Fornits
Treatment Abuse, Behavior Modification, Thought Reform => Aspen Education Group => Topic started by: joethebadass on November 03, 2009, 03:28:16 AM
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Ding dong the witch is dead! There is a god! I win and they lose and holy shit does it feel good.
Investigations conducted by the Oregon Department of Human Services at Mt. Bachelor Academy (MBA), a therapeutic boarding school located near Prineville, have resulted in nine substantiated findings of child abuse and neglect against the school's leadership and therapeutic program.
As a result of the abuse investigation and violations of Oregon's licensing standards, the state has ordered Mt. Bachelor Academy to temporarily cease all therapeutic, educational and residential services to children until further notice.
The abuse and neglect findings centered on the program as a whole, as well as the school's Executive Director, and involved five children who attended Mt. Bachelor Academy during 2007-2009. The results of the investigation are being provided to local law enforcement officials.
Investigators with the state's Office of Investigation and Training (OIT) reported that all students at MBA were required to participate in “emotional growth” workshops, called Lifesteps, which included activities that were coercive, intimidating and humiliating -- including sexualized role play and reenactment of past traumatic events, such as prior physical or sexual abuse.
While the initial reports described concerns about Lifesteps, the investigation ultimately revealed serious safety concerns about MBA's curriculum and program as a whole. The experience of the five students was consistent with that of other children enrolled at the school. The report concluded that the experiences of “these five youth are exemplars of the program's treatment of its students as a whole."
DHS Residential Treatment Services and Licensing also found violations of state licensing standards for therapeutic boarding schools, and state officials will require MBA to cease providing therapeutic, educational and residential services to children.
The licensing program determined in its investigation that there are conditions present that immediately endanger the health and safety of the children enrolled at MBA. The program found that MBA's methods of educational instruction, emotional and behavioral intervention and daily interaction with students create an immediate threat which places all children at risk of harm.
Further, the investigation revealed that MBA has subjected children to Lifestep workshops as a therapy technique that is harmful and damaging to their health or welfare. In addition, that MBA has not provided the therapeutic treatment necessary for children to overcome or improve with substance abuse issues, mental health issues, eating disorders and other issues, nor provided qualified staff to treat such conditions.
The substantiated incidents of abuse or neglect are shown below:
Mt. Bachelor Academy Executive Director neglected the care of four children by failing to ensure individualized and therapeutic treatment plans were developed to address past abuse and significant emotional and behavioral issues.
The Mount Bachelor Academy program abused a child in 2007 by requiring the child to engage in sexualized role play in front of staff and peers.
The Mount Bachelor program abused a second child in 2009 by requiring the child to make obscene and self-degrading comments out loud, in front of staff and peers. In addition, the Mount Bachelor program neglected the same child during 2008-2009 by failing to provide adequate medical care and supervision.
The Mount Bachelor Academy program neglected a third child in 2009, by failing to provide adequate supervision during an international trip.
The Mount Bachelor Academy program abused a fourth child in 2008 by requiring the child to engage in degrading activities such as acting out sexualized role play and physical abuse, and by being subjected to obscene and degrading comments by staff in front of other staff and peers.
The Mount Bachelor Academy program abused a fifth child during 2009 by requiring and/or permitting staff to use derogatory names, phrases, ridicule and harassment.
The Mount Bachelor Academy program neglected five children between 2007 and 2009 by failing to provide individualized treatment to meet their diagnosed mental health needs.
The Mount Bachelor Academy program abused five children between 2007 and 2009 by requiring them to engage in activities that were coercive, intimidating, harassing, and/or humiliating.
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."
Today's report includes a substantiated allegation of child abuse against the Executive Director of MBA as "the individual responsible for delivery of therapeutic care to MBA students.” In that role, the Executive Director “administers through staff an 'emotional growth' curriculum in which all students must participate regardless of their emotional, behavioral or mental health needs, and regardless of their own trauma histories. This curriculum is delivered by staff who are not trained to treat the broad range of issues the children bring, and who routinely degrade and humiliate them.” The report concludes that the Executive Director, “knew or should have known what happens to students in [the] program.”
Mt. Bachelor Academy is a licensed Therapeutic Boarding School, located in a rural area, 26 miles east of Prineville, Oregon, licensed originally in 1988. The school admits both male and female students who are from age 14 to 17.5 at the time of admission, although some children are admitted pursuant to an exception as young as age 13. The total capacity is 125 students and the average length of stay is 14-16 months. Tuition is $6,400 a month with an additional up front, one time $2,200 enrollment fee. Other service fees are not included. In 2008, Mt. Bachelor was reorganized and became a program of Aspen Education Group. Aspen was recently acquired by CRC Health Group, Inc. In March of 2009, MBA had approximately 77 staff and 88 boarding students.
Last March, the state received reports of child abuse against Mt. Bachelor Academy, initially concerning the Lifesteps program at MBA. OIT is a division of DHS that investigates allegations of abuse by paid staff in various therapeutic or treatment settings, and OIT handled the investigation of the reports of abuse at MBA. There were two investigators primarily assigned to go to Prineville and interview people on campus. In addition, the office used three other investigators to conduct witness interviews of people in- and out-of-state. The investigators conducted interviews involving 65 witnesses, including MBA students and staff, along with licensed therapists familiar with individual students. Investigators consulted with a medical expert certified in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, and they reviewed documents and photographed materials used as part of the MBA therapy program.
At the same time, the DHS Licensing program investigated standards for health and safety and looked at the school's compliance with Oregon Administrative Rules related to their license as a therapeutic boarding school. Licensing notified MBA that they were prohibited from conducting their own investigation into the allegations of abuse reported to have occurred; prohibited from destroying or otherwise concealing school or student records; prohibited from disciplining or threatening discipline to students interviewed during the investigation; prohibited from conducting Lifesteps activities until further notice. Parents of students were notified of the investigation.
A "Therapeutic boarding school" is a program that is primarily a school and not a residential care agency (as defined in OAR 413-215-0506). Therapeutic boarding schools are licensed to provide both educational services and care to children for 24 hours a day and hold themselves out as serving children with emotional or behavioral problems by providing therapeutic services or assuring that children receive therapeutic services.
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source? link? date? author?
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The place is so much like Benchmark it's not even funny... Down to your sig of
Joe - "So what if a kid gets sent here who doesn't need or deserve it?"
Staff - "Bans."
Pretty sure I recall a conversation with staff almost exactly like that. Bans this bans that. Now I hear they've renamed it "noncom". I don't doubt MBA will claim to stop using LifeSteps seminars and start calling it something else (to avoid the "temporary" shutdown becoming permanent).
PS: sources would be great, like the above guest notes. I'd love to look at some of the documentation the investigators photographed if it's available, especially any LifeStep training manuals / scripts.
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Yeah, as psy posted, and the Guest, it is important to note where this came from, so that it can be attributed, and fact checked. Until then its rumour at best, and wishful thinking at worst.
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What is very disturbing to me is that there is an obvious trend here. It seems that Aspen facilities are getting exposed as abusive and, in at least one recent case, murderous (at least negligent homicide or depraved indifference). There are many stories now percolating out of traditional media outlets that substantiate that Aspen programs are unsafe and do not provide any treatment or therapeutic services as defined by law in the states in which they operate.
These are giant red flags for any potential Aspen parents. These facilities are extremely risky to life and limb of your children and Aspen has already publicly admitted, in open court, under oath that they provide no treatment of any kind whatsover.
My question then becomes "Why would any parent anywhere send their child to an Aspen program?" There is no upside to it.
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Mount Bachelor is an Aspen program? Has anyone confirmed yet that it shut it's doors?
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My question then becomes "Why would any parent anywhere send their child to an Aspen program?" There is no upside to it.
I can see why you ask this question based on the information that is presented here on fornits.
What you need to look at is the bottom line. If you speak with the kids and parents who have been thru an Aspen program you will see that Apen programs are able to turn an at-risk child around and place them on the right path with an incredible success rate. There is no doubt that they have their hands full trying to cope with the expanding industry. But more importantly they are able to respond and help more and more kids each year. This is the important thing we need to focus on.
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My question then becomes "Why would any parent anywhere send their child to an Aspen program?" There is no upside to it.
What you need to look at is the bottom line. Aspen kills kids.
http://www.oregonlive.com/news/index.ss ... nd_di.html (http://www.oregonlive.com/news/index.ssf/2009/09/portland_teen_collapses_and_di.html)
Portland teen collapses and dies during wilderness camp hike
By Steve Beaven, The Oregonian
September 01, 2009, 2:44PM
The Lake County Sheriff's Office is investigating the death of a Portland teen who collapsed during a hike as part of a wilderness camp exercise, a spokesman said today.
Sergey Blashchishen, 16, died Friday after collapsing about 2:30 p.m., said Deputy Chuck Pore. An autopsy was performed on Sunday but the results are incomplete and a cause of death has not been determined, Pore said.
Investigators are trying to find out if Blashchishen, who lived in Northeast Portland, had any medical problems that might have contributed to his death, Pore said. He had passed a physical the day before he died.
Blashchishen was attending the SageWalk wilderness school, a program for troubled teens based in Redmond. He was hiking with a group in northern Lake County between Burns and Bend when he got sick.
"He said he didn't feel good and shortly after that collapsed," Pore said.
The Bureau of Land Management has suspended the permit for SageWalk to operate on BLM land, pending the outcome of the investigation. It could not be confirmed if Blashchishen was on BLM property when he collapsed.
"SageWalk considers student safety our number one priority and takes this incident very seriously," SageWalk Executive Director Mike Bednarz said in a statement.
Lyudmila Blashchishena, Sergey's mother, said she was told that her son vomited and then passed out during the hike, adding that he did not suffer from any medical conditions.
"We are still so shocked," she said. "He always did sports, never had any disease. How could he pass away just from hiking?"
Blashchishen dropped out of Parkrose High School last year, his mother said, and enrolled in the wilderness school on Thursday.
He had worked construction and lived with an uncle before deciding to go to SageWalk.
"He asked me to place him in the boot camp," his mother said. "He really wanted to change his behavior."
--Stephen Beaven; [email protected]
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Yes, Mount Bachelor Academy is owned and operated by Aspen Education Group, the largest conglomerate of schools, which is owned and operated by multi-billion dollar global investment giant CRC Health/Bain Capital.
Follow the money.
Auntie Em
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No, I don't need to interview any Aspen parents to find out how Aspen facilities work. They are being shut down currently in Oregon for neglect and abuse. The states are notoriously bad at moving on items like this. They (state watchdogs) have to have incontrovertible evidence that neglect and abuse have occurred in order to move forward with disciplinary action.
In the case of MBA, they have found many disturbing incidences of neglect and abuse, such as humiliating, sexualized role play disguised as "therapy." If any parent approves of MBA's actions, they are either ignorant of the state's findings, or they simply don't care about their own child.
Sorry, "Guest," but I tend to believe evidentiary findings of abuse investigators over your marketing spin that has exactly zero factual basis to back it up. I understand you are frustrated with the state of affairs at Aspen, but you should be working to shutter these abusive facilities if you really want to help children. Supporting Aspen is tantamount to advocating for child abuse and neglect.
Aspen has taken some big hits recently, and deservedly so. They have committed negligent homicide against children in their care. They have abused children. They have neglected children. This has all been proven factual by the investigation. They admitted under oath that they don't and never intended to provide treatment for anything. For what reason would anyone send their kid to an abusive, neglectful facility that admittedly provides no treatment for anything?
Why would anyone support this family of abusive instiutions? Sadly, the answer seems only to be "for profit."
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Firm data shows the public sector is even worse. Problems within the teen industry are several orders of magnitude less than what we are experiencing in public sector. I could post examples all day long. The list is endless.
Rape:
http://http://www.bostonherald.com/news/regional/view/2009_01_10_5th-grade_teacher_faces_child_rape_charges/srvc=home&position=1
A married South Shore teacher was so “obsessed” with a teen boy she had sex with him on his kitchen floor, in the shower and in the living room and it all began when he was 13 years old, prosecutors said today.
The alleged victim, now 16, said they had sex a total of 300 times - “possibly every other day,” according to a police report obtained by the Herald.
Murder:
http://http://www.fultoncountynews.com/news/2009-04-16/Local_(and)_State/Calif_Sunday_School_Teacher_Charged_With_Murder.html
A Northern California woman was charged Tuesday with murdering an 8-year-old girl whose body was found in a suitcase pulled from a pond.
San Joaquin County prosecutors also included in their allegations against Melissa Huckaby the special circumstances of rape with a foreign object, lewd and lascivious conduct with a child and murder in the course of a kidnapping.
The 28-year-old Sunday school teacher was due to be arraigned later Tuesday. Huckaby lived in the mobile home park in the town of Tracy where victim Sandra Cantu also lived.
So what you really want to look at it the success rate of the programs....Is there a risk? Absolutely!! But what is the risk of doing nothing for your child? How safe is he or she on their current path and company?
Its not an easy choice to make, but it gets easier as you are able to gather the facts and balance out your options.
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So what you really want to look at it the success rate of the programs.... ZERO. In fact, the author of the book they keep touting shows that it has a 100% failure rate
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The appropriate question is actually "Is it worse to do nothing than to guarantee your child will be abused and neglected by strangers far, far away?"
Sending your kid to MBA is now impossible, as it was forced to suspend operations due to substantiated claims of abuse, neglect and sexualized role-play disguised as "therapy."
Stick with seeking help in your community, by a reputable, licensed facility with reputable, licensed mental healtcare providers. Aspen provides no therapy, as they admitted in court, under oath.
I can see no benefit to sending a child to a known abusive, neglectful Aspen program. By definition, your kid will get no treatment and will be abused and neglected. The state of Oregon found the very program model to be abusive and the staff to be abusive as well.
Sure, there are isolated cases of abuse in public schools, but they are quite literally "one in a million" and perpetrated by a sick individual. At Aspen facilities, the program itself is abusive and they hire uneducated, unlicensed hacks to "work the program." This is a witch's brew of abuse. Because of the abusive model it uses, MBA does abuse 100% of attendees (abusive program model), as found by the state of Oregon. There is no comparison to public schools.
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There are presently over 500 programs serving our children and at-risk youth. If you choose to focus on the one or two that are having problems that is your choice. But like the example of the problems in the public school they dont represent the entire industry.
What I typically suggest parents to do is gather as much info as possible...talk to other parents who have had children in programs, talk to the professionals themselves and then weigh this information against how safe your child is in his present environment and path.
The more information a parent can gather on the subject the better.
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Oh, I believe it's more than "one or two." Aspen recently admitted in court that they provide no treatment, so we can count up all of the Aspen facilities and take them off the top as ineffective. How can they be effective when they deliver no services as they admitted in court?
Above and beyond that I believe we have seen several dozen programs shut down in the past few years due to abuse and neglect, sometimes ending in a child's death. We have also seen many facilities that have killed children or abused them still under investigation currently.
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.
Sorry, but the evidence is clear from state investigations that the claims of efficacy and safety are undenialbly false and unsupported by any facts.
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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
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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.
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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?
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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.
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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
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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
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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.
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Two pages and still...
Hey OP.
LINK OR IT DIDN'T HAPPEN.
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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.
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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.
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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
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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.
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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.
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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:
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"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.
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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.
Even if they survive the hearing (probable, IMO, simply by preaching "we don't do that anymore" to the naive), I find it unlikely they'll survive the negative PR and parents pulling their kids out left and right. I have no doubt the program's spin machine is in overdrive right now trying to convince all their parents that these are just a few disgruntled liars who "failed" their program. As good as programs are at spinning things, I doubt even Whooter himself could talk parents out of pulling their kids at this point. Even if one or two buy it, all it takes is a sizable percentage to send the program firmly into the red. Furthermore, I have no doubt this letter, if circulated widely enough, would have a significant effect on enrollment.
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Psy, I used to be that optimistic. But that's not how it works with WWASPS (whose "schools" have been closed repeatedly) and that's not how it will work here.
My best guess is that the so-called parents will allow Aspen to move their children to some other shithole until it "blows over" and simply refuse to believe anything except what Aspen feeds them. If the license is revoked, Aspen will just re-open MBA again under another name, unless DHS sees it in advance. If DHS continues in this vein, Aspen will probably GTFO Oregon and move as much of their operations to Idaho or Utah as they can.
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Psy, I used to be that optimistic. But that's not how it works with WWASPS (whose "schools" have been closed repeatedly) and that's not how it will work here.
My best guess is that the so-called parents will allow Aspen to move their children to some other shithole until it "blows over" and simply refuse to believe anything except what Aspen feeds them. If the license is revoked, Aspen will just re-open MBA again under another name, unless DHS sees it in advance. If DHS continues in this vein, Aspen will probably GTFO Oregon and move as much of their operations to Idaho or Utah as they can.
Unfortunately, I agree that even though Mt. Bachelor Academy is probably dead, the program will survive in some way. Just like when CEDU got shut down and a few hardcore staffers went and started all of those clones, I imagine that there are people at MBA who just love abusing children so much that they will relocate under a different name to do it. During attack groups, during lifesteps when they were breaking people down until they cried, they fucking LOVED it. They get an emotional high off of doing it. They're so sure that it's the right thing to do that some will continue doing it for the rest of their professional careers.
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Psy, I used to be that optimistic. But that's not how it works with WWASPS (whose "schools" have been closed repeatedly) and that's not how it will work here.
My best guess is that the so-called parents will allow Aspen to move their children to some other shithole until it "blows over" and simply refuse to believe anything except what Aspen feeds them. If the license is revoked, Aspen will just re-open MBA again under another name, unless DHS sees it in advance. If DHS continues in this vein, Aspen will probably GTFO Oregon and move as much of their operations to Idaho or Utah as they can.
Who knows. You make good points. It could go either way. Still. Just because something is difficult doesn't mean you just give up. This will put pressure on the program and create public awareness. It might even shed some light on the all-elusive seminar scripts if they eventually become part of public record which could lead to all sorts of things. If everything in that letter is true, somebody is sitting on a veritable treasure trove of information (hopefully most of or all of which will soon become public).
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Unfortunately, I agree that even though Mt. Bachelor Academy is probably dead, the program will survive in some way. Just like when CEDU got shut down and a few hardcore staffers went and started all of those clones, I imagine that there are people at MBA who just love abusing children so much that they will relocate under a different name to do it. During attack groups, during lifesteps when they were breaking people down until they cried, they fucking LOVED it. They get an emotional high off of doing it. They're so sure that it's the right thing to do that some will continue doing it for the rest of their professional careers.
Right. And try convincing some of them that what they've been doing to kids their entire career has caused immeasurable harm. That guilt keeps the vast, vast, majority from even facing that possibility.
I also wouldn't call MBA dead just yet. It's a good possibility, yes, but this information still needs to be properly publicized to reach the right audiences such as prospective parents. It matters little if abuse is substantiated if nobody knows about it. Don't count your chickens... Keep the pressure on.
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The one thing that needs to be mentioned is criminal prosecution.
When DHS already has substantiated claims of child abuse, it's time for the criminal justice system to get involved. Anyone going to that hearing and able to speak on the subject should demand criminal prosecution of everyone at MBA who engaged or allowed this to happen, *particularly* the senior staff. This is no-bullshit sexual abuse, which means long prison terms and a place on the sex offender registry.
Considering what happened at Sagewalk, there is also grounds for a serious conspiracy (as defined in law, not to be confused with conspiracy theories) case against Aspen.
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I think that we all realize that it doesn’t really matter whether Mount Bachelor is found innocent or guilty. The name and reputation is what is important and whether or not they can still market under the name and still bring the kids in. If their name gets damaged to the point where they can no longer lure in customers then they will close on their own and open up somewhere else under a new title. Its business in its purest form.
Think about trying to snuff out drugs. It cant be done as long as there are customers. If there are people willing to buy heroin then it will find its way into the community and there will be people willing and able to sell it to you. Is this the drug dealers fault? The fault of the farmer who grows the stuff? Or the kid who is buying it?
There is a need for programs and if Mount Bachelor folds then they will open up somewhere else because they are needed. If they dont reopen then someone else will until there are too many programs and too many empty beds and no one shows up anymore. Until that time programs will prosper and they will be here long after you and I are dead.
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What matters is that Aspen abuses and neglects children, as the state of Oregon found in their investigation.
That's all that matters. Aspen has been found in violation of Oregon child abuse laws. They are child abusers. They deserve to rot in jail and I hope they do.
But the critical point her is that Whooter, who has incessantly said Asen is safe and effective, has pooped his pants again and the Oregon DHS report proves he is a liar. Plain and simple.
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What matters is that Aspen abuses and neglects children, as the state of Oregon found in their investigation..
Like you said yourself, Oregon. If your logic states that all programs are the same and every child benefits at the same level then we can also conclude that all Aspen programs are 100% effective because I know someone who is doing extremely well. If one person has benifited from their program then they all have. So based on this logic we can anticipate the industry to expand over the next decade and continue to provide effective services.
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What matters is that Aspen abuses and neglects children, as the state of Oregon found in their investigation.
That's all that matters. Aspen has been found in violation of Oregon child abuse laws. They are child abusers. They deserve to rot in jail and I hope they do.
But the critical point her is that Whooter, who has incessantly said Aspen is safe and effective, has pooped his pants again and the Oregon DHS report proves he is a liar. Plain and simple.
This is exactly right. Oregon found Aspens PROGRAM to be abusive. So wherever they implement that PROGRAM, children are being abused, by definition. So, yes, wherever Aspen is operating a PROGRAM, they are abusing children because their PROGRAM is abusive by legal definition.
That's the great thing about the Orgeon investigation. They found that it was the very MODEL that Aspen bases all of their programs on that is abusive and that the employees there did not intervene to protect the children from the abuse they were suffering.
I guess what the previous poster is trying to say is that he or she believes Aspens method of sexually degrading humiliation helps kids. I guess he or she is entitled to their opinion, but it's a stupid opinion and dead wrong.
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Per MBA's website, let's not forget the responsibility of "Educational Consultants like Alice Jackson, Virginia Reiss, Miriam Bodin, Anita Targan, Martha Kolbe, Diane Albrecht, Teri Solochek, Ann Carol Price, and Paula Feldman." These so-called experts should be held accountable. If only by naming them here--but I hope not only.
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What matters is that Aspen abuses and neglects children, as the state of Oregon found in their investigation..
Like you said yourself, Oregon. If your logic states that all programs are the same and every child benefits at the same level then we can also conclude that all Aspen programs are 100% effective because I know someone who is doing extremely well. If one person has benifited from their program then they all have. So based on this logic we can anticipate the industry to expand over the next decade and continue to provide effective services.
You really nailed it. great post, not sure what I can add.
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I think that we all realize that it doesn’t really matter whether Mount Bachelor is found innocent or guilty. The name and reputation is what is important and whether or not they can still market under the name and still bring the kids in. If their name gets damaged to the point where they can no longer lure in customers then they will close on their own and open up somewhere else under a new title. Its business in its purest form.
Sadly, I'm pretty sure you're right about that. I'd like to see MBA, like any similar program, taken to task and shown to the world for what it is, but like you imply, it's an obstacle that is very easily dealt with. That being said, the cumulative effect from all these program closures reflects badly on Aspen as a whole, not to mention the entire industry. You may win the battle, but so long as these things keep happening, you may very well lose the greater PR war. Then again, people are almost infinitely capable of forgetting history and choosing to believe their kids are save when a program presents a "too good to be true" final solution to the "teenage" problem.
Tip: to survive you're going to have to start eating your own.
Think about trying to snuff out drugs. It cant be done as long as there are customers. If there are people willing to buy heroin then it will find its way into the community and there will be people willing and able to sell it to you. Is this the drug dealers fault? The fault of the farmer who grows the stuff? Or the kid who is buying it?
The responsibility ultimately lands with whoever buys it. The fact that it's available to kids, however, is only facilitated by it's black market nature. In that respect I agree with you. Government prohibition of something or even strict regulation can often make a bad problem worse. As I see it, the same applies to programs. All making something illegal will do is give parents a false sense of security. "bad" programs don't care about the law as it is. Just like gun free zones don't actually physically stop that one gun from entry, the "bad" program will take advantage of the "we're abuse free, govt. promises!" status to lure more parents in while continuing to do exactly what they were doing, and worse. I have no faith in the competence of government officials to investigate these programs, not be fooled, and come up with a case that will stick. That's something that in my mind is better left to civil law. Lawsuits have done and will continue to do wonders against programs who misrepresent themselves and mistreat their patients/students/detainees/whatever.
There is a need for programs and if Mount Bachelor folds then they will open up somewhere else because they are needed.
Why is it this "need" does not exist in europe? Could it be there really isn't any "need" other than in the minds of those in marketing, or those who truly believe in the program. There is objective reality and the fact that kids do just fine in Europe without these programs lends credence to the theory that there really isn't any need for these programs at all. It's a want. It's a luxury for parents who would rather not deal with their kids problems or are unwilling to let them take their own path in life, whatever that may be... Of course the idea that teens have rights is heretical to many parents.
If they dont reopen then someone else will until there are too many programs and too many empty beds and no one shows up anymore. Until that time programs will prosper and they will be here long after you and I are dead.
That I don't believe. There are several scenarios I can see: as you imply, the "PR" greater scheme war can be lost so badly that parents can begin to see that putting their kids in any program is playing russian roulette. Not all parents have to be convinced. If the demand drops low enough, the individual programs will not be able to sustain themselves. There are minimum operating costs. An alternative scenario is that teens are someday federally granted the right to refuse treatment, or even something more. Going after the legality of escort services could also have a heavy impact. There are many possible end-game scenarios.
Programs may never cease to exist entirely, just as cults will never cease to exist entirely (and by extension, non professional therapy cults). However, an atmosphere can be created which is so hostile towards them that other ventures are easier and far more profitable to enter into.
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For what it's worth, an example of how regulation that requires all programs to be licensed by an appropriate licensing agency to operate has now at least for the moment closed two Aspen programs in one state. The language in H.R. 911 is based off of the language in Oregon statute. Of course having the agency responsible for licensing not being in bed with the programs it licenses helps. If Sagewalk or MBA were in Utah or Montana or Idaho, chances are they would still be open, certainly at least Montana and Idaho (even Ken Stettler might have a hard time ignoring the death of student).
Still a lot of work to do, but it might be worth putting in some calls to the folks who do license programs in states where Aspen has a program to inform them that Aspen has had to shutter the doors of at least three programs due to substantiated or alleged abuse and criminal misconduct. Might be worth their time to make an unannounced inspection.
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(even Ken Stettler might have a hard time ignoring the death of student)
:rofl: :rofl: :roflmao: Good one! He won't ignore it so much as paper everything over and pretend that justice was done and that parents can still send their kids to Utah, what could possibly go wrong?
Still a lot of work to do, but it might be worth putting in some calls to the folks who do license programs in states where Aspen has a program to inform them that Aspen has had to shutter the doors of at least three programs due to substantiated or alleged abuse and criminal misconduct. Might be worth their time to make an unannounced inspection.
Pennsylvania. Still reeling from the juvenile-justice exposure means that they're a lot less likely to buy the shit. If we get video of the hearings, they should receive a copy, complete with a list of all the other facilities Aspen/CRC owns there.
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Sadly, I'm pretty sure you're right about that. I'd like to see MBA, like any similar program, taken to task and shown to the world for what it is, but like you imply, it's an obstacle that is very easily dealt with. That being said, the cumulative effect from all these program closures reflects badly on Aspen as a whole, not to mention the entire industry. You may win the battle, but so long as these things keep happening, you may very well lose the greater PR war. Then again, people are almost infinitely capable of forgetting history and choosing to believe their kids are save when a program presents a "too good to be true" final solution to the "teenage" problem.
People forget, plus parents are only in this freight mode and have a need for the service for a few months.... the window of opportunity is small. Everyone is new to it, no matter what year it is!! Programs market themselves as new and improved so that cancels out any bad history.
The responsibility ultimately lands with whoever buys it. The fact that it's available to kids, however, is only facilitated by it's black market nature. In that respect I agree with you. Government prohibition of something or even strict regulation can often make a bad problem worse. As I see it, the same applies to programs. All making something illegal will do is give parents a false sense of security. "bad" programs don't care about the law as it is. Just like gun free zones don't actually physically stop that one gun from entry, the "bad" program will take advantage of the "we're abuse free, govt. promises!" status to lure more parents in while continuing to do exactly what they were doing, and worse. I have no faith in the competence of government officials to investigate these programs, not be fooled, and come up with a case that will stick. That's something that in my mind is better left to civil law. Lawsuits have done and will continue to do wonders against programs who misrepresent themselves and mistreat their patients/students/detainees/whatever.
