Aspen troll posts negative review of "Help At Any Cost"
http://www.amazon.com/gp/cdp/member-rev ... centReviewCritique of Maia's book
A Heartfelt Plea Indeed, But Extremely One-Sided, February 3, 2007
I would have given 2 1/2 stars if possible, in acknowledgment of the thorough research as well as the sensationalistic style Ms. Szalavitz employs in her book. I just read an excerpt from Help At Any Cost in the January 2007 edition of The Sun magazine, which clued me in to this book. While I do admit I have not read Help At Any Cost cover-to-cover just yet, I have read enough of the beginning and thoroughly read other sections to be aware of Ms. Szalavitz's well-intentioned yet shoddily presented journalism in her "expose" of the teen help industry. I am also well acquainted with the industry on a personal level, which led to my eyebrows being raised in disbelief at Ms. Szalavitz's assertions, which are broadly painted indeed, as one other reviewer termed it. Ms. Szalavitz appears to be a competent writer. She is clearly also a biased journalist who displays selective information to drive home her point, which is not at all the hallmark of a good reporter.
I have worked with "troubled," "at-risk" teens since 1999, at three programs:
Aspen Ranch (a residential treatment center in Utah),
Aspen Achievement Academy (a wilderness therapy program in Utah), and
Open Sky Wilderness Therapy (Utah).
(Note: I put the terms "troubled" and "at-risk" in quotes because they are such catch-all phrases that tend to bring up intimidating images in people's minds. I prefer to say just teenagers who need guidance in this crazy world, although sometimes that definition needs qualification for those who do not have knowledge of the industry.)
I can assert without a doubt that no child has ever died, been starved, beaten, mistreated, etc., at either the Academy or Open Sky. Are these programs easy or cushy? Not particularly. Do they compassionately challenge students to grow, learn, discover their own limitations and push past them if they wish? Yes. Do they operate with love and logic (a copyrighted term), with the notion of success, support, love, encouragement, open communication? Yes. Are they regulated? YES!!!!! To the most minute details! I should know that for a fact; I am currently working on licensure in Colorado for one of these programs, and the state regulations are extremely rigorous and regularly updated in their efforts to protect children from the horrors that happened to some, such as Aaron Bacon. And, above and beyond such regulations (which also exist in Utah, I might add), the people I have worked with in this industry over the last 7+ years are loving, compassionate, highly-trained professionals, from the office staff to the field instructors to the therapists and everyone else.
There are regulating organizations within or oversighting the industry that have high standards for teen therapy programs. These organizations include National Association of Therapeutic Schools and Programs (NATSAP), National Association of Therapeutic Wilderness Camps (NATWC), Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO), Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF), and Council on Accreditation (COA), among others.
Hey troll, of the three programs you worked for, AAA is the only the one that has JCAHO accreditation. The other two have no accreditation. Did Open Sky get caught operating in Co with a Utah license? http://www.natsap.org/program_details.asp?id=209These organizations condone neither brutality nor lack of training. (And if you are a parent, student, or prospective staff member looking at a program that is not positively associated in some way with one of these regulating organizations, I suggest you take a closer look and do your research as thoroughly as possible.)
Parent considering a program should do their own research. Google the program name. And, watch the GAO hearing.http://edlabor.house.gov/hearings/fc101007.shtmlPart of a 2005 letter from NATSAP to Shay Bilchik, President and CEO, Child Welfare League of America, read: "The majority of the programs that serve young people are regulated and overseen by a licensing or accrediting agency, and all one hundred and fifty programs that are members of NATSAP ascribe to codes of ethics and practice standards that place the utmost importance on quality treatment and child welfare."
NATSAP does not accredit or certify programs, does not inspect or sanction programs. It is an organization of, by, for program owners.My main point is that there are plenty of programs out there that are doing a great, highly-regulated, loving job with teenagers in need of help. I know, because I've worked for some. Ms. Szalavitz went into old, albeit tragic (and industry-changing) news and dragged it out into the light again as if it were all-pervasive. The unbelievably horrific deaths of some teens and the egregious treatment of others absolutely were terrible incidents that should not be forgotten. (And they haven't been, as the current scrupulous industry standards prove.) However, the enormous strides taken by this industry since then should also not be overlooked in favor of more shocking news.
The "enourmous strides taken by this industry since then"... you mean
since 28 June when Brendan Blum died at Youth Care or
May when Caleb Jensen died at AYA or
April when an Unidentified teen died at AAA or
Jan when Darrell Hammond died at Provo Canyon or
since Rocci Magliozzi died at SUWS
Lenny Ortega died at Star Ranch
Angellika Arndt was killed for gargling her milk
Giavinni Alteriz and James White died at Summit Quest
or since Mikie Garcia died at Star Ranch
Matthew Meyer died at Lone Star Expeditions
Karlye Newman died at Spring Creek Lodge
Roberto Reyes died at Thayer Learning Center
or an Unidentified teen died at Island View Academy
or since Danita Ritchie died at Three Springs or
Erica Harvey, Unidentified teen, and Corey Baines died at the "cream of the crop" wilderness program, Catherine Freer
or since Chase Moody died at On Track Wilderness
or Ian August died at Skyline Journey
or Katherine Lank died at Red Rock Ranch
[and the list goes on.... sorry about those I left out]
Hey troll, here's a question for you.... Should any form of 'therapy' subject kids to the potential of serious injury or death?Are there poorly-run programs out there? To be sure. Are there poorly-trained staff out there? Yes. Are there individuals as well as corporations out there that see only walking dollar signs rather than human beings in desperate need of help? Definitely. Don't get me wrong; I do recognize that there are problems out there still, and it seems inevitable that more bad news will arise on occasion, which is tragic. There are watchdog groups, which is a good thing. But to paint the entire industry--every single program and person in it--with the broad brush strokes of being evil, unregulated, and uncaring is unprofessional, poorly-researched, and simply doing a disservice to the hundreds of existing programs and people who truly care, truly want to help, and truly do a good job. Ms. Szalavitz should be ashamed of herself for her very one-sided, unsupported thesis.
Ms. Szalavitz saw a story she decided to take to the public, which was commendable. Yet her method of delivery negates (indeed, does not even acknowledge) the excellent work being done by thousands of helping professionals, including myself. I invite Ms. Szalavitz to pursue her research more thoroughly next time, look for the good alongside the bad, and then present both sides (as well as all the shades of gray in-between) in a fair, impartial manner. That is, after all, what exceptional journalism is all about.
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