Author Topic: Stone Mountain School  (Read 9063 times)

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Offline Anonymous

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Stone Mountain School
« on: November 01, 2005, 03:28:00 PM »
Was visiting with a friend from NC. As it turns out, there are a couple of programs in her backyard and she knows decent people who have worked in them.
One of these people told her that Stone Mountain was 'different'. Not a lock down- can't stop the kid from leaving, no food deprivation, no abuse... you know the drill.
Anyone have direct experience? Would be interested in details about this specific program. Their website certainly contains all the buzz words, methods, policies and procedures inherent to most programs in the industry.
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Offline Anonymous

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Stone Mountain School
« Reply #1 on: November 01, 2005, 07:06:00 PM »
I have a good friend who used to work at Stone Mtn.

She smokes up, is hip, Can't imagine it being too bad.

If you are willing to identify yourself as realitively safe and sane I could put you in touch with her.

Are you in the Asheville area?
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Offline Anonymous

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Stone Mountain School
« Reply #2 on: December 30, 2005, 06:54:00 PM »
Isn't Stone Mountain the one where they live in very primitive cabins, chop their own wood, study, and do a lot of outdoor things?

Here are my concerns:
1.  Forget the website.  It looks like summer camp.  I want to know:
-what is the average turnover of staff?
-what qualifications and certifications do staff have?  
-what is the minimum qualficiaion & certification you must have to get a job there?
-what is their treatment plan? do the work on a basis of positive reinforcement and cooperation or another system of demerits and penalities?
-is a parent welcome to visit at any time, even without prior notice?
-what is the average length of stay for a student?

If anyone knows, I would appreciate it. It has been recommeded to me.  Apparently they have a very small student body and it is all boys.
 :wave:
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Offline Anonymous

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Stone Mountain School
« Reply #3 on: December 30, 2005, 07:28:00 PM »
My friend Anthony is in Stone Mountain, says he loves it
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Offline Anonymous

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Stone Mountain School
« Reply #4 on: April 22, 2006, 09:27:00 PM »
I have heard a little about stone mountain i do not beileve you can just go and visit it is very intensive treatment overall i think it is a case to case basis what is your child struggling with?
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Offline Anonymous

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any updates here?
« Reply #5 on: July 16, 2006, 11:34:06 PM »
I was hoping there would be more recent and detailed info here about Stone Mountain School. We are currently in the process of deciding whether or not to send our son there. I felt confident about sending him until I read all the research on "therapeutic boarding schools" and the troubled teen industry. Now I'm wondering if we aren't sending him into a lion's den. He's not a "bad" kid. He has learning deficits and some behavioral problems that make it hard fopr him to attend regular public school and the private schools won't take him because of the LD. Is this school legit or just another  high-priced teen-abuse factory?
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dragonfly

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Stone Mountain School
« Reply #6 on: July 17, 2006, 08:20:44 AM »
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Offline Anonymous

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thanks
« Reply #7 on: July 17, 2006, 10:29:18 AM »
Quote from: ""dragonfly""
Howdy, I went to Straight and am still surviving it.

My housemates both work at Stone Mtn. school.

One is in Central America now, the other is still asleep, but I will ask her to post here.

I am sure she would be happy to talk to you.

I can't speak about the school itself, but it sounds very different from Straight.

I can say that my housemates are some of the most compassionate people you could hope to meet.

Feel free to Private Message me if you like.


I can't PM because I'm not a registered user but I would like very much if one or both of your housemates could post a reply here. I would assume anything they may have to comment on would be suitable for this forum.
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Offline Anonymous