Programs have a need to continue to operate the same way. Regulation or laws will serve merely as an obstacle and they are something programs need to work around not work with. Similar to seat belts, air bags, emissions etc. The car industry isn’t enthused about adding these. They add cost and customers are not willing to pay extra for them so they need to be forced thru regulation to install them. If people could reduce the price by leaving airbags out many would. Ford and Chevy are not doing us any favors or really care if we live or not.
Actually programs which are not regulated are more exposed to lawsuits. Regulation adds a protection within the court system because the government may be responsible if they missed something on one of their inspections, so the courts are cautious about exposing the government to law suits.
Why is it this "need" does not exist in europe? Could it be there really isn't any "need" other than in the minds of those in marketing, or those who truly believe in the program. There is objective reality and the fact that kids do just fine in Europe without these programs lends credence to the theory that there really isn't any need for these programs at all. It's a want. It's a luxury for parents who would rather not deal with their kids problems or are unwilling to let them take their own path in life, whatever that may be... Of course the idea that teens have rights is heretical to many parents.
I never gave this much thought except when listening to Oscar and how the Danes encourage their teens to drink and get drunk. They are now seeing a big problem ahead with alcoholism reaching very high levels compared to other European countries. This will take its toll eventually. It could be that the US has a nice safety net in its welfare system. So everyone gets taken care of. Maybe in Europe it is more “Sink or swim” mentality... if you really fuck up your life then you will be living on the streets so the kids dont wander too far down the path and mature more quickly or get on track.... but I really dont know.. just a guess. You probably know better since you lived on both continents.
That I don't believe. There are several scenarios I can see: as you imply, the "PR" greater scheme war can be lost so badly that parents can begin to see that putting their kids in any program is playing russian roulette. Not all parents have to be convinced. If the demand drops low enough, the individual programs will not be able to sustain themselves. There are minimum operating costs. An alternative scenario is that teens are someday federally granted the right to refuse treatment, or even something more. Going after the legality of escort services could also have a heavy impact. There are many possible end-game scenarios.
No, I think we are ahead of the curve here. Europe will end up paying the price for not responding to reduced productivity, lower competitiveness and general erosion of the quality of their products. The immerging generation will not be prepared to compete or will have too many in need of rehab services which will drain the government sponsored programs. Programs may not be the answer but I do believe there is a problem and just ignoring it and allowing the kids to take their own path isn’t going to work in all cases.
If programs were outlawed tomorrow something would still need to be done. This isn’t a non problem. Maybe one parent would need to quit work and focus more on the family and have all of us scale back economically. This would be a huge burden on the economy and will not happen on its own unless there is a collapse of some sort where we all have to start over and rethink certain values.
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What matters is that Aspen abuses and neglects children, as the state of Oregon found in their investigation.
That's all that matters. Aspen has been found in violation of Oregon child abuse laws. They are child abusers. They deserve to rot in jail and I hope they do.
But the critical point her is that Whooter, who has incessantly said Asen is safe and effective, has pooped his pants again and the Oregon DHS report proves he is a liar. Plain and simple.
These are words of wisdom. Businesses built on abusing children like Aspen Education should be exposed and shut down.
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Mount Bachelor Academy Ordered to Temporarily Close
11/3/09
By Rachel Azevedo
http://kohd.com/news/local/147574 (http://kohd.com/news/local/147574)
A seven month investigation by the Oregon Department of Human Services finds nine substantited findings of child abuse. Now the State has ordered a temporary closure of Mount Bachelor Academy, a therapeutic boarding school located 26 miles east of Prineville.
"We are asking parents to begin making arrangements for their children to leave, to be removed, from Mount Bachelor Academy," said Gene Evans, DHS public information officer.
The investigation began after DHS received complaints of abuse back in March. At the time, there were about 90 students from 14 to 17 years old. Mount Bachelor Academy is licensed as a therapeutic boarding school.
"A therapeutic boarding school, under the state license, can provide services for students who have a range of issues; behavioral issues or mental health issues," said Evans.
According to documents released by DHS, allegations initially stemmed from five students and focused on a mandatory program called "lifesteps." Some of the activities required students to reenact past traumatic events, including prior physical or sexual abuse. The investigation revealed all areas of instruction created an immediate threat to all students.
Mount Bachelor Academy issued a statement to KOHD, saying quote:
"We vigorously disagree with the state's findings... [The allegations are] not only erroneous but also create an unnecessary burden of distress and disruption for our students... We are quickly and aggressively pursuing legal options, including the possibility of a temporary restraining order."
The academy says it will request a formal hearing to contest the suspenstion. It has 90 days to implement new program guidelines in a dozen areas including behavior management and therapeutic services.
Mount Bachelor Academy is part of Aspen Educational Group which also runs SageWalk, the wilderness school based in Redmond that's currently under investigation for criminal death of a student who died while in the school's care.
November 2, 2009
Background Information: Mt. Bachelor Academy
Children, Adults and Families Division, Oregon Department of Human Services
Investigations conducted by the Oregon Department of Human Services at Mt. Bachelor Academy (MBA), a therapeutic boarding school located near Prineville, have resulted in nine substantiated findings of child abuse and neglect against the school's leadership and therapeutic program.
As a result of the abuse investigation and violations of Oregon's licensing standards, the state has ordered Mt. Bachelor Academy to temporarily cease all therapeutic, educational and residential services to children until further notice.
The abuse and neglect findings centered on the program as a whole, as well as the school's Executive Director, and involved five children who attended Mt. Bachelor Academy during 2007-2009. The results of the investigation are being provided to local law enforcement officials.
The investigation was conducted by the Office of Investigation and Training (OIT) at DHS. Investigators with OIT reported that all students at MBA were required to participate in "emotional growth" workshops, called Lifesteps, which included activities that were coercive, intimidating and humiliating -- including sexualized role play and reenactment of past traumatic events, such as prior physical or sexual abuse.
While the initial reports described concerns about Lifesteps, the investigation ultimately revealed serious safety concerns about MBA's curriculum and program as a whole. The experience of the five students was consistent with that of other children enrolled at the school. The report concluded that the experiences of "these five youth are exemplars of the program's treatment of its students as a whole."
As a result of the OIT investigation, DHS Children, Adults and Families Residential Treatment Services and Licensing found violations of state licensing standards for therapeutic boarding schools, and state officials will require MBA to cease providing therapeutic, educational and residential services to children.
The licensing program determined in its investigation that there are conditions present that immediately endanger the health and safety of the children enrolled at MBA. The program found that MBA's methods of educational instruction, emotional and behavioral intervention and daily interaction with students create an immediate threat which places all children at risk of harm.
Further, the investigation revealed that MBA has subjected children to Lifestep workshops as a therapy technique that is harmful and damaging to their health or welfare. In addition, that MBA has not provided the therapeutic treatment necessary for children to overcome or improve with substance abuse issues, mental health issues, eating disorders and other issues, nor provided qualified staff to treat such conditions.
The substantiated incidents of abuse or neglect are shown below:
Mt. Bachelor Academy Executive Director neglected the care of four children by failing to ensure individualized and therapeutic treatment plans were developed to address past abuse and significant emotional and behavioral issues.
The Mount Bachelor Academy program abused a child in 2007 by requiring the child to engage in sexualized role play in front of staff and peers.
The Mount Bachelor program abused a second child in 2009 by requiring the child to make obscene and self-degrading comments out loud, in front of staff and peers. In addition, the Mount Bachelor program neglected the same child during 2008-2009 by failing to provide adequate medical care and supervision.
The Mount Bachelor Academy program neglected a third child in 2009, by failing to provide adequate supervision during an international trip.
The Mount Bachelor Academy program abused a fourth child in 2008 by requiring the child to engage in degrading activities such as acting out sexualized role play and physical abuse, and by being subjected to obscene and degrading comments by staff in front of other staff and peers.
The Mount Bachelor Academy program abused a fifth child during 2009 by requiring and/or permitting staff to use derogatory names, phrases, ridicule and harassment.
The Mount Bachelor Academy program neglected five children between 2007 and 2009 by failing to provide individualized treatment to meet their diagnosed mental health needs.
The Mount Bachelor Academy program abused five children between 2007 and 2009 by requiring them to engage in activities that were coercive, intimidating, harassing, and/or humiliating.
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."
Today's report also includes a substantiated allegation of child abuse against the Executive Director of MBA as "the individual responsible for delivery of therapeutic care to MBA students." In that role, the Executive Director "administers through staff an ‘emotional growth' curriculum in which all students must participate regardless of their emotional, behavioral or mental health needs, and regardless of their own trauma histories. This curriculum is delivered by staff who are not trained to treat the broad range of issues the children bring, and who routinely degrade and humiliate them." The report concludes that the Executive Director, "knew or should have known what happens to students in [the] program."
Mt. Bachelor Academy is a licensed Therapeutic Boarding School, located in a rural area, 26 miles east of Prineville, Oregon, licensed originally in 1988. The school admits both male and female students who are from age 14 to 17.5 at the time of admission, although some children are admitted pursuant to an exception as young as age 13. The total capacity is 125 students and the average length of stay is 14-16 months. Tuition is $6,400 a month with an additional up front, one time $2,200 enrollment fee. Other service fees are not included. In 2008, Mt. Bachelor was reorganized and became a program of Aspen Education Group. Aspen was recently acquired by CRC Health Group, Inc. In March of 2009, MBA had approximately 77 staff and 88 boarding students.
Last March, the state received reports of child abuse against Mt. Bachelor Academy, initially concerning the Lifesteps program at MBA. OIT is a division of DHS that investigates allegations of abuse by paid staff in various therapeutic or treatment settings, and OIT handled the investigation of the reports of abuse at MBA. There were two investigators primarily assigned to go to Prineville and interview people on campus. In addition, the office used three other investigators to conduct witness interviews of people in- and out-of-state. The investigators conducted interviews involving 65 witnesses, including MBA students and staff, along with licensed therapists familiar with individual students. Investigators consulted with a medical expert certified in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, and they reviewed documents and photographed materials used as part of the MBA therapy program.
At the same time, the DHS Licensing program investigated standards for health and safety and looked at the school's compliance with Oregon Administrative Rules related to their license as a therapeutic boarding school. Licensing notified MBA that they were prohibited from conducting their own investigation into the allegations of abuse reported to have occurred; prohibited from destroying or otherwise concealing school or student records; prohibited from disciplining or threatening discipline to students interviewed during the investigation; prohibited from conducting Lifesteps activities until further notice. Parents of students were notified of the investigation.
A "Therapeutic boarding school" is a program that is primarily a school and not a residential care agency (as defined in OAR 413-215-0506). Therapeutic boarding schools are licensed to provide both educational services and care to children for 24 hours a day and hold themselves out as serving children with emotional or behavioral problems by providing therapeutic services or assuring that children receive therapeutic services.
Statement from Sharon Bitz, Executive Director, Mount Bachelor Academy
Mount Bachelor Academy is deeply disappointed by the ruling of the Oregon Department of Human Services to temporarily cease all therapeutic, educational and residential services at the program.
We vigorously disagree with the state's findings. This surprising action, following seven months of cooperative work by Mount Bachelor with the state since the allegations surfaced, is not only erroneous but also creates an unnecessary burden of distress and disruption for our students and their families.
As a result, we are quickly and aggressively pursuing legal options, including the possibility of a Temporary Restraining Order request. A TRO would at the very least give our families additional time to make orderly and appropriate arrangements for any child in need of immediate therapeutic services.
In addition, we are analyzing the details of the state report, and will request a formal hearing to contest the suspension order.
For over 20 years, Mount Bachelor Academy has enjoyed a solid reputation as a quality, accredited therapeutic boarding school for teens with behavioral, emotional or motivational problems or special learning needs.
We remain proud of Mount Bachelor's record of life-changing, positive results for young people in our care, and confident in the professional conduct of our staff and leadership who have committed their careers to making a difference in the lives of young people and their families. Mount Bachelor has been recognized for comprehensive therapeutic best practices and safety protocols, and has independent verification of its success through participation in third-party outcome studies with oversight by the Western Institutional Review Board.
Throughout the state inquiry, we have been heartened by the overwhelming support from Mount Bachelor Academy alumni and current students and families. More than 100 individual letters and a letter with roughly 200 signatures were filed with the Oregon DHS in support of our school.
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Oregon DHS shuts Mt. Bachelor Academy
Posted: Nov 3, 2009 07:59 PM CST
Last Updated: Nov 3, 2009 08:21 PM CST
http://www.ktvz.com/Global/story.asp?S=11438297 (http://www.ktvz.com/Global/story.asp?S=11438297)
State claims Mt. Bachelor Academy investigation "revealed serious safety concerns" about curriculum, program
Seven-month investigation finds 'child abuse, neglect'; 'temporary closure ... until further notice'
From KTVZ.COM news sources
The Oregon Department of Human Services has concluded a seven-month investigation into the programs of Mt. Bachelor Academy by ordering immediate closure of the specialty boarding school for troubled teens east of Prineville, accusing it of "abuse and neglect," and "serious violations of Oregon's licensing standards."
The closure of the school (http://www.mtba.com/ (http://www.mtba.com/)) was deemed "temporary" in the announcement, but will continue "until further notice.:
"It's another major blow to the parent Aspen Education Group (www.aspeneducation.com (http://www.aspeneducation.com)), which is dealing with an investigation of its Redmond-based SageWalk Wilderness School after a student died on a wilderness hike earlier this year.
Here is the full text of information about the Mt. Bchelor Academy investigation, provided late Tuesday by the state:
Mt. Bachelor Academy has been under investigation by the Department of Human Services Office of Investigations and Training (OIT) since March 2009, due to allegations of abuse. The OIT investigation is now complete and resulted in nine substantiated findings of child abuse and neglect against both the school's leadership and the therapeutic boarding school as a whole.
The DHS investigation revealed abuse and neglect, as well as serious violations of Oregon's licensing standards. As a result, DHS has determined that there is a serious and immediate health or safety risk to the children and Mt. Bachelor Academy. At this time, parents are being asked to begin making arrangements for their children to be removed from the Mt. Bachelor Academy.
November 2, 2009
Background Information: Mt. Bachelor Academy
Children, Adults and Families Division, Oregon Department of Human Services
Investigations conducted by the Oregon Department of Human Services at Mt. Bachelor Academy (MBA), a therapeutic boarding school located near Prineville, have resulted in nine substantiated findings of child abuse and neglect against the school's leadership and therapeutic program.
As a result of the abuse investigation and violations of Oregon's licensing standards, the state has ordered Mt. Bachelor Academy to temporarily cease all therapeutic, educational and residential services to children until further notice.
The abuse and neglect findings centered on the program as a whole, as well as the school's Executive Director, and involved five children who attended Mt. Bachelor Academy during 2007-2009. The results of the investigation are being provided to local law enforcement officials.
The investigation was conducted by the Office of Investigation and Training (OIT) at DHS. Investigators with OIT reported that all students at MBA were required to participate in "emotional growth" workshops, called Lifesteps, which included activities that were coercive, intimidating and humiliating -- including sexualized role play and reenactment of past traumatic events, such as prior physical or sexual abuse.
While the initial reports described concerns about Lifesteps, the investigation ultimately revealed serious safety concerns about MBA's curriculum and program as a whole. The experience of the five students was consistent with that of other children enrolled at the school. The report concluded that the experiences of "these five youth are exemplars of the program's treatment of its students as a whole."
As a result of the OIT investigation, DHS Children, Adults and Families Residential Treatment Services and Licensing found violations of state licensing standards for therapeutic boarding schools, and state officials will require MBA to cease providing therapeutic, educational and residential services to children.
The licensing program determined in its investigation that there are conditions present that immediately endanger the health and safety of the children enrolled at MBA. The program found that MBA's methods of educational instruction, emotional and behavioral intervention and daily interaction with students create an immediate threat which places all children at risk of harm.
Further, the investigation revealed that MBA has subjected children to Lifestep workshops as a therapy technique that is harmful and damaging to their health or welfare. In addition, that MBA has not provided the therapeutic treatment necessary for children to overcome or improve with substance abuse issues, mental health issues, eating disorders and other issues, nor provided qualified staff to treat such conditions.
The substantiated incidents of abuse or neglect are shown below:
Mt. Bachelor Academy Executive Director neglected the care of four children by failing to ensure individualized and therapeutic treatment plans were developed to address past abuse and significant emotional and behavioral issues.
The Mount Bachelor Academy program abused a child in 2007 by requiring the child to engage in sexualized role play in front of staff and peers.
The Mount Bachelor program abused a second child in 2009 by requiring the child to make obscene and self-degrading comments out loud, in front of staff and peers. In addition, the Mount Bachelor program neglected the same child during 2008-2009 by failing to provide adequate medical care and supervision.
The Mount Bachelor Academy program neglected a third child in 2009, by failing to provide adequate supervision during an international trip.
The Mount Bachelor Academy program abused a fourth child in 2008 by requiring the child to engage in degrading activities such as acting out sexualized role play and physical abuse, and by being subjected to obscene and degrading comments by staff in front of other staff and peers.
The Mount Bachelor Academy program abused a fifth child during 2009 by requiring and/or permitting staff to use derogatory names, phrases, ridicule and harassment.
The Mount Bachelor Academy program neglected five children between 2007 and 2009 by failing to provide individualized treatment to meet their diagnosed mental health needs.
The Mount Bachelor Academy program abused five children between 2007 and 2009 by requiring them to engage in activities that were coercive, intimidating, harassing, and/or humiliating.
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."
Today's report also includes a substantiated allegation of child abuse against the Executive Director of MBA as "the individual responsible for delivery of therapeutic care to MBA students." In that role, the Executive Director "administers through staff an ‘emotional growth' curriculum in which all students must participate regardless of their emotional, behavioral or mental health needs, and regardless of their own trauma histories. This curriculum is delivered by staff who are not trained to treat the broad range of issues the children bring, and who routinely degrade and humiliate them." The report concludes that the Executive Director, "knew or should have known what happens to students in [the] program."
Mt. Bachelor Academy is a licensed Therapeutic Boarding School, located in a rural area, 26 miles east of Prineville, Oregon, licensed originally in 1988. The school admits both male and female students who are from age 14 to 17.5 at the time of admission, although some children are admitted pursuant to an exception as young as age 13. The total capacity is 125 students and the average length of stay is 14-16 months. Tuition is $6,400 a month with an additional up front, one time $2,200 enrollment fee. Other service fees are not included. In 2008, Mt. Bachelor was reorganized and became a program of Aspen Education Group. Aspen was recently acquired by CRC Health Group, Inc. In March of 2009, MBA had approximately 77 staff and 88 boarding students.
Last March, the state received reports of child abuse against Mt. Bachelor Academy, initially concerning the Lifesteps program at MBA. OIT is a division of DHS that investigates allegations of abuse by paid staff in various therapeutic or treatment settings, and OIT handled the investigation of the reports of abuse at MBA. There were two investigators primarily assigned to go to Prineville and interview people on campus. In addition, the office used three other investigators to conduct witness interviews of people in- and out-of-state. The investigators conducted interviews involving 65 witnesses, including MBA students and staff, along with licensed therapists familiar with individual students. Investigators consulted with a medical expert certified in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, and they reviewed documents and photographed materials used as part of the MBA therapy program.
At the same time, the DHS Licensing program investigated standards for health and safety and looked at the school's compliance with Oregon Administrative Rules related to their license as a therapeutic boarding school. Licensing notified MBA that they were prohibited from conducting their own investigation into the allegations of abuse reported to have occurred; prohibited from destroying or otherwise concealing school or student records; prohibited from disciplining or threatening discipline to students interviewed during the investigation; prohibited from conducting Lifesteps activities until further notice. Parents of students were notified of the investigation.
A "Therapeutic boarding school" is a program that is primarily a school and not a residential care agency (as defined in OAR 413-215-0506). Therapeutic boarding schools are licensed to provide both educational services and care to children for 24 hours a day and hold themselves out as serving children with emotional or behavioral problems by providing therapeutic services or assuring that children receive therapeutic services.
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The investigation was conducted by the Office of Investigation and Training (OIT) at DHS. Investigators with OIT reported that all students at MBA were required to participate in "emotional growth" workshops, called Lifesteps, which included activities that were coercive, intimidating and humiliating -- including sexualized role play and reenactment of past traumatic events, such as prior physical or sexual abuse.
Further, the investigation revealed that MBA has subjected children to Lifestep workshops as a therapy technique that is harmful and damaging to their health or welfare. In addition, that MBA has not provided the therapeutic treatment necessary for children to overcome or improve with substance abuse issues, mental health issues, eating disorders and other issues, nor provided qualified staff to treat such conditions.
Also known as "Psychodrama" by some folks...
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The investigation was conducted by the Office of Investigation and Training (OIT) at DHS. Investigators with OIT reported that all students at MBA were required to participate in "emotional growth" workshops, called Lifesteps, which included activities that were coercive, intimidating and humiliating -- including sexualized role play and reenactment of past traumatic events, such as prior physical or sexual abuse.
Further, the investigation revealed that MBA has subjected children to Lifestep workshops as a therapy technique that is harmful and damaging to their health or welfare. In addition, that MBA has not provided the therapeutic treatment necessary for children to overcome or improve with substance abuse issues, mental health issues, eating disorders and other issues, nor provided qualified staff to treat such conditions.
Also known as "Psychodrama" by some folks...
Nothing inherently wrong with Psychodrama. Like every other potenitally useful thing, the program bastardizes it. You never ask a rape victim to reinact the rape as the VICTIM.
The state needs to be made aware that this is nothing new, but has been the foundation of industry "treatment" since its inception.
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The investigation was conducted by the Office of Investigation and Training (OIT) at DHS. Investigators with OIT reported that all students at MBA were required to participate in "emotional growth" workshops, called Lifesteps, which included activities that were coercive, intimidating and humiliating -- including sexualized role play and reenactment of past traumatic events, such as prior physical or sexual abuse.
Further, the investigation revealed that MBA has subjected children to Lifestep workshops as a therapy technique that is harmful and damaging to their health or welfare. In addition, that MBA has not provided the therapeutic treatment necessary for children to overcome or improve with substance abuse issues, mental health issues, eating disorders and other issues, nor provided qualified staff to treat such conditions.
Also known as "Psychodrama" by some folks...
Nothing inherently wrong with Psychodrama. Like every other potenitally useful thing, the program bastardizes it. You never ask a rape victim to reinact the rape as the VICTIM.
The state needs to be made aware that this is nothing new, but has been the foundation of industry "treatment" since its inception.
Psychodrama ... is a tool, like many a tool, that came out of the last century of psychological developments. Like any tool, the wielder affects the final outcome to a great degree. That Mount Bachelor Academy bastardizes it to the extreme almost goes without saying.
It is also, by definition, necessarily used in group work. Some people just don't do well in groups. Period. It would never be therapeutic for them, even under the best of conditions. Yet it is a required part of the program for everyone, at MBA.
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The main point is that state officials, for the first time, are characterizing Aspen's program as child abuse. They stated that ALL children at Aspen were abused, continuously, methodically and repeatedly. Finally, a state investigation has found that Aspen's entire approach is in fact organized child abuse. It's time for other states to pick this up and start shutting down all Aspen facilities in all states because their program is legally defined as child abuse for cash.
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School poses a threat to children, say investigators
State probe confirms reports of child abuse, rules violations at Prineville-area campus
By Keith Chu / The Bulletin
Published: November 04. 2009 4:00AM PST
http://www.bendbulletin.com/apps/pbcs.d ... ory=NEWS01 (http://www.bendbulletin.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20091104/NEWS0107/911040390/1001/NEWS01&nav_category=NEWS01)
Mount Bachelor Academy, an alternative high school near Prineville, was ordered to immediately suspend classes on Tuesday morning, following a state investigation that confirmed nine allegations of child abuse and neglect and more than a dozen violations of state rules.
In its report, the state Department of Human Services found abusive practices at the school — including sexualized role playing in front of other students, sleep deprivation and extended manual labor as punishment — that were first reported by The Bulletin in April and denied by school administrators at the time.
The violations by Mount Bachelor Academy “establishes that MBA poses a serious danger to public health or safety of children at MBA and that MBA should not be permitted to continue operating as a therapeutic boarding school for children,” the state order read.
Mount Bachelor Academy is a private school for troubled teens, located about 26 miles east of Prineville in a remote part of Crook County. As of March, the school was home to 88 students and employed more than 75 staff. Tuition at the time was $6,400 per month.
The state ordered an emergency license suspension, writing that “effective immediately you must stop providing all services, educational or therapeutic, to children until further order of DHS.”
It also cited the school’s executive director, Sharon Bitz, for failing to prevent the violations.
Neither Bitz nor Kristen Hayes, the communications director for MBA’s parent company, Aspen Education Group, returned calls seeking comment about the order. Aspen is owned by Cupertino, Calif.-based CRC Health Group, Inc.
In Central Oregon, the company owns New Leaf Academy, a boarding school for middle school girls; NorthStar Center, a treatment center for young adults age “17.6-24,” and SageWalk, a wilderness school for troubled teens based in Redmond. SageWalk activities are also the subject of a criminal investigation following the death of student in August.
The MBA allegations
According to state investigators, the worst abuses occurred during student therapy workshops, called Lifesteps, which were “punitive, humiliating, degrading and traumatizing,” the report said. In the Lifesteps, and elsewhere, the MBA curriculum “included, but was not limited to, sexualized role play in front of staff and peers, requiring students to say derogatory phrases about themselves in front of staff and peers, requiring students to re-enact past physical abuse in front of staff and peers, permitting staff to engage in the usage of derogatory names, phrases and ridicule of students and deprivation of sleep.”
In March, a former MBA student told The Bulletin that she was made to dress up in a revealing French maid outfit and act out promiscuous behavior — including giving lap dances to male students, as part of one Lifestep. Many other former students, dating back more than a decade, recounted similar stories about role playing, sleep deprivation and stringent punishment.
Among the 18 total allegations in the state report, investigators said the school broke state rules by:
• Requiring students to engage in strenuous work projects and camping alone on an island in “inclement weather conditions” as punishment for bad behavior.
• Censoring phone calls to parents as a way to control behavior. Students weren’t allowed to tell parents about what went on in Lifesteps and other “emotional growth” curriculum.
• Using bans, where students weren’t allowed to talk, touch or look at others for a week or more, as punishment.
• Failing to develop individual treatment for students, depending on their mental health or substance abuse issues.
• Failing to provide trained therapeutic staff to meet the needs of students. The school had no staff member qualified to treat substance abuse or eating disorders, and only one staff member licensed as a mental health professional in Oregon. That staff member told investigators that he doesn’t meet with every student or regularly participate in the emotional growth curriculum.
As a result of the many violations, the state issued a complaint against Bitz, the executive director, personally. If the complaint is not overturned on appeal, that would disqualify her from leading other similar schools in Oregon.
“The Executive Director either knew of the abusive practices of the agency, or she should have known what was happening under her authority,” the complaint said.
In an interview with The Bulletin in April, Bitz denied many of the allegations, saying that former students had exaggerated or were untrustworthy sources.
In background material accompanying the state’s findings, a child psychiatric expert wrote that the methods at MBA risked “reinforcing self-blame and self-loathing attitudes already present in traumatized individuals. It is essentially retraumatizing.”
What’s next
Under the correction order, Mount Bachelor Academy could reopen if it meets a nine-page list of required changes to nearly every aspect of its program within 90 days. The required changes include overhauling the behavior management system based on recommendations by a panel of independent experts, admitting only students that staff are trained and licensed to treat, providing individual therapeutic services to students, creating an independent mediator where students and parents can voice concerns about the school without punishment and replace the executive director.
It also has the right to appeal both the correction order and the emergency license suspension.
Reaction
Despite the state’s findings, at least one parent of an MBA student said she doesn’t believe the school deserved to be closed.
Virginia Stauffer, a marketing professional in Dallas, Texas, said the school worked to correct problems with its curriculum after the investigation began. Correspondence between MBA and the state released in a public records request by The Bulletin confirmed that the school had tried to revamp its therapy practices over the past several months.
