Mount Bachelor Academy Shut Down

[AuntieEm2]

So, out of 500 programs (not sure if that's accurate at all), I'd estimate at least 100 have been proven unsafe (all Aspen programs built on the abusive Aspen model, e.g. MBA, ASR, etc) and ineffective and the rest are yet to be investigated.  

Even if they weren't dangerous (which I believe they are) then we still have to consider the fact that they are totally ineffective and have no evidence to suggest they are otherwise.  Until a clinical study is done and proves efficacy, we all have to assume inefficacy.  No program has passed the scientific hurdle into credibility.

In contrast to this, there are tens of thousands of local schools and tens of thousands of local treatment centers which are not abusive or neglectful in any way.  This is opposed to the Aspen model which is built upon abusive and humiliating principles, as described by Oregon watchdog officials.

Also important to note that the websites of these programs are designed to sell, not inform parents of the inherant risks to children.

Most parents are unaware that the staff they contact in "Admissions" are salespeople, with financial incentives to enroll as many children as possible, with little regard to need, local resources, or circumstances.

The online assessment forms include absurd questions such as "Has your child stopped following family rules and is he/she resistant to your parenting?" (DUH, these are teenagers, this is NORMAL behavior), and transparently greedy questions such as "Are you prepared for the financial commitment of a therapeutic school or program?" (Now that's a crucial assessment question!).

Auntie Em

[Anonymous]

I'm still waiting for a link. Where the hell did this come from? It reads like it's real but Google isn't telling me shit.

And you've got the basics down good, Whooter! Even when the whole place is shut down you still keep going on about "most had a good experience", then when that inevitably fails you start whining about the public sector. Anything, anything at all, to deny and deflect.

[Troll Control]

So, out of 500 programs (not sure if that's accurate at all), I'd estimate at least 100 have been proven unsafe (all Aspen programs built on the abusive Aspen model, e.g. MBA, ASR, etc) and ineffective and the rest are yet to be investigated.  

Even if they weren't dangerous (which I believe they are) then we still have to consider the fact that they are totally ineffective and have no evidence to suggest they are otherwise.  Until a clinical study is done and proves efficacy, we all have to assume inefficacy.  No program has passed the scientific hurdle into credibility.

In contrast to this, there are tens of thousands of local schools and tens of thousands of local treatment centers which are not abusive or neglectful in any way.  This is opposed to the Aspen model which is built upon abusive and humiliating principles, as described by Oregon watchdog officials.

Also important to note that the websites of these programs are designed to sell, not inform parents of the inherant risks to children.

Most parents are unaware that the staff they contact in "Admissions" are salespeople, with financial incentives to enroll as many children as possible, with little regard to need, resources, or circumstances.

The online assessment forms include absurd questions such as "Has your child stopped following family rules and is he/she resistant to your parenting?" (DUH, these are teenagers, this is NORMAL behavior), and transparently greedy questions such as "Are you prepared for the financial commitment of a therapeutic school or program?" (Now that's a crucial assessment question!).

Auntie Em

I often wonder how oblivious these parents must be not to see what's obviously a non-medical, unscientific questionaire designed to sell a product rather than make a true assessment.  How can people not notice this blatant sales pitch with no facts to back it up?

[Anonymous]

How can people not notice this blatant sales pitch with no facts to back it up?

Because they want to believe. The whole concept of "will this actually work?" never enters their heads. They have a fantasy of their children that they can't let go of, and they'll accept anything at all that supports it, and deny anything at all that refutes it. We have somebody like that on this thread right now. They are The Parent so they cannot possibly be wrong about anything, ever. They need that. It's all some of them have left. To this mindset, "abuse" and "serious long-term emotional problems" are just words that get in their way. Sooner or later reality begins to intervene, but if they pay some goon at Aspen many thousands of dollars a month to get rid of their kids, they don't need to stop pretending. And that's worth any price.

[AuntieEm2]

Have a look at this Aspen assessment questionnaire:
http://http://www.parentcheckin.com/contactform/profileWilderness.asp?prId=17&aff_id=191

"Assessing Your Commitment to a Therapeutic Program to Help Your Child" has its own section with 36% of the questions, including "Please rate your level of urgency in placing your child in a wilderness or other therapeutic program by indicating when you would like to enroll him or her."

This question is soooo important for assessing which potential customer should be called first by the sales staff. Remember, this is an $83,000 a year "intervention" we are talking about--more than twice the tuition at Harvard, or the cost of two beemers a year--the salespeople have to know how to manipulate their prospective buyers. These "commitment" questions are right out of a sales handbook.

Are parents really "oblivious"? I give them the benefit of the doubt when I say that I believe most parents who are seeking help for their teenagers are frightened, desperate and vulnerable, and easy prey for the "cure-all" pitch of for-profit programs.

Auntie Em

[AuntieEm2]

But I am off-topic of the OP. I looked at the MBA website and they are not saying anything about being closed, though I sincerely hope this is true.

Auntie Em

[Troll Control]

In the "venture" lifestep I was told numerous times that my makeup or outfit was not slutty enough.

I was told to give lap dances, I was forced to dance around the room.
 
