What about "Carlbrook School"?

[Che Gookin]

Google this person:

Phil Elberg..

good luck.

[cooltherapy]

Just something that I posted on a blog earlier... thought that it might be relevant on fornits, too....


It took me over three years post-graduation from Carlbrook to realize what was done to me. For all of the grads/parents of grads posting shortly after graduation... JUST WAIT! Things change. Once the nightmares set in, you'll see. That's when it became clear to me.

I've been gone for nearly 5 years and still have nightmares 2 or 3 times a week.

I think that parents get on these blogs and forums to try and convince one another that they didn't make a serious mistake. You guys HAVE to believe in Carlbrook because of what it would mean if the school was, in fact, abusive. I can't imagine how that would feel - but I do know that once my parents finally heard me and accepted that maybe their view on what *I* went through for a year and a half wasn't correct, I felt so relieved.

I don't know a damned thing about Monarch but I am RELIEVED that your kid isn't at Carlbrook. A week long visit was unheard of at that school.

To recent Carlbrook grads who are surfing the internet and trying to find some support: be patient with yourself. You will not understand what has happened for a while. Don't pass judgement on anyone who has a negative view simply because you disagree. I burned a lot of bridges this way when I first graduated. There is a support group on facebook titled "Carlbrook Student's for Accountability and Oversight in Troubled Teen Field." When you are ready, join us.

Parents thinking about Carlbrook: READ THE DISCUSSION BOARDS ON THIS GROUP. I was an extremely successful student... most of this information is not coming from your standard "trouble maker."

[Anne Bonney]

Just something that I posted on a blog earlier... thought that it might be relevant on fornits, too....


It took me over three years post-graduation from Carlbrook to realize what was done to me. For all of the grads/parents of grads posting shortly after graduation... JUST WAIT! Things change. Once the nightmares set in, you'll see. That's when it became clear to me.

I've been gone for nearly 5 years and still have nightmares 2 or 3 times a week.

I think that parents get on these blogs and forums to try and convince one another that they didn't make a serious mistake. You guys HAVE to believe in Carlbrook because of what it would mean if the school was, in fact, abusive. I can't imagine how that would feel - but I do know that once my parents finally heard me and accepted that maybe their view on what *I* went through for a year and a half wasn't correct, I felt so relieved.

I don't know a damned thing about Monarch but I am RELIEVED that your kid isn't at Carlbrook. A week long visit was unheard of at that school.

To recent Carlbrook grads who are surfing the internet and trying to find some support: be patient with yourself. You will not understand what has happened for a while. Don't pass judgement on anyone who has a negative view simply because you disagree. I burned a lot of bridges this way when I first graduated. There is a support group on facebook titled "Carlbrook Student's for Accountability and Oversight in Troubled Teen Field" (I know, the grammar on that is terrible but it's too late to change - not my mistake)... when you are ready, join us.

Parents thinking about Carlbrook: READ THE DISCUSSION BOARDS ON THIS GROUP. I was an extremely successful student... most of this information is not coming from your standard "trouble maker."

Wow...it still amazes me how so many of our experiences are so similar.  I was considered a 'success' too.  I 'graduated' the program (certainly not school, because of the program) and for a while, swore it 'saved my life'.  Then I woke up.  It takes longer for the parents to have that awakening, and sadly some never do.

Welcome and thanks for posting.

[cooltherapy]

Thank you!

I did some more looking around last night... I found that Carlbrook has replied to an organization called "Family Light" which had questioned some of their practices.

http://www.familylight.com/link3/3.03/3 ... ok_rep.htm


these responses (and the document that is attached under the response to Concern #6 (It says: "*NOTE: With the goal of providing a more detailed discussion of the various benefits derived from the workshop model employed by Carlbrook, a document recently drafted by the school’s clinical team has been attached to this response.") have so many claims that, while they may be true now - I've been gone for a good chunk of time, were NOT true when I attended the school.

I'm drafting a letter to send off to Family Light - although they appear to have eaten it up.

[ChristopherRobb]