“They did everything in their power to change what they were told the issues were,” Stauffer said. “They were keeping the most meaningful part of the therapy or the transitional workshops without the role playing or the staying up (late).”
And Stauffer said the sudden closure could spell trouble for her 18-year-old son, Max, who had grappled with drug and alcohol issues before going to Mount Bachelor Academy. She said she doesn’t know where to send him next.
“I’ve exhausted every avenue,” Stauffer said. “My suspicion is he’ll go back to his alcohol and drug abuse.”
Mike Zielaskowski worked as academic director at Mount Bachelor from 2001 until 2007. Zielaskowski said the facts laid out in the state’s complaint, or what he’d seen of it, matched up with his experience at the school.
“Everything I’ve read is accurate,” Zielaskowski said.
Zielaskowski, who now works at Paulina Elementary School, said the nontraditional methods helped many of the kids who were at Mount Bachelor Academy as a last resort. But after the death of a student at SageWalk, the state may have been reluctant to let the school continue operating, given the possibility of harm.
“It helped a lot of kids,” Zielaskowski said. “At the same time, you’ve got some kids who it probably hurt.”
SageWalk has been shut down since mid-September following the death of 16-year-old Sergey Blashchishen, of Portland, on Aug. 28. Blashchishen collapsed while on a hiking trip in Lake County and then died on the scene.
The Lake County Sheriff’s Office opened an investigation into potential criminal mistreatment and reckless endangerment by the school. Lake County Sheriff’s Deputy Chuck Pore said Monday afternoon that he doesn’t have a timeline for completing his investigation.
“There’s more investigating almost every day,” Pore said.
The last school to face closure by the state was Crater Lake School, also based in Bend. That school voluntarily closed for good in 2004, rather than try to meet the conditions for reopening, according to previous Bulletin reports.
In 1998, former employees at Mount Bachelor Academy told The Bulletin that students were “subjected to frequent obscenity-laced screaming sessions by staff members; students are deprived of sleep; a group of girls emerged from one group therapy session with bruising on their arms after they were ordered to clasp their hands in front of them and pound a mattress for an extended period; and another group of girls on a backwoods intervention outing (was) rousted from their sleeping bags at midnight and forced to remove rocks from a dirt road for two hours in the middle of a cold October night,” according to Bulletin reports at the time.
Sharon Ferguson was a parent of a student at the school at the time and corroborated the staff members’ allegations, but later that year, the Oregon DHS determined the school was a safe environment for children.
Ferguson, who lives in San Diego, said she’s glad the school faces consequences this time.
“I can’t tell you how good I feel about this,” Ferguson said. “I had just thought this is going to be like the last time, and they’re going to get away with it again.”
Keith Chu can be reached at 202-662-7456 or at [email protected].
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According to a friend of mine who has a personal and close relationship with two MBA staff members...their statements indicated that the student "lied" who initially reported the incidents "lied" and "whined." After reading all of these posts and the comments from the state, it amazes me that they can come to this conclusion. One would think, when reprimanded in such strong terms after an intensive investigation, that one would consider the viability of the reports and perhaps try to mend the abusive ways. These staffers are so brain washed themselves that they can not recognize the harm they inflict....and as far as being therapeutic...was there a psychologist, licensed social worker or marriage family counselor in any of these Lifetsteps? How can they taut themselves to be therapeutic? I'm just glad another one bit the dust. Hopefully, this will become a trend!
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I think it's more ignorance on the part of the staffers, but also you are correct in saying they were indoctrinated into the view that all kids are liars and manipulators. The program directors hammer this point regularly to staff.
A big part of the problem is that the staff are totally uneducated (most are HS grads only, sometimes GED or no diploma at all) and don't have any real-world knowledge or experience to which to compare Aspen's criminal organizational behavior. Many of these people are not qualified to hold any type of professional job and work for $10/hour or even less. What they see becomes the norm for them, even as experienced and educated people tell them it is child abuse.
Fortunately, the educated, professional state regulators know better and they put the hammer down on Aspen's child abuse framework, the "program."
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Maia Szalavitz neuroscience journalist
Posted: November 4, 2009 12:21 PM
School Using Lap Dances to Treat ADD Closed, Your Tax $ Involved, But Will It Re-Open?
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/maia-szal ... 45477.html (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/maia-szalavitz/school-using-lap-dances-t_b_345477.html)
Are lap dances an effective therapy for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder or drug addiction? It doesn't seem like a question that should require a serious answer--but a state investigation of Oregon's Mount Bachelor Academy (MBA) has substantiated allegations made by students and staff that such "therapy" was part of the school's "emotional growth" curriculum and forced an emergency shutdown of the campus.
Just this June, the Supreme Court had decided in favor of a couple who sued for payment of MBA's tuition to treat their son's ADHD and marijuana problem. The Court determined [pdf] that parents of disabled children do have the right to seek such taxpayer support from a school district, even if they haven't tried public special education first.
While the decision didn't specify whether MBA itself was appropriate, some districts across the country are already reimbursing parents for its current $76,000 annual tuition, despite decades of allegations of similarly inappropriate and unproven practices. [Just one example is here [pdf]
http://www.cedargrove.k12.nj.us/jorge/B ... evised.pdf (http://www.cedargrove.k12.nj.us/jorge/BOE%20Meeting%20Dates/07_08/071016_revised.pdf)
These abusive practices aren't isolated. MBA is part of the largest chain of "troubled teen" programs in the industry, Aspen Education, serving hundreds of kids. Right now, another Aspen program in Oregon--best known for being featured in the reality TV series "Brat Camp"--is under criminal investigation.
http://www.bendbulletin.com/apps/pbcs.d ... RSSNEWSMAP (http://www.bendbulletin.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20091020/NEWS0107/910200398/-1/RSSNEWSMAP)
That investigation is related to the August death of a 16-year-old boy, which the sheriff's deputy in charge of the case has called a "homicide." As in several earlier deaths in such programs, the boy was made to hike in intense heat and is thought to have died of heat stroke after staff ignored his complaints. The state made Aspen shutter the program, known as Sagewalk, in September. Websites with urls like bratcamps.com still advertise it.
But look what's going on, even when these programs don't kill kids. On Monday, Oregon's Department of Human Services released a scathing report on Mount Bachelor, saying that its "emotional growth" curriculum is "harmful and damaging" and its "methods of emotional, behavioral and mental health intervention and daily interaction with students perpetuate an environment that poses a pervasive immediate threat which places all children at risk of harm."
The state ordered the school to shut down immediately and demanded numerous disciplinary, educational and staffing changes within 90 days or its license would be revoked.
The report confirmed eight allegations of abuse involving five students, but said that those students were actually "exemplars" whose experience is "substantially consistent with the experience of all children enrolled in the program." It specifically held Executive Director Sharon Bitz to account, saying that she "either knew of the abusive practices of the agency or should have known what was happening under her authority."
Incredibly, despite that $6,400 monthly tuition and advertising claims that MBA is appropriate for teens with conditions ranging from depression, ADHD and addiction to bipolar disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder, the investigation found that "MBA has only one staff member who is an Oregon licensed mental health professional, however, that staff member reported that he does not meet with every student."
http://www.mtba.com/student.html (http://www.mtba.com/student.html)
Not surprisingly, Bitz attacked the report in a statement released to the press by Aspen's parent company CRC Health. She said, "We vigorously disagree with the state's findings. This surprising action, following seven months of cooperative work by Mount Bachelor with the state since the allegations surfaced, is not only erroneous but also creates an unnecessary burden of distress and disruption for our students and their families. As a result, we are quickly and aggressively pursuing legal options."
The investigators interviewed 65 witnesses over the course of the seven month investigation, including students, staff and the ex-employee whistleblower who first made public the allegations. They determined that MBA violated at least eleven Oregon licensing rules and was "punitive, humiliating, degrading and traumatizing."
According to their report, the school's Lifesteps seminars and other tactics involved "sexualized role play in front of staff and students," and required "students to reenact past physical abuse in front of staff and peers." Allegations of sleep deprivation were also substantiated.
Students who spoke with me for a Time Magazine online story in April--which helped spur the investigation--were stunned by the announcement. "I'm so happy now I can't even explain," said Jane* (a pseudonym).
http://www.time.com/time/printout/0,881 ... 82,00.html (http://www.time.com/time/printout/0,8816,1891082,00.html)
Before being sent to MBA, Jane had been raped. At one of the Lifesteps seminars, the 18-year-old was forced to dress as a "French maid" and perform lap dances while Kelis' sexually suggestive song "Milkshake" and similar music was played. "I was freaked out and traumatized and I couldn't do anything about it," she says.
Her friend Adam--who asked that only his first name be used--said he witnessed at least four girls and one boy who had identified himself as bisexual being made to do this "exercise." He said that when the girls performed the lap dance on him, "They were just crying." The bisexual boy had to give lap dances to both males and females.
Amber Ozier, now 24, attended MBA in 2002 and 2003. At the school, she was made to repeatedly re-enact her 10-year-old sister's accidental drowning death, which occurred at Amber's 12th birthday party.
"I feel like bricks have been lifted off me, like other kids won't have to go through the things I went though," Ozier says, "I'm glad they can't hurt any more kids or mentally torture them. That's what I feel like they were doing and I'm glad I'm not being called a liar anymore because the things I said were true."
Melissa Maisa attended MBA from 1992-1994. When I spoke to her for Time, she described having been made to do a bizarre and obscene ritual, for which she had to lie on the floor "in the sluttiest way possible" in front of male staff members and students. Through numerous repetitions, she had to put one foot on a guy's knee and say, "This foot is Christmas." Then, she'd place the other foot, saying "This foot is New Year's. Would you like to meet me between the holidays?"
Maisa said she encouraged the state investigator who interviewed her to get into the positions that she had been made to take. "It's one thing to hear the stories, but another thing entirely to put yourself in that position mentally and physically, to think about being a teenage girl far from friends and family, feeling like no one loves you and then you have to act out no one loving you."
Maisa, who had organized other former students online and urged them to share their stories with investigators added, "Everyone has their jaw on the floor right now. As a group, we're so used to being the bad kids that we can't believe that anyone finally took us seriously."
But the state indeed substantiated allegations that teens were denied necessary access to bathrooms and found that they were sometimes punished by being sent to camp alone on an island in "inclement weather," or by "strenuous" work projects. Alternatively, some were not permitted to "talk, touch or look at others and face the wall during meal time" for a week or longer.
Communication with parents was censored and restricted--and those who tried to report abuse were immediately punished or cut off from further communication. Teens were also denied legally required access to education during punishments.
During the course of the investigation, the school was aware that the Lifesteps program was under particular scrutiny. Nonetheless, according to the report after the state rejected a proposed revised program called "Transitions" because it "too closely mirrored the prohibited Lifesteps program. MBA proceeded to offer the Transitions program knowing that such choice could result in further investigation."
Failure to report a rape disclosed by a student to child welfare authorities and police as required by law and regulatory violations involving mismanagement or denial of access to medications were also found.
Given the massive number of expensive changes-- such as hiring qualified staff-- that the state requires in 90 days, it may be difficult for MBA to comply successfully in time to retain its license.
Could this be the beginning of the end for the billion dollar troubled teen industry? It's already facing severe economic challenges because of the credit crisis-- parents had paid to send their kids by mortgaging their houses to pay the over-inflated tuition.
Lawsuits could well follow the MBA shutdown and the Sagewalk death-- and school systems are likely to start looking more closely at what they are getting for the hundreds of millions spent nationally to send disabled students to these often-unregulated and rarely scrutinized facilities.
"I feel great, I'm shocked," says Susan Dowren, the whistleblower, who kept pushing investigators to look more closely. She adds, "There were more employees who wanted to speak out but felt that they couldn't jeopardize their jobs and income. I really think others wanted to, but you can't let that stand in your way, I just wanted everybody to tell the truth."
Whether that truth leads to larger and lasting changes and prompts more humane and effective treatment of teens is now up to you.
Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/maia-szal ... 45477.html (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/maia-szalavitz/school-using-lap-dances-t_b_345477.html)
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Will any of these abusers loose their licenses and go to jail? Don't they have a duty to report abuse? Are they all guilty of being implicit with the "treatment". Will they/ Can they plead ignorance?
Our Methods
Our methods emphasize acquisition of self-awareness and self-esteem, and the development of problem-solving and decision-making skills through experiential learning. Students deal with situational living, as well as personal issues in communication skills groups two to three times weekly.
Students learn to address issues that have prevented them from achieving academic and personal success in a highly structured, nurturing, healthy peer environment. The Academy's highly skilled teaching faculty and staff members have proven records in working with children who may have displayed behavior that is symptomatic of low self-esteem and self-concept.
http://www.mtba.com/ (http://www.mtba.com/)
Clinical Services
?Our Clinical Oversight Counselor is a Licensed Professional Counselor, and holds certifications in CPC, EMDRC, and CBTC.
?Our Program Director is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist.
?Our Chemical Dependency Counselor is licensed and certified.
?Our Phase II Leader holds a Masters in Counseling with a CHSC certification.
?Mount Bachelor Academy employs 11 counselors or program managers with Master’s Degrees.
In addition, Mount Bachelor Academy has on-campus medical oversight, specialized therapeutic services, and psycho-educational testing. Our testing is done by Psychological Solutions, and you may visit their website here to learn more about the staff and the type of testing they do.
Learn more about our Faculty and Staff here.
Faculty and staff at Mount Bachelor Academy consist of credentialed and master's degreed secondary level teachers, a full time certified learning needs specialist, bachelor's and master's degreed mentors (each team of mentors includes a licensed or certified clinician), clinically licensed Program Director and Clinical Oversight Counselor, wilderness first responder or EMT credentialed wilderness instructors, two full time licensed nurses, a full time Certified Chemical Dependency Counselor, and consulting medication management oversight. Staff members receive training in Crisis Prevention and Intervention, Suicide Prevention and Intervention, Wilderness First Responder, CPR and First Aid among other specializations. Teachers also receive special in-service trainings on brain based learning, ADD & ADHD, learning styles, among other specialized modes of teaching. Mount Bachelor Academy staff members are certified in Adoption Clinical Training through the Kinship Center which qualifies them in the areas of grief and loss and maladaptive attachment issues. Team MBA
Mount Bachelor Academy's success as an ideal learning environment and a place where students can safely develop their own identities lies in the dedication and commitment of its staff members. Each MBA staff member considers himself a mentor to students in all that they do. Teaching takes place not only in the classroom, but also at mealtime, during group sessions, in the evening during activities, and in the dorms. We consider it our responsibility to be purposeful and provide opportunities for learning in all that we do with students.
Teachers and mentors strive to integrate students' academic studies with their lessons in personal growth. Consistency and teamwork provide a supportive path on which students can confidently travel. These staff members go beyond their job description requirements to provide the kind of personal relationships that students can trust. For Mount Bachelor Academy staff members, assisting students in their journey of self discovery and aiding their arrival to a productive adulthood is more than a job worth doing, it's their mission.
Executive Director | Admissions | Clinical Services | Academics | Health Services
Residential | Alumni and Parent Outreach Services | Administration | Contract Services
Executive Director
Sharon Bitz, M.S.
Executive Director
Sharon has a Masters degree in Family Therapy and a Bachelors in International Business from University of Oregon. Sharon has over 19 years of experience working with youth at risk and began working at MBA in 1990. She has been the Executive Director at Mount Bachelor since 1997. In a former career, she was a Financial Consultant for Shearson Lehman Bros. and a volunteer worker on Child Abuse Hotline in Portland, Oregon. Recently, Sharon presented at the national NATSAP conference on the topic of Working with Adoptive Families in Residential Placement and has written several articles related to adoption and loss. She is proud of keeping Mount Bachelor fresh and cutting edge by integrating research from the field of neuro-science into the school through mindfulness, yoga, and non-verbal therapies; raising the level of clinical oversight and therapy available to families enrolled at MBA, and working to integrate evidence based practice into all areas of the school. In her personal time she enjoys gardening and writing.
Admissions
Kelli Hoffman
Admissions Director
Kelli Hoffman has worked at Mount Bachelor Academy since 1990. She has over 21 years of experience working with youth and families. She is passionate about her job as Admissions Director. She comes to work each day with a desire to help families through a difficult time in their lives and rejoices with students and their parents at their successes.
Kelli is married to Bill Hoffman, our Residential Director. In her spare time, Kelli enjoys time with her husband, four children and grandson. She also enjoys gardening and antiquing.
Krimsen Bauman
Admissions Counselor
Krimsen is the Admissions Counselor at Mount Bachelor Academy. She has worked at the school since October of 2006. Krimsen brings experience working with special needs children to her position at Mount Bachelor Academy. Krimsen's favorite part of her job is seeing the growth in students and their families from enrollment to graduation. In her spare time she loves to spend time doing recreational activities such as camping, boating, and hiking with her family.
Clinical Services
Matthew Lovell, LMFT
Program Director
Matthew Lovell has over 20 years of clinical counseling experience in acute-care, residential treatment centers, therapeutic schools and private practice, working with children, adolescents, and their families. He received his Bachelor of Arts from the University of California at Berkeley, and his Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology from John F. Kennedy University. He became a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in California in 1998, and Virginia in 2007. He is license eligible as an LPC in Oregon.
As an Adjunct Professor at National University, Matthew has taught courses in child development and family therapy. His former positions include being a founding member of the clinical treatment team at Saint Vincent's Hospital in New York, Program Director at Cascade School, and private practice Family Therapist and most recently Dean of Advising at Carlbrook School. Matthew is married and has two adolescent children of his own.
Jim Clark, LPC, CBT, EMDR
Clinical Oversight Counselor
Jim has a Masters in Guidance and Counseling from California Lutheran University. He is an LPC in the State of Oregon as well as a National Certified Counselor. Jim holds certifications in EMDR and CBT.
Jim has over 23 years of experience working with youth, and 18 of those years, he focused on youth at-risk. Previously, Jim was the Director of Residence of Happy Valley School for 17 years.
Jackie Thompson, M.S.
Substance Abuse Counselor
Jackie joined the team at Mount Bachelor Academy in September 2009. She was born and raised in west central Wisconsin. Jackie received her Masters degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling with an emphasis in Alcohol and Other Drug Counseling and a Masters in Secondary Counseling from the University of Wisconsin - Stout. She also holds a Bachelors in Family Life Education with a Minor in Nutrition from the University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point.
Jackie began her career working in a community setting with children and adolescents as well as adults diagnosed with sever cognitive disabilities and co-occurring mental health disorders. Jackie has counseling experience in elementary, middle and high school settings and worked as a career counselor at the University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire. Jackie also has clinical counseling experience working in residential treatment with juvenile delinquents diagnosed with mental health disorders, substance abuse, and other addictive behaviors.
Jackie enjoys helping others, hiking, biking, running, and rock climbing. She also enjoys spending time with her family, cooking, drawing, and learning on a daily basis.
Academics
Glenn Austin, M.A.
Academics Director
Glenn joined the MBA team in July 2001. He carries Bachelors in English and Music and a Masters in Music from Azusa Pacific University. He also has done graduate work in Musicology (music history) from Claremont Graduate University. The best part about working at MBA for Glenn is connecting with students. He has an open door policy, and even though he is in a management position, he has opportunities to teach through La Mancha or Shakespeare Classroom.
Glen enjoys seeing students catch up with their schooling, graduating high school or getting accepted into college. In his spare time, Glenn enjoys reading, writing, and spending time with his wife, Nancy. They like to garden and travel together. Also, he enjoys classical music and good drama—stage and screen both.
Lisa Fairman, M.S.
Special Education Director
Lisa earned her undergraduate degree in English at the University of Pittsburgh, and a Master of Science in Education at Duquesne University. Lisa is an Oregon licensed teacher with endorsements in Language Arts and Special Education. In the summer of 2009, she obtained her continuing teaching license in these specialized areas. Lisa is also considered “highly qualified” as a teacher of Language Arts according to No Child Left Behind standards. She came to MBA in 1999 from the Pressley Ridge Schools in Pittsburgh, PA. At Pressley Ridge, Lisa was a teacher/counselor in a residential treatment facility, and then started a therapeutic foster care program. Lisa's goal at MBA is for students to rediscover their passion for learning and to become self-advocates. She believes that everyone naturally loves to learn, and through positive classroom experiences students can regain this. She tells her students that she is at MBA because she doesn't want students to hate high school as much as she did! A true life-long learner, Lisa's latest venture is in flower and vegetable gardening.
Ashlee Johnson, M.A.
Guidance Counselor
Ashlee is excited about the opportunity to positively impact youth as a new member of Mount Bachelor Academy. Ashlee graduated from Texas State University in 2006 with a Bachelors in Communications and Business as well as a teaching certification. After teaching high school speech and debate in Texas for two years, her craving for adventure and the great outdoors led her to Phoenix where she taught at a charter school, worked as a guide in the Grand Canyon, and began her Masters in Counseling. She enjoys connecting with students, pushing them to reach their highest potential and creating positive experiences. In her spare time, Ashlee enjoys everything life and the outdoors has to offer. She loves hiking, camping, rock climbing, cycling, running, scuba diving, sky diving, and traveling.
Terrie Richards
Registrar
Terrie came to MBA in September 2009. She is Northern Idaho born and raised and moved to Central Oregon in November 2007. Terrie brings administrative and customer service strength to our school through her previous jobs.
Terrie enjoys working at Mount Bachelor Academy because she likes to be a part of the students' lives. She appreciates seeing them work towards their dreams and making good decisions for themselves.
In her free time, Terrie enjoys bow hunting, camping and spending time with her friends and family in the outdoors.
Health Services
Susie Fisher, L.P.N.
Student Health Services Manager
Susie joined the MBA team in 2008. She holds a LPN from Portland Adventist Hospital School of Practical Nursing and has a long history working in the medical field. She worked as an LPN for 19 years at the Canby Medical Clinic in Canby, Oregon. After that, she was the Nursing Coordinator at Prineville Medical Clinic. In her spare time, Susie enjoys spending time with her family on their ranch.
Residential
Bill Hoffman, B.S.
Residential Director
Bill has been working with MBA since July 1990. During his two decades of dedication to the school, Bill has worn many different hats. Bill currently is serving as the Residential Director, which involves hands-on, front-line work with our students. He holds a Bachelors Degree in Recreation Management with an emphasis in Youth and Family Agency Leadership from San Diego State University. Bill is also a certified staff trainer in Residential Child and Youth and helped Aspen Education Group establish and set guidelines for the Residential Best Practices Committee.. Outside of MBA, Bill has taught Parent Education classes through the local community college.
Bill loves the challenge of seeing a young person struggle to find their true self identity and assisting them on their journey. He loves helping kids take on leadership roles on campus and setting up fun, recreational activities that build social skills and self esteem. In his spare time, Bill also enjoys everything football, gardening, hiking, being physically active and spending time with his family.
Alumni and Parent Outreach Services
Alex Bitz
Alumni Services and Parent Outreach Director
Educated in Film and theatre arts in Romania, Alex Bitz became a political refugee and came to the USA in 1984. He is a founding staff member of MBA. Since 1988 he has brought his creativity and passion to every aspect of the school (workshops, training, mentoring, arts, etc.). After more than 20 years of successfully working with children and families, Alex is as consumed with the work as he was his first day. Presently, he still wears several hats within our community: Outreach Director, Staff Trainer, and Phase IV Leader, just to name a few.
Mina Steen, M.S.
Parent Services Liaison
Mina brings to this field a 25-year history of professional and volunteer work, focused on the physical and emotional development of children and adolescents. Since 2001, Mina has devoted herself to gaining the specific education and experience necessary to be of significant help to struggling youth and their families. In early 2008, Mina completed a Masters degree in Human Services from Capella University. Mina has also attended trainings and conferences in related fields. She has completed the Professionals In Residence Program at the Hazelden Foundation's Center for Youth and Families. She has toured over 80 therapeutic schools and programs across the United States. In her personal life, Mina is married and the mother of two children, ages 24 and 27. She is a Board member of St. Luke's Hospital, in Kansas City and serves on the Emergency Room, Graduate Medical Education, Medical Research, and End Of Life committees. Past volunteer activities include: President of the Junior League of Kansas City, Missouri, Chairman of the Shawnee Mission Education Foundation, Shawnee Mission East PTA, and Chairman of the Children's TLC Groundhog Run and Chairman of the Children's Mercy Hospital Golf Classic.
Administration
Bill Gowen
Director of Operations
Bill Gowen joined the MBA team in 1995. As Director of Operations, he oversees the management of food services, the business office, facilities maintenance, transportation, safety, security and health services. Prior to MBA, Bill worked in the aerospace industry for 28 years. He has a Bachelors of Science in Industrial Engineering from the University of Toronto. Bill thrives on the variety and diversity in his job.
Kathy Carter
Human Resources Manager
Kathy holds a Bachelors in Psychology from San Diego State University, where she graduated Magna cum laude. She also has graduate level work in Education Administration. She joined the MBA staff in 1988, two weeks before our first students arrived. Kathy hopes, for each student at MBA, that they have a job in their life that is as exciting and evolving as hers at MBA. She likes her job because she feels like her job has always had purpose, that of contributing to the success of our students.
Susie Carroll
Finance Manager
Susie holds a Bachelors in Hotel and Restaurant Administration from Washington State University. Susie has been at MBA since the beginning in 1988, when there were only 7 students on campus and no computers. Today, she lives on a small ranch 11 miles from campus and raises farm animals.
Contract Services
Deborah Coehlo, C-PNP, PhD
Medication Oversight Coordinator
Deborah, representing Juniper Ridge Clinic, is certified as a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner with a Doctoral Degree in Family Sciences and Human Development. She, with her husband, Thomas, oversee student medications on our campus. She specializes in behavioral and developmental pediatrics, combining medical, physiological, sociological, and developmental approaches to solving complex needs of today's adolescents. In her position, Deborah hopes to promote the highest quality interdisciplinary approach to assessment, diagnosis and planning for care that minimizes an adolescent's abilities and functioning, connecting them and their family to optimal care. Deborah believes that each child is an individual, and deserves individual care and experiences that led to a fulfilling life.
Thomas Coehlo, C-FNP
Medication Oversight Coordinator
Thomas, representing Juniper Ridge Clinic, is a certified Family Nurse Practitioner specializing in the care of children and adults across the life span. He, with his wife, Deborah oversee student medications on our campus. He specializes in mental health, ADD, and bipolar disorders, combining medical and social factors to provide optimal care for those challenged with learning, biochemical and social challenges. In his position, Thomas desires to advocate for and teach families best practices to help their child grow, learn, behave and communicate well. Thomas believes that the best care comes from families working with specialists to enhance functioning, communication, and success across the lifespan.
Rebecca Herreman, Psy.D.
Licensed Psychologist
Rebecca J Herreman, a licensed psychologist, grew up in Indiana, earned her Doctor of Psychology in 2006 from the University of Denver, and is now a resident of Portland, Oregon. She has worked clinically with children, adolescents, and their families for eight years in a number of settings and capacities including schools, wilderness programs, private practice, and social skills groups. Her areas of interest and training include: trauma, attachment issues, learning disabilities, ADHD, autistic spectrum disorders, group therapy, and multicultural issues. Rebecca is also passionate about international work and using her mental health training she has volunteered internationally in both Bosnia and on the Thai/Burma border. She spends most of her free time in Oregon fixing up an old house or relaxing with friends on the river or a trail.
To learn more about Psychological Solutions, click here.
Many "Mentors" for different levels
http://www.mtba.com/team.html (http://www.mtba.com/team.html)
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So, this was just lip service to address their critics and appease parents? They know what they're doing. est/Lifespring is the foundation this industry was built upon.
Posted: Oct 25, 2006
15:12
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)
www.swiftriver.com (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
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OUT OF THE SIXTIES
By: Lon Woodbury
Those of us old enough to remember the 1960s will recall a decade of tremendous change, creativity and turmoil. It was a turning point decade, a time when many of the old attitudes were cast off and new directions taken. At least one national social critic has asserted that when you look at the things going wrong in this country today, they all came out of the 1960s. On the other hand, many of our most respected contemporary values were products of the 1960s.
In education and personal growth, a tremendous amount of creativity and new thinking began during the 1960s. Traditional public and private education thinking was widely challenged. The traditional interventions for emotional and behavioral problems of juvenile detention or hospitalization were criticized as harmful all too often.
