Treatment Abuse, Behavior Modification, Thought Reform > The Troubled Teen Industry
Catherine Freer Spins a Defense
Deborah:
From Aug 1991. This should shed some light.........
Catherine Freer Wilderness Survival School
Albany, Oregon
(503) 967-8722
Director: Robert Cooley, Ph.D
This short-term, wilderness based school has been running for three years, owned by Oregon River Expeditions, Inc. It is a 21 day, outward Bound based approach, and its $3,420 tuition makes it one of the least expensive programs of its type. Director and Founder Rob Cooley, a clinical psychologist, tells me it is licensed as a residential Alcohol and Drug Treatment program which helps a high percentage of clients collect insurance for the tuition, especially Oregon residents.
The following is taken from their literature, "Helping Adolescents Achieve their Potential."
"Our modern society is so complex that our children often are truly unaware that society is based on a underlying fabric of honesty, responsibility, reliability, hard work and mutual cooperation. They see people who fail to adhere to these virtues doing very well for themselves; they have experienced that their own failure to follow these principles may result in short-term gains and that nothing collapses. Society goes on, and the students are not expelled from school (or they are, but fail to see the long-term consequences of that), they do not go hungry or suffer from exposure, they usually do not have to deal with the anger of close comrades who depend on their performance. A not unreasonable conclusion is that one's behavior is unimportant to the larger community, and even has little effect on the course of one's own life.
Living in a small group under natural primitive conditions soon brings a change in perception: if I don't cook I don't eat; if we don't all hike well, we don't get to the next food drop on schedule and go on short rations for a day or two; if we don't attend carefully to demonstrations on edible plants, a constant diet of lentils and rice gets pretty dull; if we don't help each other with camping and setting up shelters, a wet, cold night shivering by the fire may result. And in the outdoors, these consequences are meted out not by some authority figure of questionable motives and fairness, defending an abstract, and to an adolescent, often rather senseless set of social 'rules;' but rather by Nature herself, in her simple, direct, impersonal, unarguable way: pay attention, take care, work hard, cooperate, or suffer cold, heat exhaustion, hunger, a sleepless night.
Uh.... does "Nature" place the food drops?
We believe that extended periods of wilderness living in small groups can be a treatment-enhancing addition for most adolescent programs and will become standard within a few years. Wilderness living provides a naturally healing environment, the physical activity and health that are especially important to adolescents, the best available means to promote self-exploration and self-esteem, and a setting where the meaning of daily work, play and relationships, as well as life's larger spiritual issues, are naturally occurring issues."
Deborah:
Remember what I said earlier about the temperature, water consumption, and altitude changing with each interview or press release?
Here's one from 2002 re: Erica's death. Note that Smith told the GAO that the group had only hiked 2 miles and she had drank 1.5 liters of water (6 cups).
Press Release
Catherine Freer Wilderness Expeditions
June 21, 2002
A fifteen year old girl participating in the Catherine Freer of Nevada program collapsed suddenly in the late afternoon of May 27th and was evacuated by helicopter to the hospital in Fallon. The girl, along with a group of other teenagers and 3 program staff had just begun the backpacking portion of their program that morning. After hiking approximately 3 miles they arrived at their campsite. The group set up camp and they were in the process of returning to the campsite, after filling up water containers, when the young woman collapsed. Program staff called in, on satellite phone with global positioning system coordinates, for evacuation assistance. The program staff performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation until the arrival of the search and rescue ground crew and helicopter. The girl was pronounced dead by medical personnel upon arrival at the hospital. The incident occurred near the Arc Dome Wilderness area. A definitive reason for the collapse is not known at this time. The initial coroner’s statement is that there is no observable cause of death. The inquiry will be pending until results of the toxicology and pathology reports are complete. The participant had a physical examination prior to starting in the program and had been cleared for participation in the trip. The Catherine Freer program extends it deepest sympathy to the girl’s family.
~~~
So.... given Nevada regs (24 cups).... she was give 6 cups of water, but should've had continuous access to 14-15 cups.
hanzomon4:
Bump
Anonymous:
http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=3711160
I don't know how to insert the video for direct play here.
This report talks about Catherine Freer.
Deborah:
And Second Nature spins their defense, from Earthtime.org
DUCHESNE, Utah, Oct. 23 /PRNewswire/ -- When it comes to an at-risk adolescent treatment facility and therapeutic wilderness program, one specific quality is key, an exceptional safety record. Not only does Second Nature Wilderness Program have an outstanding safety record, but also it is one of the first wilderness programs in the nation to stand with the Government Accountability Office (GAO) in support of increasing government regulation to ensure the safe and effective treatment of at-risk adolescents in therapeutic wilderness programs. :rofl:
"Wilderness therapy is a treatment modality, utilizing proven clinical practices in the backdrop of primitive-living metaphors. Recent and tragic stories have highlighted the need for strong oversight and support for safety, which must be at the foundation of any treatment," said Brad Reedy, Ph.D., Second Nature Wilderness Program clinical director. "Family involvement and collaboration with The Department of Professional Licensing for Outdoor Programs are critical components of Second Nature's heritage."
Huh?? Anyone ever heard of the DPLOP? I can't find a thing on google. Is this one they just made up? Sounds impressive, doesn't it?
Second Nature Wilderness Program has been in operation for over nine years and treats more than 1,000 at-risk students and families each year. All Second Nature programs are licensed by state governmental agencies that perform on-site inspections, which include client interviews through both announced and unannounced inspections.
50 some kids have died in Outdoor Therapy. Many were licensed and "inspected" annually. Parents should request inspection reports for any program they are considering.
According to Reedy, every Second Nature Wilderness Program group has at least one staff trained as a Wilderness First Responder (WFR), and multiple forms of communication are maintained so groups can contact an administrative or medical staff member 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
"Alumnus and families attribute Second Nature with saving lives, reuniting families, rescuing children and their parents from deadly addiction and crippling mental illness. All of this is done with respect, love, connection and safety," said Cheryl Kehl, LCSW, Second Nature Wilderness executive director.
Crippling mental illness. Give me a f'in break.
Founded in Utah, Second Nature Wilderness Program is one of the many clinically driven outdoor therapy programs that support a movement towards government oversight of safe policy in adolescent out-of-home treatment. To learn more about the history or licensing requirements of a Second Nature Wilderness Program or other treatment program, contact the state licensing office and ask for a full disclosure of the program's history.
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