a slightly different perspective on Carlbrook. I never heard of this school until today. I am a LMSW (Licensed Master of Social Work) and found a job listing for Carlbrook on the NASW (National Association of Social Workers) website. The job advertisement was misleading: it made Carlbrook sound like a boarding school for the intellectually gifted student. I was shocked that they are willing to consider "MSWs in progress". That means they are willing to hire unlicensed social workers.



When I went to the Carlbrook website, I learned that the therapists / counselors are called "advisors." Many have graduated from unaccredited schools of psychology and social work. Looks like lots of internet degrees from universities in the Carribean. Few, if any, seem to have credentials that would get them a state license to practice psychology or social work.



Then I read about the Wilderness Therapy prerequisite. Wilderness Therapy is NOT research proven effective. And the benefits are highly questionable. I would never refer any child or family to such a program.



Next, I read about the Dean's experience at CEDU and Cascade here.



This all amounts to one thing for me: Something smells fishy. I am going to write to the NASW about my concerns.



Perhaps Carlbrook is a decent place. But I won't attach my name to this type of organization. Too many red flags."

[Anonymous]

On 2006-04-11 10:45:00, Anonymous wrote:

"Look back through the thread.  All of that has been discussed by several parents.  For the most part, we are not MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS and can't discuss it in the depth that you want us to.  

  "

"My son is having surgery next week. I don't know what the procedure entails, how he will benefit, or what the risk factors are. But, I trust the dr. implicity. His website looks really good."

[Anonymous]

No, it's a little different than that.  Read the posts.  I looked at 20 schools and hired a consultant after I was referred to Carlbrook and Second Nature by an adolescent Psychiatrist.  My son had a very sucessful and meaningful time at Carlbrook.  He's even been back to visit.

I was just looking back because I haven't checked this site in a few days.  Someone asked me why I only looked at one traditional boarding school (St. Andrews).  I looked at several and he was accepted at all of them.  I'll explain it again:

my son wanted a fresh start with new faces in a place where he felt like it would be hard to be tempted by drugs again.  He was at Carlbrook for 15 months, graduated, is now in college and has stayed away from drugs.  I know it doesn't work for all kids.  It probably doesn't work for most kids but it worked for mine...maybe because he truly went willingly and even chose the program.  

An MD, a director of a large Adollescent Psych Unit/Hospital in a large NE city gave me the recommendation.  Continuing to say I did not do my homework is untrue.  I also have an MSW (from years and years ago from a prestigious University)...and so what, it didn't make me an expert in much of anything.   I went to the next level for advice.  I got what I paid for at Carlbrook and wouldn't do it any differently.

[Troll Control]

I also have an MSW (from years and years ago from a prestigious University)...

If this is true, why were you so completely unable to deal with your kid at home?  Why couldn't you work with him while he attended an outpatient program in your community.

If you are an MSW, then you should have a lot of criticisms for the way this place is run.  I'm not saying you should say "it sucks" or anything like that, but the red flags of abusive staff, LGAT seminars and BM program based on punishment, level system, etc. SHOULD have given you great pause about engaging their services.

Take into consideration that for what you paid you could have hired a full time social worker or psychologist to work with your kid all day every day while he went to school and after school outpatient care.

Believe me, I'm glad your kid is happy, but what you did is kind of like paying for knock-off cadillac made by Koreans that charge ten times what a genuine cadillac is worth.  If you are happy with that purchase then I'm happy for you because you have too much money to know what to do with it.  That must be nice.

[Anonymous]

I gave him a choice.  I do know enough about recovery to know that it had to be on his terms.  His father paid for Carlbrook.  We are divorced.  The father wanted harsher...I wanted more gentle....our son liked Carlbrook and chose it.  I never, ever said the place was perfect.  No place is.  It worked out well for all of us.


My husband is made of money.  I could never have afforded Carlbrook.  But, your whole argument about treating him myself is ludicrous.  Most teachers do not home school their kids.  Also, he wanted OUT.  Out of my house and my rules, his father's house and his rules and really I think he got scared and wanted to go somewhere he perceived as "safe" to start over.

It was a good thing for him.  He never, not once, felt like the environment was abusive...silly at times, but not abusive.

[Troll Control]

But, your whole argument about treating him myself is ludicrous...

This statement is loony.  Nobody said "treat him."  They said "work with him" while he went to outpatient treatment.

If he wanted out of your house so bad, why didn't he just get emancipated?  It would be the end of your problem and his.

[Anonymous]

By the time a teen gets to the point of needing intervention on the level of a residential school or wilderness program, that teen is NOT cooperating at all with any kind of at-home treatment plan. The teen is refusing to attend therapy, outpatient treatment (which doesn't even exist for many of these issues) or follow normal household rules. The teen is skipping school and abusing substances.  The parents are unable to handle these problems. It generally takes several weeks in wilderness before the teen even admits that there IS a problem.
Yes, Carlbrook uses behavioral modification.  Guess what?  A lot of the kids' behaviors NEED to be modified!  The old way wasn't working so well.
I know how badly you want Carlbrook to fall into the category of a bad and abusive program, but it simply isn't.
As far as qualifications go- the one thing that is an absolute certainty is that Dysfunction Junction is not qualified to make any judgements about the family dynamics or decisions of anyone else. He has not raised teenagers. He has no idea what level of problems were going on in the household. He is operating from some sort of abstract thinking model where if a few of the staff got degrees from an online program, or if the school hasn't finished the accrediation process, your kid must be being abused or you have wasted all your money. He knows more than we do about our families and our kids!

[Anonymous]

You know, I'm being honest and forthright here.  I am tired of giving all of you such a beautiful target.  Those of you that have been in trouble before (at home, school, etc.) I have a question for you-

Would you have done ANYTHING your parent wanted you to do at that time?  I'm a small woman, he's a massive kid-  we didn't have any hatred (lots of fear and frustration on my part) towards one another but he sure was not going to stand for doing it my way. I tried everything and frankly, reliving this dark time in my life and then getting crap from all of you has FINALLY worn me out.  I felt a responsibility to let prospective parents know that when all else fails, Carlbrook might be a good choice.  It was for us.  

I'm surprised you have chased me off.  You had a willing player.