Anybody interested in Carlbrook please visit the site http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=121154957908461. It is a public facebook forum that discusses Carlbrook and in which people are not anonymous, thus seeks to eliminate some of the more colorful and less productive aspects trends that occur on this one. If anybody is interested in documenting what went on at Carlbrook and taking it beyond the internet (not necessarily to the courts but gaining more legitimacy for our concern) I am attempting to collect sworn affidavits about the events that went on that aim to capture the truth. If you have told the truth you can use the accounts you've already made on this site and have them notarized. It is relatively easy to do this at a bank. Collecting affidavits of what went on there is important because obviously the extreme level of discontent coupled with severity and volume of accusations merits at least some sort of review by a state agency, the courts, or a specialist in mediation/arbitration. Tell the truth and don't exaggerate in any affidavits or you will be subject to perjury. You are also potentially sacrificing anonymity. You can either post your account on the facebook website or you can send it to my e-mail, [email protected]. I personally am glad that I went to Carlbrook in the long run. Less because of what Carlbrook did but because I did need a change of environment. There are good people there and it saddens me that their employment may be threatened by irresponsible and reckless decisions of their superiors. I do honestly believe every single person, aside from maybe one or two was convinced that they were helping us. However, this issue is bigger then whether you liked Carlbrook or the people there. This is about what is acceptable to do to people, no matter what they have done, against their will. This is about the type of breakdown that happens in many organizations that suffer from a closed, secretive management. There were several things that were unacceptable, regardless of your experience.
What was unacceptable was that Grant Price and others who ran groups and made explicitly "therapeutic decisions" has no formal training, education or certification to be providing mental health services (which is exactly what running a group therapy is doing). Carlbrook is not held to any standards in the provision of such services and that is a problem. There are a reason standards and regulations exist in this field (even if they have problems of their own). I think even those who cherished the experience realize that a lot of what went on was not OK and though intentions may not have been malicious by any party, kids were hurt and traumatized by the purposely constructed environment of acute stress and anxiety. Even if you could "take it" some couldn't. People are different. A one size fits all approach of breaking people down and building their identity back up may be useful in forming a cohesive military unit but it is not in treating kids for problems that in many instances are related to stress and anxiety in the first place. Creating an environment with the level of intensity and stress that Carlbrook did obviously will have different effects on different types of people. The degree of emotional invasiveness can also not be underestimated. Forcing people to disclose things they don't want to is simply unethical. Plain and simple. I see this as not an issue of whether or not you liked Carlbrook or certain people there. I see this as an issue of Carlbrook making egregious and harmful administrative errors and being held accountable like any other organization that provided you sub-standard services. If Johnson & Johnson sells defective Tylenol, like they did, they are held to account. Carlbrook purposely humiliated kids, engaged in arbitrary and bizarre punishment and the therapeutic relationships and incentives are certainly highly unethical if not illegal. I would like to know for certain if they are and what potential damage might have been inflicted. I would like to know if Carlbrook gave kids Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome which is a condition that worsens with age. I personally am not OK with so much of what went on at Carlbrook and think that a lack of accountability for past events or sweeping what happened "under the rug" would set a terrible precedent and would only encourage others to provide even worse services to kids. Carlbrook is attempting to legitimize and dilute a form of treatment that has been roundly rejected by medical professionals, the courts, and state agencies. Please join me in writing and notarizing an affidavit.

[RRG]

I found out that Tim Brace, the former director of Rocky Mountain Academy, my alma mater, was running Carlbrook.  I saw him recently at our reunion and must say he hasn't changed since 1986 when I graduated.  I was curious how similar the program was to my experience at RMA and it appears that the program is very similar, just the terminology has changed.  I would be curious to find from former students, how similar.

If you have not seen these documentaries, you might want to check them out.  There are 12 or so of them and their portrayal of the program is very similar to my experience:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GeFWCzLNCmY

[cooltherapy]

Carlbrook is very, very similar to these documentaries. Scarily so. At least it was 6 years ago when I was there.

[alexroman]

i went there in 09 and tim brace was the most loving man i haveever known and idk what the hell everyone is saying about him beeing abusive kuz i never cud c him doing that and im not gungho bout the school i left early wen i turned 18 but although alot about myself ddnt rlly help me in the "real world"

[bryankoz]

dude, i was laughin too hard last night to reply to this post. this so called trauma you kids went through is poetically hilarious. i was the first student to step through the door of that school, and noone there was there for forgetting to tie their shoe laces. only in the united states would a teenager break the law, defy their parents, treat their school administrator like shit, and expect to be served dinner on a silver platter. the traumatizing sleep deprivation was maybe a 12 hour group therapy, i guess that is way worse than a hard cock in your ass at prison. you guys are so spoiled. i guess your parents should of got on their knees when they begged you not to ditch school, then you would of listened. please reply to this post because i would love to hear all your stories about how you were scarred for life. its no mystery to who i am. so if your plees are so legitamite why dont you grow some balls and tell the police instead of hiding in an internet post. first caller i will pay 50 bucks if they let me tag along to listen to the report. i live in LA so let me know if your local and ready to do this.

[Ruaraidh.]

[cooltherapy]

I'm having a hard time understanding why you would like to be a part of the whistle-blowing activities if you feel this way... But this being said, all of your "suggestions" have been done. And lawyers have been talked to. Statute of limitations is an issue - as is the lack of a class action lawsuit in Virginia.

I was diagnosed with PTSD by more than one doctor after I graduated. Whether you think that the school is harsh or not, there is no reason a child should suffer with PTSD after attending boarding school. It is inappropriate.