Storefront schools and other experimental and experiential forms of education flourished, as they tried to break away from the traditional model of education founded on the concept of the factory in the early years of the 20th century. In personal growth, we saw est, lifespring, synanon, a variety of eastern mystic ideas brought to this country, and a host of other movements with new visions of how to increase human potential. In addition, the concept of individual therapy provided by credentialed therapists, rooted in at least the trappings of science and credentials, finally became accepted legally and culturally. This was marked by the legal acceptance of alcoholism as a disease in 1962, rather than the old view of it being only a moral problem. The 1960s was a cornucopia of new ideas and experimentation, starting a process of developing, interacting, and evolving to find better ways to educate and help young people.
The network of emotional growth/therapeutic schools and programs this newsletter focuses on evolved directly out of the experimentation going on in the 1960s. Part of this experimentation was to establish schools for at-risk adolescents as private alternatives, with parental choice driving enrollment decisions. These influences are still evident, it is these roots in the experimentation of the sixties that make this network unique from other education and mental health associations and networks. Many of the people and schools who started working with struggling teens during the creativity of the 1960s, are still around.
Larry Dean Olson, founder of Anasazi Foundation, discovered that students at Brigham Young University did better academically after going on one of his wilderness experiences in the late sixties, and Larry Wells, Founder of Wilderness Quest, found that taking young Idaho prisoners into the wilderness in the early 1970s reduced recidivism rates drastically. In addition, many of the programs in Montana were founded by people who had worked at, or been inspired by, Spring Creek Community School, a backwoods alternative school founded by Steve Cawdry in the late sixties or early 70s. Cawdry closed the school down several years ago, but its influence remains.
The late Mel Wasserman founded the CEDU School in 1967, and CEDU probably had the most widespread influence on this network. Originally, Wasserman saw how many of the young people he met around his hometown of Palm Springs, California in the mid-sixties were living in total chaos. They had real problems with drugs, relationships and parents, and from the standard institutions and interventions of the time, there was nothing available to effectively help them. He decided to go into the school business. He founded CEDU specifically as an alternative school, designed to provide what these confused young people desperately needed. His genius was in selecting from the currents of experimentation floating around the sixties, those elements that created a whole child education system by addressing their physical, mental and emotional growth. The term Emotional Growth education came out of the CEDU approach. CEDU became extremely successful in helping young people as an alternative to therapeutic institutions. CEDU expanded to establish several north Idaho schools by the 1990s and added the two schools currently in California. More importantly, many people who worked at CEDU left to establish their own schools, or took key positions in other schools, adding their own personal ideas to what they had learned at CEDU. A significant number of the schools in the Emotional Growth/Therapeutic schools and programs network were developed or strongly influenced by people who were originally inspired by their CEDU experience.
Another early school was Elan, in Poland Springs, Maine. Established in 1970, Elan was strongly influenced by the behavioral concepts prevalent at the time, developing into an extremely tightly structured behavioral modification school. Although Elan itself has not grown to beyond the one school, I have met several people elsewhere in the Northeast who had once worked at Elan. It seems Elan?s approach differed from the norm, and it opened people up to the idea that there were ways beyond the traditional to construct a school or program for struggling teens, and they proceeded to act on that insight.
Provo Canyon School, in Provo Utah, was founded in 1971. Although a secure treatment center, they employed several new ideas, including thinking of themselves as a school, and referring to their residents as students instead of patients. Today, there are many schools and programs in Utah that were either founded by people who had once worked for Provo Canyon School, or learned the business from an ex-employee of Provo Canyon School.
Other important influences were Campbell Loughmiller, and his book Wilderness Road, published 1965, from his work with the Salesmanship Club near Dallas. This book, and the Salesmanship Club, found a kid?s behavior gets better after camping out. Primarily influential in the Southeast, this concept of long term camping inspired the Three Springs programs and the Eckerd Programs, along with a number of other smaller programs.
So, what's my point? First, if you start tracing the history of influences on many of the schools in the network of Emotional Growth/ Therapeutic schools and programs, you usually wind up back to just a handful of early founders. Also, much of what is most successful and creative in the schools and programs in this network came directly out of the creative thinking and experimenting that occurred in the 1960s.
http://www.strugglingteens.com/archives (http://www.strugglingteens.com/archives) ... s0404.html
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"Lifesteps," psychodrama, etc. are basically fads within the mental health community. Psychology, like other disciplines, is subject to fads that come and go (electroshock therapy, lobotomy, etc.).
I would recommend reading a book entitled "Fashions in Science" by Dr. Irwin Sperber, my friend and mentor. This book describes "opinion leaders" (i.e. Malcolm Gauld, et al) and how they shape the collective behavior of an entire discipline.
What the book thoroughly and eloquently covers is how unscientific, unproven methods gain mainstream attention and become "normalized" through the force of personality of opinion leaders.
Lifesteps and simililar approaches have no basis for continuing practice because clinical trials have proven them to be completely ineffective, but here they are, alive and well (maybe not so well anymore but alive nonetheless) forty or fifty years after they have been scientifically discredited.
Anyway, it's a great read and shows how this type of quackery can gain a foothold in mainstream consciousness.
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An off-the-wall yet interesting aside: Like Jacob Moreno (http://http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacob_L._Moreno), founder of psychodrama, MBA's Alex Bitz is a Romanian expatriate:
(http://http://www.parentcheckin.com/upload/thumbnail.asp?image=/upload/images/staffPics/Bitz,%20Alex.jpg&width=150&height=150)
Bitz, Alex - Alumni Services Director
Educated in Film and theatre arts in Romania, Alex Bitz became a political refugee and came to the USA in 1984. He is a founding staff member of MBA. Since 1988 he has brought his creativity and passion to every aspect of the school (workshops, training, mentoring, arts, etc.). After more than 20 years of successfully working with children and families, Alex is as consumed with the work as he was his first day. Alex is a certified Life Coach and can often times be found traveling with students to Eastern Europe on the LaMancha Workshop.
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During a discussion about another Aspen facility found to be abusing children through forced labor, sexual humiliation, etc, etc, etc, Whooter dropped this gem:
Programs have a need to continue to operate the same way. Regulation or laws will serve merely as an obstacle and they are something programs need to work around not work with.
Whooter has just admitted that programs that kill and abuse kids should continue to operate the same way and to avoid or break any laws oe regulations that get in the way of their abusive practices.
This is an absolutely stunning look into the psychology of a program zealot. He clearly states that the ends justify the means even if that means children die, get raped, get beaten, get sexually humiliated, get neglected, get deprived of shelter, get starved, or otherwise maimed or killed.
This is the twisted thinking of Whooter.
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Whooter wrote:
Programs have a need to continue to operate the same way. Regulation or laws will serve merely as an obstacle and they are something programs need to work around not work with.
Duh, that is exactly what they are supposed to do and of course liars, cheats and sneaks "work around" the law and not with it...just ask Bernie Madoff and the guys he ruined financially who comitted suicide. You have a lot of company in that sentiment what with CEOs flushing their companies (and workers) down the toilet as they pocket obscene bonuses and MIT quants dream up the next obscenely risky "investment" that will suck up billions for the taxpayers to cough up. Regulation? Oh dear, you mean someone who is actually goin to "just say no" to me? ME?? Oh the gall!
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An off-the-wall yet interesting aside: Like Jacob Moreno (http://http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacob_L._Moreno), founder of psychodrama, MBA co-founder Alex Bitz is a Romanian expatriate:
(http://http://www.parentcheckin.com/upload/thumbnail.asp?image=/upload/images/staffPics/Bitz,%20Alex.jpg&width=150&height=150)
Bitz, Alex - Alumni Services Director
Educated in Film and theatre arts in Romania, Alex Bitz became a political refugee and came to the USA in 1984. He is a founding staff member of MBA. Since 1988 he has brought his creativity and passion to every aspect of the school (workshops, training, mentoring, arts, etc.). After more than 20 years of successfully working with children and families, Alex is as consumed with the work as he was his first day. Alex is a certified Life Coach and can often times be found traveling with students to Eastern Europe on the LaMancha Workshop.
Whooter has a fondness for Romania as well. Curious.
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Well... then ya might like this little slice of insight into what made Moreno tick. Despite being written by Moreno fans, one can definitely see the origins of excess that psychodrama can sometimes foist upon its participants.
To lend context: it comes from the website of the American Group Psychotherapy Association.
-------------- • -------------- • -------------- • --------------
Who Was J.L. Moreno and Why Do We Care? (http://http://www.agpa.org/pubs/GC_0802_moreno.html)
Mary Nicholas, LCSW, PhD, CGP , and Gene Eliasoph, LCSW, CGP
Few group therapists know about J.L. Moreno, psychodrama, or sociometry, and not many AGPA members know there is another national group psychotherapy society—the American Society of Group Psychotherapy and Psychodrama (ASGPP). I (Mary) trained in both psychodrama and psychodynamic group therapy. Frankly, I'm not sure how I would have survived as a group therapist without this training. I have found psychodrama to be indispensable in conducting large groups, short-term and one-session groups, organizational groups, and groups with revolving populations, such as inpatient and partial hospital or intensive outpatient programs.
How psychodrama and sociemetry work
Psychodrama and sociometry are group methods that rely on action and enactments, as well as verbalization to depict a particular situation. Each session starts with a warm-up, which will evoke the thoughts and feelings, as well as material about group members' current or past relationships (usually outside of the group). A typical psychodrama warm-up (which, by the way, can be easily adapted for non-psychodramatic group sessions) is "the empty chair." Everyone is asked to look at an empty chair and imagine someone with whom they have unfinished business sitting in the chair. Each person is asked to report on who is in his/her empty chair, and commonalities and subgroups are immediately noticed. For example, a majority of people might choose their children. One of this majority group will be the focus of the psychodrama since the energy around parents and children is clearly present.
In this example, a mother is chosen by the group to enact a scene that will show us her daughter's anger toward her. The mother is called the "protagonist" for this segment of the group meeting. (The choice of the protagonist always comes out of the sociometry of the group.) The director (therapist) will invite the protagonist to pick a group member to be the daughter, and the two of them will, with the director's guidance, set up a scene in which the daughter and the mother confront one another.
The characters will then be asked to reverse roles and the mother playing the daughter will show how the daughter walks into the room, speaks, gestures, etc so that the person in the daughter role will be able to play it more accurately. Then they reverse roles back and begin to play the scene. Other roles (father, sister, etc.) played by other group members might be introduced into the scene through role reversal with the protagonist.
An important role is the "double," who plays an alter ego of the protagonist, perhaps a part that that is not being overtly expressed—for instance, the frightened, angry, or sad part. As the drama unfolds, the protagonist and the group members, including those who are not playing any parts, are exposed to a number of different perspectives, feelings, and insights. Through role reversal, the protagonist gets to hear how she is coming across to her daughter, to experience the problematic situation from a number of other points of view, and to own the parts of her that she has projected out onto her daughter and others. Every psychodrama session ends with "sharing," in which all group members discuss the relevance of the session to their own lives and dilemmas.
My husband, Gene Eliasoph, MSW, CGP, was one of the first psychodrama practitioners and a protégé of psychodrama's founder, J.L. Moreno, MD. Moreno was a colorful, egotistical, and incredibly creative psychiatrist. A younger contemporary of Freud (whom he claimed to not like much) in Vienna in the 1920s, he conducted role-playing groups with prostitutes in the park (talk about bringing groups to the community!). In America he conducted open sessions for people off the street in New York City and founded a residential program in Beacon, New York, that welcomed patients and therapists wishing to learn about and be healed by psychodrama. He also developed a theory of human dynamics based on sociometry and spontaneity that was radical and thoroughly group-based.
Moreno was one of the founders of the AGPA but broke with the organization in the early 1950s because of his intense personal conflict with Samuel Slavson, another founder. Upon Moreno's departure, psychodynamic group therapy became central in AGPA, and the unfortunate split between action and psychodynamic group therapies persists to this day. (Ironically, Slavson's major contribution to group therapy was "activity group therapy!")
Gene shares his impressions of Moreno
During my schooling at the Columbia University School of Social Work, we were not permitted to use the term "group therapy" since it had to be referred to as "group work." While I continued nevertheless to do group therapy upon graduation at a hospital for drug addicts, it wasn't until 1954 that I heard J.L. Moreno tell a group he was leading: "We are all patients in this group, and we are therapists as well for one another. I will learn from you and you will learn from me, and who knows, we may be the first group to fly to the moon!" Having had the privilege of meeting Dr. Moreno at that time and studying with him, I was constantly struck by his defiance of the rules that we were taught, his grandiosity and yet, at the same time his humility. When he announced that "there can be no therapy other than the therapy of mankind as a whole," I was struck by his vision, much as I was some years later by that of Martin Luther King, Jr., when he delivered his "I have a dream" speech.
My struggles with Moreno from the 1950s until his death in 1979 revolved around some of his flagrant rejection of many of Freud's concepts, such as the unconscious and transference. His interminable battles with Samuel Slavson convinced me that Moreno's own transference and countertransference, along with his own unanalyzed unconscious motivation needed to be addressed. It was also apparent through his ingenuous ways that his consciousness and unconscious were often expressed without his awareness. Here was a renowned psychiatrist who, upon being driven home after a movie, insisted that he be returned to see the Mickey Mouse cartoons again! Here was an adult who often inappropriately insulted colleagues who disagreed with him. He was excessively competitive and all too often chauvinistic toward women. He did have, however, a European charm and grace and a deep concern for the plight of others. While powerful, almost mystical, at times as a clinician, he was unpredictable and idiosyncratic.
Moreno's contributions related to spontaneity, sociodrama, role-playing, and action-oriented therapy were vast. His work with sociometry clearly anticipated systems theories of psychotherapy. Shortly before he passed away, he shared with some of us his regret that he did not further develop "group therapy" since he was so involved in promoting and defending psychodrama. In retrospect, we recognized that, although he disavowed it, his work shows some attachment to Freud and the post-Freudian object relations, self psychology, and intersubjective schools. Currently, in fact, there is a psychoanalytic psychodrama division of the ASGPP.
In the 1980's when I was President of the ASGPP, I recommended merger of the ASGPP with AGPA. Unfortunately, while some parties on both sides were receptive, this did not take place. Perhaps the future leadership of AGPA and ASGPP will have the imagination and open-mindedness necessary to heal this ignoble split in our profession, so that all competent group therapists can learn from and grow with one another.
This article was published in the August/September 2002 issue of The Group Circle.
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Whooter has a fondness for Romania as well. Curious.
So do I. Face it. It's unlikely any of us will ever know his identity.
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Here's the Oregon news account.
http://www.oregonlive.com/politics/inde ... om_sc.html (http://www.oregonlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2009/11/state_suspends_license_from_sc.html)
Makes ya want to dance a jig, don't it?
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LOL. Lon and John won't be doing any jigs, pigs can't dance. Everything CRC was afraid of in their annual report came true: Other programs covered with shame, criminal investigations into deaths in Aspen programs, Aspen schools shutdown in disgrace, public awareness of what Aspen does causing consumers to shy away.
It can't happen soon enough.
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Whooter wrote:
Programs have a need to continue to operate the same way. Regulation or laws will serve merely as an obstacle and they are something programs need to work around not work with.
Duh, that is exactly what they are supposed to do and of course liars, cheats and sneaks "work around" the law and not with it...just ask Bernie Madoff and the guys he ruined financially who comitted suicide. You have a lot of company in that sentiment what with CEOs flushing their companies (and workers) down the toilet as they pocket obscene bonuses and MIT quants dream up the next obscenely risky "investment" that will suck up billions for the taxpayers to cough up. Regulation? Oh dear, you mean someone who is actually goin to "just say no" to me? ME?? Oh the gall!
Nonsense, cafety or one of your other friendly web sites admitted openly here on fornits that they avoid licensing and work their way around the law so they don’t have to file as a charitable organization with the IRS. Programs are not the only ones to do this. If people can figure out a way to avoid regulation they will. No one volunteers to be regulated or overseen by a branch of the government. How many people do you know that call up DSS to schedule a visit to their house because they are unsure whether or not they are raising their children properly? If not why don’t they call? Very few people do......What would they be afraid of?
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An off-the-wall yet interesting aside: Like Jacob Moreno (http://http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacob_L._Moreno), founder of psychodrama, MBA co-founder Alex Bitz is a Romanian expatriate:
(http://http://www.parentcheckin.com/upload/thumbnail.asp?image=/upload/images/staffPics/Bitz,%20Alex.jpg&width=150&height=150)
Bitz, Alex - Alumni Services Director
Educated in Film and theatre arts in Romania, Alex Bitz became a political refugee and came to the USA in 1984. He is a founding staff member of MBA. Since 1988 he has brought his creativity and passion to every aspect of the school (workshops, training, mentoring, arts, etc.). After more than 20 years of successfully working with children and families, Alex is as consumed with the work as he was his first day. Alex is a certified Life Coach and can often times be found traveling with students to Eastern Europe on the LaMancha Workshop.
Whooter has a fondness for Romania as well. Curious.
FreeofCC, Its not a fondness as much as it is an interest. I traveled extensively throughout these Soviet States and always found it interesting that you could give money to down and out people in the streets as long as they were not Romanian. They are all called Gypsies and all the locals seems to hate them... . This one time I landed in Kazakhstan and there was a woman with 3 children, no shoes and it was snowing and my driver was visibly upset that I gave her money and as my translator finally explained to me that you never give money to gypsies, you should spit on them... they should all just get a job or die. As I traveled more I found this to be a consensus throughout western and Southeast Asia (at least, as far as my experience goes). I found the ex-soviet cities are heated throughout by huge underground steam pipes so the down and out Romanians (gypsies) live underground during the winter months and I met a few as my translator was reluctant to translate and they are kind, gentle and beautiful people, mostly woman with kids and mouths to feed. I could never figure out where the men were or what they did, I never met a gypsy guy. Maybe Psy knows. But what I do know is I wouldn’t want to be a Romanian woman in Southeast Asia.
Edit, just wanted to add this: There was a guy who was passed out on the side walk outside a restaurant we were entering for lunch and the smell was so bad that I thought this guy was dead. We ate lunch and when we came out an hour later this guy never moved and there were about 30 flies on his face and my wife insisted someone call the police. So our translator reluctantly called someone. The police showed up and beat the guy with batons until he moved. His stomach was covered with coins from passerby’s. So people would supply this guy with money but not a woman with children to feed.
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Back to the topic:
If all of the allegations stick I believe Aspen will need to try to figure out a legitimate way to prune that branch from their tree as quickly as possible, toss the executive leaders of Mount Bachelor under the bus and at the same time take inventory on their other programs to change or , as a minimum, insure that the same model isn’t being marketed/used by other programs within their Group. I am sure this is already underway. Anyone who has been awake for a short time during the past economic crises knows that the CEOs take the initial hit with the expectation that things will automatically change (for the better) in their absence. If people (customer, state officials) don’t buy into this move then further cuts and restructuring are proposed until the banks/investors become uncomfortable enough to shut down Mount Bachelor and finance a new venture under another name (and guessing by the present direction of the investigation….. a new state also). I am hoping this moves along quickly. I am interested to see if their entire model of “Life steps” will be laid out for the public to see and whether or not this will be tried in the open, by the public, prior to in the court of law. If Aspen pisses off the state of Oregon or pressures them too much they may release (leak) the gory details to the press to rile up public opinion. The local cops love to do this, especially in small towns where they have less to lose and fame to gain.
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During a discussion about another Aspen facility found to be abusing children through forced labor, sexual humiliation, etc, etc, etc, Whooter dropped this gem:
Programs have a need to continue to operate the same way. Regulation or laws will serve merely as an obstacle and they are something programs need to work around not work with.
Whooter has just admitted that programs that kill and abuse kids should continue to operate the same way and to avoid or break any laws oe regulations that get in the way of their abusive practices.
This is an absolutely stunning look into the psychology of a program zealot. He clearly states that the ends justify the means even if that means children die, get raped, get beaten, get sexually humiliated, get neglected, get deprived of shelter, get starved, or otherwise maimed or killed.
This is the twisted thinking of Whooter.
Yep, he said it and it was QFT. He really does believe these facilities should operate extralegally and try to thwart or circumvent oversight. But that environment is conducive to child abuse, as the Oregon DHS recently found out when they basically said Aspen's entire program is illegal because it is child abuse and every child at this Aspen facility was in fact abused.
Whooter supports hiding systemic, systematic, purposeful abuse of children from authorities. He has previously said he thinks it's fine for kids to have no way to call 911 or call a child abuse hotline. His explanation was that the "hotline operator could talk dirty to the kids." This is what you're dealing with here. Someone who tries to appear normal outwardly, but exhibits wholly abnormal behavior and thought anyway, even though he's actively trying to control it to appear normal.
Aspen already tried to sell Oregon official a new LifeSteps called "Transitions." Child psychologists refused to allow its implementation because...wait for it...it was EXACTLY THE SAME AS LIFESTEPS.
Every Aspen facility uses the same program model with LifeSteps. Every Aspen facility should be immediately closed for child abuse. Aspen's programs are considered by regulatory authorities to be child abuse.
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Actually that's not exactly true. Not all aspen programs use marathon workshops like lifesteps. In fact, I'm wondering at this point which programs still use the model? I was under the impression that Mount Bachelor was one of the last programs to be using it, but I could be far off on this one. Does anyone have an answer to that question?
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Back to the topic:
If all of the allegations stick I believe Aspen will need to try to figure out a legitimate way to prune that branch from their tree as quickly as possible, toss the executive leaders of Mount Bachelor under the bus
Like I said. In order to survive they're going to have to eat their own.
and at the same time take inventory on their other programs to change or , as a minimum, insure that the same model isn’t being marketed/used by other programs within their Group. I am sure this is already underway.
Oh i'm sure the marketing changes are underway as well. What I'm also pretty sure of is that nothing of substance will change. They simply do not know how to do without LifeSteps. There is a reason why every CEDU based program uses these nearly identical workshops. There is a reason why I remember the very same french maid costumes from Benchmark, the very same that were used at CEDU before that. The similarities are far too many and far too distinct to be coincidental. The people who use these workshops see noticeable results and truly believe that what they have is one of the only things that can help to turn kids lives around. It's holy doctrine, Whooter, and that doesn't change.
So what's so wrong with these workshops if they produce results? Well. The results they produce, while extremely dramatic, are for the most part temporary. There is also a lack of informed consent. Kids going into these workshops have no idea what they are about to undergo and have no choice to refuse. For every person who comes out with real or imagined benefit, there is another who is harmed. Therapy or whatever you want to call it should never produce harm. Furthermore, even out of those such as myself who perceived a benefit at the time, there are many who, years later in retrospect, found the experience disturbing and traumatic. Time may not heal all wounds but it sure puts things in perspective. These are not conclusions I came to after reaching Fornits, these are conclusions I came to before Fornits. Those independent realizations are what precipitated my journey here and the construction of my website on Benchmark. The fact that the same realizations are shared by so many others proves this is no fluke. Many kids are harmed by these practices.
Anyone who has been awake for a short time during the past economic crises knows that the CEOs take the initial hit with the expectation that things will automatically change (for the better) in their absence. If people (customer, state officials) don’t buy into this move then further cuts and restructuring are proposed until the banks/investors become uncomfortable enough to shut down Mount Bachelor and finance a new venture under another name (and guessing by the present direction of the investigation….. a new state also). I am hoping this moves along quickly. I am interested to see if their entire model of “Life steps” will be laid out for the public to see and whether or not this will be tried in the open, by the public, prior to in the court of law.
I, too, would like to see that happen, if not for anything else than to compare the scripts against my own experiences. I think we both know, though, that Aspen is never going to do that. It would be too incriminating. It would show for the world to see that while names have changed over time, the core practices remain almost identical to those at the inception of CEDU's propheets.
If Aspen pisses off the state of Oregon or pressures them too much they may release (leak) the gory details to the press to rile up public opinion. The local cops love to do this, especially in small towns where they have less to lose and fame to gain.
I have no doubt that might happen. If the investigators get tired of parents being paraded around for PR purposes, endlessly yammering on about how the program "saved my kid's life from deadinsaneinjail", they might very well be moved to show the public solid evidence proving the sorts of practices Aspen engages in.
@Joe:
Actually that's not exactly true. Not all aspen programs use marathon workshops like lifesteps. In fact, I'm wondering at this point which programs still use the model? I was under the impression that Mount Bachelor was one of the last programs to be using it, but I could be far off on this one. Does anyone have an answer to that question?
It's not just MBA. Almost all CEDU based programs use some derivation of Propheets. These marathon workshops are widespread.
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Actually that's not exactly true. Not all aspen programs use marathon workshops like lifesteps. In fact, I'm wondering at this point which programs still use the model? I was under the impression that Mount Bachelor was one of the last programs to be using it, but I could be far off on this one. Does anyone have an answer to that question?
Here are the programs which offered it in 1998, and two more which were considering it at the time. Some of these programs don't exist anymore, and I'm not sure which of the surviving ones still offer this workshop.
Cascade School, Whitmore, CA
Mount Bachelor Academy, Prineville, OR
Academy at Swift River, Cummington, MA
Hidden Lake Academy, Dahlonega, GA
Crater Lake School, Sprague River, OR
CEDU Schools, CA and ID
Spring Ridge Academy, Spring Valley, AZ
Cross Creek Manor, LaVerkin, UT
Paradise Cove, Apia, W. Samoa
Tranquility Bay, Mandeville, Jamaica
Spring Creek Lodge, Thompson Falls, MT
Copper Canyon Academy, Camp Verde, AZ[/list]
For over 18:
Northstar, Bend, OR
Benchmark, Redding, CA[/list]
Considering it:
Aspen Ranch, Loa, Utah
Montana Academy, Marion, Montana[/list]
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Woodbury Reports - Opinion & Essays - Feb, 1998 Issue #50
THE MARATHON WORKSHOP (http://http://www.strugglingteens.com/archives/1998/2/oe03.html)
(and its value as a counseling tool in emotional growth schools)
by: Linda Shaffer, Ed. Consultant
Sandpoint, Idaho
208-263-8394
All emotional growth schools are not alike! In their counseling tools, nineteen among the more well-known schools use a tool the others do not, the Interactive or Marathon-Like Workshop.
In most emotional growth schools it is standard practice to utilize the group session process 2 to 3 times a week with feedback among peers as a major counseling tool — all guided by the staff facilitators. Individual counseling also is implemented on a regular basis with an assigned therapist. The more informal version of this style of counseling is the ride in the pick-up truck or the walk down to the pond or the farm.
Not every school, however, utilizes the Interactive or Marathon-Like Workshop. I find in assisting families that some are open to this counseling style for their children and for themselves (in the parent workshops). And, some prefer to participate only in the more private one on one family counseling sessions a school may offer.
Those schools who Do Use these workshops are: Cascade School, Whitmore, CA; Mount Bachelor Academy, Prineville, OR; Swift River Academy, Cummington, MA; Hidden Lake Academy, Dahlonega, GA; Crater Lake School, Sprague River, OR; CEDU Schools, CA and ID; Spring Ridge Academy, Spring Valley, AZ Cross Creek Manor, LaVerkin, UT; Paradise Cove, Apia, W. Samoa; Tranquility Bay, Mandeville, Jamaica; Spring Creek Lodge, Thompson Falls, MT; Copper Canyon Academy, Camp Verde, AZ And for the over 18 year old students — Northstar, Bend, OR and Benchmark, Redding, CA
Two other schools considering implementing the Interactive Workshop are Aspen Ranch in Loa, Utah and Montana Academy in Marion, Montana.
Why do these schools choose to use the workshop tool? In my visits to schools, talking with students and speaking with parents, I hear very frequently “and those workshops were pretty Incredible. I really learned a lot about myself. They were so very creative....not always easy, but I hadn’t felt some of those feelings for SO long!”
In my experience with the schools that offer this additional counseling component, I see this process as a most creative way to reach adolescents who are frightened, well guarded, and especially clever with their deflecting and avoidance skills. This type of workshop with its various exercises seems to step into the emotional life of a young person at a level that, for some, is difficult to reach in any other way. The key, I believe, is delivering the workshop with Care and Skill.
Various Components of these interactive workshops include psychodrama, role playing, dads, bioenergetics, creative visualization exercises, supportive music, and various types of “stretch” exercises to take one outside one’s comfort zone.
