I myself graduated from Carlbrook School in 2004. I was sent there against my will because of my extreme drug and alcohol use, lack of respect for my parents and the law, and I stopped going to school. At first I was resistant, but I learned to love it. Not in the sort of way that its forced upon you (although in some aspects it is).
It's entirely how you choose to look at the situation. If you choose to look at it as a negative, controlling environment, you will find any and all reasons to back up your belief. And vice versa.
The staff, while I was there, only had the students' best interests in mind. Granted the teachers could have been better, you're in the middle of Virginia, what do you expect (No offense). All the teachers were friendly and willing to help, although with the amount of highly intelligent teens that were attending while I was there, this area could have been improved.
I met a lot of great people there, staff and students alike, and have kept in touch with them since graduation. I went back out and used drugs and alcohol for a while, dealing with some unresolved issues. Eventually I made the decision that I couldn't live that way anymore. I have been sober coming up on 8 months now and I am extremely proud of this.
Carlbrook gave me the tools to live my life to the fullest. I learned so much from the workshops we went through while I was there, as well as some of the group sessions we had. While I talk to some of the staff there on occassion (Tim Brace, Jonathan Gurney, John Henson), they will never know just how much they have helped me.
I see things completely different than I did before I went to Carlbrook, and I wouldn't give that up for anything in the world. I am extremely fortunate and grateful for this opportunity, to my parents for doing everything they did, and for life in general.
If you are interested in talking with me about this, just leave a reply and I can send you an e-mail. My dad showed me this link, so I thought I would check it out and leave some of my own experiences. Take care.
-I Am Giving And Responsible-