The Family Foundation School in Hancock, New York

[Britt15]

Hi- if there is anyone who was ever a student/parent or anyone who has any information on the family school in new york please let me know, it would be greatly appreciated. I have already heard many disturbing things about the school but i need more! Someone extreamly close to was just sent there, who i know does not belong there and im so worried about his emotional health and spirit!And it would be really nice to be able to talk to someone who has had some kind of first-hand eperience with the school. PLEASE HELP ME! thanks so much!
[email protected]
Britt :scared:

[Anonymous]

It's a f***ed up place.  I was there for 5 weeks.  My parents refused to take me out.  I had to finally punch thru a window before they let me see a shrink who overrode the school and my parents and I finally left.

They attempt to belittle and humiliate the students into submission.  I remember this one poor girl, they forcer her to eat meat (she was a vegatarian).  Their rule was, everyone eats the same thing, same portions, if you don't like it they keep serving it over and over until you eat it.  I stop eating for a day or so but didn't have the discipline to resist further.

That's just one story of many.

- Narz ([email protected])

[Anonymous]

Hey;
 
I read your recent post on the Fornits message board regarding the Family Foundation School.  A teenage friend of mine recently was sent there, she managed to escape Friday March 6th and get down to one of the houses down Chapel Hill Road where she contacted us.  No one knew where she was until that point; she sounded in pretty bad shape.  Please get back to me; I would love to hear one of those many other stories you may have; I need to find out everything about this place; looked like a real dump.  I have a masters in Dev. Psych from Boston College, and I am completely appalled by the bullshit for-profit teen help industry, which is basically the mental hospitals of ten years ago, destroying kid's lives for the corporate dollar.  My friend said she would not be able to survive living 15 months in a basement.  You can contact me at [email protected].
 
Raj
New York City

[Anonymous]

Recent Sad Events at the Family School
Press Release

Contact: Sidney Parham 845-887-5213
Hancock, NY

(March 4, 2004) At approximately 8:20 a.m. on March 4, 2004, a male student jumped from a second story balcony at the Family Foundation School outside of Hancock, New York. Within minutes trained school staff began CPR. He was transported by ambulance to Delaware Valley Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

The 17-year-old from Virginia had been at this emotional growth school for just two weeks. After a difficult first four days, the student seemed to be adjusting to his life at the school. On Wednesday during group counseling, he confessed to having had suicidal thoughts and was subsequently seen by a staff Clinical Social Worker. During this interview, the student indicated he had no plan to commit suicide or harm himself in any way, said he felt better after talking with the social worker. However, senior administration at the school maintained it was standard practice for such situations to continue monitoring the student for any changes that might indicate an imminent crisis. The initial investigation revealed no precipitating incident leading up to this tragedy and no suicide note was found.

New York State Police and the Delaware County Sheriff?s Investigative units were both on the scene, but an official determination has not been made yet.

Religious and spiritual advisors who regularly work with the students and the Delaware County Critical Stress Management Team, are on campus to assist both staff and students in coping with the shock and grief of this death.

At this unfortunate time in the Family Foundation?s 17-year history of guiding at risk teenagers into responsible adulthood, our primary focus is now on helping the family and friends of this child as well as the other students at the school.
 
 
 
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[Anonymous]

On 2004-03-10 02:51:00, Anonymous wrote:

"Hey;

 
I read your recent post on the Fornits message board regarding the Family Foundation School.  A teenage friend of mine recently was sent there, she managed to escape Friday March 6th and get down to one of the houses down Chapel Hill Road where she contacted us.  No one knew where she was until that point; she sounded in pretty bad shape.  Please get back to me; I would love to hear one of those many other stories you may have; I need to find out everything about this place; looked like a real dump.  I have a masters in Dev. Psych from Boston College, and I am completely appalled by the bullshit for-profit teen help industry, which is basically the mental hospitals of ten years ago, destroying kid's lives for the corporate dollar.  My friend said she would not be able to survive living 15 months in a basement.  You can contact me at [email protected].

 
Raj

New York City"

Well, thank God for you, Sir.  At last, another person with some training in the field who's noticing these places and seeing them for the throwbacks to the bad days of psychology that they are.

I've only got a bachelors in psychology, so I've got enough training to see how screwed up their private prison approach is, and how terribly bad for *any* person with a major mental illness that environment would be, but I don't have the expert credentials to stand up and kick some butt by bringing the places to the attention of all the responsible, licensed clinical psychologists and licensed psychiatrists out there.

I truly believe that if a large enough percentage of the licensed professionals out there knew about these places, they could get the laws changed and get the ones that can be made to change reformed and the ones that won't change shut down.

So please, get out in the professional community and spread the word----get every professional you can to take a hard look at these places.

My god, they're like the medicine show wagons with the patent medicines.

