Treatment Abuse, Behavior Modification, Thought Reform > Aspen Education Group
Mount Bachelor Academy Shut Down
Ursus:
--- Quote from: "Ursus" ---
--- Quote from: "Guest" ---
--- Quote from: "Guest" ---ASR dumped that in 2005 I believe.
--- End quote ---
No, they still use them now. They may have changed the name to "Transitions" like MBA did, but it's still the same LifeSteps seminar series.
--- End quote ---
I don't believe they "dumped it," but they may have toned it down a bit ... perhaps in 2005 or 2006, perhaps due to the advent of Frank Bartolomeo's tenure at ASR.
--- End quote ---
Here's announcement of a workshop indicating thoughts along those lines, i.e., suggesting a "more judicious application of expressive therapies."
-------------- • -------------- • -------------- • --------------
Breaking News
Posted: Oct 25, 2006
ACADEMY AT SWIFT RIVER
Cummington, Massachusetts
Swift River Team To Discuss New Developments And Applications Of Psychodrama At Miami IECA Workshop Entitled: "Lifesteps or Mis-steps?"
Contact:
Paul Ravenscraft
800-258-1770 (206)
http://www.swiftriver.com
October 24, 2006
The emotional growth schools that emerged in the 1960's incorporated a number of expressive therapy techniques and experiential methods that were "popular" in the 1960's and 70's such as marathon, encounter groups, and psychodrama. Emotional growth schools recognize the role of feeling and powerful, here-and-now experiences for adolescents.
Advances, however, in our understanding of trauma, the adolescent brain and disorders of affect regulation have correspondingly led to more judicious applications of expressive therapies. These understandings have played a key role in Swift River's implementation of an evidenced based clinical model.
This workshop, hosted by Director of Counseling, Frank Bartolomeo, M.S.W., A.B.D. and Ed Schreiber M.Ed., T.E.P., Director of Moreno Institute East, will focus on psychodramatic techniques and especially the role of catharsis. Psychodramatic methods can be very powerful, however, when misapplied can create the risk of harm especially for certain adolescent populations. This workshop will address these misapplications and offer guidelines for safe, competent application of psychodramatic work.
Frank Bartolomeo, M.S.W, A.B.D.: Since January 2005, Frank Bartolomeo has been the Director of Counseling at Academy at Swift River in Cummington, Massachusetts. Prior to Swift River, Frank practiced in the Boston area and served as clinical director of a specialized trauma clinic, Children's Charter, Inc., and as director of the child and adolescent outpatient group therapy program at McLean Hospital. Frank was also an assistant clinical professor at the Boston University School of Social Work.
Edward Schreiber M.Ed., T.E.P., is a Trainer, Educator, Practitioner of Psychodrama, Sociometry and Group Psychotherapy. He is Director of the Moreno Institute East, a training center located in Western Massachusetts. Mr. Schreiber is co-editor, along with Toni Horvatin, of a recently published book on psychodrama: "The Quintessential Zerka: Writings by Zerka Toeman Moreno on Psychodrama, Sociometry and Group Psychotherapy" by Routledge Press
Copyright © 2009, Woodbury Reports, Inc.
Anonymous:
--- Quote from: "AuntieEm2" ---Psy wrote:
--- Quote ---Right and MBA waved that right by deciding to shut down rather than put up a defense. If they were innocent and these charges were false, why would they do that? Perhaps because DHS only touched the tip of the iceberg and MBA did not want the full details of their LifeSteps becoming public.
--- End quote ---
This is a good point.
MBA didn't fail to put up a defense because of money. Using Aspen's own revenue numbers from the CRC annual report:
88 students x $233.80 per day/per child profit x 365 per year = $7,509,656 profit per year from Mount Bachelor Academy alone.
$7.5 million is more than enough to pay to defend this "evidence-based" program. So if not legally defensible, Psy's view that they do not want the full details of LifeSteps (a.k.a. "Transitions") revealed to the public is logical.
Auntie Em
--- End quote ---
Is anyone interested in the truth about why MBA is shut down. It is financial. Sharon Bitz stated that she was prepared for a strong defense against the charges, but believing the case is winnable is only part of the battle. The bottom line is this, a winning defense would cost over one million dollars and the state of Oregon has a law on the books limiting their liability to $400,000.00. Would you spend close to two million and receive only 400,000 in return? I didn't think so. The school was destroyed the minute DHS forced all the kids to leave. It was pure deceit on the part of DHS.
Anonymous:
--- Quote from: "blombrowski" ---Fair enough, probably the best MBA defense I've seen so far except perhaps for the name calling.
--- End quote ---
Bravo to you for rejecting the Angry Mob. Truly, the inmates are running the asylum.
