Vardell Leaving ASR- Seventh Director in Seven Years

[Deborah]

ASR will have it's seventh director in seven years.

Academy at Swift River
A Tough Decision
Don Vardell
Executive Director
800-258-1770 ext. 208
www.swiftriver.com

February 19, 2007

To Parents, Families, Referring Professionals and ASR Team Members:

My family and I have made a tough decision recently. I have decided to accept a job offer with another organization within our industry that I believe will be good for my family and for my long-term career goals. My last day at ASR as the Executive Director will be Friday March 9th. Frank Bartolomeo, LICSW, PhD (candidate) will serve as the Interim Executive Director until a permanent replacement has been selected. Bo Turner, Senior Vice President of the Aspen Eastern Region Residential Schools will work with Frank and will be responsible for leading the search for a permanent replacement.

Frank, as the most senior staff member and because he is an incredibly accomplished professional and leader, will ensure there is no disruption to the services we are providing our students and families. Frank will be primarily supported, as am I, by Bo Turner, Josh Becker, Director of Educational Services; and Rhonda Papallo, Director of Admissions & Student Support Services as well as all the other leadership team members at ASR. During the period when Frank is serving as the executive director, counseling services administrative responsibilities will be shared amongst his senior clinicians. We hope the process to appoint a final candidate will be completed by this spring.

As I said, this was an incredibly hard decision for me and for my family. I have really enjoyed the past almost 2 ½ years here at ASR and I will always have fond memories of my time here. Being a part of a winning team and high quality organization, and the resulting recognition that goes along with that, has been the most rewarding experience I have ever had. Combine that with the knowledge that the 200+ families we have helped and are helping navigate their own personal and emotional "turn-arounds" - that is something I know will be hard to beat.

While I am excited about the new opportunities and challenges I will have with my new job, I am saddened when I think of how much I will miss the team here. I am comforted by the fact that I leave ASR in a great place ? financially sound, programmatically strong, and a place with incredibly caring professionals who are committed to ensuring success for our students and families.

Thank you for your trust and involvement. I know ASR will continue to be a great place for adolescents and families to restore their relationships, rediscover academic success, and prepare them for future challenges.

If you have any thoughts, questions, comments or concerns, please feel free to contact Frank or Bo Turner ([email protected]

[Troll Control]

Let me translate:

"Since we're now advertising a 'results-based' approach and I've nothing to show for the 21/2 years I've been here, I'm being squeezed out to avoid bad publicity.

The new guy will be doing the same things I did, using the same program, methods and techniques.  When he's asked next year 'What are the results of ASR's treatment studies?' he'll likewise be forced to resign, citing reasons like 'to prusue other opportunities' or 'to spend more time with my family' and the cycle will begin anew with yet another director claiming 'We've changed!  We've evolved!  We've gotten better!' "

 :roll:  :roll:  :roll:

[Deborah]

Woops, Vardell back to Aspen... musical programs....... guess things didn't pan out at UHS....

Vardell July 02 at the infamous Peninsula Village.
http://www.covenanthealth.com/coldfusio ... st_ID=7123
Dec 04 - Academy at Swift River
http://www.strugglingteens.com/archives ... 05snh.html
Mar 07 - Universal Health Services
http://www.strugglingteens.com/artman/p ... 5680.shtml
http://www.strugglingteens.com/artman/p ... 5705.shtml
July 07 - Back to Aspen- Excel in Texas
http://www.strugglingteens.com/artman/p ... 0725.shtml


Don Vardell Returns to Aspen Education Group
Aspen Education Group today announced that Don Vardell has rejoined the Aspen organization and will become the new executive director of Excel Academy in Conroe, Texas, effective August 6, 2007. Vardell served as the executive director of Aspen's Academy at Swift River in Cummington, Massachusetts for over two years from 2004 until earlier this year.

"We are delighted to have Don on our team," said Bo Turner, senior vice president for Aspen's residential schools and programs. "He is an extraordinary leader with a passion for improving the lives of families, and an exceptional ability to motivate the staff and students around him. He will be a great asset through Excel Academy's continued growth."

During his tenure at Academy at Swift River, Vardell built a team of professionals who worked diligently to enhance and integrate the counseling and academic components of this nationally recognized therapeutic boarding school. Prior to Academy at Swift River, Vardell served as administrator of a residential treatment center for adolescents in Tennessee, and was a senior marketing and business development officer for a tertiary care hospital in Northern Virginia.

As the new executive director of Excel Academy, Don will work with former executive director, JJ Risner, and staff to ensure that Excel continues to provide the quality services and care that it has been known for since its inception. Risner will continue working at Excel with a focus on improving students' transitions when they return home to their families and communities.

"I am thrilled to be back with Aspen and equally excited to be joining one of the most reputable academic and substance abuse recovery programs in the nation," said Vardell. "Excel has a highly effective treatment philosophy, an outstanding team of professionals and years of success. I look forward to building on these fundamentals to increase our ability to help struggling teens and their families."

Excel Academy, in operation since 1997, is a co-educational, recovery-focused college preparatory high school serving adolescents who have not had success in previous placements. Located one hour north of Houston, Texas, Excel Academy students typically stay for up to two years, living in a highly structured environment and participating in substance abuse counseling, rigorous academics, family counseling, competitive sports and a variety of healthy living and recreational activities.

Excel Academy is a proud member of Aspen Education Group, recognized nationwide as the largest and most comprehensive network of therapeutic schools and programs. Aspen Education Group offers professionals and families the opportunity to choose from a variety of therapeutic settings in order to best meet a student's unique academic and emotional needs. Aspen Education Group has been profiled by major news and television organizations around the world, including U.S. News and World Report, The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, USA Today and People magazine, as well as on CNN, ABC's 20/20 and Good Morning America, NBC's The Today Show and Dateline NBC, National Public Radio and the syndicated television show Dr. Phil. Aspen is now a division of CRC Health Group, the nation's largest chemical dependency and related behavioral health organization. For more information about Aspen Education Group, visit www.aspeneducation.com or call (888) 972-7736. For more information about Excel Academy, visit www.excelacademy.com or call (800) 2609178.~~

How does this

Excel Academy is a proud member of Aspen Education Group, recognized nationwide as the largest and most comprehensive network of therapeutic schools and programs. Aspen Education Group offers professionals and families the opportunity to choose from a variety of therapeutic settings in order to best meet a student's unique academic and emotional needs.

mesh with this

Aspen Solutions and Youth Care are distinct legal entities; Aspen Solutions merely acts as Youth Care’s bookkeeper.
http://www.fornits.com/wwf/viewtopic.php?t=22439

[TheWho]

Thats the price you pay when you are too successful.  Based on what he has accomplished when he was overseeing ASR there wasnt a chance in hell they would dry dock him (in corporate) for long before they gave him a new ship to steer.

[nimdA]

So what does it take to get these people real jobs?