Aspen Education Group deceptively markets short term invalid

[Anonymous]

http://www.suwscarolinas.com/outcome.html

Linked is the only "study" made available by John Reuben. This is a survey, not study. There is no control group. In no way can this be construed as a "study."

Even after accepting this as a survey Aspen Education Group is fraudulent. For it, as they admit, only "graduates" were interviewed. Therefore, this is not even a valid survey of the participants, only the small segment who "graduate." What's more, "graduation" is only granted to detainees when staff feels the detainee believes that he/she has been helped and was unfit previous to program. Even if you grant (improperly) that graduation is granted to "healed" detainees, that still leaves out all the participants who were not. Detainees imprisoned every bit as long as the "graduates" are not included in the survey of perception of the experience. The survey is structured to provide artificially inflated levels of "positive" perceptions.

This is also an invalid survey because of the lack of transparency of "assessment method,"(they provide no corroboration that any of the info they provide is accurate, or what sort of questions were asked ,or what sort of answers were given--[interpretation of answers can manipulated to reverse intended meanings]) vagueness of meaning (are teens less depressed at assessment because they are no longer in the process of being kidnapped?) and supply no provision of objective reality in addition to subjective perception (if a teen is in jail, or no longer speaking to their parents, or a drop out, this objective measurement of "Family healing" should be included) Its also invalid as a "long term" study because it supposedly only measures perceptions of detainees a year out

That this "survey" is only on isolated corners of the interwebs and not accepted by any journals speaks volumes.

Compare Aspen's invalid clandestine survey to Alison Pinto's legitimate survey, for transparency, independency, and appropriatness of clinical sampling:
http://www.cafety.org/research/121-rese ... -pinto-phd




Here's a breakdown of the AARC "clincial outcome study," which uses a similar "methodology." I'm bolding the flaws which are relevant to the ASPEN EDUCATION GROUP (torture chambers) "outcome study"

About AARC's "80% Success Rate"

That claim is based on what AARC’s website calls an “outcome evaluation,” which it says was “completed” by Dr. Michael Patton, a leading U.S. professional evaluator of programs.

As recently as last year, AARC described the study as an “independent outcomes validation study,” according to an AARC funding submission document sent to the Alberta Alcohol and Drug Abuse Commission, which the fifth estate obtained through the province’s freedom of information legislation.

We obtained a version of the 2003 study and showed it to three psychology professors who specialize in addiction—the University of Calgary’s David Hodgins, the University of Lethbridge’s Robert Williams and Bruce Alexander, professor emeritus at Simon Fraser University.

The success rate doesn’t include people who didn’t finish the program.

The grads were interviewed by people linked to AARC. This could bias what was reported, Alexander said. “Imagine calling up somebody who’s graduated from a program and saying: ‘Hey, are you taking drugs any more?’ And this person has already been put in the program against their will perhaps precisely because they took drugs. And what are they going to say? ‘Oh yes, I’m taking lots of drugs now,’” Alexander said.


The fifth estate also asked the man who AARC says completed the study—Dr. Patton. He told the fifth estate his involvement was largely limited to supervising a graduate student who crunched the data—data gathered by people associated with AARC.

“I did not conduct the study. I oversaw the analysis,” he said.

[Aspen both conducted the survey and oversaw the analysis]


“It’s expensive of course to commission an external evaluation. But, that would be the next step. I do remember that the internal evaluation results were quite positive. But, the evaluation that was done did not independently examine the process. The graduate student that I supervised did not independently talk to any of the young people or the parents. He simply analyzed the data that they sent him. And I was the supervisor of him which is how my name ends up on the report,” Patton said.


AAARC’s research has faced criticisms before. In 1994, the Alberta Alcohol and Drug Abuse Commission raised questions about an earlier AARC evaluation of its success rate.

At the time, the commission wanted AARC to have an independent study of its program done by an experienced, credible research group of its program as a condition of a $100,000 grant.

AARC did submit a study. It is even mentioned on AARC’s website, where it is described as “an external review.”

The commission wasn’t so sure. One of its researchers reviewed the study and noted that, in her opinion, it “was not conducted by an independent researcher, but by people associated with AARC,” according to a commission memo obtained through the freedom of information legislation.

That researcher’s conclusion: AARC’s study was not “technically adequate based on widely accepted standards of research and evaluation.”