Prior to MBA the only time I had intercourse I was raped.

I watched as girls were forced to act out oral sex while they cried. [/u]

Emphasis added by me.

This is how MBA's program works.  It is the same as all other Aspen programs using the "LifeSteps" LGATs.

How is this shameful treatment of this broken little girl in any way acceptable?  How could anyone place their child into this  or any other Aspen program knowing full well that this is what will happen to them?  It's disgusting.  It's wrong on so many levels.  And, it's illegal.  

If MBA isn't being shut down right now, it should be.

[Anonymous]

Two pages and still...

Hey OP.


LINK OR IT DIDN'T HAPPEN.

[Troll Control]

In the "venture" lifestep I was told numerous times that my makeup or outfit was not slutty enough.

I was told to give lap dances, I was forced to dance around the room.
 
Prior to MBA the only time I had intercourse I was raped.

I watched as girls were forced to act out oral sex while they cried. [/u]

Emphasis added by me.

This is how MBA's program works.  It is the same as all other Aspen programs using the "LifeSteps" LGATs.

How is this shameful treatment of this broken little girl in any way acceptable?  How could anyone place their child into this  or any other Aspen program knowing full well that this is what will happen to them?  It's disgusting.  It's wrong on so many levels.  And, it's illegal.  

If MBA isn't being shut down right now, it should be.

^THIS^ did happen.  Are you now going to justify forcing rape victims to simulate oral sex in front of the group while obviously under extreme duress?

Wheter or not MBA is being shut down, they were found to be abusing and neglecting children, including humiliating sex role-play including rape victims forced to simulate felatio in front of dozens of strangers while being called "slut" and "whore" by the staff.

If MBA doesn't get shut down, these crimes will continue unabated.

[joethebadass]

What I posted was a letter that was sent to all parents of MBA students by the Oregon DHS. It was obtained by another survivor whose parent got it off of the MBA parent listserv. The parents-only forum isn't open to the public. Furthermore, I've personally spoken with three MBA staffers who have confirmed that this is true. It's official. Their license has been suspended, but not revoked. They still have a chance to appeal the "nine substantiated cases of child abuse and neglect" in ninety days at a hearing, but I doubt they will be successful.

[Anonymous]

What I posted was a letter that was sent to all parents of MBA students by the Oregon DHS. It was obtained by another survivor whose parent got it off of the MBA parent listserv. The parents-only forum isn't open to the public. Furthermore, I've personally spoken with three MBA staffers who have confirmed that this is true. It's official. Their license has been suspended, but not revoked. They still have a chance to appeal the "nine substantiated cases of child abuse and neglect" in ninety days at a hearing, but I doubt they will be successful.

good to know. thx

[Anonymous]

What I posted was a letter that was sent to all parents of MBA students by the Oregon DHS.

Ahhh, first-time-to-the-internet genuine official-source content on Fornits. Thanks, Joe. Rare that we get that around here. Next time anyone gets stuff like this, please post the source with the content, aight? Paranoia and trolling levels around here are high enough.

They still have a chance to appeal the "nine substantiated cases of child abuse and neglect" in ninety days at a hearing, but I doubt they will be successful.

Is this hearing open to the public? Who will be allowed to speak? Will it be recorded on video? Posting Aspen getting its ass spanked by OR DHS on Youtube will be a huge morale boost.

[Anne Bonney]

Is this hearing open to the public? Who will be allowed to speak? Will it be recorded on video? Posting Aspen getting its ass spanked by OR DHS on Youtube will be a huge morale boost.

I have to say that it is quite healing to attend one of these and confront your boogeymen.  I've done it numerous times regarding Straight and Miller Newton (most recently Oct. 26th) and it is one of THE MOST empowering things I've ever done.  Out in the real world their power ceases to be.

[AuntieEm2]

The substantiated incidents meet Oregon's legal definition of child abuse because they were inconsistent with recommended and appropriate treatment or care, used derogatory names/phrases, profanity, ridicule, harassment, coercion, and/or intimidation that was likely to endanger the child's health or welfare. In addition, the activities subjected children to a substantial risk of harm to their health or welfare, and the adults failed to supervise or intervene when the child needed assistance or care, in an activity that was likely to endanger their health or welfare.


An expert in the field of child and adolescent psychiatry consulted by DHS as part of the investigation concluded: "In general, coercive, degrading and humiliating treatment is harmful to young people, especially those with psychological vulnerabilities. Young people (male and female) who have been victims of abuse often hold themselves responsible for the abuse, and develop sexualized behavior for reasons they often don't understand. To confront them and humiliate them about these behaviors in an effort to force them to see themselves more clearly and consequently change their behavior can be very destructive. It has the risk of reinforcing self-blame and self-loathing attitudes already present in traumatized individuals. It is essentially retraumatizing."

:bump:

[Troll Control]

 
"We feel very strongly that for-profit residential facilities are completely inappropriate for special education. They have been shown to be ineffective and commonly employ practices that do harm,"[/b] says Alison Barkoff, senior staff attorney at the Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law.

Program practices are harmful to children.  Plain and simple.