While I was imprisoned at Mount Bachelor Academy, I was able to obtain copies of a lot of their promotional literature. I have decided to post the largest of those documents, entitled Heart to Heart: A Parent Survival Guide to Mount Bachelor Academy. I wish that I had a scanner with which to upload, but I don't, and will unfortunately have to type all of this by hand, but I think that it is important that their operating MO is exposed so that more parents won't be deceived. If you are a parent or perspective parent of a child at MBA, I encourage you to at the very least hear out what I and others on this forum have to say. Worst comes to worst, you end up listening to a differing opinion. I think that listening to both sides of any argument is important for ultimately discerning truth.
It seems that the deception in this particular document starts right at the beginning, with it's assertion that it was compiled "for parents, by parents." In fact, the whole packet was written by one Mina Steen, a former parent of a student who is still currently on Mount Bachelor Academy's payroll.
It is my opinion that the marketing practices used by Mount Bachelor Academy are endemic to the "troubled teen industry" as a whole, and that they should thus be examined and taken apart piece by piece publicly so that desperate parents in the future won't be as easily manipulated. I will post this entire packet in installments and starting from the beginning. All material was copied word-for-word from the original, except where noted by the [brackets.]
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Tip #3 - "Keep the lines of communication flowing"It reflects an enormous leap of faith on your part to turn your child over to people you don't really know and to a program that initially seems pretty structurally complicated, especially when you and your child are at your most vulnerable. It is doubly difficult since there is no support organization like the "PTA," and you may feel you shouldn't "bother" MBA staff though you have many, many questions and more keep occurring. You
can "bother" MBA staff with what's hard on your mind. Feeling comfortable and developing trust takes time and acquiring more information.
>Communicating with other parents: A New Parent's LifelineThe first thing you can do is join the parent (email) listbox. To subscribe, send an email with your name(s) and your child's name and peer group number to
[email protected]. You will begin to receive the email posts and you can then post your own messages by sending email to
[email protected].
Once on board the listbox, you can introduce yourself and ask other parents any questions you might have. It is consoling to realize you are not alone. Parents of current and graduated students share experiences, and you will find this parent network is incredibly supportive and full of insight that cannot be gained elsewhere. The listbox can also be your place to "give back" by sharing your experiences and perceptions. But don't be intimidated - you can participate in the listbox without ever writing a thing, if you chose to only read other parent's messages. The listbox is entirely confidential and is not available to anyone except other MBA parents. No MBA staff member has access to the emails. Any potentially sensitive information you learn on this listbox should
not be read with others or your child without permission.
>Communicating with your childStaying in touch during Phase I (Discovery Phase)
Within about a week or two of your child's enrollment, you will begin to hear regularly from your child's Phase I mentor. Those calls, usually made on a weekly basis, become your pipeline to your child's new world, especially since you will not be able to talk with your child directly for several weeks. Because time on these calls goes very quickly, we have found it helpful to prepare for the weekly call by writing down ahead of time any concerns or items to discuss.
Unfortunately, due to circumstances beyond anyone's control, the calls do not always come at the appointed times (in spite of the fact that parents might have rearranged their work schedules to accommodate the call time!) If you have not received your call within about 15 minutes of the scheduled time, call the school to see what has happened and offer some times for rescheduling, if necessary.
You may be asked to place rescheduling information in your mentor's voice mailbox. Though they may also have an email address, you need to check with them to see which is their preferred method for contact.
During Discovery (Phase I), you will communicate with your child only by written mail (or perhaps fax.) Even after regular phone calls between you and your child begin, you will be encouraged to continue mail contact throughout his stay at MBA. Remember that you are your child's lifeline to the "outside world!"
Don't be too upset or surprised if your child does not write profuse or frequent letters to you. Although students are in theory required to write home, that doesn't always happen, and some of the letters may be very short and uninformative. That, too, often improves over time. Also be aware that there may be some circumstances that prevent your child from receiving or sending mail, such as being placed on a self-study. If you have questions about communication issues, ask your mentor.
There is often a lag in the mail or in faxed items, usually because the mentors read the communications to and from your child. That aspect of the mentor's role helps him know your family, your feelings, and your day-to-day happenings, as well as how your child is communicating his experiences. It also alerts the mentor to events at home that your child may find disturbing (like the death of a pet, a friend having trouble with the police, grandma having had a stroke, etc.)
Finally, with regards to the mail, your child may not communicate with any of his prior friends until an assigned point during Phase II when you and the mentor agree he may do so.
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There you go, parent guide installment 2. More installments to come, there's 36 pages and I'm only on page 9.
