Treatment Abuse, Behavior Modification, Thought Reform > Aspen Education Group

Another death last week at an Aspen program

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Anonymous:
Dear Friends and Colleagues,

SageWalk Wilderness School is saddened to confirm the unfortunate death of one of our students on Friday, August 28th. At this time, the exact details of the incident are still being determined. The student had just been admitted into our program the day before, and we do not have any further details of what may have caused his passing.


No acclimation period required?
And so much for the physical before starting the program. Unless they put the kid on a slanted treadill with a backpack weighing a third or more of the kids weight, in a 100* room and have him walk for hours at a time, then they aren't capable of assessing any potential problems.
Parents have the misconception that their kids is going to be hiking under the best of conditions. That they will have access to adequate water. That they won't be hiked beyond their physical limitations. That leisurly hiking in the beauty of nature is going to turn them around. They don't understand that the goal is to push them as hard as necessary in order to break them down.
This kids mother is right to questions why her strong healthy teen is dead. Keep digging. Check the facts against Oregon's regulations for Outdoor Youth programs. Get a good attorney immediately. Subpoena other participants soon, before they forget the details of what happened that day. Don't depende on the state or the program to conduct honest investigations.

Anonymous:
http://www.ktvz.com/Global/story.asp?S=11137730
Redmond wilderness school suspends operations
Posted: Sep 15, 2009 08:14 PM CDT
Video Gallery <1>
SageWalk sends students home amid probe (9/15)
2:12
 
Lake County sheriff's deputies served search warrant Monday at SageWalk Wilderness School's Redmond office
Sergey Blashchishen's mother said her son had asked to go into wilderness school for troubled teens
State DHS, Lake County investigating teen's death on first hike; offices searched
From KTVZ.COM news sources

A Redmond-based wilderness school said Tuesday it has agreed to suspend operations amid state and Lake County investigations into the death of a 16-year-old Portland boy on his first hike with the school, in a remote area east of Bend late last month.

Word of the halt to operations came one day after Lake County sheriff's deputies traveled from Lakeview and executed a search warrant at the Redmond office of SageWalk Wilderness School, as part of its continuing investigation into the death of Sergey Blashchishen.

The school issued a statement Tuesday indicating it had learned the Oregon Department of Human Services' Office of Investigations and Training is looking into the Aug. 28 death about 60 miles east of Bend.

Results of an autopsy conducted by the Lake County medical examiner have not been released, so it's not known yet if a cause of death has been determined. The teen's mother said she was told her son vomited, collapsed and died, despite efforts to revive him.

Michael Bednarz, executive director of the school, declined to comment on-camera Tuesday to NewsChannel 21, but provided the following written statement:

A Statement from SageWalk

SageWalk Wilderness School has received notice of an investigation by the Oregon Department of Human Services (DHS) Office of Investigations and Training due to the recent death of one of our students that occurred on August 28.  DHS has requested that we remove all students from SageWalk until the investigation is complete, and we are cooperating with this request.

In addition, local law enforcement is conducting an investigation and has executed a search warrant.  We have not seen the affidavit for the search warrant and are therefore not in a position to discuss any factual matters or further details.  

We firmly believe there to be no basis for these actions.  At this time, the exact details surrounding the student's death are still being determined and autopsy results are not yet available.

SageWalk considers student safety our number one priority and is confident in a positive resolution to this investigation.  Over the course of our 12 year history, our program has adhered to the highest standards of care and we currently meet or exceed all industry and state standards.  We were the first wilderness program to be individually accredited by the Northwest Association of Accredited Schools, and we are licensed by the State of Oregon to work with students who are experiencing issues with substance abuse and are also licensed by the State of Oregon as both an Outdoor Youth Program and Private School.

Due to the limited information available, this is all we are able to communicate at this time.  

Mike Bednarz, MS, MBA
Executive Director
SageWalk Wilderness School

Anonymous:
What medical tests were conducted to ensure the boy was healthy?

Anonymous:
Killer Camps: Another Troubled Teen Dies
Friday, September 25, 2009
filed under: tween & teen logic
Hear from a mom who is determined to make wilderness intervention programs safe for our children.
KTVZ.com

Gina Kaysen Fernandes: An investigation into the death of a 16-year-old Oregon boy has temporarily shut down a wilderness school for troubled teens in Redmond, Oregon. Sergey Blashchishen of Portland dropped dead on August 28 while hiking in rugged terrain in a remote area. Sergey's mother told the media her son vomited, collapsed, and died despite efforts to revive him. Sergey voluntarily signed up for the boot camp run by SageWalk Wilderness School after his life started heading in the wrong direction. But instead of gaining the life skills he so desperately needed, Sergey died on his first day of camp.

This shocking incident is strikingly similar to what happened to 14-year-old Matthew Meyer, whose mother, Crystal Manganaro, shared her heartbreaking story with momlogic.

Matthew died of excessive heat stroke in 2004 after hiking for hours in a wilderness intervention program. The camp, called Lone Star Expeditions, is now closed, but was previously owned by the California-based Aspen Education Group. The same parent company owns SageWalk Wilderness School.

Crystal says when she heard about Sergey's death, "I just fell apart." Crystal has become a leading activist in the effort to regulate the troubled teen industry. This billion-dollar industry operates under the radar, without government oversight or intervention.

These privately owned and operated facilities are often exempt from state licensing and regulation. SageWalk operates on federal forestland -- and so did Lone Star when it was open. But the Feds claim no responsibility for the actions of these organizations. Crystal wants to change that. "If they're allowed to operate on federal land, then it's a federal problem," says Crystal, who went to Washington, D.C., in March to plead her case to politicians.

The facts surrounding Sergey's death remain tightly guarded. Crystal knows it could take years for his parents to learn the truth, but she suspects the lack of adequately trained medical staff is likely to blame. A report by Timothy Kempfe of Adventures Experiences, Inc., a wilderness camp owner with 38 years of experience, revealed the "hazardous and unhygienic conditions" he witnessed at Aspen-owned Lone Star. Kempfe reviewed the facility following Matthew's death. In his report, he wrote, "In this case, it is evident that neither the company nor the individuals working for this company knew how to provide the proper standards of care. The company had improper equipment, inadequately trained field staff, and an inappropriate form of discipline, which neglects the standards of care for providing a safe environment."

The Aspen Education Group stands behind its reputation for providing "quality care for youth and families for over two decades." In a written statement to momlogic, Aspen addressed the Oregon wilderness camp tragedy: "SageWalk considers student safety its number one priority and takes this incident very seriously. Over the course of its 12-year history, SageWalk has adhered to the highest standards of care and currently meets or exceeds all industry and state standards. We have extended our sincerest condolences to the family, as well as resources to help them through their loss," wrote spokeswoman Kristen Hayes.

The Aspen Education Group owns more facilities in Utah, Idaho, and North Carolina.

Crystal says she's frustrated that her cry for help to crack down on this unregulated industry is falling on deaf ears. "They don't care about the kids, they care about the income," says Crystal, who is urging politicians to enact federal legislation that would make these camps safer for kids. "I feel like I've hit a brick wall," says Crystal.

Gina Kaysen Fernandes is an award winning documentary producer and a former TV news producer/writer. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and son.


http://www.momlogic.com/2009/09/wildern ... z0S85GBIEU

Troll Control:
Aspen kills kids.  It's all over the news.  They also provide no treatment.  It's been argued by their lawyers in court.  So if they offer no treatment AND kill children, why do people even consider sending their kid there?

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