[warriorprincess]

:wstupid: bravo

[Cayo Hueso]

Wow.  In the span of one thread I went from wanting to throw up at the thought of another kid feeling that desperate,   to having some of my faith in humanity restored by Raj.

  :nworthy:

Cops; you wake `em up you gotta dance with `em. They lead.
-- Jack McNulty

[Anonymous]

Raj - It would help to know how your friend's parents heard of the Family Foundation School, e.g. Educational Consultant, Independent Referral Agent, Another Parent, Court Ordered PLacement,etc.

Unfortunately, many parents rely upon the recommendation of persons who profit from referring children into residential treatment programs -- regardless of whether the child *needs* treatment or not.  

This sub-cottage industry is self-regulated and completely out-of-control.  Anybody can set up a website, call themselves a "professional" and lure parents into institutionalizing their kids under the guise of helping troubled teens before they are "dead-or-in-jail"

A note: Educational consultants are paid by parents, independent referral agents are paid BY PROGRAMS, which is highly unethical and should be banned in all 50 states.

[Anonymous]

Hi;

I know nothing of how the child was referred to this place.  However, I can tell you she does have some problems (pill popping, failed out of a Specialized High school, running away, brushes with the law/probation for pot and trespassing).  But she also has an overbearing, unaffectionate widowed mother who has a really bad reputation among her friends for being an overall negative person.  The child was bribed 30 dollars to leave her weekend job for an "evaluation" in Westchester, when in reality she was tricked into Four Winds psychiatric hospital.  From there the arrangements must have been made; the girl could not be held involuntarily and was told she would be released to her previous less restrictive boarding school in Nyack.  Constant phone contact was established between us until the release, when she simply dropped off the radar.  She had been handed over to two escorts who took her to the Hancock place. The death at the school was timely for her, she definitely made her break the following day when the school was distracted.
Their webpage is thefamilyschool.com, and it sends up quite a number of red flags.  For example, they claim that "100% of their graduates go on to post-secondary education," which sounds wonderful.  Then you look closely at the words "our graduates," which gives no indication of the actual percentage of students graduate; could be 20%, 30%, who knows.  The school clearly has a religious agenda, and it's not just enough to pass all the Regents requirements; the school has the escape clause where "your character education" will determine the actual graduation.  So a student who aces every Regents can still be held in limbo if someone arbitrarily decides that they haven't progressed as a just, virtuous person.  Now here's something really scary, taken from the admissions page:
Admission to The Family Foundation School begins with a meeting between parents and admissions staff.  We do not meet the prospective student.  The student's success depends, to a great degree, on their parents' understanding what we do and concurring with that process.  Interviews are held Monday through Friday and are scheduled around the lunch hour.  Parents should expect to spend three hours at the school.
So they won't meet with the student, even though this place is close to New York City so it's not a stretch since a lot of city kids end up there. I really want to hear from the poster Narz ([email protected]), because my e-mails to him keep bouncing.  I need the horror stories and I'm really interested in hearing how a psychiatrist was able to "override" both the school and the parents.  There's the light at the end of the tunnel right there.

Raj

[Anonymous]

I was a student at the Family Foundation School and I graduated from there in August of 1997. While I don't necessarialy agree with the the methods of some of the staff members I don't belive that the school is as horrible or terrifying as people on the board have been making it seem.  Yes the school has very strict policies and the rules are quite restrictive but lets face it the kids that are there are not there because they have good decision making skills in the first place. As with any place that a child is  forced to be they make it worse then it truly is.  I have seen some unethical things happen there and quite honestly I was appaled at some actions of SOME of the staff memebers but the majority of the staff memebers were helpful, understanding and caring.  There is no rule book with how to deal with out of control teenagers, some things work for some while other methods are needed with others. Most of the students who are sent to the family are at the point that the next step for them is jail, a mental institution or even death and in that comparison the family sounds the best to me.  I think the reason people are so astounded by the family's ways is that society has spolied the youth today. In the old tv shows and movies didn't the kids eat allt he food on their plate, didn't they obey their parents and follow their curfew? The family taught me many things and while I do feel there are a few things they could've done better I don't think they should be condemed for trying to help the kids that no one else seems to care about. The Family is the ONLY reason I even graduated high school and went to college on an academic scholarship.

[Cayo Hueso]

Love how it's referred to as "The Family". :roll:

If people let government decide what foods they eat and what medicines they take, their bodies will soon be in as sorry a state as are the souls of those who live under tyranny.
http://laissezfairebooks.com/product.cfm?op=view&pid=FF7485&aid=10247' target='_new'>Thomas Jefferson

[Anonymous]

Anonymous: I appreciate your forthrightness and courage to come on a highly emotional board such as this.  But let's break down your analysis of your stay there:

I have seen some unethical things happen there and quite honestly I was appaled at some actions of SOME of the staff memebers.