Students in the interactive workshop often are excited about them because they indicate Points Of Passage within their school and their goal of getting “to the top of the mountain” and completing all the workshops. The workshops generally follow child growth and development all over again as espoused by Erik Erikson. Students recall their perceptions of events from childhood that may affect their present day thinking and feelings. They get to see some of their “truths” instead of the masks and confusion they wear. They get an opportunity to look at “who are their real friends”. They review goals, images, Talents and passions, and in finding dreams again learn how to construct a healthy base under those dreams.
The workshops are diverse. They are filled with playfulness. There is laughter, sadness, anger, remembering, Not Wanting To Remember, learning to Trust through initiatives, and fearing to trust in the workshops (and in life). The workshops can build a closeness among participants. Individuals can choose to be vulnerable, outrageous, tender, and connect with one’s loving self. There are moments of wanting the workshop to be over, and moments of not wanting the feelings of the workshop to ever end.
Students Want to be in these workshops and at the same time, They Don’t. The energy, excitement, anxiety, And Completion of the workshop become markers along the way toward graduation from “the program,” as well as in growing up. Students see their peers ahead of them finish a workshop and tell the rest of the school in a rewelcoming back to the school gathering that they learned “I am a good friend,” “I have a lot to offer the world,” “I am a caring person,” “I Love My Family Deeply,” and so on. All this from children who may have acted in direct opposition to this in the past. Moments of insight are gained through play, introspection, and trust on a safe “Island” called a workshop or seminar, where one can feel and practice a few miles away from real life.
Parents who attend the workshops designed specifically for parents often make statements such as “there is no place in my daily life where I am so honest about how I feel as I am when I’m here.” I’ve heard others say during a break time, “you know parts of this are Not Easy, But it feels so good to feel and to let myself go into areas I usually shut away. I’m feeling more alive.” And sometimes with a smile, and maybe a little run mascara from a previous exercise, some will say “what are you going to do to us after lunch?”
Some parents acknowledge something they say they Never Thought they would — “I am glad my child’s behavior came to a head finally because it was enough for us to make this kind of a decision; our whole family has grown from the experience. If my child’s acting out behavior had been somewhat less we probably would not have enrolled him/her and would have gone on bumping along dragging around Baggage for who knows how long.” When I see the Sparkle in the Eyes of students who have experienced these workshops, I know they have learned something about their true selves in a way that was very challenging — and they feel proud to have taken on the challenge and “done it!” One program I visited had two workshop staff moving on to other schools and the students were So Worried they might not get to continue the process. Another young man, finishing two workshops of this sort at a school asked me where he could go later in an over 18 year old program and continue this process. He so wanted to continue the workshop insights, care, intimacy, and friendship that had lovingly pushed him through doorways he had, at first, been incredibly fearful of going through.
Where did these workshops come from? From creative minds. They came from often controversial influences and beginnings — Synanon, Lifespring, est, — out of the ‘60’s — and from many of the earliest creative innovators in the mental health field. Through years of evolution, and years of individual creativity in adapting these workshops to adolescents, came “workshops” and “seminars”. I see them, if designed with care and sensitivity to the individual, as benefiting anyone — but, especially the frightened and refusing child, the counseling savvy/issue dodging child who knows what to say, and the intellectual child who tries at all costs to not touch upon feelings.
Training for the originators of today’s workshops often involved participation themselves in some earlier workshops in Their Own Growth Process and, thus, redesigning these workshops for their own schools. Some have established companies that offer various versions of these workshops today for Corporate America and also design special programs for emotional growth schools.
I would suggest the spread of these workshops in the emotional growth school setting says something about the insights and results for participants. And after all, isn’t that what it’s all about - Results Education, both academic and emotional.
Copyright © 1998, Woodbury Reports, Inc.
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FreeofCC, Its not a fondness as much as it is an interest. I traveled extensively throughout these Soviet States and always found it interesting that you could give money to down and out people in the streets as long as they were not Romanian. They are all called Gypsies and all the locals seems to hate them...
There is actually good reason for this. There are two ethnic groups in romania. The romanians and the gypsies. I know the romanian terms but not english. Nevermind. Anyway, the gypsy ethic groups tends to stick together as a relatively tribal society (they even have their own separate language). The problem with giving any of them money is because the people begging almost never get to keep any of it. They pass it up the chain, eventually reaching the Gypsy kings. When I was in romania I would buy them food and other perishables if I gave them anything (and sometimes hung around to make sure their handlers didn't steal it from them. Ice cream was always a good choice as it melts quickly and is something the poor kids almost never got to eat.
This one time I landed in Kazakhstan and there was a woman with 3 children, no shoes and it was snowing and my driver was visibly upset that I gave her money and as my translator finally explained to me that you never give money to gypsies, you should spit on them... they should all just get a job or die.
I've heard it all before, first hand. The thing is that it's just not their culture to settle down like everybody else and get jobs. They're nomadic. To the extent they sell services they do so on a roaming basis (knife sharpening, etc). For the most part they have no desire to assimilate or change their culture to conform (and that right should be respected, as far as i'm concerned). Also, on the basis of race nobody wants to employ them anyway, even if they want to fit in.
As I traveled more I found this to be a consensus throughout western and Southeast Asia (at least, as far as my experience goes). I found the ex-soviet cities are heated throughout by huge underground steam pipes so the down and out Romanians (gypsies)
Not all romanians (http://http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romanians#Relationship_to_other_ethnic_groups) are Gypsies (Romani). (http://http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romani_people#Population_and_subgroups) The Romanians get very upset when people make that assumption. Believe me, the Romanian hate the Gypsies as much as any other eastern European people. I can't really tell, but apparently romanians are able to tell the two ethic groups apart (they do dress differently and their culture is very different, though).
live underground during the winter months and I met a few as my translator was reluctant to translate and they are kind, gentle and beautiful people, mostly woman with kids and mouths to feed. I could never figure out where the men were or what they did
They handle the money you give to them and beat the women. Also keep in mind that half those kids are drugged to keep them quiet while the women beg.
I never met a gypsy guy. Maybe Psy knows. But what I do know is I wouldn’t want to be a Romanian woman in Southeast Asia.
Edit, just wanted to add this: There was a guy who was passed out on the side walk outside a restaurant we were entering for lunch and the smell was so bad that I thought this guy was dead. We ate lunch and when we came out an hour later this guy never moved and there were about 30 flies on his face and my wife insisted someone call the police. So our translator reluctantly called someone. The police showed up and beat the guy with batons until he moved. His stomach was covered with coins from passerby’s. So people would supply this guy with money but not a woman with children to feed.
Could be he wansn't Gypsy (Romani). The hatred towards Gypsies borders on the sort that could easily erupt in ethnic "cleansing" given the right conditions. It was a bad idea to call the cops, though. What you described is what happens far too often, though often they avoid doing such things in front of tourists.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romani_people#Persecutions (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romani_people#Persecutions)
Even so-called civilized societies participate in it to this day:
In 2008, the Italian government declared that Italy's Romani population represented a national security risk and that swift action was required to address the emergenza nomadi (gypsy emergency)[67]
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree ... roma-italy (http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/mar/30/roma-italy)
In February this year the Prefect of Rome, in his capacity as special commissioner for the Roma "emergency", issued new rules regulating life in the region's seven officially designated camps. The camps are to be gated, under police supervision. Though residence is to be temporary, as a prelude to further "integration", no indication is given of where those who have to leave, or are thrown out of the camps because they do not qualify, are expected to go. Milan's mayor has announced similar rules, including camp gates to be locked at 10pm. Protest has been muted.
Even Venice's progressive mayor Massimo Cacciari, a writer and professor of philosophy, who sparked a local uproar when he announced plans to build a Roma "village" for 30 families last year, explained in a recent television interview that the settlement, to be completed later this year, offers every guarantee of "separateness" from its non-gypsy neighbours.
Yes, this is 2008. Keep in mind there is barely a peep about this because those who know don't care and those who would care (outside of Europe, for example) don't know. Read the comments to take in how the average person feels. It's not exactly encouraging.
Probably best to continue this in the open forum on another thread or in PM if you want to continue chatting bout this. It's way off-topic.
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"the Academy is aggressively pursing legal options including the possibility of a restraining order against the state."
how pleasantly creative and cunning of them.
The State of Oregon officially on Bans ?
put the gubenor on wilderness solo (if they put arnold on one he wrestle a Moose and win)
put the comptroller on writing assignments (describe how mortensen math makes you want to put your head in a blender)
put the secretary of state on full time (under her desk)
make the supreme court run their shit (robes on in the jury box)
Kudos Oregon! Thank you for having the wisdom and the balls to tell these freakshows to act right or get the fuck out of dodge.
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It's official now! I have heard via the MBA parent listserv that Aspen has made the decision to close the program for good, regardless of what happens in this appeal. Apparently the PR was just too bad. Sharon Bitz will most likely never work for an Aspen program again. However I'm sure that many of the staff from MBA will either start a new school or go to work for one that still uses marathon workshops like lifesteps.
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It's official now! I have heard via the MBA parent listserv that Aspen has made the decision to close the program for good, regardless of what happens in this appeal.
Smart move on their part. Makes it look like they're appalled as well. Also lets them avoid being "technically" shut down by the state. Now they can just claim defamatory statements were made that caused irreparable harm, making MBA's remaining open unfeasible. Wouldn't be surprised if they sued the state at some point over it to try and save face (though, as Benchmark found out, that can backfire).
Apparently the PR was just too bad.
Most common cause of death for any given program.
Sharon Bitz will most likely never work for an Aspen program again.
What a shame. Such a stain on such a young career. Right under the bus. :seg:
However I'm sure that many of the staff from MBA will either start a new school or go to work for one that still uses marathon workshops like lifesteps.
No doubt about that.
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They have removed the facility from their homepage Residential schools - AEG (http://http://www.aspeneducation.com/Res-schools.html). Sagewalk is however still up on their wilderness page.
A call for a little more pressure is needed, so the remaining school in Bend is involved in this scandal also and Oregon is totally lost for them.
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I cant say anything about MBA being shut down except I went to the school and had a good enough experience and the friends I made are friends for life Like family. Sharon Bitz was my first Mentor at Mount Bachelor and she was and I am sure is a caring person who really helped me. It's sad this is coming down on her she deserves better.
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I cant say anything about MBA being shut down except I went to the school and had a good enough experience and the friends I made are friends for life Like family. Sharon Bitz was my first Mentor at Mount Bachelor and she was and I am sure is a caring person who really helped me. It's sad this is coming down on her she deserves better.
Jim Jones also did tremendous good for a lot of struggling folk in California. The ideals he cited were laudable, he fought for a better way of life for everyone, he cared about the people in his church, and he was said to be charismatic to boot.
Close to 1000 people drank that Kool-Aid in Guyana over the course of fairly little time, and that was the end of that. Who knows how many countless other lives he destroyed with his narcissistic megalomania, not seen nor recognized by the average parishioner sitting rapt in the pew, listening to his sermons of a better world...
A bittersweet toast to ya, OliJ, may all of our journeys bring us some better insight and understanding some day.
:dose: :dose:
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Copied from another thread...
http://http://cafety.org/images/stories/documents/MBA/mba_complaint%20%20order%20to%20correct_2009.pdf
Please look at item #23. We now know that a little girl was RAPED AT MBA and that MBA staff failed to report this RAPE OF A MINOR FEMALE IN THEIR CUSTODY to any authorities.
It's bad enough Aspen keeps these kids against their will, censors or prohibits communication with family, etc. But now we have proof that these children are being RPAED ON CAMPUS and NOTHING is being reported to authorities. I wonder if this was a STAFF MEMBER who RAPED this UNDERAGE GIRL???
All other oversight agencies which have authority over Aspen programs in their states should immediately force them to suspend operations pending investigation. These crimes have happened repeatedly and over many years on Aspen campuses and the authorities need to put a stop to the RAPE, MURDER, ABUSE and NEGLECT of our children being held at Aspen programs. The abuse is pervasive and systematic.
This is just horrific. I can't believe Aspen has gotten away with these abuses for so long at so many facilities. The report reads like a horror story.
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I was there when that fourteen year old girl was statutory raped. It was another student, it wasn't a staff, although I wouldn't put it past some of them. The only thing was that it was technically off-campus because it happened in the woods. Not sure if that affects the legality of whether or not they should have reported it. I never saw the kid who did it ever again, because he ran away, stole a car and a gun from some random farmer near Prineville, drove to Portland, ditched the car, joined the rainbow family, tripped acid for a week or two and then got picked up by the police. Not sure if he's a sex offender now or not.
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I was there when that fourteen year old girl was statutory raped. It was another student, it wasn't a staff, although I wouldn't put it past some of them. The only thing was that it was technically off-campus because it happened in the woods. Not sure if that affects the legality of whether or not they should have reported it. I never saw the kid who did it ever again, because he ran away, stole a car and a gun from some random farmer near Prineville, drove to Portland, ditched the car, joined the rainbow family, tripped acid for a week or two and then got picked up by the police. Not sure if he's a sex offender now or not.
If they put fences around the place to keep the kids safe from these events many here would cry foul and say the kids are kept prisoner. Go figure.
Thanks for the information,winstongreene
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But what about after they allowed this to happen (because Aspen schools are so unsafe) that they covered up the rape? How is not reporting a child rape "keeping the kids safe"? That's perverse.
You'll have to explain that to those of us who aren't mentally ill.
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But what about after they allowed this to happen (because Aspen schools are so unsafe) that they covered up the rape? How is not reporting a child rape "keeping the kids safe"? That's perverse.
You'll have to explain that to those of us who aren't mentally ill.
How can anyone possibly know if you are mentally ill or not? That doesnt make any sense. The posts should be addressed assuming that everyone has a normal level of comprehension. It is impossible to adjust them for every possible disorder.
If Aspen knowingly allowed this to happen then this will come out in the released documents
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Not "if this happened it will come out," Whooter. It did happen and already came out. The report clearly states that Aspen neglected to report a child rape (I believe item #23 on the infaction list shows this quite clearly). Either you can't read, or you're covering for child abusers. I'm pretty sure you can read, so that leaves covering for child abusers. How many more will be raped before you do something about it, Whooter? You claim to help kids, but you really help to allow their abuse by defending Aspen's shitty and perverse behavior. There is no excuse for children being raped and killed in Aspen's custody. Shame on you, Whooter!
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But what about after they allowed this to happen (because Aspen schools are so unsafe) that they covered up the rape? How is not reporting a child rape "keeping the kids safe"? That's perverse.
You'll have to explain that to those of us who aren't mentally ill.
How can anyone possibly know if you are mentally ill or not? That doesnt make any sense. The posts should be addressed assuming that everyone has a normal level of comprehension. It is impossible to adjust them for every possible disorder.
If Aspen knowingly allowed this to happen then this will come out in the released documents
I understand it is unclear whether or not this rape occured on campus, as the guest mentioned. But I dont think this is a reason to start having the kids fenced in. Putting up fences isnt going to resolve this type of thing. If a child is going to have sex with another child or rape another child there is not much people can do about it unless all the kids are kept in separate areas or isolation, which would not be a good decision. I think the major problem was with the lack of reporting and MBA should have their feet held to the fire over it.
It will be interesting to see how this is addressed.
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I understand it is unclear whether or not this rape occured on campus, as the guest mentioned. But I dont think this is a reason to start having the kids fenced in. Putting up fences isnt going to resolve this type of thing. If a child is going to have sex with another child or rape another child there is not much people can do about it unless all the kids are kept in separate areas or isolation, which would not be a good decision. I think the major problem was with the lack of reporting and MBA should have their feet held to the fire over it.
It will be interesting to see how this is addressed.
This particular situation has nothing to do with whether MBA should have had fences or not, and very little to do with whether this rape occurred off-campus or on.
The kid who was raped was enrolled at MBA. MBA had the responsibility, the duty, actually, to act in loco parentis whilst the kid was at MBA.
- The kid was raped whilst at MBA, by another kid also enrolled at MBA.
MBA failed in its responsibility to act in loco parentis for both kids. - MBA had both a moral as well as legal obligation to report this rape. They did not.
MBA failed in its responsibility to act in loco parentis, as well as to fulfill its legal obligation as a mandated reporter.
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I cant say anything about MBA being shut down except I went to the school and had a good enough experience and the friends I made are friends for life Like family. Sharon Bitz was my first Mentor at Mount Bachelor and she was and I am sure is a caring person who really helped me. It's sad this is coming down on her she deserves better.
Bravo to you for having the integrity to stand up to these Flamers.
I am the parent of an MBA student. I am not going to engage the narrow-minded, 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 has put forth evidence of a claim. It is not a charge, 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 morons and I cite their posts as evidence. While some of the posters here are apparently intelligent they are misguided. 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. This does not rise to the level of illegal charges. 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.
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. What is missing in these charges is objective proof. 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 basis vs. evidence basis. 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 troubled teens and withholding it from a control group to measure the techniques effectiveness? (maybe some of you flamers 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 when we can't believe what is right before our eyes.
Thirdly, there is no one-size-fits-all treatment. You flamers are objective evidence of that. You clearly were not saved by the programs you went through, I am truly sorry for that. Now, because you weren't helped you want bring down those institutions. You appear to be obsessed with being obsessed. 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.
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Hey, Asshole, let's start with a proven event. A little girl was RAPED on the MBA campus. This CHILD RAPE was not reported to the authorities. Let's just begin here and I will dismantle the rest of you weak and pathetic argument later. Explain how not reporting CHILD RAPES of kids in their custody makes MBA a safe place for kids. Explain that one to me and we can then begin the examination of the rest of your nonsense. I'd like to see you justify the raping of children in Aspen's care.
If there were NOTHING else wrong, this alone is enough to shut their doors, but, as we all know, there is much, much more. Was your daughter one of the minor females forced to lap dance and perform simulated felatio on her counselor? Do you consider this sick pedophile behavior part of MBA's excellent treatment plan? Oh, wait, they had no treatment plans. They were cited for that, too.
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I cant say anything about MBA being shut down except I went to the school and had a good enough experience and the friends I made are friends for life Like family. Sharon Bitz was my first Mentor at Mount Bachelor and she was and I am sure is a caring person who really helped me. It's sad this is coming down on her she deserves better.
Bravo to you for having the integrity to stand up to these Flamers.
I am the parent of an MBA student. I am not going to engage the narrow-minded, 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 has put forth evidence of a claim. It is not a charge, 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 morons and I cite their posts as evidence. While some of the posters here are apparently intelligent they are misguided. 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. This does not rise to the level of illegal charges. 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.
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. What is missing in these charges is objective proof. 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 basis vs. evidence basis. 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 troubled teens and withholding it from a control group to measure the techniques effectiveness? (maybe some of you flamers 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 when we can't believe what is right before our eyes.
Thirdly, there is no one-size-fits-all treatment. You flamers are objective evidence of that. You clearly were not saved by the programs you went through, I am truly sorry for that. Now, because you weren't helped you want bring down those institutions. You appear to be obsessed with being obsessed. 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.
You made some good points, guest, Some people like to play judge and jury here and jump to conclusions before the investigation is completed. Noone has been found guilty of anything.
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Hey, Asshole, let's start with a proven event. A little girl was RAPED on the MBA campus. This CHILD RAPE was not reported to the authorities. Let's just begin here and I will dismantle the rest of you weak and pathetic argument later. Explain how not reporting CHILD RAPES of kids in their custody makes MBA a safe place for kids. Explain that one to me and we can then begin the examination of the rest of your nonsense. I'd like to see you justify the raping of children in Aspen's care.
If there were NOTHING else wrong, this alone is enough to shut their doors, but, as we all know, there is much, much more. Was your daughter one of the minor females forced to lap dance and perform simulated felatio on her counselor? Do you consider this sick pedophile behavior part of MBA's excellent treatment plan? Oh, wait, they had no treatment plans. They were cited for that, too.
These are great questions about this proven abuse. I'm not sure if everyone understands this, but this isn't like a courtroom. It's an oversight investigation and it found lots to worry about. Whether or not you see criminal convictions of individual employees is not relavent. What matters is that it was found to be true that Aspen abuses children in its care. For example, allegations were sustained that children were forced into degrading sexual role play. This is a fact. It was also shown that children get raped on campus and employees decided they didn't need to report this felony. This also happens to be a crime, for which you will probably see a conviction. Nonetheless the investigation findings aren't allegations, they're conclusions. Allegations spawned the investigation and the investigation found abuse, including felony crimes.
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Bravo to you for having the integrity to stand up to these Flamers.
I am the parent of an MBA student. I am not going to engage the narrow-minded, 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 has put forth evidence of a claim. It is not a charge, 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 morons and I cite their posts as evidence. While some of the posters here are apparently intelligent they are misguided. 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. This does not rise to the level of illegal charges. 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.
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. What is missing in these charges is objective proof. 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 basis vs. evidence basis. 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 troubled teens and withholding it from a control group to measure the techniques effectiveness? (maybe some of you flamers 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 when we can't believe what is right before our eyes.
Thirdly, there is no one-size-fits-all treatment. You flamers are objective evidence of that. You clearly were not saved by the programs you went through, I am truly sorry for that. Now, because you weren't helped you want bring down those institutions. You appear to be obsessed with being obsessed. 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.
Fair enough, probably the best MBA defense I've seen so far except perhaps for the name calling.
What's not clear is
a. Whether you think that the substantiated claims against the school actually did happen, and you think that because these techniques that the school used that the state cited are actually effective that there shouldn't have been charges in the first place.
b. Whether you think that the substantiated claims are untrue.
As the previous poster stated, from the Merriam-Webster's - to establish by proof or competent evidence (it's synonym is confirm). Unless you think DHS is incompetent, then you should believe that the substantiated claims are true.
A rebuttal to two of your points that stand regardless of your answer to the a/b question. "There is no one-size-fits-all treatment". I agree. I believe that was one the things that MBA was cited for.
"You clearly were not saved by the programs you went through". It the goal of religious institutions, EMT teams, and hospitals to "save", it's the goal of treatment programs to "treat".
Lastly, the question of effectiveness. I would argue that having your child on the day of your discharge appearing better than when they left (This is the only finding of the Behrens study, so I don't want to hear it) is not in itself effective treatment. Do the changes hold over the course of time, or are they just a product of the environment that they were just in, or are they a product of the extended environment of your home until they turn 18.
Fear is an effective tool. If I fear my parents are going to beat me I will behave. That is also considered emotional child abuse in most (if not all) states. When the fear ends whatever changes have taken place also tend to end.
Anyway, before I blather on any further, I do want to hear your perspective on MBA itself.
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I cant say anything about MBA being shut down except I went to the school and had a good enough experience and the friends I made are friends for life Like family. Sharon Bitz was my first Mentor at Mount Bachelor and she was and I am sure is a caring person who really helped me. It's sad this is coming down on her she deserves better.
Bravo to you for having the integrity to stand up to these Flamers.
I am the parent of an MBA student. I am not going to engage the narrow-minded, so at the end of what I have to say, feel free to flame away.
If "narrow minded" = "disagrees with you" and "open minded" = "agrees with you" I don't see why you're even bothering to post.
First of all the term "substantiated" means nothing more than someone has put forth evidence of a claim. It is not a charge, 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 morons and I cite their posts as evidence.
Right, but moron is a matter of opinion, neither true nor false. The charges leveled against DRA are for the most part statements of fact.
While some of the posters here are apparently intelligent they are misguided. 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. This does not rise to the level of illegal charges. 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.
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.
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. What is missing in these charges is objective proof. 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 basis vs. evidence basis
Right. Perhaps you could elaborate on this "evidence basis" because other than anecdotal evidence, i've never seen much of anything presented to show these types of program work... not that "working" would make group humiliation ethical... Or perhaps you can explain to me how "Kelis - Milkshake", a song about hand jobs (http://http://www.lyrics007.com/Kelis%20Lyrics/Milkshake%20Lyrics.html), and a french maids outfit fit into a legitimate therapeutic context. Maybe Aspen opted to shut MBA down rather than bother with the sheer embarrassment of explaining that one in court.
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 troubled teens and withholding it from a control group to measure the techniques effectiveness?
Yes, and it's the only way to do it. If you read some stanton peele (http://http://www.peele.net/lib/panic.html) (or other sources), there is ample evidence that the vast majority of teens pull out of problems including drug/alcohol abuse on their own. In order to prove that MBA works, their success rate would indeed have to beat no treatment at all.
(maybe some of you flamers 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.
Open mind does not mean blind faith. Do you know the origins of LifeSteps? Do you know who designed them (it wasn't aspen!), where they came from, where the techniques are derived from, and what they were originally intended to do? I recommend doing you own research into that unless you're afraid of what you might find.
We as a society are going back to the dark ages when we can't believe what is right before our eyes.
Thirdly, there is no one-size-fits-all treatment. You flamers are objective evidence of that. You clearly were not saved by the programs you went through, I am truly sorry for that. Now, because you weren't helped you want bring down those institutions.
I, for one, didn't need help. I was not broken before the program. Please bother to get to know me or some of the other posters before throwing around blind accusations that we are somehow "troubled'. It makes it seem like you believe that everybody who had a bad experience in a program was somehow at fault for it or is somehow wrong for deciding to speak out about it so it doesn't happen to others.
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If you want to have some fun pissing off people from MBA, start posting on this Facebook group.
http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/group ... 418&ref=mf (http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/group.php?gid=192685557418&ref=mf)
It's a petition to save MBA filled with testimony about how it "saved peoples lives."
Enjoy being insulted and ridiculed by every brainwashed mind there. I love internet activism.
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Psy wrote:
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.
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
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A couple of thoughts
I think it goes beyond that. Businesses find opportunity in every crisis. We are not in the best economic times and most businesses are looking for ways to reduce costs. Aspen has 1 year, 5 year and 10 year plans which includes expansion and opening up new programs. So they have growth on the table and now they have a program which has been crippled.
They could cut costs by just cutting MBA loose for a few reasons I can think of:
1)Oregon isn’t friendly anymore.
2)There will be increased costs in starting MBA back up.
3)MBA’s reputation (name) has taken a hit so they would have to lower their price to fill the same number of beds until they regained their reputation.
4)They would benefit because they would not have to incur the cost to pay their employees severance, unemployment and all contracts with employees would be void because the state shut them down (they had no control), so therefore they are not responsible. The state of Oregon will pay for the 77 people out of work and loss in taxes and revenue. Say the average employee makes $50,000 that’s over $30,000 a month aspen will save in salary cost, plus they may not have to refund the families because the state never gave them enough notice to close down properly.
5) Reduce overhead.
So it is probably best to just walk away and take the tax break of losing an appendage rather than throw good money at it with uncertain results. Plus like everyone else they need to reduce costs anyway. This would give them the opportunity to move forward earlier on their latest program “Pleasant Valley Academy” in Washington State which has an excellent reputation for therapeutically turning around at-risk youths. And they have some experienced people looking for work to staff it now.
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If you want to have some fun pissing off people from MBA, start posting on this Facebook group.
http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/group ... 418&ref=mf (http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/group.php?gid=192685557418&ref=mf)
It's a petition to save MBA filled with testimony about how it "saved peoples lives."
Enjoy being insulted and ridiculed by every brainwashed mind there. I love internet activism.
Not much point. In order to post in that group you have to join (sign the petition, in other words). Furthermore, the group leader has made it clear that posts criticizing MBA will be deleted:
IMPORTANT ANNOUNCMENT!!! The comments of those that are obviously confused or choosing to be ignorant of the purpose of our site will be removed. I can already hear the wah wah wah's of how we are bias, how we are one sided, yes. We are one sided. The side that chooses to focus on the positive. So if you are not going to learn how to read first of all the obvious title of our site, go somewhere else. This is effective now.
I love how they redefine the terms "positive" and "negative". "Positive" means in support of the program and "negative" means criticizing the program. "Focusing on the positive" basically means "praising the holy program".
There is a more neutral group here allowing both criticism and praise of MBA:
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2317447731&ref=mf (http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2317447731&ref=mf)
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Another way to help clarify my thoughts:
Lets say that “Big Al’s Daycare and Towing service” ( a local business model that found success because Big Al would pick-up and drop off the kids) was shut down for abuse, due to reports that children were seen playing on the edges of major highways in the area and also were present at the scenes of major car accidents on a daily basis. After 6 months (and $300,000 in legal costs) Big Al successfully argued that he technically never broke any laws because cars naturally break down all the time and parents place their families on the side of the highway at a safe distance, which was what Big Al does so he isn’t placing the kids at any higher risk than a normal family would. So all charges were dropped.