[Whooter]

Great find!!  Thank you for the link.  I didnt realize they had done studies.  Here is a summary of the link you provided:

Aspen Education Group’s Outdoor Behavior Healthcare (OBH) programs, also referred to as wilderness therapy, participated in two long-term, independent research studies, most recently from March 2006 through October 2008.red to as wilderness therapy, participated in  One hundred-ninety adolescents, ages 14-17, enrolled in three different wilderness therapy programs were assessed at admission; one week after they started treatment; graduation from the wilderness therapy program; three months after graduation; and 12 months after graduation. Adolescent participants in wilderness therapy programs experienced reported struggling with issues such as substance use, depression, anxiety, suicidal ideations, ADHD and academic performance.

Research conducted by: Ellen Behrens, Ph.D., Canyon Research & Consulting, Inc.; Sarah (Salli) Lewis, Ph.D. and Ellen Leen-Feldner, Center for Research, Assessment, and Treatment Efficacy and Arkansas Institute of Developmental Science; Keith Russell, Ph.D., Outdoor Behavioral Healthcare Research Cooperative, University of Minnesota.

[Whooter]

Great find!!  Thank you for the link.  I didnt realize they had done studies.  Here is a summary of the link you provided:

Aspen Education Group’s Outdoor Behavior Healthcare (OBH) programs, also referred to as wilderness therapy, participated in two long-term, independent research studies, most recently from March 2006 through October 2008.red to as wilderness therapy, participated in  One hundred-ninety adolescents, ages 14-17, enrolled in three different wilderness therapy programs were assessed at admission; one week after they started treatment; graduation from the wilderness therapy program; three months after graduation; and 12 months after graduation. Adolescent participants in wilderness therapy programs experienced reported struggling with issues such as substance use, depression, anxiety, suicidal ideations, ADHD and academic performance.

Research conducted by: Ellen Behrens, Ph.D., Canyon Research & Consulting, Inc.; Sarah (Salli) Lewis, Ph.D. and Ellen Leen-Feldner, Center for Research, Assessment, and Treatment Efficacy and Arkansas Institute of Developmental Science; Keith Russell, Ph.D., Outdoor Behavioral Healthcare Research Cooperative, University of Minnesota.

I agree with the original poster that long term studies are more desireable than surveys.  Here is the link to the long term, independent study:

Aspen Study

[Whooter]

There are many different points of view on this forum which is what makes it so interesting.  As far as the studies go the nice thing is everyone can read them and decide for themselves if they are adequate or not.
Lets just keep getting the information out there for people to read!!!

[Anonymous]

For something to be considered a "study" there needs to be a control group.

There should also be transparency of data,  independence of researchers, and peer review.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clinical_control_group

The above cannot be considered a study. If you, John D Reuben, demanded anything resembling research before imprisoning your Michael at Academy at Swift River and SUWS wilderness, you would not have ended up with a dead son.

[Whooter]

For something to be considered a "study" there needs to be a control group.

There should also be transparency of data,  independence of researchers, and peer review.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clinical_control_group

The above cannot be considered a study. If you, John D Reuben, demanded anything resembling research before imprisoning your Michael at Academy at Swift River and SUWS wilderness, you would not have ended up with a dead son.

Let me try to clear it up for you.

Study:
A work, such as a thesis, that results from studious endeavor
The pursuit of knowledge, as by reading, observation, or research.

So what Aspen did was have an independent firm perform a research study into the effectiveness of their program.  They choose 190 students to participate in the study and recorded the effect the program had on them.

Here take a look, the results are very interesting:

Aspen Study

[Anonymous]

For something to be considered a "study" there needs to be a control group.

There should also be transparency of data,  independence of researchers, and peer review.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clinical_control_group

The above cannot be considered a study. If you, John D Reuben, demanded anything resembling research before imprisoning your Michael at Academy at Swift River and SUWS wilderness, you would not have ended up with a dead son.

Let me try to clear it up for you.

Study:
A work, such as a thesis, that results from studious endeavor
The pursuit of knowledge, as by reading, observation, or research.

So what Aspen did was have an independent firm perform a research study into the effectiveness of their program.  They choose 190 students to participate in the study and recorded the effect the program had on them.

Here take a look, the results are very interesting:

Aspen Study

Let me clear it up for you, John D. For something to have scientific validity as a "study," as opposed to marketing it has to have certain components. There has to be a control group, transparency of data, a degree of independence of assessment, peer review, and material that can be objectively quantified.

An edcon, an org called "outdoor behavioral health"-- founded by aspen and edcons are not "independent." There is no independence, no transparency and no control group, no peer review. Therefore, this is no "study." Hope that helps.

Aw. Your kid is still dead. Guess it doesn't help that much.