No one compared this to jail. No one said that it was worse. No one said that all of the kids at Carlbrook were well behaved or deserved any sort of *special* treatment... but I don't think it's wrong to expect that the students be treated as humans. Students should have the right to refuse to partake in exercises. Students should have the right to communicate whatever they need to their parents. My calls were monitored and cut off if the staff felt that I was crossing any "boundaries." I was punished for speaking openly with my father about my feelings towards the school 12 months into the program. I was honor council, d-com, friends com, etc. But I was not permitted to discuss any grievances.

I got sick while there and was denied prompt medical treatment. The issue developed quickly and when I finally made it to the doctor, I needed an ultrasound to ensure that I hadn't developed breast cancer. My parents weren't informed until they received a bill in the mail for the ultrasound.

Whether you think it's morally wrong or not, depriving minors of sleep is not a legal activity. 12 hour therapy marathons have not been proven to work in any setting. And I'm going to be bold here and point out that it doesn't appear to be working for Carlbrook, either. Many of the students I attended with have since committed suicide or ODed. This occurs far too often.

Bottom line: Carlbrook has some illegal practices. There are many staff members who are unlicensed and overseeing therapeutic exercises. You lose all rights when you are signed into the school and your parents don't *truly* know what's going on there until well after you've graduated.

The secrecy, money, and "therapeutics" all need to be reviewed by someone who is trained to do so. Hopefully this will happen. Tons of schools just like Carlbrook have been shut down for doing the exact activities that Carlbrook partakes in.

So, your opinion has been heard... but unfortunately for Carlbrook, the legal system likely will disagree with it if their cover is ever blown. Here's to hoping that it is.

[bryankoz]

i bet you do have nightmares about carlbrook. welcome to the world. i have nightmares about everything from public highschool to my current boss screaming at me. i have had so many friends that have died but i don't blame it on the highschool they went to. just like you guys said grant price sold carlbrook like a care salesman, so did your lawyer that you have a case, and your doctor that you have trauma from carlbrook( let me guess, you managed to squeeze some pills out of him to treat your ailment? i guess some things never change, once a con-artist, always a con-artist).  one of the reasons i think you guys are spoiled isnt because you got everything you needed, but because you truelly beleive the world owes you its love and compassion. sooner or later you will all have to get a job to support yourself. when you do, you will be blessed with a boss who doesnt give a fuck about how you feel. and despite the fact that he treats you inhumanely,  perhaps lawsuit worthy, you will still have to kiss his ass to keep your job. what startles me is that i felt so much love fro
 the staff at carlbrook, and it was quite an adjustment when i came out to a world of survival of the fittest. which leads me to beleive that if you guys couldn't see how much the staff wanted to help you, you have a big surprise coming your way in the real world.
        so go on, what are the other greivances. the phone call was only 10 minutes long which gave you home sickness disorder. the dorm windows had alarms which caused paranoid schizophrenia of being locked up. enlighten me

[cooltherapy]

No interest in having a pissing contest with you. But so that you have a better idea of who I am, I'll give you  few details of my current life. I worked my ass off as an undergrad, took time off working two jobs. Am back in school for a PhD in neuroscience. I get paid for my work and have jumped endless hurdles to get here. I don't expect anything from anyone. I rely on myself. I am on no meds, no drugs. Occasional glass of wine after a long day. I think clearly and often about my time at the school and have love and respect for much of the staff. I do not have respect for the money grubbing. I do not have respect for the forced activities. I do not have respect for Carlbrook as a money making institution. I think it should be monitored because everyone has rights. Even spoiled, snot nosed kids.

[Ruaraidh.]

[Horatio.]

i bet you do have nightmares about carlbrook. welcome to the world. i have nightmares about everything from public highschool to my current boss screaming at me. i have had so many friends that have died but i don't blame it on the highschool they went to. just like you guys said grant price sold carlbrook like a care salesman, so did your lawyer that you have a case, and your doctor that you have trauma from carlbrook( let me guess, you managed to squeeze some pills out of him to treat your ailment? i guess some things never change, once a con-artist, always a con-artist).  one of the reasons i think you guys are spoiled isnt because you got everything you needed, but because you truelly beleive the world owes you its love and compassion. sooner or later you will all have to get a job to support yourself. when you do, you will be blessed with a boss who doesnt give a fuck about how you feel. and despite the fact that he treats you inhumanely,  perhaps lawsuit worthy, you will still have to kiss his ass to keep your job. what startles me is that i felt so much love fro
 the staff at carlbrook, and it was quite an adjustment when i came out to a world of survival of the fittest. which leads me to beleive that if you guys couldn't see how much the staff wanted to help you, you have a big surprise coming your way in the real world.
        so go on, what are the other greivances. the phone call was only 10 minutes long which gave you home sickness disorder. the dorm windows had alarms which caused paranoid schizophrenia of being locked up. enlighten me

You can't be enlightened because you've decided to live in the darkness. Many do. It's not your fault, some choose to side with the abuser. This is the nature of fools, or cowards. It's your lot in life to figure out which one you are and change it

Accept it and you'll die without ever having lived.