The internet is a wonderful resource for information, however, it is unfiltered; you can find anything you look for. If you're looking for something disparaging about any institution you can find it. Just look up Microsoft or Walmart or Fidelity Investments, et. al. These therapeutic boarding school haters have a louder voice than they deserve. I am not going to engage the haters, so at the end of what I have to say, feel free to flame away.
First of all the term "substantiated" means nothing more than someone agrees there is evidence in support of a claim. It is said to have substance, it is not a fact and it is certainly not proven. To illustrate this point I substantiate that many of the posters to this thread are haters and I cite their recent posts as evidence. Go ahead and quote the dictionary definition of the word, It doesn't take into account the context in which the word is used. In this case DHS is complaining and ordering corrections within ninety days. DHS may refer their findings to law enforcement to determine if there is a case, we'll see about that. Beyond that proving harm is another matter, remember defendants in a case have a right to a vigorous defense, a defense under which the accusers will have to prove their accusations. While some of the posters here are apparently intelligent they are contributing to a mob mentality.
Secondly, just because there are experts who's professional opinion allows them to claim that the techniques used by the school are harmful doesn't make it so. There are just as many experts who, based on their expertise, can claim that there is validity in the therapeutic approach used. It boils down to the argument of clinical based therapy vs. evidence based therapy, both considered valid though one is on the rise and the other is in decline. The problem with doing clinical analysis on the effectiveness of these therapeutic techniques is the need for double blind studies. Can you imagine giving help to one group of boarding school teens and withholding it from a control group to measure the techniques effectiveness? (maybe some of you haters were actually in one of those control groups). The evidence for the effectiveness of the emotional growth workshops is clearly evident to anyone with an open mind. We as a society are going back to the dark ages if we won't believe what is right before our eyes.
Thirdly, there is no one-size-fits-all treatment. You haters are objective evidence of that. You clearly did not benefit from the programs you attended, I am truly sorry for that. Maybe committing to complete another would have done the trick. Now, after you weren't helped you try to bring down those institutions. One good thing that can be said on your behalf is that you have found a cause to believe in, too bad it's not a productive cause. I find a frightening amount of disinformation about therapeutic boarding schools in posts like these. People rage about brainwashing, child-abuse, sexual humiliation… The list goes on. People who had gone to these schools and “escaped” talk about their experiences as if they’d been sent to POW camps and had bamboo chutes slid under their fingernails. These are not people who want to know the truth. These are people who want to vent their anger and frustration, their feelings of being victimized and not listened to. It’s rare, in my experience, to find an internet forum that does not suffer from this. This is why many forums have moderators, to attempt to illicit respectful, open-minded conversation, not fear-mongering and hateful accusations. The few people that attempt to descent are met with such vile hostility that it seemed clear to me that truth or reality is not what these folks are seeking; they appeared to actually WANT to be angry, they seem to NEED it.
Lastly, those supposed experts tell us the emotional growth workshops don't have lasting results. Duh, do you know anything that has lasting results. That is the basis for 12-step programs. You can't just do it and say "Im cured" there has to be follow-up. Everything needs work, try marriage or try real emotional growth.
Ursus:
--- Quote from: "flameproof" ---These therapeutic boarding school haters have a louder voice than they deserve.
--- End quote ---
Lol. And you feel that you are in a position to determine just what *I*, or any other poster, for that matter, deserve? :D
--- Quote from: "flameproof" ---Secondly, just because there are experts who's professional opinion allows them to claim that the techniques used by the school are harmful doesn't make it so. There are just as many experts who, based on their expertise, can claim that there is validity in the therapeutic approach used.
--- End quote ---
Whatever happened to, "First, Do No Harm?" It seems to me that any discernible number of damaged kids is too many for said treatment modality to be a responsible option. Some folk really don't do well in group. Period. (Let alone be forced to perform in objectifying costume and role play, geez Louise!).
Anonymous:
--- Quote from: "Ursus" ---
--- Quote from: "flameproof" ---These therapeutic boarding school haters have a louder voice than they deserve.
--- End quote ---
Lol. And you feel that you are in a position to determine just what *I* deserve? :D
--- Quote from: "flameproof" ---Secondly, just because there are experts who's professional opinion allows them to claim that the techniques used by the school are harmful doesn't make it so. There are just as many experts who, based on their expertise, can claim that there is validity in the therapeutic approach used.
--- End quote ---
Whatever happened to, "First, Do No Harm?" It seems to me that any discernible number of damaged kids is too many for said treatment modality to be a responsible option. Some folk really don't do well in group. Period. (Let alone be forced to perform in objectifying costume and role play, geez Louise!).
--- End quote ---
If you are a hater then YES.
Clearly some kids do not belong in these groups. How can you deny it to those that do? There is risk in every treatment, do you suggest giving none? What would you do for your child?
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