[Whooter]

Great find!!  Thank you for the link.  I didnt realize they had done studies.  Here is a summary of the link you provided:

Aspen Education Group’s Outdoor Behavior Healthcare (OBH) programs, also referred to as wilderness therapy, participated in two long-term, independent research studies, most recently from March 2006 through October 2008.red to as wilderness therapy, participated in  One hundred-ninety adolescents, ages 14-17, enrolled in three different wilderness therapy programs were assessed at admission; one week after they started treatment; graduation from the wilderness therapy program; three months after graduation; and 12 months after graduation. Adolescent participants in wilderness therapy programs experienced reported struggling with issues such as substance use, depression, anxiety, suicidal ideations, ADHD and academic performance.

Research conducted by: Ellen Behrens, Ph.D., Canyon Research & Consulting, Inc.; Sarah (Salli) Lewis, Ph.D. and Ellen Leen-Feldner, Center for Research, Assessment, and Treatment Efficacy and Arkansas Institute of Developmental Science; Keith Russell, Ph.D., Outdoor Behavioral Healthcare Research Cooperative, University of Minnesota.

I agree with the original poster that long term studies are more desireable than surveys.  Here is the link to the long term, independent study:

Aspen Study

[Ursus]

For something to be considered a "study" there needs to be a control group.

There should also be transparency of data,  independence of researchers, and peer review.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clinical_control_group

The above cannot be considered a study. If you, John D Reuben, demanded anything resembling research before imprisoning your Michael at Academy at Swift River and SUWS wilderness, you would not have ended up with a dead son.

Let me try to clear it up for you.

Study:
A work, such as a thesis, that results from studious endeavor
The pursuit of knowledge, as by reading, observation, or research.

So what Aspen did was have an independent firm perform a research study into the effectiveness of their program.  They choose 190 students to participate in the study and recorded the effect the program had on them.

Here take a look, the results are very interesting:

Aspen Study

Let me clear it up for you, John D. For something to have scientific validity as a "study," as opposed to marketing it has to have certain components. There has to be a control group, transparency of data, a degree of independence of assessment, peer review, and material that can be objectively quantified.

An edcon, an org called "outdoor behavioral health"-- founded by aspen and edcons are not "independent." There is no independence, no transparency and no control group, no peer review. Therefore, this is no "study." Hope that helps.

Reminds me of those "studies" Big Tobacco companies like Altria Group* conducts, which are really nothing more than marketing ploys.

 :roflmao:




* formerly known as Philip Morris: http://www.altriameanstobacco.com/

[Whooter]

Wow, when finally faced with study results done outside the programs you guys really scramble to try to discredit it.  There are no ties back to Aspen that I can see.  Can you point it out?

[Ursus]

Wow, when finally faced with study results done outside the programs you guys really scramble to try to discredit it.  There are no ties back to Aspen that I can see.  Can you point it out?

Could you please be a bit more specific as to what you want pointed out? It's too early in the morning for me to be anything but dense!  

[Anonymous]

John D., you are a fool.  Ellen Behren's study is a marketing tool.  It's as accurate as taking a survey on Fornits about the efficacy of residential treatment.  You pick the right group and you get the answers you want.

I seriously think the only reason the pig Reuben posts here is to keep everyone writing on the thread instead of writing their thoughts to people who can actually put extreme heat on Aspen.  Aspen legally defined themselves to save ass in one lawsuit, now if the other foot falls they can't flim-flam about the nature of their "service".  Someone needs to hit them with a lawsuit and pin Aspen around their lack of service and the deceptive marketing.  Aspen should not be using the word "clinical" at all in their advertisements.  As a matter of fact, Behren's study touts "clinical" therapy and Aspen has said they do not provide it.

Reuben, your study is void on its face.

[Whooter]

Wow, when finally faced with study results done outside the programs you guys really scramble to try to discredit it.  There are no ties back to Aspen that I can see.  Can you point it out?

Could you please be a bit more specific as to what you want pointed out? It's too early in the morning for me to be anything but dense!  

I know what you mean, moving slow myself in the morning until after that first cup.

My question was.... I cannot find anything that ties this study back to Aspen.  As far as I can see the research study was independent of any program.  Is there a connection there I am missing?

[Anonymous]

Wow, when finally faced with study results done outside the programs you guys really scramble to try to discredit it.  There are no ties back to Aspen that I can see.  Can you point it out?

Could you please be a bit more specific as to what you want pointed out? It's too early in the morning for me to be anything but dense!  

I know what you mean, moving slow myself in the morning until after that first cup.

My question was.... I cannot find anything that ties this study back to Aspen.  As far as I can see the research study was independent of any program.  Is there a connection there I am missing?

You answer a question first - does Ellen Behren profit from program placements?

[Whooter]

As far as I can see the only connection is that she does research and consulting for treatment programs.  I dont see any business where she sends the kids there herself.

Do a google search on her name and see what comes up... I didnt see any other businesses that she was involved in or ties to Aspen.