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stone mtn.
« Reply #8 on: July 17, 2006, 12:29:24 PM »
Hi!
I've been working at stone mountain school since January, I'm the roommate that was asleep. The other one, should be getting back from his trip today actually, and he's worked there for 6 years.
I really like working at stone mountain, nothing about it is punitive, any consequences a student experiences are naturally related to their actions, under their control. Staff never puts their hands on a student unless he is being physically unsafe to himself or others and then all of the "restraining holds",  are in no way harmful, and all staff are trainned in these holds. Having to restrain a student almost never happens, even if say, the boy is walking off campus, staff will just walk beside him and talk to him. Students are never refused food no matter what their behavior is.
I work with the youngest age group, age 11-14, most of these boys have ADHD and didn't get along with their families, had trouble in school, ect. Right now there's 6 boys in my group, there's 4 staff per group, 2 the first part of the week, then the other 2 come in for the second shift.
Each group has a cabin in the woods, everybody has chores like- chop wood, clean the outside latrine, sweep the cabin, clean the kitchen shelter, ect.
Is there anything specific you want to know? You can email my personal email address, or we could talk if you want.
You asked about visiting without planning it, and i don't think they would refuse you, but there's more of a chance for you to get more out of a visit if they knew you were coming. this definitly isn't a school where reality is covered up when parents visit.
i believe you can also ask to contact the parents of students who went there or are still going there. i would also ask the school to send you copies of the "level sheets" the STUDENTS get, since that's the central structure of the whole program as well as a STAFF manual, because that explains all staff procedures. And if you do visit, I would figure out which group (it's all by age) your son would be in and talk to that groups senior counsler, as well as talk to the counslers that are on shift for that group. I am always surprised at how few parents actually try to get to know that staff that work with their kids 24/7.  
Much of the school's program is based upon William Glasser's (he's written a couple books, check them out) reality therapy of individual choice and responsibility.
Even though the system and structure really make sense and is therapeutic, the counslers are the ones that implement it into the students daily lives. You asked about the turn over rate for the staff, and I'd say about 1/2 last around 6 months. it is a very challenging job, and after working there for 6 months, i am just now starting to feel very confident and can work a shift without coming home totally exhuasted. The pay isn't "great", I made more money doing trail work for the forest service, But this job is so fullfilling, I love working with kids, being outside and I get 1/2 the week off. (counslers stay 3 or 4 days and nights a week). So i'd say anyone who stays with this job for longer than 6 months is doing it because they truly love it. It tries you and if you're heart's not in it, you don't make it. So I definitly encourage you to meet with the field staff. And as for credentals of the staff, before I worked there, I'd only worked with kids in volunteer settings, but I've spent a lot of time working outside in various situations. I'm 22 and haven't gone to college yet, but am looking to go within the next 2 years, I love learning, but i just wasn't ready right after high school. Anyway, the hiring process is very long, they do a complete background check, drug testing, check up on all your references, 48 hours interview- where you come and stay with a group and then have a interview with an administration staff. So they look at a lot of different aspects of a person when they interview them, I didn't have paid/ professional experience working with kids and hadn't gone to college yet, but I know that I'm compassionate and good with kids and that's really what matters.
I'd love to talk more or answer any other questions you might have! Good luck!
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Offline Anonymous

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are you kidding?
« Reply #9 on: July 20, 2006, 06:05:42 PM »
So.. lets see if I have this right...
Ill paid untrained young staffers have  not  even gone to college, but that doesnt matter becasue they " know they are are good person"(sic)?
Same young staffers do drugs in off hours?
There's turnover of  1/2 the staff  in 6 months?
Philosophy   of the shcool based on sopmeone's crackpot theories?
That sound ABSOLUTELY TERRIFYING place to put your kid. Though this staffer sounds sweet ,albiet naive, reading between the lines,Aspen sounds  like trouble waiting to happen... DONT SEND YOUR KID!
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Offline Oz girl

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Stone Mountain School
« Reply #10 on: July 23, 2006, 09:30:32 PM »
Actually just saying, William Glassers therories are studied by mainstream educators & psychologists, particularly when looking at @ risk kids.

I agree with you though that 6 months of employemnt is an alarmingly high turnover & if dossier is typical of programme staff then it is distrubing that they employ underpaid and underqualified kids.
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n case you\'re worried about what\'s going to become of the younger generation, it\'s going to grow up and start worrying about the younger generation.-Roger Allen

Offline Anonymous

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Stone Mountain School
« Reply #11 on: July 24, 2006, 12:31:07 AM »
I'm going to be a pain in the butt so please forgive me but....

Quote
I agree with you though that 6 months of employemnt is an alarmingly high turnover & if dossier is typical of programme staff then it is distrubing that they employ underpaid and underqualified kids.


Nationwide teacher turnover rate is 50% in the first 5 years, 10% each year. Does that mean we should stop having teachers due to high turn over rate? I can tell you part of the reason on a high turn over is being overworked and underpaid.
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Offline Anonymous

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« Reply #12 on: July 24, 2006, 12:48:13 AM »
Teacher turnover MAY be because they are overworked and underpaid; but they ARE QUALIFIED.
This employee admits he/she has no college, and very little training.
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Offline Oz girl

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« Reply #13 on: July 24, 2006, 12:52:49 AM »
no of course not. This atttrition rate would really need to be adressed though because it is pretty high. In a school that proclaims to adress the needs of troubled kids this is an issue because the school itself claims to provide structure but a kid only has a primary care giver for 6 months at a maximum then the school is failing to meet this goal.
Perhaps pay is also an issue. i would imagine that if you paid more you could afford highly trained professionals and not idealistic kids who should be helping to run summer camps until they have a qualification.
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n case you\'re worried about what\'s going to become of the younger generation, it\'s going to grow up and start worrying about the younger generation.-Roger Allen

dragonfly

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Stone Mountain School
« Reply #14 on: July 25, 2006, 08:26:33 AM »
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