Treatment Abuse, Behavior Modification, Thought Reform > The Ridge Creek School / Hidden Lake Academy
Unqualified Staff Members -
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http://www.hiddenlakeacademy.com/loadPr ... userID=187
Here's one of HLA's "new hires." Although they advertise as having all Masters level counselors, it is completely untrue.
Exactly how does a BS in "Criminal Justice" and an interest in "Marshall (sic) Arts" qualifiy someone to be the primary caregiver to a child with mental health issues? It sounds more like a recipe for unneeded restraint than "therapy."
The kicker: http://www.nu.edu/
This completely unqualified person has only a CJ degree from an online college.
Where are the licensed, masters level counselors (HLA advertisements claim "42 Masters Level Counselors"[/i])? I can seem to find only a single licensed one, (recent update to profile added "LPC") but I do see plenty of online degrees not related in any way to mental health.
False advertising? Scam? Why don't HLA parents ask questions about the staff?
http://www.hiddenlakeacademy.com/loadPr ... userID=147
Woops! No degree here at all.
This one is funny:
http://www.hiddenlakeacademy.com/loadPr ... userID=175
No degree whatsoever for this AC and her sole and only qualification? "Jen loves sports." Well, glad to have you aboard, Jen!
If these are the staff that are "proudly" listed on the website, it kinda makes ya wonder who's "not-so-proudly" left off the website.
_________________
"Compassion is the basis of morality."
-Arnold Schopenhauer
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More on this topic here: http://fornits.com/wwf/viewtopic.php?to ... orum=41&40
Anonymous:
Ed Clark works as an Earth Element counselor in conjunction with two master's level counselors. He does not have a group unto himself. The irony of you making these comments about his qualifications (which on paper are poor), is that he is great working with the kids. He has very good insight, he is very bright, and is able to balance firmness with gentleness quite effectively.
This is not to say that you do not make some very good points about what HLA claims to have and what they actually have. In this case, however, it is just ironic because Clark is very good with the kids.
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Listen, I have no doubts whatsoever some of these people are caring, empathetic, intuitive and good influences for the kids. I've stated this many times before.
The problem is that what HLA advertises and what it provides are two very, very disparate products. As another poster said, if they were just a boarding school, this wouldn't be such a big deal. This is not the case, however.
HLA advertises that it provides counseling for its residents by masters level couselors which is provably false, considering there is only a single licensed counselor on the premises and many of the other counselors have unrelated degrees or no degrees whatsoever.
This is a huge problem in a couple of respects. One, "therapy" is being provided by unlicensed, untrained and sometimes completely uneducated staff and two, it is absolutely and unquestionably false advertising.
If HLA cannot manage hire and retain even the most minimally qualified people (sometimes being nice or caring just isn't enough - I think we can agree on that), what the hell are they doing with or for your kids for $5700.00 a month?
A second point: If there are indeed people who care about the welfare of these children, why do they accept the conditions under which these children are held? Why aren't they standing up for what is right and confronting the management as to why these kids get such low-quality care?
I hear what you're saying, but part and parcel of "caring about the kids" is addressing the shitty, subpar conditions of their treatment, the lack of proper mental health care, the unlicensed, uneducated staff, the behavior modification program, the unlicensed teachers without degrees in their disciplines, the blatant violations of accrediting standards and ORS regulations, the manipulating and fear-mongering (both kids and parents) etc - not to mention their being confined with dangerous inappropriate placements, some of whom have been reported by employees to be pedophiles and sexual batterers/rapists - is it not?
At what point does "caring" translate into doing the right thing?
Anonymous:
--- Quote ---On 2006-06-02 09:13:00, Dysfunction Junction wrote:
"Listen, I have no doubts whatsoever some of these people are caring, empathetic, intuitive and good influences for the kids. I've stated this many times before.
The problem is that what HLA advertises and what it provides are two very, very disparate products. As another poster said, if they were just a boarding school, this wouldn't be such a big deal. This is not the case, however.
HLA advertises that it provides counseling for its residents by masters level couselors which is provably false, considering there is only a single licensed counselor on the premises and many of the other counselors have unrelated degrees or no degrees whatsoever.
This is a huge problem in a couple of respects. One, "therapy" is being provided by unlicensed, untrained and sometimes completely uneducated staff and two, it is absolutely and unquestionably false advertising.
If HLA cannot manage hire and retain even the most minimally qualified people (sometimes being nice or caring just isn't enough - I think we can agree on that), what the hell are they doing with or for your kids for $5700.00 a month?
A second point: If there are indeed people who care about the welfare of these children, why do they accept the conditions under which these children are held? Why aren't they standing up for what is right and confronting the management as to why these kids get such low-quality care?
I hear what you're saying, but part and parcel of "caring about the kids" is addressing the shitty, subpar conditions of their treatment, the lack of proper mental health care, the unlicensed, uneducated staff, the behavior modification program, the unlicensed teachers without degrees in their disciplines, the blatant violations of accrediting standards and ORS regulations, the manipulating and fear-mongering (both kids and parents) etc - not to mention their being confined with dangerous inappropriate placements, some of whom have been reported by employees to be pedophiles and sexual batterers/rapists - is it not?
At what point does "caring" translate into doing the right thing?
"
--- End quote ---
Good post. My kid spent two years at HLA. For the most part, the "real" counselors (those with actual degrees) were useless because they had to adhere to ridiculous rules set by the crazy people in charge. The counselors who actually thought they were being hired to work with kids and HELP them ended up leaving in disgust. This made for a revolving door.
In my kid's case, he had at least 4 different Peer Group counselors within the first 6 months of his stay. The website states "Two Masters�-level Counselors are assigned to a Peer Group and remain with that Peer Group throughout the entire therapeutic program." That was one of the things that drew us to HLA. But, like so many other things, it was a big fat lie.
So getting back to the topic here, my kid was actually helped at HLA --BY A MEMBER OF THE CLERICAL STAFF. Yep, someone took an interest in him. This person had no degree, but saw something in the kid and worked with him and helped him. We got lucky. (It should be noted that the assholes in charge actually told this staff member to cease communicating with my kid. We had to fight with them to allow the kid to continue the only helpful relationship he had.)
So yeah, we got lucky. Someone took an interest. But for $5700/month parents shouldn't have to hope to get lucky.
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