OK, so let's find out just what these unethical actions were.  Just about every major academic or professional field has some guideline of ethics.  Let's say, a doctor was highly professional and effective 90% of the time, but the rest of the time he engaged in some ethical violations.  He would be gone.  Finished.  Same with any hospital or law office, if 5% of their time was spent engaging in appalling, unethical actions, and it was brought to attention, their licenses would most likely be suspended.  So please, let me know what my friend can expect while in there.  I want specifics.  What where the actions?

"As with any place that a child is forced to be they make it worse then it truly is."
Children whine and complain if they're stuck doing the laundry for an afternoon.  If someone has signed away their lives for two years, it's been taken to a whole new level.  I'm particularly disturbed by the lack of phone contact, and its definition as a revocable privilege.  Their website claims that it can be taken away as a result of not doing homework.  Bull; the staff can use any arbitrary reason to deny communication of a child to a parent and then blame it on said child.  They can say it's for not doing homework and who's to challenge them?  The child has been silenced.

"Most of the students who are sent to the family are at the point that the next step for them is jail, a mental institution or even death and in that comparison the family sounds the best to me."

Who says?  The death alarm's been rung many a time in justifying these conditions.  Anonymous, I am happy that you made it, but perhaps it was something innate within you that was awakened and not what this $40,000 a year set of trailers on a landfill did for you.  When you went, it was all still trailers, right?  And finally in 2003 they got enough money to build some ramshackle dorms according to their own website.  And you yourself have pointed out appalling, unethical things, and guess what?  These alone don't justify the existence of a place like this.  Those few good counselors you encountered can find work somewhere else; NYC is always looking for good people.  Not the middle of an upstate landfill 70 miles from the nearest cell phone service.

Raj

[Anonymous]

I am also a graduate of the family school...June 1998!  I don't disagree with most of what you are saying, but disagree with saying it without any knowledge.  The truth is, that things are not nearly as bad there anymore as they were when I first got there.  Yes, I was a victim of much of the poor treatment that has been referred to on this board...and I would never say that I deserved it.  What I can say is that it was a miserable experience at the time, but looking back on it most of the time I just laugh.  Nothing was done to me that was so horrible that I am scarred to this day.  Yes, I wish I hadn't had to go through it...yes I wish that things had been different...but I know that my parents wish that things were different too.  

You also need to not blame the parents quite as much.  One of the first things that you realize when you get there is that you are not the only one being brainwashed...they get your parents too.  They block your parents out of your life so that they don't know what is actually going on.  They tell your parents not to listen to you because you are just trying to manipulate them.  The parents are not happily letting someone else mistreat their kids- they just don't know about it, and when they do it is downplayed so much that they don't know the truth.  After graduating, I had a long talk with my parents about many of the things that went on there, they did not condone it, they just didn't have any clue it was happening.

I guess my point is that, while in some respects you are right- you really need to have first hand experience to understand the true nature of the beast.

[Cayo Hueso]

On 2004-03-11 13:35:00, Anonymous wrote:


You also need to not blame the parents quite as much.  One of the first things that you realize when you get there is that you are not the only one being brainwashed...they get your parents too.  They block your parents out of your life so that they don't know what is actually going on.  They tell your parents not to listen to you because you are just trying to manipulate them.  The parents are not happily letting someone else mistreat their kids- they just don't know about it, and when they do it is downplayed so much that they don't know the truth.  After graduating, I had a long talk with my parents about many of the things that went on there, they did not condone it, they just didn't have any clue it was happening.

Yeah, well sorry, still doesnt' cut it.  I was in one of those fucking places AND I have two teens.  I've been through my share of teens and drugs and there is STILL NO FUCKING WAY I WOULD TURN MY KIDS OVER TO STRANGERS.  Don't tell me what I need or need not do.

I guess my point is that, while in some respects you are right- you really need to have first hand experience to understand the true nature of the beast."

I've had enough first hand experience to last a few lifetimes, thank you very much and the beast and I are on intimate terms.

He who laughs lasts
--Crazy Mac

[Kiwi]

Nothing was done to me that was so horrible that I am scarred to this day.

That's the best you san say about it?

I was a victim of much of the poor treatment that has been referred to on this board...and I would never say that I deserved it.

One of the first things that you realize when you get there is that you are not the only one being brainwashed...they get your parents too. They block your parents out of your life so that they don't know what is actually going on. They tell your parents not to listen to you because you are just trying to manipulate them. The parents are not happily letting someone else mistreat their kids- they just don't know about it, and when they do it is downplayed so much that they don't know the truth.

You seem to be playing down the claims about the school, yet what you have just said is the most damning indictment of this place that has been written in this thread to date.