Treatment Abuse, Behavior Modification, Thought Reform > The Ridge Creek School / Hidden Lake Academy
Liscensure Questions
RobertBruce:
Recently a number of questions have been raised concerning whether or not HLA is liscened as they should be.
The answer is no.
HLA has lied to the state since its inception claiming that they are a traditional boarding school where the emphasis is on education.
However the website and what the told the parents and education consultants was a very different story.
In that respect it claimed it was a theraputic boarding school with an emphasis on therapy.
Its admission policy seemed to fall more in line with that it was a theraputic boarding school. I mean how many traditional ones require an evaluation and recomendation by a psychologist?
So now the question arises, is it a theraputic boarding school or not?
If it is then why isnt HLA licensed as one?
If it isnt then why is there so much emphasis placed on therapy?
Perhaps it is a theraputic boarding school as their website claimed, but does not mention that to the state for various reasons.
Namely a few simple policies they would be forced to follow.
1. Food cannot be rationed.
2. Physical labor cannot be used as a punishment.
3. A state represenative must be available for greivances.
You know those little things HLA has a current policy which they may not want to change around.
I know Deborah had a full listing off all the regs that would apply. Perhaps she could be generous enough to post those again for us.
Id be interested to see if any of Buchi's puppets can address these questions or if theyd rather pretend they dont exist.
Maybe we will get lucky and Buch himself will drop by and put some of these questions to rest.
We can hope cant we?
Anonymous:
A few on the topic:
http://fornits.com/wwf/viewtopic.php?to ... t=10#51841
http://fornits.com/wwf/viewtopic.php?to ... rt=0#51700
http://fornits.com/wwf/viewtopic.php?to ... art=#97940
http://fornits.com/wwf/viewtopic.php?to ... rt=0#88723
http://fornits.com/wwf/viewtopic.php?to ... rt=0#84989
http://fornits.com/wwf/viewtopic.php?to ... rt=0#83063
RobertBruce:
Interesting points, all ones Im sure Buch would rather we didnt bring up.
So how about Buch? We already know you have your stooges monitor these sites and report back to you.
So go ahead step up to the plate and be a man about it.
Tell us whether or not HLA is a theraputic boarding school or not.
Answer the quesitons put to you.
If your "school" really is such a good place you should have nothing to hide.
Anonymous:
It should be common sense that IRS is not going to allow tax deductions for expenses related to education at a private boarding school. IRS also does not allow deductions for programs that provide discipline and structure. This Ruling states: ?a parent who sends a defiant son to military school is not doing this to overcome a mental or physical disorder, but to provide discipline and ordinary education.? Therefore, expenses are not deductible.
http://tinyurl.com/uotqb
This Ruling indicates that the kid must have a ?disease/disorder? that requires ?medical treatment?.
http://tinyurl.com/y7jgrz
While BM for the 'treatment' of drug addiction is considered a medical expense, the Ruling clarifies: ??.a person attending the program to resolve bad personal attitudes in a structured environment does not receive medical care, and none of the expenses are deductible. This form of ?behavior modification? does not treat a medical condition.?
Further clarification:
Educational expenses ? Medical care deduction. While ordinary education is not medical care, the cost of attending a special school for a mentally or physically handicapped individual is a medical
expense where alleviation of the handicap is a principal reason for attending the school. Reg. Section 1.213-1(e)(1)(v)(a).
A school will be considered "special" when its PRIMARY FUNCTION IS TO FURNISH MEDICAL CARE, and EDUCATION IS ONLY INCIDENTAL to that function. A portion of tuition payments made for attendance at a regular school that provides special programs may also qualify for the medical care deduction. A taxpayer must specifically ascertain and document the cost attributable to medical care (i.e., the portion of tuition directly attributable to the special program that qualifies as medical care).
Fischer v. Commissioner, 50 T.C. 164 (1968), acq. 1969-2 C.B. 24.
Why would HLA refer to Revenue Ruling. 58-280
http://www.taxlinks.com/rulings/1958/revrul58-280.htm
when informing parents that tuition may be deductible
http://fornits.com/wwf/viewtopic.php?to ... t=10#51841
58-280 states, in part:
However, it is now concluded that where an individual is in an institution because his condition is such that the availability of medical care in such institution is a principal reason for his presence there and meals and lodging are furnished as a necessary incident to such care, the entire cost of medical care and meals and lodging at the institution, which are furnished while the individual requires continual medical care, constitute an expense for medical care. In other words, medical care includes the entire cost of institutional care for a person who is mentally ill and unsafe when left alone.
Same would apply to Insurance coverage. They are not going to pay for ?tuition? to a private boarding school unless the facility proves they are ?treating? a legitimate diagnosed ?medical problem?.