The problem is that people will remember the Name “Big Al” associated with “abuse” and therefore his business will be permanently damaged. Big Al’s only options would be to drop the Daycare from his business model or move to another state where no one associates his name with abuse. Or he could transfer the daycare portion to his wife and call it “Big Bertha's Daycare and Septic Cleaning” and try to start anew.
Sometimes it is best to stay and fight and others to just move on.
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From above link: allegedly successful MBA graduate Lauren Ann Hoffman opines:
"Frankly, if girls are sent to mba because they have problems sucking too much dick, then dressing in a french maid costume shouldnt phase them. MBA does everything for a purpose."[/list]
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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.
Yeah, it is very reminiscent of what happened with Whitmore and Cheryl Sudweeks. Carp and bitch that these people are closing and not copping to guilt overlooks the fact that no innocent person would buckle and enter a plea bargain to such horrible accusations with their livelihood at stake. Like Cheryl Sudweeks, MBA is cutting their losses so they can still do business elsewhere rather than face public trial, jail and permanent blackballing. You're full of shit if you believe MBA is doing anything other than dodging the bullet they well deserve.
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Do I understand correctly that the scripts and such for LifeSteps have not been made public? We have those details for some other multi-day, sleep-deprived abuse marathons, yes? Is it the CEDU propheets?
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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.
Yeah, it is very reminiscent of what happened with Whitmore and Cheryl Sudweeks. Carp and bitch that these people are closing and not copping to guilt overlooks the fact that no innocent person would buckle and enter a plea bargain to such horrible accusations with their livelihood at stake. Like Cheryl Sudweeks, MBA is cutting their losses so they can still do business elsewhere rather than face public trial, jail and permanent blackballing. You're full of shit if you believe MBA is doing anything other than dodging the bullet they well deserve.
Purely a business decision. If long term profits would benefit if they stayed and fought then they would. But innocent or guilty it makes more sense to cut the loses now, avoid a public trial and try to reopen somewhere else, maybe under another name.
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And if that happens, I'll be the first one to put the dogs on the scent of the facility.
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Do I understand correctly that the scripts and such for LifeSteps have not been made public? We have those details for some other multi-day, sleep-deprived abuse marathons, yes? Is it the CEDU propheets?
The scripts have not been made public but from what i've read, they seem more or less identical to CEDU's Propheets (other than the names).
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And if that happens, I'll be the first one to put the dogs on the scent of the facility.
An easier way is to go to their Web Site (http://http://www.aspeneducation.com/). If they open a new facility they will list it under either Residential Programs or Wilderness Programs (upper left hand corner).
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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.
Yeah, it is very reminiscent of what happened with Whitmore and Cheryl Sudweeks. Carp and bitch that these people are closing and not copping to guilt overlooks the fact that no innocent person would buckle and enter a plea bargain to such horrible accusations with their livelihood at stake. Like Cheryl Sudweeks, MBA is cutting their losses so they can still do business elsewhere rather than face public trial, jail and permanent blackballing. You're full of shit if you believe MBA is doing anything other than dodging the bullet they well deserve.
Purely a business decision. If long term profits would benefit if they stayed and fought then they would. But innocent or guilty it makes more sense to cut the loses now, avoid a public trial and try to reopen somewhere else, maybe under another name.
Yep, so it's pretty much what the guest you quoted said....this is just like the Sudweeks and Whitmore.
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Another way to help clarify my thoughts:
Lets say that “Big Al’s Daycare and Towing service” ( a local business model that found success because Big Al would pick-up and drop off the kids) was shut down for abuse, due to reports that children were seen playing on the edges of major highways in the area and also were present at the scenes of major car accidents on a daily basis. After 6 months (and $300,000 in legal costs) Big Al successfully argued that he technically never broke any laws because cars naturally break down all the time and parents place their families on the side of the highway at a safe distance, which was what Big Al does so he isn’t placing the kids at any higher risk than a normal family would. So all charges were dropped.
The problem is that people will remember the Name “Big Al” associated with “abuse” and therefore his business will be permanently damaged. Big Al’s only options would be to drop the Daycare from his business model or move to another state where no one associates his name with abuse. Or he could transfer the daycare portion to his wife and call it “Big Bertha's Daycare and Septic Cleaning” and try to start anew.
Sometimes it is best to stay and fight and others to just move on.
"Big Al" could then sue the state for losses. Why hasn't MBA done this if the claims are false? Why hasn't MBA, like "Big Al", contested the charges against them in court? The law not only affords a person a reasonable defense. It also entitles a person to damages caused by false allegations. Why isn't MBA pursuing this course if the claims against them are false. Why not simply release the LifeSteps scripts to the public and show the world what they do if there is nothing to hide?
Also, are you suggesting that MBA is considering simply renaming their facility / transferring ownership and re-opening?
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Why not simply release the LifeSteps scripts to the public and show the world what they do if there is nothing to hide?
AAAwwwww... then the mesmers of Mount Bachelor might lose some of their super-seekrit magic!! ;D
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Why not simply release the LifeSteps scripts to the public and show the world what they do if there is nothing to hide?
AAAwwwww... then the mesmers of Mount Bachelor might lose some of their super-seekrit magic!! ;D
LOL. Or it would be revealed that it's exact same "magic" that was used by CEDU back in the day.
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"Big Al" could then sue the state for losses. Why hasn't MBA done this if the claims are false? Why hasn't MBA, like "Big Al", contested the charges against them in court? The law not only affords a person a reasonable defense. It also entitles a person to damages caused by false allegations.
Furthermore, you can be damn sure the state was aware of these liabilities when they made their accusations. You can be damned sure after interviewing those 100 odd kids (iirc) that they had all their i's dotted and t's crossed. MBA backed down not because they were innocent but because they knew damn well they got caught with their pants down and there's no way to spin away the wealth of evidence.
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Why not simply release the LifeSteps scripts to the public and show the world what they do if there is nothing to hide?
AAAwwwww... then the mesmers of Mount Bachelor might lose some of their super-seekrit magic!! ;D
LOL. Or it would be revealed that it's exact same "magic" that was used by CEDU back in the day.
Some mulling on mesmers:
Franz Anton Mesmer (May 23, 1734 – March 5, 1815), born Friedrich Anton Mesmer, was a German physician and astrologist, who discovered what he called magnétisme animal (animal magnetism[1]) and other spiritual forces often grouped together as mesmerism. The evolution of Mesmer's ideas and practices led Scottish surgeon James Braid to develop hypnosis in 1842. Mesmer's name is the root of the English verb "mesmerize".
<snip snip>
In 1775, Mesmer was invited to give his opinion before the Munich Academy of Sciences on the exorcisms carried out by Johann Joseph Gassner, a priest and healer. Mesmer said that while Gassner was sincere in his beliefs, his cures were due to the fact that he possessed a high degree of animal magnetism. This confrontation between Mesmer's secular ideas and Gassner's religious beliefs marked the end of Gassner's career as well as, according to Henri Ellenberger, the emergence of dynamic psychiatry.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mesmer (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mesmer)
Mesmerism: Known also as animal magnetism or hypnotism - it is the practice of lulling people into a sleep-like trance for the purpose of behavior modification.
http://www.4truth.net/site/c.hiKXLbPNLr ... ossary.htm (http://www.4truth.net/site/c.hiKXLbPNLrF/b.2904223/k.9A02/New_Age_Glossary.htm)
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"Big Al" could then sue the state for losses. Why hasn't MBA done this if the claims are false? Why hasn't MBA, like "Big Al", contested the charges against them in court? The law not only affords a person a reasonable defense. It also entitles a person to damages caused by false allegations. Why isn't MBA pursuing this course if the claims against them are false. Why not simply release the LifeSteps scripts to the public and show the world what they do if there is nothing to hide?
Because, MBA has already lost, just like “Big Al” did. Even though Big Al won his case,he lost his business. When the case unfolded he was front page news with big color pictures of the kids playing on the highway along with an unrelated (not so flattering) photo of “Big Al” taken after leaving a bar at 2:00 am. After “Big Al” won the case it was mentioned by only one small newspaper on page six in small print (on two lines). So everyone still thought “Big Al” abused kids and had a drinking problem to boot. The initial allegations can destroy a person or business even if they are later proved false.
As far as MBA goes, it doesn’t look good and I am really surprised that they threw in the towel that quickly. I am sure that enough of what the state claimed against them was true and that they decided they would never survive in a public forum. Either that or the re-start up cost and the economy just told them it made sense to cut MBA lose and let it die. But my guess is that they F**ked up big time and didn’t want to air their dirty laundry in public.
Also, are you suggesting that MBA is considering simply renaming their facility / transferring ownership and re-opening?
No, I dont believe people would buy it. The rumors would linger. My belief is that Aspen already has plans to expand elsewhere and was waiting for the economy to improve. But now they can move forward more quickly now that they are short one “Residential” unit. It will be interesting to see if they purchase anything in the coming months. I believe they picked up some land in Pennsylvania a year or so ago which would be a great place for Residential with a wilderness component with the open space and mountainous terrain.
This will be interesting to follow.
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Mesmerism: Known also as animal magnetism
And naturally a bear would know all about that ;-).
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"Big Al" could then sue the state for losses. Why hasn't MBA done this if the claims are false? Why hasn't MBA, like "Big Al", contested the charges against them in court? The law not only affords a person a reasonable defense. It also entitles a person to damages caused by false allegations. Why isn't MBA pursuing this course if the claims against them are false. Why not simply release the LifeSteps scripts to the public and show the world what they do if there is nothing to hide?
Because, MBA has already lost, just like “Big Al” did. Even though Big Al won his case,he lost his business. When the case unfolded he was front page news with big color pictures of the kids playing on the highway along with an unrelated (not so flattering) photo of “Big Al” taken after leaving a bar at 2:00 am. After “Big Al” won the case it was mentioned by only one small newspaper on page six in small print (on two lines). So everyone still thought “Big Al” abused kids and had a drinking problem to boot. The initial allegations can destroy a person or business even if they are later proved false.
Right, but if they were in such a situation they could sue the state for the loss of income as a result of false allegations. They didn't bother pursuing that angle. I'm not sure if they even challenged the findings at all in any specifics.
I mean let's face it. They were torpedoed and sunk in one shot. That email sent out to all the parents caused irreparable damage, regardless of accuracy. If there were false statements in there as a result of negligence or actual malice, MBA would have a hell of a case. The fact that they're choosing to bow out completely rather than contest the findings or sue for damages implies they have enough to hide that they aren't willing to be open about their practices.
What they're doing also makes good business sense for Aspen as a whole. Who wants to be in a position where you're arguing in open court that a song a bout hand jobs, french maid outfits and all sorts of CEDU borne craziness have therapeutic value. Even if you win the case and somehow convince a jury, you still lose when the press picks up on the details of the case and it gets attached to The Aspen name even more than it is now. Right now Aspen can claim "we neither confirm nor deny these allegations" and make up some excuse for closing the school (license revocation or somesuch)... Sweep the controversy under the rug quietly. Right now they can claim in private to those concerned that they didn't know about this "bad egg". Not taking a public stance means you can take multiple stances in private, which Aspen can definitely take advantage of.
As far as MBA goes, it doesn’t look good and I am really surprised that they threw in the towel that quickly. I am sure that enough of what the state claimed against them was true and that they decided they would never survive in a public forum. Either that or the re-start up cost and the economy just told them it made sense to cut MBA lose and let it die. But my guess is that they F**ked up big time and didn’t want to air their dirty laundry in public.
Right, and that's the school's fault, not the state's. If they were doing things that they felt wouldn't look good to the public they probably shouldn't have been doing them at all.
Also, are you suggesting that MBA is considering simply renaming their facility / transferring ownership and re-opening?
No, I dont believe people would buy it. The rumors would linger. My belief is that Aspen already has plans to expand elsewhere and was waiting for the economy to improve. But now they can move forward more quickly now that they are short one “Residential” unit. It will be interesting to see if they purchase anything in the coming months. I believe they picked up some land in Pennsylvania a year or so ago which would be a great place for Residential with a wilderness component with the open space and mountainous terrain.
This will be interesting to follow.[/quote]
I'll agree it'll be interesting.
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Right, but if they were in such a situation they could sue the state for the loss of income as a result of false allegations. They didn't bother pursuing that angle. I'm not sure if they even challenged the findings at all in any specifics.
I mean let's face it. They were torpedoed and sunk in one shot. That email sent out to all the parents caused irreparable damage, regardless of accuracy. If there were false statements in there as a result of negligence or actual malice, MBA would have a hell of a case. The fact that they're choosing to bow out completely rather than contest the findings or sue for damages implies they have enough to hide that they aren't willing to be open about their practices.
Well maybe this will finally put an end to the ”lifestep” aspect of the programs under Aspens management. If they were truly dressing kids up in French maid outfits or making them act out sexually then the people involved should be sued or put in jail. I cannot believe this was written into a procedure anywhere. No company would do this or put themselves at this type of risk. If these things did occur then it must have been locally managed and determined by a few staff to be okayed.
I think this will send a very clear message to the rest of the programs. From what I have read there were only a few left that used this method and this exposure will probably kill the use of lifesteps in any other place.
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Right, but if they were in such a situation they could sue the state for the loss of income as a result of false allegations. They didn't bother pursuing that angle. I'm not sure if they even challenged the findings at all in any specifics.
I mean let's face it. They were torpedoed and sunk in one shot. That email sent out to all the parents caused irreparable damage, regardless of accuracy. If there were false statements in there as a result of negligence or actual malice, MBA would have a hell of a case. The fact that they're choosing to bow out completely rather than contest the findings or sue for damages implies they have enough to hide that they aren't willing to be open about their practices.
Well maybe this will finally put an end to the "lifestep" aspect of the programs under Aspens management. If they were truly dressing kids up in French maid outfits or making them act out sexually then the people involved should be sued or put in jail. I cannot believe this was written into a procedure anywhere. No company would do this or put themselves at this type of risk. If these things did occur then it must have been locally managed and determined by a few staff to be okayed.
I think this will send a very clear message to the rest of the programs. From what I have read there were only a few left that used this method and this exposure will probably kill the use of lifesteps in any other place.
Isn't Copper Canyon Academy an Aspen Program? For some reason (http://http://wiki.fornits.com/index.php?title=Copper_Canyon_Academy), I am under the impression that they also use or used to use the Lifesteps "emotional growth curriculum." I've also read that they appear to have some kind of an arrangement (http://http://www.fornits.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?f=48&t=20619) with Aspen Ranch, where kids from the latter are transported to the former, in order to participate in these seminars / workshops.
Academy at Swift River, Mount Bachelor's sister school, definitely uses or used to use (http://http://www.strugglingteens.com/archives/1997/12/np01.html) a "proven emotional growth program consisting of carefully sequenced Lifesteps." But you would know all about that, wouldn't you?
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Academy at Swift River, Mount Bachelor's sister school, definitely uses or used to use (http://http://www.strugglingteens.com/archives/1997/12/np01.html) a "proven emotional growth program consisting of carefully sequenced Lifesteps." But you would know all about that, wouldn't you?
ASR dumped that in 2005 I believe.
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Academy at Swift River, Mount Bachelor's sister school, definitely uses or used to use (http://http://www.strugglingteens.com/archives/1997/12/np01.html) a "proven emotional growth program consisting of carefully sequenced Lifesteps." But you would know all about that, wouldn't you?
ASR dumped that in 2005 I believe.
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.
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Speaking of Aspen programs' usage of Lifesteps, NorthStar was also using it in their "emotional growth curriculum" back in 1998 (http://http://www.fornits.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?f=48&t=29113&p=350266#p350266). Does anyone know if they still do?
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Academy at Swift River, Mount Bachelor's sister school, definitely uses or used to use (http://http://www.strugglingteens.com/archives/1997/12/np01.html) a "proven emotional growth program consisting of carefully sequenced Lifesteps." But you would know all about that, wouldn't you?
ASR dumped that in 2005 I believe.
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.
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. Bartolomeo came from McLean Hospital in the Boston area, as well as a McLean-associated private practice, Children's Group Therapy Association. For a period he was also clinical director of a specialized trauma clinic, Children's Charter, Inc., which I believe is also in the Boston metropolitan area.
Bartolomeo would surely have had dealings with Sharon Levy, Director of Pediatrics for the Adolescent Substance Abuse Program at Children's Hospital in Boston and Associate Researcher at the Center for Adolescent Substance Abuse Research ... and on the Advisory Board for STICC (Saving Teens in Crisis Collaborative), an enterprise founded by John D. Reuben.
I imagine that when John's son Mike Reuben (http://http://www.fornits.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=26615) started having problems with his heroin use (2004?), some or all of the aforementioned programs would have been consulted (McLean Hospital, Children's Group Therapy Association, Children's Charter, Inc., Children's Hospital in Boston). One or more of these ultimately referred Mike to Academy at Swift River and its "emotional growth curriculum," including its Lifesteps workshops.
Curious that Frank Bartolomeo also ended up at ASR around the same time.
See ALSO (http://http://www.fornits.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?f=48&t=28446&p=343465#p343465).
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ASR dumped that in 2005 I believe.
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.
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.
Here's announcement of a workshop indicating thoughts along those lines, i.e., suggesting a "more judicious application of expressive therapies."
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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?" (http://http://www.strugglingteens.com/artman/publish/article_5437.shtml)
Contact:
Paul Ravenscraft
800-258-1770 (206)
http://www.swiftriver.com (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.
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Psy wrote:
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.
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
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.
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Fair enough, probably the best MBA defense I've seen so far except perhaps for the name calling.
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.
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These therapeutic boarding school haters have a louder voice than they deserve.
Lol. And you feel that you are in a position to determine just what *I*, or any other poster, for that matter, deserve? :D
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.
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!).
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These therapeutic boarding school haters have a louder voice than they deserve.
Lol. And you feel that you are in a position to determine just what *I* deserve? :D
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.
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!).
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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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?
I would not allow my child to be re-trained by some company in order to "reach them" I would not ever respond to a situation where someone is discussing the possibility of humiliating and exploiting children with some flippant win some lose some remark. Then again I'm not a profiting from these abuses and spending hours trolling a forum while trying (failing) to confuse or minimize the industry abuses.
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I would not allow my child to be re-trained by some company in order to "reach them" I would not ever respond to a situation where someone is discussing the possibility of humiliating and exploiting children with some flippant win some lose some remark. Then again I'm not a profiting from these abuses and spending hours trolling a forum while trying (failing) to confuse or minimize the industry abuses.
Could you consider the possibility that none of the substantiated findings are true?
Would you choose brainwashing for your child over suicide?
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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?
I would not allow my child to be re-trained by some company in order to "reach them" I would not ever respond to a situation where someone is discussing the possibility of humiliating and exploiting children with some flippant win some lose some remark. Then again I'm not a profiting from these abuses and spending hours trolling a forum while trying (failing) to confuse or minimize the industry abuses.
All the right buzz words are in your response - re-trained, "reach them", humiliating, exploiting, lose some, profiting, trolling, industry abuses .
Get sterilized, God forbid you should ever have children.
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Instead of lying about MBA's therapeutic lies, why don't you do something productive and find all those poor sap MBA staffers another meaningful career at another wonderfully mystical coven? I heard Scientology Greenland is hiring.
Fear those that fear transparency.
Ding dong the witch is dead. There will be NO yelling, forced crying, or any other reckless groupthink mind games in Prineville today.
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Fair enough, probably the best MBA defense I've seen so far except perhaps for the name calling.
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.
Great post, thank you, flameproof.
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Could you consider the possibility that none of the substantiated findings are true?
None of them?? No. Charges/complaints of this ilk have been brought up periodically since the at least the mid 1990s vis a vis Mount Bachelor Academy. There is nothing inordinately new here, save that the state finally chose to get involved in no uncertain terms.
The state is also in a better position to do so, given that there is more research available on the traumatic effects that excessive humiliation and degradation can have on adolescents, especially during a time when they are actively forming their self-identities.
Mount Bachelor's own sister school Academy at Swift River even said as much (http://http://www.fornits.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?f=48&t=29113&start=120#p350568) three years ago, when they addressed possible changes that may or may not have toned down their own version of Lifestep:
"Psychodramatic methods can be very powerful, however, when misapplied can create the risk of harm especially for certain adolescent populations."[/list]
Perhaps MBA was given the benefit of doubt in previous go-arounds. Less so, this time! :D
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Could you consider the possibility that none of the substantiated findings are true?
Considering that the allegations are eerily identical to what I either witnessed first hand or went through personally at another CEDU based school? no. It is not possible. If the kids were making this stuff up at random, the allegations would not match those made at other CEDU based schools. Also keep in mind that IIRC, the state interviewed a lot of students. Again. If students were making stuff up at random their stories would not corroborate each other.
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Also keep in mind that IIRC, the state interviewed a lot of students.
I've read that that number was close to 100 students. Anybody have some hard data on that figure?
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Great post, thank you, flameproof.
It's just a repost of his earlier one which I responded to here (no sense in responding to it again):
viewtopic.php?f=48&t=29113&start=90#p350481 (http://www.fornits.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?f=48&t=29113&start=90#p350481)
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Also keep in mind that IIRC, the state interviewed a lot of students.
I've read that that number was close to 100 students. Anybody have some hard data on that figure?
That's what I read but I can't remember where either.
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Guest wrote:
Could you consider the possibility that none of the substantiated findings are true?
Like it's a big conspiracy involving law enforcement, human services, current and MBA former staff, and 88 students? That's ridiculous on the face of it.
You might want to go look up the word "substantiated," as in "to establish by proof."
Auntie Em
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on this PDF (http://http://cafety.org/images/stories/documents/MBA/mba_complaint%20%20order%20to%20correct_2009.pdf), page 2, it says 65 students and staff were interviewed in march (however more might be listed later in the pdf. I'd have to read. I know I saw 100 somewhere).
Interestingly, it also says that they photographed MBA materials used as part of their program. I wonder if that stuff could be made available by a FOAI request. Anybody know how to file one?
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Delete duplicate post.
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on this PDF (http://http://cafety.org/images/stories/documents/MBA/mba_complaint%20%20order%20to%20correct_2009.pdf), page 2, it says 65 students and staff were interviewed in march (however more might be listed later in the pdf. I'd have to read. I know I saw 100 somewhere).
It was "65 witnesses, including MBA students and staff, along with licensed therapists familiar with individual students" in March and, between then and October, "numerous parents and former students" as well as "interviews ... conducted with staff and students." I presume that very last quote refers to current staff and students, of which there were approximately 77 and 88, respectively. The Complaint did not state that all of them were interviewed.
Here is that whole section from the (full) transcription (http://http://www.fornits.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=29131&p=350409#p350409):
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Background:
Mt. Bachelor Academy (MBA) is a licensed Therapeutic Boarding School, located in a rural area, 26 miles east of Prineville, Oregon, licensed originally in 1988. The school admits both male and female students who are from age 14 to 17.5 at the time of admission, although same children are admitted pursuant to an exception as young as age 13. The total capacity is 125 students and the average length of stay is 14-16 months. In 1998, Mt. Bachelor was re-organized and became a program of Aspen Education group. Aspen was recently acquired by CRC Health Group, Inc. As of March 209, MBA had approximately 77 staff and 88 boarding students.
On or about March 20, 2009, DHS received reports of child abuse against MBA. The DHS Office of Investigations and Training (OIT) handled the investigation of the reports of child abuse at MBA. There were two investigators primarily assigned to go to Prineville and interview people on campus. In addition, the office used three other investigators to conduct witness interviews of people in- and out-of-state. The investigators conducted interviews involving 65 witnesses, including MBA students and staff, along with licensed therapists familiar with individual students. Investigators reviewed documents and photographed materials used as part of the MBA therapy program.
At the same time, the DHS Licensing and Residential Treatment Services (Licensing) program investigated standards for health and safety and looked at MBA's compliance with Oregon Administrative Rules related to their license as a therapeutic boarding school. Licensing accompanied OIT investigators on a site visit to the program on or about March 26 and 27th. Based on the initial information gathered from the investigation, on or about March 31, 2009, Licensing notified MBA that they were prohibited from conducting their own investigation into the allegations of abuse reported records; prohibited from destroying or otherwise concealing school or student records; prohibited from disciplining or threatening to discipline students interviewed during the investigation; and prohibited from conducting Lifesteps activities until further notice. Parents of students were notified of the investigation.
Over the next several months, Licensing spoke with numerous parents and former students, made additional site visits to the program to conduct further reviews of student records, medical records, personnel records, and program procedures and policies. Interviews were also conducted with staff and students. Licensing further reviewed another "emotional growth" curriculum called Transitions that MBA sought to use in place of the Lifesteps program. DHS reviewed the program and expressed concerns to MBA that the Transitions program too closely mirrored the prohibited Lifesteps program. MBA proceeded to offer the Transitions program knowing that such a choice could result in further investigation of MBA.
In October 2009, the Office of Investigations and Training (OIT) completed its investigation and determined that eight allegation of abuse involving five individual students were substantiated against the agency,, Mt. Bachelor Academy. The report indicates that the abuse allegations are "exemplars" in that these five clients' experience is not unique and is "substantially consistent" with the experience of all children enrolled in the program. The report further substantiated an allegation of abuse against the Executive Director. The Executive Director either knew of the abusive practices of the agency, or she should have known what was happening under her authority.
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Another way to help clarify my thoughts:
Lets say that “Big Al’s Daycare and Towing service” ( a local business model that found success because Big Al would pick-up and drop off the kids) was shut down for abuse, due to reports that children were seen playing on the edges of major highways in the area and also were present at the scenes of major car accidents on a daily basis. After 6 months (and $300,000 in legal costs) Big Al successfully argued that he technically never broke any laws because cars naturally break down all the time and parents place their families on the side of the highway at a safe distance, which was what Big Al does so he isn’t placing the kids at any higher risk than a normal family would. So all charges were dropped.
The problem is that people will remember the Name “Big Al” associated with “abuse” and therefore his business will be permanently damaged. Big Al’s only options would be to drop the Daycare from his business model or move to another state where no one associates his name with abuse. Or he could transfer the daycare portion to his wife and call it “Big Bertha's Daycare and Septic Cleaning” and try to start anew.
Sometimes it is best to stay and fight and others to just move on.
"Big Al" could then sue the state for losses. Why hasn't MBA done this if the claims are false? Why hasn't MBA, like "Big Al", contested the charges against them in court? The law not only affords a person a reasonable defense. It also entitles a person to damages caused by false allegations. Why isn't MBA pursuing this course if the claims against them are false. Why not simply release the LifeSteps scripts to the public and show the world what they do if there is nothing to hide?
In hindsight even though "Big Al" eventually won in court he would have been better off folding and moving to another state and restarting his business. He lost $300,000 in fighting this case and his name will forever be associated with abuse. Yes he could sue the state and recover some of his losses but he cant restart his child care business and has no money left to relocate.
I think Aspen is smart to just cut the umbilical cord on MBA and move on, whether they are guilty or innocent of the charges. The event that tipped the scales, in my opinion, was when the kids were ordered to be transferred to other programs within the Aspen Community. The allegations would weigh heavily on MBA for years to come and the end effect would be a reduced volume of kids being placed there resulting in lower profits.
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Holly Shit!! I cant Believe this place is shut down!! I ran from this place with a guy named Martin back in 1997. Please contact me if you were enrolled at this time.
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Great post, thank you, flameproof.
You're welcome.
BTW: Does anyone on this forum know who really shut down MBA?
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Well, it has got to be MBA staff. They were the ones abusing the kids according to the investigation, so it was them that got it shut down. The management also because they were warned to stop the abusive LifeSteps, but did it anyway. The people at MBA are not very smart I guess. Definitely not smart or caring enough to HELP any kids, but enough to abuse them.
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Great post, thank you, flameproof.
You're welcome.
BTW: Does anyone on this forum know who really shut down MBA?
Short answer: Aspen... But it they didn't, it would have been the state. I'm sure they had other motivations as well.
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It is so easy to bait the haters, isn't it?
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It is so easy to bait the haters, isn't it?
Your reference to "baiting" is quite telling.
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It is so easy to bait the haters, isn't it?