So, it seems perfectly rational to conclude that if HLA?s primary purpose is not education and parents are taking tax deductions and filing insurance claims, that HLA is not a traditional private boarding school? That they would indeed meet the definition of some kind of Special School or Therapeutic Institution. We all know that the participants are primarily there to have their behavior modified. To ?treat? ODD and a host of other psych diagnoses. Academics are secondary, incidental.
Has anyone here ever heard of a child applying to HLA strictly for the stellar education they would receive there? Would any child attend HLA strictly for education without being a participant in the therapeutic program? Do kids remain at HLA to finish their high school education when the 18-22 month program is complete? Do Ed Cons refer clients to HLA who are looking for a traditional boarding school?
Given that we all know that HLA is a therapeutic facility that happens to board and educate kids, they should be required to possess a license.
Again, Ga Regs state:
(b) "Child caring institution" means any institution, society, agency, or facility, whether incorporated or not, which either primarily or incidentally provides full-time care for children under 17 years of age outside of their own homes, subject to such exceptions as may be provided in rules and regulations of the Board of Human Resources. For purposes of these rules, a child caring institution means any institution, society, agency, or facility that provides such care to six or more children.*
Exemption:
Any bona fide boarding school whose PRIMARY purpose of admission is EDUCATION?? and shall not provide SERVICE PLANNING and CASEWORK SERVICES as described in the licensing rules.
Traditional Boarding School? Not hardly. The question remains- Why does Ga ORS, and many other state licensing departments, allow this at HLA other programs?
Troll Control:
Posted by a physician in another thread...
"My experience with Hidden Lake Academy was also distressing.
In my opinion, and the opinions of the six other physicians in my practice who followed my HLA misadventure with me, HLA is a predator whose prey is the horrified parents of disturbed teens. It is an institution of opportunity, bringing home its bottom line at the expense of the desperate, frazzled families it exploits.
By the time most parents are introduced to HLA, they've already been through a costly and demoralizing gauntlet of police stations, court appearances, counselor visits, psychiatric evaluations...even hospital visits.
To say they are desperate is an understatement. They are trying to keep their families from self-destructing. In most cases, the only option is turning the child out onto the streets: most insurance policies won't cover mental health care, and even if a family is lucky enough to have good coverage, it is limited to short, individual events. Deeply needed inpatient care is rarely an option for most of these families.
So even considering a modality such as a therapeutic boarding school is a true extravagance. Actually sending the student may mean mortgaging a home, selling it, or even bancruptcy.
Enter Hidden Lake and its ilk.
I was asked by the parents of a young teen to evaluate HLA by its Web site. What stood out to me even more than the philosophy that medical therapy was discouraged were the many typographical errors and careless mistakes on nearly every page of the site. While my own writing is not perfect, I am not registered as a boarding school, responsible for the education of children, presumably overflowing with teachers more than capable of proofreading the very materials provided to the public for the purpose of attracting business.
When I brought my concerns to the attention to the school, they were received with, well, less than warm gratitude. My comments to HLA were meant to be constructive. I was gracious and self-effacing in my original letter because the last thing I wanted was to offend the school. Clearly such niceties were a waste of effort.
Given that the parents are expected to pay upwards of seven thousand dollars per month for the privilege of sending their child to a therapeutic boarding school, I actually expected a minimum of civility. None was evident.
My credentials were questioned?this from an institution whose methods are questionable, at best, from a medical (and psychiatric, I might add) point of view.
Fast forward a few months...and imagine how surprised I was to come across the story of the parent in the previous posts. Am I shocked HLA will not send the child's transcripts? Nope. They demonstrated their pettiness, immaturity, and curious vindictiveness to me, a peer and potential referral base a long time ago. Was I surprised that personal belongings, including necessary daily medications, were sent COD?by ground? Actually, yes.
Not only did that shock me, it caused me to pick up the phone and discuss this gross mismanagement of a patient's medications with a malpractice attorney, who recommends HLA check to be sure their insurance premiums are paid.
To the parent: my suggestion is that you alert your attorney to your experience. Gather all proof of your allegations, including the boxes the personal effects were sent in, the COD receipt(s), the condition of any damaged items, a list of missing items, if any, and proof of payments made to HLA. Regardless of any contract signed (as a previous Anonymous poster cryptically stated), a minimum level of responsibility to the patient's health is required by ANY institution. That minimum includes making reasonable arrangements for the patient to have access to their medications. COD shipping by ground is not, by any standard, "reasonable."
So guess what, parent? You may be getting a sizeable percentage of the "investment" HLA coerced you to pay them right back into your pocket.
I'll be cheering for you from this sideline."
UNBIASED OUTSIDE OPINION BY MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL SAYS HLA IS "PREDATOR" VICTIMIZING PARENTS AND CHILDREN. WAKE UP, PEOPLE. :skull:
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