Your reference to "baiting" is quite telling.
The Aspen trolls are masters at it.
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It is so easy to bait the haters, isn't it?
Your reference to "baiting" is quite telling.
The Aspen trolls are masters at it.
Not so "neutral," eh? :rofl: :rofl:
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I've been saying it for years: Aspen Education abuses, neglects and kills children. Sadly, I was proven right on both counts in just one month in just one state.
There are thousands of kids being abused at Aspen programs every year across the country. Some of them pay the ultimate price for their parents' ignorant and stupid decision to send them away to Aspen programs. RIP, children.
Aspen Education Group KILLS CHILDREN IN THEIR CARE :poison: :suicide: :cry:
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I've been saying it for years: Aspen Education abuses, neglects and kills children. Sadly, I was proven right on both counts in just one month in just one state.
There are thousands of kids being abused at Aspen programs every year across the country. Some of them pay the ultimate price for their parents' ignorant and stupid decision to send them away to Aspen programs. RIP, children.
Aspen Education Group KILLS CHILDREN IN THEIR CARE and is being investigated by the CIA for being involved in the 911 attacks :poison: :suicide: :cry:
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I've been saying it for years: Aspen Education abuses, neglects and kills children. Sadly, I was proven right on both counts in just one month in just one state.
There are thousands of kids being abused at Aspen programs every year across the country. Some of them pay the ultimate price for their parents' ignorant and stupid decision to send them away to Aspen programs. RIP, children.
Aspen Education Group KILLS CHILDREN IN THEIR CARE :poison: :suicide: :cry:
It's sad but true that this poster is 100% correct. There are a lot of children's corpses coming out of Aspen programs and very few healthy kids.
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I've been saying it for years: Al Qaeda abuses, neglects and kills children. Sadly, I was proven right on both counts in just one month in just one state.
There are thousands of kids being abused at Al Qaeda programs every year across the country. Some of them pay the ultimate price for their parents' ignorant and stupid decision to send them away to Al Qaeda programs. RIP, children.
Al Qaeda KILLS CHILDREN IN THEIR CARE :poison: :suicide: :cry:
It's sad but true that this poster is 100% correct. There are a lot of children's corpses coming out of Al Qaeda programs and very few healthy kids.
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I've been saying it for years: Aspen Education abuses, neglects and kills children. Sadly, I was proven right on both counts in just one month in just one state.
There are thousands of kids being abused at Aspen programs every year across the country. Some of them pay the ultimate price for their parents' ignorant and stupid decision to send them away to Aspen programs. RIP, children.
Aspen Education Group KILLS CHILDREN IN THEIR CARE :poison: :suicide: :cry:
It's sad but true that this poster is 100% correct. There are a lot of children's corpses coming out of Aspen programs and very few healthy kids.
I heard about this in the news. Two Aspen Ed programs in Oregon have been shut down.
SageWalk is under investigation for the homicide of a child. They killed him on his first day there by force marching him in the high desert with no water until he collapsed. The Sheriff is treating the case as a homicide and the state shut down the program.
And Mount Bachelor was shut down by Oregon DHS for systemic, systematic child abuse and neglect and for not hiring or retaining any professional mental health personnel. They were running LifeSteps without any qualified people and kids were being forced to lap dance for their uneducated counselors and perform simulated felatio on them. That's disgusting and wrong!
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I've been saying it for years: Al Qaeda abuses, neglects and kills children. Sadly, I was proven right on both counts in just one month in just one state.
There are thousands of kids being abused at Al Qaeda programs every year across the country. Some of them pay the ultimate price for their parents' ignorant and stupid decision to send them away to Aspen programs. RIP, children.
Al Qaeda Group KILLS CHILDREN IN THEIR CARE :poison: :suicide: :cry:
It's sad but true that this poster is 100% correct. There are a lot of children's corpses coming out of Al Qaeda programs and very few healthy kids.
I heard about this in the news. Two Al Qaeda programs in Oregon have been shut down.
Al Qaeda is under investigation for the homicide of a child. They killed him on his first day there by force marching him in the high desert with no water until he collapsed. The Sheriff is treating the case as a homicide and the state shut down the program.
And Al Qaeda was shut down by Oregon DHS for systemic, systematic child abuse and neglect and for not hiring or retaining any professional mental health personnel. They were running LifeSteps without any qualified people and kids were being forced to lap dance for their uneducated counselors and perform simulated felatio on them. That's disgusting and wrong!
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I've been saying it for years: Aspen Education abuses, neglects and kills children. Sadly, I was proven right on both counts in just one month in just one state.
There are thousands of kids being abused at Aspen programs every year across the country. Some of them pay the ultimate price for their parents' ignorant and stupid decision to send them away to Aspen programs. RIP, children.
Aspen Education Group KILLS CHILDREN IN THEIR CARE :poison: :suicide: :cry:
It's sad but true that this poster is 100% correct. There are a lot of children's corpses coming out of Aspen programs and very few healthy kids.
I heard about this in the news. Two Aspen Ed programs in Oregon have been shut down.
SageWalk is under investigation for the homicide of a child. They killed him on his first day there by force marching him in the high desert with no water until he collapsed. The Sheriff is treating the case as a homicide and the state shut down the program.
And Mount Bachelor was shut down by Oregon DHS for systemic, systematic child abuse and neglect and for not hiring or retaining any professional mental health personnel. They were running LifeSteps without any qualified people and kids were being forced to lap dance for their uneducated counselors and perform simulated felatio on them. That's disgusting and wrong!
Yeah, this was all over the news. I'm glad the trolls keep bumping it to the top so parents can read here about the rampant abuse at Aspen which caused half of its programs in Oregon to be shut down by the state in just one month, one for abuse and neglect and one for killing a child. Not a good track record for Aspen at all. I feel for the kids' families and those poor children. That kid didn't deserve to die, but Aspen killed him.
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I've been saying it for years: Al Qaeda abuses, neglects and kills children. Sadly, I was proven right on both counts in just one month in just one state.
There are thousands of kids being abused at Al Qaeda programs every year across the country. Some of them pay the ultimate price for their parents' ignorant and stupid decision to send them away to Aspen programs. RIP, children.
Al Qaeda Group KILLS CHILDREN IN THEIR CARE :poison: :suicide: :cry:
It's sad but true that this poster is 100% correct. There are a lot of children's corpses coming out of Al Qaeda programs and very few healthy kids.
I heard about this in the news. Two Al Qaeda programs in Oregon have been shut down.
Al Qaeda is under investigation for the homicide of a child. They killed him on his first day there by force marching him in the high desert with no water until he collapsed. The Sheriff is treating the case as a homicide and the state shut down the program.
And Al Qaeda was shut down by Oregon DHS for systemic, systematic child abuse and neglect and for not hiring or retaining any professional mental health personnel. They were running LifeSteps without any qualified people and kids were being forced to lap dance for their uneducated counselors and perform simulated felatio on them. That's disgusting and wrong!
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I never thought of it like that, but Aspen does have a lot in common with Al Qaeda. They both maim and kill innocent children. Good point, guest! Maybe you program parents should send your kids to terrorist camps instead. It's cheaper and the results are the same.
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I never thought of it like that, but Fornits posters do have a lot in common with Al Qaeda. They both maim and kill innocent children. Good point, guest! Maybe you program parents should send your kids to terrorist camps instead. It's cheaper and the results are the same.
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They also practice "honor killings", sexually exploit children and are deeply mired in "magical thinking"
see: http://www.thereligionofpeace.com (http://www.thereligionofpeace.com)
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They also practice "honor killings", sexually exploit children and are deeply mired in "magical thinking"
see: http://www.thereligionofpeace.com (http://www.thereligionofpeace.com)
Wow, same as Aspen Education.
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Ever unconventional, long controversial (By Keith Chu, ''Bend Bulletin'', November 15. 2009) (http://http://www.bendbulletin.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20091115/NEWS0107/911150428/1001/NEWS01&nav_category=NEWS01)
This article was so good that it went straight in Wikipedia. Finally a confirmed link between CEDU and MtBA from a NPOV source outside the industry.
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Article not so good really--biased to the max--two, count 'em two, edcons quoted and not a single quote from a source who doesn't have financial ties to the industry. Tom Croke "discovered" the Aspen ties to websites such as adoptionissues.org? Sheesh, did he also "discover" the interweb?
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Wow, a direct link between CEDU and MBA. Remember CEDU had a pedophile psychiatrist working there with a murderer and child molester that he brought ito CEDU as well? The doctor confessed to sodomizing children and the "helper" is on death row in CA for serial rape and murder of several kids. A couple of those dead kids were snatched from CEDU.
So this proves that Aspen has a lot to do with CEDU so there's no coincidence that Aspen programs also sexually exploit and kill kids just like CEDU did. Sick.
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Wow, a direct link between CEDU and MBA. Remember CEDU had a pedophile psychiatrist working there with a murderer and child molester that he brought ito CEDU as well? The doctor confessed to sodomizing children and the "helper" is on death row in CA for serial rape and murder of several kids. A couple of those dead kids were snatched from CEDU.
So this proves that Aspen has a lot to do with CEDU so there's no coincidence that Aspen programs also sexually exploit and kill kids just like CEDU did. Sick.
You missed the whole point of the article.
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“One problem I have with the naysayers, while I really do not like in 2009 that kind of work, I also think to go back in hindsight to 30 years ago and damn the people who created this as if they were money-grubbing child abusers. That simply wasn’t true,” Croke said.
If the people who created it were not money-grubbing child abusers, then why was the phenomenon promoted using anecdotal evidence while the harm being done was not addressed: “Anecdotally, they were successful with a lot of kids,” Croke said. “What is not as well documented are the casualties that were associated with that.”
Aspen parents are like any other people who are seriously devoted to their fetish insofar as they have a concept of acceptable treatment of one human being by another that is at odds with most others who do not share the fetish:
“I would hate to see these schools get shut down because a few people felt they were humiliated and embarrassed at what they had to go through,” McKinnon said.
Bring out the gimp, Beth!
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Article not so good really--biased to the max--two, count 'em two, edcons quoted and not a single quote from a source who doesn't have financial ties to the industry. Tom Croke "discovered" the Aspen ties to websites such as adoptionissues.org? Sheesh, did he also "discover" the interweb?
Oh. I agree. But what is indeed fascinating is how they will indeed eat their own if a program causes enough embarrassment and threatens to upset the whole Aspen applecart. The whole tone of the ed-cons seems to suggest "on we didn't know they still did that... that' antiquated", and "the other places don't do that anymore"... and "it's watered down Synanon... really it is". It's clear damage control.
Croke has seemed to become more moderate recently, though that could be window dressing. I can't count how many times i've heard "we don't do that anymore".
Croke said, of the state’s charges of abuse. “It was irresponsible of (Aspen) to allow that kind of programming to continue to go on in the year 2009.”
Hmph. I'd like to know who he currently refers to. Not sure how much I believe he's sincere. He's referred to some pretty bad places in the past. He has been awfully critical of Aspen, though.
http://www.familylight.com/link3/3.03/3 ... arket.html (http://www.familylight.com/link3/3.03/3.031/aspenmarket.html)
Thread on it here (including discussion with Croke):
viewtopic.php?f=48&t=25865&p=330986#p315838 (http://www.fornits.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?f=48&t=25865&p=330986#p315838)
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Reading the article again, the subtext is ever more insidious.
“It’s like going on the Internet to do your own open heart surgery,” Bodin said. “Anyone can throw their testimonials out there; everyone can give you a list of enthusiastic students.”
Before making those decisions, parents should speak with an educational consultant or mental health professional who knows about the treatment options and climate of each facility, Bodin said.
“Parents are having to make huge decisions involving lots of money at a very vulnerable time,” Bodin said. “Too often, parents can miss their own role in helping their child.”
Amazing how some of these people can take the opportunity to sell shit at a time like this. Educational consultants are not mental health professionals. It's improper for them to pretend they know what's best for kids. Who should trust them anyway, with reputations like theirs. Look up any of these ed-cons and the facilities they have praised and referred to in the past (see above linked thread with Croke for a good example). Parents are supposed to trust their kids to people like this?
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Article not so good really--biased to the max--two, count 'em two, edcons quoted and not a single quote from a source who doesn't have financial ties to the industry. Tom Croke "discovered" the Aspen ties to websites such as adoptionissues.org? Sheesh, did he also "discover" the interweb?
It seems when there is no other way to successfully disagree with or discredit what a person is saying you resort to "They have ties to the industry" as if this is a bad thing or hurts their credibility. People within the industry have opinions and information the same as people within fornits or HEAL have theirs. Should Fornits peoples opinions be dismissed also?
Imagine if you were doing an article on the automobile industry. Wouldn’t you want to interview or quote people who had ties to the industry, financial or otherwise? If you wanted to interview someone about the details of a bill going thru congress wouldn’t you seek out someone who is working within the government?
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Utah Licensing Director Ken Stettler said the Aspen programs in his state are generally well-run.
When problems do occur, “our programs have been very good about responding to those things,” Stettler said. “They do the right things by getting it fixed.”
Stettler said none of the Aspen programs had incurred a major violation since he started in his position in 2002.
However, three children have died in Aspen-owned facilities in Utah since 2004. Two deaths were suicides. The other happened in 2007, when 14-year-old Brendan Blum died of a bowel obstruction, after counselors failed to call for medical assistance, despite his complaints of stomach pain, loss of bowel control and vomiting.
The school, Youth Care of Utah, had the proper procedures in place and wasn’t at fault, said Stettler.
Anybody who has talked to the mother of that child about her son's death would debate that. How can ignoring a kid's cries for help possibly be justified. How?!! The kid died in one of the most painful ways imaginable as a result of his treatment.
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It seems when there is no other way to successfully disagree with or discredit what a person is saying you resort to "They have ties to the industry" as if this is a bad thing or hurts their credibility. People within the industry have opinions and information the same as people within fornits or HEAL have theirs. Should Fornits peoples opinions be dismissed also?
Imagine if you were doing an article on the automobile industry. Wouldn’t you want to interview or quote people who had ties to the industry, financial or otherwise? If you wanted to interview someone about the details of a bill going thru congress wouldn’t you seek out someone who is working within the government?
Right, but while I agree the article seemed balanced it also seemed like a blatant endorsement of educational consultant (see my above quote). Portions of it read like advertisement and who they did not interview (vicims of the abuse, representatives from CAFETY, etc...) spoke louder than anybody they did. Both sides were not represented.
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Right, but while I agree the article seemed balanced it also seemed like a blatant endorsement of educational consultant (see my above quote). Portions of it read like advertisement and who they did not interview (vicims of the abuse, representatives from CAFETY, etc...) spoke louder than anybody they did. Both sides were not represented.
Every article is going to be this way depending on the author. No one is truly unbiased. Most readers know this when listening to Fox news or CNN. The reader just needs to adjust their radar a bit and consider the source.
I think we all know that information presented on fornits is heavily biased and is always accepted by the majority here if it is anti-program and very rarely do people wait for both sides to be represented before forming an opinion. For example if the authorities take the side of the program and the parents want to sue then everyone cheers for the parents and calls the authorities corrupt. If the parents side with the program and dedicate a plaque or scholarship to their sons death and the authorities think there is a problem then everyone here throws the parents under the bus and goes with the authorities. You have seen enough here to know this is the case. Facts are not the driving force here on fornits I think we can all agree on that. Unlike yourself, People do not always seek the truth here. Its an angry mob mentality without mandatory reason seems to be the norm.
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Every article is going to be this way depending on the author.
You are so lazy. If every article is going to be this way, then it doesn't depend on the author. You can't even take a moment to ensure that what you post isn't completely incoherent, like the above statement.
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I think we all know that information presented on fornits is heavily biased and is always accepted by the majority here if it is anti-program and very rarely do people wait for both sides to be represented before forming an opinion. For example if the authorities take the side of the program and the parents want to sue then everyone cheers for the parents and calls the authorities corrupt. If the parents side with the program and dedicate a plaque or scholarship to their sons death and the authorities think there is a problem then everyone here throws the parents under the bus and goes with the authorities. You have seen enough here to know this is the case. Facts are not the driving force here on fornits I think we can all agree on that.
I think the facts aren't up to dispute. It's whether or not those facts constitute abuse is what people disagree on. The facts show that Brendan Blum was in severe pain due to a bowel infarction (http://http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bowel_infarction) (complicated by the program's refusal to allow him access to a bathroom) and was denied medical attention he requested that, if granted, could have saved his life. Ken Stettler might disagree but I find that as criminally negligent as Michelle Sutton's death. I think it's reasonable that people question his honesty given the nepotism and outright corruption surrounding regulators of this industry in the past, and his apparent public endorsement of Aspen. Public figures should be held up to a higher standard.
I also think it's reasonable to question the sanity of any parent who claims a program saved their kids life right after that very same kid commits suicide. I believe you're referring to a Tranquility Bay parent, specifically... A facility where, by the admission on video tape of staff, that kids are routinely pepper sprayed... where kids have come home absolutely terrified, some even having chemical burns as a result of the excessive amount of pepperspray used. I think it's reasonable to assume that some kids choose suicide as a way out, especially when so many of us know people, personally, who have taken that route for similar reasons.
And no. I'm not a fan of regulation. In the few rare it works effectively, as in MBA's case, it give parents everywhere else a false sense of security. People begin to rely more and more on the state and less and less on their own parental instincts telling them there is something wrong. Inspectors are not infallible. Sometimes they miss things and i'm sure there are rare occasions where they find things that are not there. MBA, however, was not one of those instances. As i've elaborated and as indeed the industry has more or less conceded at this point, these kids could not have been making this shit up.
I also feel you are generalizing against Fornits members, the very thing you claim to oppose. There are all types here. There are those who are so scarred by their experiences they cannot help but see everything else through that lens. There are those who swear up and down that the program is the saviour and it can do no harm. There are those who have convinced themselves they are objective but are still swayed by their prejudices. There are those with a financial motive, who'se motive of posting here is propaganda and damage control. All types are here but nobody is neutral. Nobody is objective about this issue and anybody who claims as much is a liar. I would like to see myself as objective but know that I am not always. My experiences have shaped how I see things. I don't see that as a bad thing. I absorb new information and my opinions change for sure but I will not forget what I experienced, what I have learned, and as a result, nothing, nothing you can every say can make me believe that dressing a kid up in a french maid outfit or humiliation or shame has any place in therapy. Nothing you cay say can convince me that it's excusable to let a kid die screaming in pain while you accuse him of faking. Nothing you can say can convince me the black is white. Nothing you can every say can convince me that these means justify whatever lofty ends you can conjure up out of whole cloth.
... but that's just me. My point is that everybody has their own experiences and it's natural to view things through what we know. Do I know some kids believe they are helped by the program? Sure I do. I was on once. That's another thing that's shaped my experience, and those of others here: time. You might have other experiences, or other motivations with which you see things. Nobody is neutral.
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For posterity's sake, that article copied out here:
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Ever unconventional, long controversial (http://http://www.bendbulletin.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20091115/NEWS0107/911150428/1001/NEWS01&nav_category=NEWS01)
The school's history is a twisted one, involving atypical therapy methods and company mergers, good intentions and success stories, but also cases of what some, including the state, call abuse. The story behind the academy's closure.
By Keith Chu / The Bulletin
Published: November 15. 2009 4:00AM PST
(http://http://www.bendbulletin.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=BB&Date=20091115&Category=NEWS0107&ArtNo=911150428&Ref=AR&Profile=1001&MaxW=570)
The academy's better days ... Many students and parents attest to Mount Bachelor Academy's successes. In 2003, The Bulletin interviewed 18-year-old Pedro Macias and his mother, Sally, of Mexico City, on graduation day. The "old" Pedro had been kicked out of school and had a problem with marijuana. But after his time at the academy, "it's an incredible change," his mother said. "He was ... unpleasant to be around — a monster. Now he's back to himself."
Rob Kerr / The Bulletin file photo
An era ended when Mount Bachelor Academy closed Nov. 3, following allegations of child abuse by the state Department of Human Services.
The private school for troubled teens, located 26 miles east of Prineville, was one of the last of its kind — a school whose methods originated in the Synanon self-help group, which was widely considered a cult by the late 1970s.
It's also a school that counts hundreds, if not thousands, of devoted graduates and parents who swear that Mount Bachelor Academy put their children on the right track, or even saved their lives.
And for years, MBA was a flagship of Aspen Education Group, a company that grew to become one of the biggest providers of therapeutic, emotional-growth and weight-loss facilities in the U.S. In 2006, that company was swallowed by an even bigger fish, CRC Health, an arm of the private investment firm Bain Capital.
The roots
According to veteran educational consultants, Mount Bachelor Academy was one of the last schools founded on a therapy for troubled teens that originated at the Southern California school called CEDU.
Three educational consultants, including a former CEDU staff member, said the school's founder, Mel Wasserman, drew from Synanon's ideas when he started the school.
Synanon began in the 1950s as a Southern California group designed to help "dope fiends" and drug addicts who didn't have other options for treatment at the time.
In a 1977 article, Time magazine describes the early Synanon method as a "no-nonsense, self-help program that included the 'game,' a rugged encounter session in which participants acted out their inmost hostilities. Learning the truth about themselves supposedly helped them stay off drugs or booze."
The group, according to Time and other contemporary news accounts, eventually required its female members to shave their heads, men to get vasectomies and married couples to swap partners. In 1980, three members of the group pleaded no contest to charges of attempted murder for putting a rattlesnake in the mailbox of an attorney who had sued the group. No one suggests that any of the most unseemly aspects of Synanon were ever part of the CEDU curriculum.
San Francisco educational consultant Alice Jackson said she was impressed by CEDU the first time she visited the school, in 1974. Wasserman and his wife were caring for dozens of "kids off the street," many of whom had serious substance abuse problems.
"I was first of all astounded by the magical personality that (Wasserman) had," Jackson said. "I had great admiration for his dedication for these kids."
Lon Woodbury was admissions director at CEDU for several years and now is an independent education consultant in Idaho. Woodbury said Wasserman "watered down" the Synanon ideas for the school.
"Mel Wasserman was influenced by Synanon, and so used the confrontation model watered down quite a bit in the founding in CEDU," Woodbury said. "It continued to be watered down and was much less confrontational than it was in the early years."
The abuse allegations at Mount Bachelor Academy by the Oregon Department of Human Services hearkened back to the earlier practices at emotional growth schools, Woodbury said.
"Some of the things the state had said surprised me because those were things they were doing years ago when it was more acceptable," he said.
The Oregon Department of Human Services complaint against MBA found that some of the therapeutic methods at the school were "punitive, humiliating, degrading and traumatizing," including "sexualized role play in front of staff and peers, requiring students to say derogatory phrases about themselves in front of staff and peers, requiring students to re-enact past physical abuse in front of staff and peers, permitting staff to engage in the usage of derogatory names, phrases and ridicule of students and deprivation of sleep."
Wasserman died in 2002, according to Woodbury's newsletter on therapeutic schools, Woodbury Reports.
Starting out in Central Oregon
In 1987, College Health Enterprises, a group of Southern California hospitals, decided to start an emotional-growth boarding school for teenagers, somewhere in Central Oregon.
According to a history of MBA on the school's Web site, the school tried to start in Powell Butte, but "a few difficulties with permits" led founder Linda Houghton to locate at the former Mark's Creek Lodge, in the Ochoco National Forest.
Woodbury, Jackson and education consultants Doug Bodin and Tom Croke all agreed that CEDU methods were the basis for early emotional growth methods at Mount Bachelor Academy.
Jackson is listed on the MBA history page as one of the consultants who was an important source of student referrals in the school's early days. She endorsed the school at the time, Jackson said, but gradually grew to believe the model needed to be updated.
"At that time, the programs were very much about behavior management, and they were rigid in their length of stay," Jackson said. "Some of those things that happened in that model were not what we would think would be OK for kids (today)."
Croke, a consultant in Pennsylvania who runs the Web site FamilyLight.com, agreed that the methods pioneered at CEDU-style schools, including sleep deprivation and confrontational therapy, are now considered inappropriate. But that was less clear in the early days of the industry, he said.
"One problem I have with the naysayers, while I really do not like in 2009 that kind of work, I also think to go back in hindsight to 30 years ago and damn the people who created this as if they were money-grubbing child abusers. That simply wasn't true," Croke said.
Rather, those people were well-intentioned but lacking today's knowledge, Croke said. Indeed, the methods spread to at least six other schools, because they were seen as effective at helping many children.
"Anecdotally, they were successful with a lot of kids," Croke said. "What is not as well documented are the casualties that were associated with that."
The Bulletin contacted Houghton and four other former top MBA officials. Houghton and three others did not return messages. Former MBA Director Dennis Crowell declined to be interviewed.
Aspen Education Group
In 1997 or 1998, College Health Enterprises spun off Mount Bachelor Academy and a handful of other youth facilities into the company that became Aspen Education Group.
Aspen quickly grew to become one of the largest owners of therapeutic schools and wilderness camps in the nation by buying independent facilities and starting new ones of its own.
Woodbury, the Idaho consultant, said part of Aspen's success was a policy of allowing each facility to retain its own character, rather than imposing a single corporate culture.
"They tried to maintain the uniqueness of each culture so that the differences would remain," Woodbury said.
It now owns four facilities in Central Oregon, including the academy. Its largest concentration of youth programs is in Utah, where it owns nine facilities.
Utah Licensing Director Ken Stettler said the Aspen programs in his state are generally well-run.
When problems do occur, "our programs have been very good about responding to those things," Stettler said. "They do the right things by getting it fixed."
Stettler said none of the Aspen programs had incurred a major violation since he started in his position in 2002.
However, three children have died in Aspen-owned facilities in Utah since 2004. Two deaths were suicides. The other happened in 2007, when 14-year-old Brendan Blum died of a bowel obstruction, after counselors failed to call for medical assistance, despite his complaints of stomach pain, loss of bowel control and vomiting.
The school, Youth Care of Utah, had the proper procedures in place and wasn't at fault, said Stettler.
"The school itself had trained the staff in the policy and procedure in reporting of illnesses, and those staff had failed to follow the training that was provided," he said.
A fourth teen, 16-year-old Sergey Blashchishen, collapsed while hiking in Lake County and died on the scene in August. Blashchishen was on a trip with Aspen-owned SageWalk, a wilderness school based in Redmond.
The incident is under investigation by the Lake County Sheriff's Office and the state Department of Human Services. DHS ordered SageWalk to temporarily close in September.
Aspen declined to make any of its officials available for an interview with The Bulletin. In a written statement, Aspen Senior Vice President Mark Dorenfeld said the company takes steps to ensure precautions are taken across its facilities.
"To best serve (students') special needs, we have established best practices and safety protocols within our policies and procedures to enhance the level of care," Dorenfeld wrote. "These policies and procedures incorporate all critical elements of care, from health and wellness protocols, to staff training, to therapeutic practices."
Dorenfeld also said some media accounts of what happened on the trip have been inaccurate. When asked to specify what Dorenfeld was referring to, a spokeswoman said the company "could not comment further."
An old model
Several boosters of Mount Bachelor Academy in its early days said the school didn't do enough to update its methods over time.
Bend psychologist Michael Conner has worked with facilities for troubled teens in the past and lists Mount Bachelor Academy founder Houghton as an educational adviser for his company that consults with parents of troubled children. Conner said the school was originally designed for teens in need of emotional growth, but not intense mental health services.
"What the program was when it was founded is not the least bit related to what the program became," Conner said. "(It) became quite overfilled with a high number of clinical and severe patients, which the program was never designed (for)."
Jackson said she stopped referring children to Mount Bachelor Academy nearly 10 years ago.
"I have not used it for a number of years as I saw it deteriorating and hanging on to an old model that was really no longer useful," Jackson said.
Croke agreed.
"I can tell you that that didn't surprise me," Croke said, of the state's charges of abuse. "It was irresponsible of (Aspen) to allow that kind of programming to continue to go on in the year 2009."
Earlier this year, The Bulletin spoke with 10 former students — several of whom had positive experiences at Mount Bachelor — who described one or more of the practices mentioned in the state's complaint.
Despite the concerns of professionals and some students, a legion of parents and former students say allegations of abuse are overblown and that unorthodox methods, such as using a week or even a month of manual labor as punishment, get results.
Beth McKinnon's 16-year-old son, Quinn, had been at MBA for six months when the school closed two weeks ago. McKinnon, a licensed family therapist in Santa Cruz, Calif., said she felt entirely comfortable with the program at Mount Bachelor Academy.
McKinnon, like many parents of former students there, grew emotional while talking about the program's benefits for her child. It's the only place where Quinn has ever felt comfortable in a group, she said.
"I would hate to see these schools get shut down because a few people felt they were humiliated and embarrassed at what they had to go through," McKinnon said.
CRC Health
In 2006, Aspen Education Group was purchased by the even larger CRC Health Group, an arm of the Mitt Romney-founded private investment firm Bain Capital Inc. Since the merger, though, CRC's performance has been lackluster.
The down economy hit CRC hard. After recording a $1.5 million profit in 2007, the company lost $141 million in 2008, according to the company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
The recession created a double-whammy for the company: Families were less able to afford the steep tuition — Mount Bachelor Academy charged $6,400 each month — and tighter credit markets meant they had difficulty securing loans to make up the difference.
"In 2008, we experienced a significant decrease in demand for services in our youth division as a result of declining economic conditions and the inability of families to access the credit markets to fund tuition," the company's annual report said.
The end
In April, Oregon DHS opened an investigation into allegations of abuse and neglect at Mount Bachelor Academy. On Nov. 3, the agency found nine confirmed allegations of abuse and ordered the school's license temporarily suspended. MBA Executive Director Sharon Bitz initially said the school would appeal the suspension, but last week, CRC Health filed a mass layoff notice with the state, indicating it would not attempt to reopen Mount Bachelor Academy.
Keith Chu can be reached at 202-662-7456 or at [email protected].
Published Daily in Bend Oregon by Western Communications, Inc. © 2008
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Click HERE (http://http://www.bendbulletin.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20091115/NEWS0107/911150428&template=flashgallery&no_audio=1&use_subhed=1&append_connected=0) for three pics, including the one above, within the article (equals 1st one). The 2nd pic is the campus whilst MBA was still in operation; the 3rd pic looks to be Mark's Creek Lodge, before and where ... it all began.
Sidebar for the above article follows:
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The academy's owners (http://http://www.bendbulletin.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20091115/NEWS0107/911150428/1001/NEWS01&nav_category=NEWS01)
Published: November 15. 2009 4:00AM PST
Mount Bachelor Academy is one of more than 30 facilities owned by Aspen Education Group and designed to treat troubled teens. In 2006, CRC Health, which owns more than 145 schools, clinics and camps, purchased Aspen.
CRC's Oregon facilities
In Central Oregon:
- Mount Bachelor Academy (Prineville)
- SageWalk (Redmond)
- New Leaf Oregon (Bend)
- NorthStar Center (Bend)
In the Portland area:
- Burnside Clinic
- Belmont Clinic
- Alder Clinic
- Tigard Clinic
In Southern Oregon:
Source: CRC Health Group
... But years of troubles
1988: Mount Bachelor Academy is founded by College Health Enterprises, a group of hospitals in Southern California, at the former Mark's Creek Lodge, pictured at right, in the Ochoco National Forest.
1997: Aspen Education Group is spun off into an independent company by College Health Enterprises. The company includes Mount Bachelor Academy and about five other schools.
1998: First allegations of abuse at Mount Bachelor Academy. The school is cleared of wrongdoing by the state Department of Human Services.
1998: Aspen Education Group purchases NorthStar Center, a Bend independent- living facility for young adults 18-25. The center had operated independently since 1991.
2004: New Leaf Academy, a girls-only boarding school in Bend, is acquired by Aspen. The school was founded in 1997.
2005: Aspen acquires Redmond-based SageWalk: The Wilderness School. SageWalk was founded in 1997. This year, the school was featured in the ABC series "Brat Camp."
2006: CRC Health, a conglomeration of treatment centers and weight-loss camps for adults and children, purchases Aspen Education Group for $280 million. CRC Health is controlled by Bain Capital, a private equity firm that now manages about $60 billion in assets.
2009: April: The state begins investigation of abuse allegations at Mount Bachelor Academy.
- August: A camper at SageWalk, 16-year-old Sergey Blashchishen, collapses while hiking and dies at the scene. The case is still under investigation by the Lake County Sheriff's Office.
- September: The state orders SageWalk to send its students home.
- November: Mount Bachelor Academy's license is suspended by DHS after an investigation finds nine confirmed counts of abuse and neglect at the school. Aspen Education Group files a layoff notice with the state of Oregon, indicating that it does not plan to reopen the school.
Sources: Securities and Exchange Commission filings, Aspen Education Group news releases, Bulletin research
The academy's offspring
A handful of former Mount Bachelor Academy instructors and counselors went on to found a number of other facilities in Central Oregon. At least one was later acquired by Aspen Education Group, while others are still independent.
- College Excel: Founded in 2003 by Jeannie Crowell, who worked at Mount Bachelor and later founded NorthStar Center. The school is for young adults who are preparing for college or who had trouble transitioning into college.
- NorthStar Center: Founded by Dennis Crowell and Jeannie Crowell in 1991. Dennis Crowell was also a founder and one-time director of Mount Bachelor Academy. NorthStar was purchased by Aspen Education Group in 1998.
- Ohana House: An independent living house in Bend for women from 17.5 to 30 years old. It was founded by Malia Mullahey, who began at Mount Bachelor as a mentor in 1994, according to a company news release announcing her hiring.
The academy's parent companies and their Web marketing practices
Mount Bachelor Academy and its parent companies — Aspen Education Group and CRC Health Group — have a reputation for aggressive marketing techniques, most notably through a variety of Web sites tailored to parents of troubled teens.
The sites include byparents-forparents.com, adoptionissues.org, overweightteen.com, yourlittleprofessor.com and teenboarding schools.com. They're presented as information portals for parents seeking information, not advertising sites for the schools.
All of the sites except for yourlittleprofessor.com, targeted at parents of children with Asperger's syndrome, note on their home pages that they're funded by CRC Health. The sites don't make clear, though, that CRC Health owns all of the schools referenced on the sites.
The current incarnation of the sites is much more transparent than earlier versions, education consultant Tom Croke wrote in a review of Aspen's marketing apparatus. Before last year, CRC didn't disclose that it owned those sites, said Croke, who discovered the connections.
Because parents are often making those choices during times of stress, they may be more likely to accept those pitches. It's self-evident, said consultant Doug Bodin, but bears repeating that parents shouldn't rely on the Internet when it comes to researching facilities to send their troubled children.
"It's like going on the Internet to do your own open heart surgery," Bodin said. "Anyone can throw their testimonials out there; everyone can give you a list of enthusiastic students."
Before making those decisions, parents should speak with an educational consultant or mental health professional who knows about the treatment options and climate of each facility, Bodin said.
"Parents are having to make huge decisions involving lots of money at a very vulnerable time," Bodin said. "Too often, parents can miss their own role in helping their child."
— Keith Chu, The Bulletin
Published Daily in Bend Oregon by Western Communications, Inc. © 2008
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What is very disturbing to me is that there is an obvious trend here. It seems that Aspen facilities are getting exposed as abusive and, in at least one recent case, murderous (at least negligent homicide or depraved indifference). There are many stories now percolating out of traditional media outlets that substantiate that Aspen programs are unsafe and do not provide any treatment or therapeutic services as defined by law in the states in which they operate.
These are giant red flags for any potential Aspen parents. These facilities are extremely risky to life and limb of your children and Aspen has already publicly admitted, in open court, under oath that they provide no treatment of any kind whatsover.
My question then becomes "Why would any parent anywhere send their child to an Aspen program?" There is no upside to it.
I agree that there is no upside. It's just too risky to send a kid somewhere where they already admit they provide no treatment and subject the poor kid to abuse, which Oregon DHS has recently shown that Aspen's program itself is abusive and neglectful. The negatives far outweigh the positives, if there even are any, which I seriously doubt.
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There's a lot of sickness and hate going on here. This site truly is for "Nits".
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What is very disturbing to me is that there is an obvious trend here. It seems that Aspen facilities are getting exposed as abusive and, in at least one recent case, murderous (at least negligent homicide or depraved indifference). There are many stories now percolating out of traditional media outlets that substantiate that Aspen programs are unsafe and do not provide any treatment or therapeutic services as defined by law in the states in which they operate.
These are giant red flags for any potential Aspen parents. These facilities are extremely risky to life and limb of your children and Aspen has already publicly admitted, in open court, under oath that they provide no treatment of any kind whatsover.
My question then becomes "Why would any parent anywhere send their child to an Aspen program?" There is no upside to it.
I agree that there is no upside. It's just too risky to send a kid somewhere where they already admit they provide no treatment and subject the poor kid to abuse, which Oregon DHS has recently shown that Aspen's program itself is abusive and neglectful. The negatives far outweigh the positives, if there even are any, which I seriously doubt.
Whooter has been working overtime to try to hide the fact that Aspen programs keep getting shut down for abuse, neglect and even murder. Too bad he wasted his time only to have this thread :bump: ed right back to the top where it belongs.
Aspen sexually exploits and kills children. Those are the facts borne out by state DHS and criminal investigations in Oregon. No way around it. Aspen programs should all be shut down. There's way too much risk of your kid getting raped, beaten or killed at the hands of their uneducated, minimum wage, unvetted staff.
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What is very disturbing to me is that there is an obvious trend here. It seems that Aspen facilities are getting exposed as abusive and, in at least one recent case, murderous (at least negligent homicide or depraved indifference). There are many stories now percolating out of traditional media outlets that substantiate that Aspen programs are unsafe and do not provide any treatment or therapeutic services as defined by law in the states in which they operate.
These are giant red flags for any potential Aspen parents. These facilities are extremely risky to life and limb of your children and Aspen has already publicly admitted, in open court, under oath that they provide no treatment of any kind whatsover.
My question then becomes "Why would any parent anywhere send their child to an Aspen program?" There is no upside to it.
People are catching on to Aspen's abusive practices. Internal Aspen reports show that enrollment is down over 50% in the last 12 calendar months. Aspen is slowly starving to death and because the revenue is down so sharply, the facilities are laying off and hiring less qualified, cheaper workers and their facilties are getting more and more dangerous, as evidenced by the murder fo the young oy at SageWalk (he was killed by staff) and the sexualized abuse of dozens of kids that forced Aspen to shut its doors in Oregon. Aspen's reputation is finally catching up with it, being exposed publicly in mainstream media outlets and people are wising up. 50% of Aspen's facilities in Oregon have been closed for abuse and killing children in just the past two months.
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Keep up the pressure, watchdogs. Shut these abusive Aspen programs down before they kill another innocent child!
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I feel I have to post in case there are some parents considering the Academy at Sisters (Bend, Oregon) as an alternative to MBA. My ex-husband put my daughter at the Academy at Sisters and while I am fairly certain they did not do the lap dancing and other forms of sexual role playing, they did engage in other forms of abuse mentioned at MBA. For instance, they will take away school credits and/or remove the student from the public school some of the students get to attend (Bend High School). In my daughters case this was done one week before finals because she made negative comments about the Academy to her father who was fully and completely brainwashed. This frequently happens before a girl is to graduate either from the program or high school in order to keep them longer. They also will force students to be isolated - either in solitary confinement or by not permitting them to interact with the other girls around them. For more than a month my daughter was not allowed to talk to the other girls or eat with them at mealtimes. The Academy even went so far as to tell the other Academy girls who attended Bend High School with my daughter that they had to ignore her and not acknowledge her while she was at school. Why a public high school puts up with shunning is beyond me but it is done frequently. On occasions they ask the girls to disclose embarrassing things about themselves to the group. Privacy and respect are nonexistent. They also have "feedback," that common form of abuse where they can only say "thank you" as all the other girls and staff tell you anything and everything negative about you they can come up with. Since the only way a girl can move up levels and get privledges is by snitching on the other students they will make up complete lies if they have to. The point of all this is that I am sure parents of Mt. Bachelor students are probably looking at alternatives for their kids who have been messed up by their experiences at MBA and can't return home. The Academy at Sisters is not the answer. I would imagine most programs are probably equally as abusive so all I can suggest is that you get a good therapist and maybe find a family member or friend the kid can live with for awhile. They get out of these programs very angry and need a lot of time, space and support to get acclimated to the real world. I was not prepared for the anger I saw when my daughter ran away a couple of weeks before her 18th birthday and was disowned by her father for a period of time. It has taken a couple of years to get to the point where she we no longer has nightmares about the place and she has been able to put it behind her.
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This is why I always suggest that parents get to know the program that they intend to send their child to. They should speak to families who have gone thru the process and have had kids who graduated. If the particular program in question graduates kids who are angry and still heading down a bad path or living an at risk life style then they should avoid those programs.
The child should be seeing a therapist first before any program should be considered.
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Dear Referring Professional Community,
We understand that there has been a flood of opinions and assumptions about Mount Bachelor Academy made in various forums lately, and we would like to clear up some of these rumors as well as update you on the status of our legal efforts.
First, we would like to reiterate that our initial focus has been and will continue to be on our students and families. The action by the Oregon DHS defies explanation, as we believe it was both entirely undeserved and unnecessarily urgent, thereby creating an enormous burden of distress and disruption to our students and families. After each student was carefully transitioned to alternative care or home, we began working to resolve academic issues. Upon notice of our suspension, we had nine students who were to graduate in December. At our attorney's insistence, the state agreed to modify the emergency license suspension so that MBA will be able to allow all students who had planned to graduate by the end of this year to complete their course work and receive diplomas on schedule.
Second, many of you have questioned why we have not mounted a more aggressive defense in the press, which has up to this point, produced numerous inaccurate and misleading reports. Given the complexity of the issues and the difficulty of discussing therapeutic approaches with public audiences amidst sensational headlines, we as a company decided not to pursue an extended defense in the press. Instead, we are focusing our efforts on the best legal options to defend the reputation of Mount Bachelor Academy and its outstanding, caring staff. Let me reassure you that we stand 100% behind the exceptional work accomplished at Mount Bachelor Academy and the talented professionals who worked tirelessly to help our students exceed even their own expectations. We did provide statements detailing our commitment to the school and its staff, yet the media often chose to ignore or incorporate mere portions of these statements.
It is with great regret that I share the reality that Mount Bachelor Academy will not reopen any time soon. Given the abrupt order to suspend operations and remove students within 48 hours, DHS effectively shut the school down. Rather than allowing us to make further adjustments to the program to address their concerns, as we had been doing for seven months, they determined that an emergency evacuation was needed.
Unfortunately and inexplicably, we have yet to be provided a copy of the full, unredacted report detailing the DHS allegations and findings. Although this full report will be central to our appeal of the allegations, we have already begun to "put the wheels in motion," so to speak.
Our attorneys are active on several fronts simultaneously. Before most of the students had left the campus, our attorneys had already appealed the emergency licensure suspension and the order requiring us to make further changes to the curriculum. The attorneys are pressing hard to get the complete and unredacted copy of the investigation report. They also are preparing to appeal the findings of the Office of Investigations and Training which substantiated the allegations of child abuse and neglect. We intend to challenge those findings vigorously, both on behalf of MBA and on behalf of its Executive Director personally.
Finally, our attorneys are exploring the possibility that the state may be financially liable to parents for the impact of the cruel and unnecessary manner in which the school's license was suspended. We have received reports by numerous parents of their intent to pursue their own legal action against the state for the unnecessary impact on their child and family.
We appreciate the outpouring of support we have received and continue to receive on behalf of the school and its employees. We hope that this communication helps to clarify the situation for you. We will do our best to continue to update you as more information becomes available and to the extent possible as we proceed with legal action.
Sincerely,
Phil Herschman
President, Aspen Education Group
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Empty threats, generic whining, and overall hopeless bullshit. Phil doesn't have a prayer.
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Empty threats, generic whining, and overall hopeless bullshit. Phil doesn't have a prayer.
I dont see it as threats of any kind. I dont think MBA will open again ever either does he. But it is good to see a response to explain their direction. It is good that these parents are going after the state to recoop thier loss and that the state will allow those students to receive their diplomas. It appears all the kids were re-placed successfully and that is the important thing. In this economy it was probably a blessing that they cut a program or two, but they dont need the negative publicity.
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I didn’t see him threatening anyone either. I think the hint of threat came from him telling the state to allow the kids to get their diplomas. But the state saw the reason in this and agreed with Aspen Education on this point.
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viewtopic.php?p=352287#p352287 (http://www.fornits.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?p=352287#p352287)
viewtopic.php?p=352288#p352288 (http://www.fornits.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?p=352288#p352288)
Samefag
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http://www.fornits.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?p=352287#p352287
viewtopic.php?p=352288#p352288 (http://www.fornits.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?p=352288#p352288)
Samefag
I clicked on both of the links and I didnt see any threats either. I agree with the second post that it was good that Aspen pushed back and had the state allow the kids to get their highschool diploma and it is good all the kids got settled somewhere else without too much disruption.
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Just to let people know. I turned in MBA back in 2004 to the department of human services. For the same types of behaviors the staff where doing to the students. I saw staff cussing and belittle the students. I was let go do telling a student that the other staff member was abusing him with her belittling and cussing him out. She called him a " Dumb little mother fucker". I guess the stated did nothing with what I told them.
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Dear Referring Professional Community,
We understand that there has been a flood of opinions and assumptions about Mount Bachelor Academy made in various forums lately, and we would like to clear up some of these rumors as well as update you on the status of our legal efforts.
First, we would like to reiterate that our initial focus has been and will continue to be on our students and families. The action by the Oregon DHS defies explanation, as we believe it was both entirely undeserved and unnecessarily urgent, thereby creating an enormous burden of distress and disruption to our students and families. After each student was carefully transitioned to alternative care or home, we began working to resolve academic issues. Upon notice of our suspension, we had nine students who were to graduate in December. At our attorney's insistence, the state agreed to modify the emergency license suspension so that MBA will be able to allow all students who had planned to graduate by the end of this year to complete their course work and receive diplomas on schedule.
Second, many of you have questioned why we have not mounted a more aggressive defense in the press, which has up to this point, produced numerous inaccurate and misleading reports. Given the complexity of the issues and the difficulty of discussing therapeutic approaches with public audiences amidst sensational headlines, we as a company decided not to pursue an extended defense in the press. Instead, we are focusing our efforts on the best legal options to defend the reputation of Mount Bachelor Academy and its outstanding, caring staff. Let me reassure you that we stand 100% behind the exceptional work accomplished at Mount Bachelor Academy and the talented professionals who worked tirelessly to help our students exceed even their own expectations. We did provide statements detailing our commitment to the school and its staff, yet the media often chose to ignore or incorporate mere portions of these statements.
It is with great regret that I share the reality that Mount Bachelor Academy will not reopen any time soon. Given the abrupt order to suspend operations and remove students within 48 hours, DHS effectively shut the school down. Rather than allowing us to make further adjustments to the program to address their concerns, as we had been doing for seven months, they determined that an emergency evacuation was needed.
Unfortunately and inexplicably, we have yet to be provided a copy of the full, unredacted report detailing the DHS allegations and findings. Although this full report will be central to our appeal of the allegations, we have already begun to "put the wheels in motion," so to speak.
Our attorneys are active on several fronts simultaneously. Before most of the students had left the campus, our attorneys had already appealed the emergency licensure suspension and the order requiring us to make further changes to the curriculum. The attorneys are pressing hard to get the complete and unredacted copy of the investigation report. They also are preparing to appeal the findings of the Office of Investigations and Training which substantiated the allegations of child abuse and neglect. We intend to challenge those findings vigorously, both on behalf of MBA and on behalf of its Executive Director personally.
Finally, our attorneys are exploring the possibility that the state may be financially liable to parents for the impact of the cruel and unnecessary manner in which the school's license was suspended. We have received reports by numerous parents of their intent to pursue their own legal action against the state for the unnecessary impact on their child and family.
We appreciate the outpouring of support we have received and continue to receive on behalf of the school and its employees. We hope that this communication helps to clarify the situation for you. We will do our best to continue to update you as more information becomes available and to the extent possible as we proceed with legal action.
Sincerely,
Phil Herschman
President, Aspen Education Group
Really?
Why would an un-redacted copy of the DHS report so integral their defense? Do even they view it to be impossible for them to defend their position on the merits of what they’re calling their curriculum (Lifesteps Est-cetera) without it devolving into defense by character assassination of each of the hundred or so witnesses?
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The absolute nerve of a child welfare agency in actually caring about the welfare of children instead of the welfare of the program. If Aspen wants to put their stamp of approval on the discredited MBA curriculum so be it. As for the parents who sue, if parents go on record saying the knew that their child was being humiliated and they approved of it, the state should bring charges of child abuse against those parents as well (or refer to the appropriate state agency to bring charges).
This isn't 1998, this isn't even 2004, and this certainly isn't Utah or Montana. Aspen better learn the new rules of the game quick or they might just go the way of CEDU and WWASP.
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Really?
Why would an un-redacted copy of the DHS report so integral their defense? Do even they view it to be impossible for them to defend their position on the merits of what they’re calling their curriculum (Lifesteps Est-cetera) without it devolving into defense by character assassination of each of the hundred or so witnesses?
The defense needs to know if the information is accurate or not. There could be people on the list who misrepresented themselves or didn’t attend MBA etc. If someone were taking you to court for punching them and suing you for $100,000, yet the court didn’t give you these people names, it would make it very difficult to defend yourself.
Think about it.
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Actually, the right to see one's accusers in court is a matter for the criminal justice system, which is exactly where this belongs, actually.
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Actually, the right to see one's accusers in court is a matter for the criminal justice system, which is exactly where this belongs, actually.
Thank you, those are the words I was looking for.
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From the sixth amendment of the United States Constitution: In all criminal prosecutions the accused… shall enjoy the right to be confronted by their accusers.
The Aspen’s Goebbels; shill troll enjoys tangential analogies so… When AHP (makers of Phen-fen) were in court it was not relevant for them to try and defame the individual claimants, rather the defense had to center its case on the veracity of those claims of damages and potential for harm as caused by their product.
As it stands child abuse cases like this are first addressed in civil court. Un-redacted DHS reports are not necessary for Aspen/CHC to disagree with the OHS finding that their treatment methods were abusive in general.
"MBA violated OAR 413-215-0076(3) regarding behavior management in that MBA required students to engage in an "emotional growth" curriculum, included but not limited to the Lifesteps program that was punitive, humiliating, degrading, and traumatizing. "(among others)
Until this becomes a criminal case the right to an attempt to malign their accusers should be withheld from them, but sadly when defending the indefensible plenty of attorneys will rack up the billable hours in an attempt to do just that.
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From the sixth amendment of the United States Constitution: In all criminal prosecutions the accused… shall enjoy the right to be confronted by their accusers.
The Aspen’s Goebbels; shill troll enjoys tangential analogies so… When AHP (makers of Phen-fen) were in court it was not relevant for them to try and defame the individual claimants, rather the defense had to center its case on the veracity of those claims of damages and potential for harm as caused by their product.
As it stands child abuse cases like this are first addressed in civil court. Un-redacted DHS reports are not necessary for Aspen/CHC to disagree with the OHS finding that their treatment methods were abusive in general.
"MBA violated OAR 413-215-0076(3) regarding behavior management in that MBA required students to engage in an "emotional growth" curriculum, included but not limited to the Lifesteps program that was punitive, humiliating, degrading, and traumatizing. "(among others)
Until this becomes a criminal case the right to an attempt to malign their accusers should be withheld from them, but sadly when defending the indefensible plenty of attorneys will rack up the billable hours in an attempt to do just that.
I think you would feel differently if it were you that was accused and trying to defend yourself and they only allowed you to see part of the complaint.
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Until this becomes a criminal case the right to an attempt to malign their accusers should be withheld from them, but sadly when defending the indefensible plenty of attorneys will rack up the billable hours in an attempt to do just that.
Well they have reason to check out the people who are accusing them. It has already been established that people are willing to lie openly to discredit a program. Look at AARC for example, where a graduate was caught lieing about them. Businesses have a right to defend themselves just like individuals do. If you had been sued by people lieing about you in the past and you were able to prove they were lieing wouldnt you want to have at least the name of your accuser so that you could defend yourself if it happened again?
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Until this becomes a criminal case the right to an attempt to malign their accusers should be withheld from them, but sadly when defending the indefensible plenty of attorneys will rack up the billable hours in an attempt to do just that.
Well they have reason to check out the people who are accusing them. It has already been established that people are willing to lie openly to discredit a program.
Please stop pretending like things have been established that have no been. Cite your sources.
Look at AARC for example, where a graduate was caught lieing about them.
Looking to see evidence of that. Source?
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Until this becomes a criminal case the right to an attempt to malign their accusers should be withheld from them, but sadly when defending the indefensible plenty of attorneys will rack up the billable hours in an attempt to do just that.
Well they have reason to check out the people who are accusing them. It has already been established that people are willing to lie openly to discredit a program.
Please stop pretending like things have been established that have no been. Cite your sources.
Look at AARC for example, where a graduate was caught lieing about them.
Looking to see evidence of that. Source?
http://www.calgarysun.com/news/alberta/ ... tml#medium (http://www.calgarysun.com/news/alberta/2009/08/19/10510986-sun.html#medium)
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lol... so program sues patient to shut her up. as far as I know this is hardly proof of anything save maybe what assholes AARC were and probably always will be.
I call TURKEY, johnny boy!! :rofl:
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Until this becomes a criminal case the right to an attempt to malign their accusers should be withheld from them, but sadly when defending the indefensible plenty of attorneys will rack up the billable hours in an attempt to do just that.
Well they have reason to check out the people who are accusing them. It has already been established that people are willing to lie openly to discredit a program.
Please stop pretending like things have been established that have no been. Cite your sources.
Look at AARC for example, where a graduate was caught lieing about them.
Looking to see evidence of that. Source?
http://www.calgarysun.com/news/alberta/ ... tml#medium (http://www.calgarysun.com/news/alberta/2009/08/19/10510986-sun.html#medium)
Lunn said she was forced to retract the allegation in writing or face being demoted … taking even longer to get out of the program.
What I see there from that link, is a program silencing their accuser by pressuring her to retract her statement with threats.
This does not bode well for the children transferred from MBA to other Aspen programs. It may well be out of concern for the possibility such witness intimidation that the DHS has only provided redacted copies of statements.
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lol... so program sues patient to shut her up. as far as I know this is hardly proof of anything save maybe what assholes AARC were and probably always will be.
I call TURKEY, johnny boy!! :rofl:
So what we agree to is that if someone accuses someone of something we need to wait until the outcome of the trial to determine which side is telling the truth. I was just mking the same assumptions that many here make that once someone accuses someone else then they are automatically guilty.
So if we read that a person accuses a program of abuse we can assume that this person is just making it up to hurt the program.
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aspen will have more difficulty harassing and intimidating winesses than AARC did.
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aspen will have more difficulty harassing and intimidating winesses than AARC did.
I agree and the exposure AARC is getting from their lawsuit aginst this Lunn girl will make people think twice before making up stories. It will force people on both sides to be more honest.
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I think the exposure they’re getting may also result in people thinking twice before sending their kid there.
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Until this becomes a criminal case the right to an attempt to malign their accusers should be withheld from them, but sadly when defending the indefensible plenty of attorneys will rack up the billable hours in an attempt to do just that.
Well they have reason to check out the people who are accusing them. It has already been established that people are willing to lie openly to discredit a program.
Please stop pretending like things have been established that have no been. Cite your sources.
Look at AARC for example, where a graduate was caught lieing about them.
Looking to see evidence of that. Source?
http://www.calgarysun.com/news/alberta/ ... tml#medium (http://www.calgarysun.com/news/alberta/2009/08/19/10510986-sun.html#medium)
Just because somebody is accused of something does not mean they are guilty. This is not a program. Thankfully, outside of the twilight zone there is due process and a person can defend themselves and win.
Now of course you're going to bring up the fact that AARC shoudl be given that same benefit of the doubt. I can agree with that. Hopefully in time AARC will fine itself on the receiving end of a lawsuit and/or criminal prosecution. When that happens, these accusations of abuse, which have been substantiated by many people, can be used to finally hold the program accountable. Until that time, people are free to make up their own minds based on the allegations that are out there, and personally, I think those leveled against AARC are far more grave than those against Chrisine.
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Until this becomes a criminal case the right to an attempt to malign their accusers should be withheld from them, but sadly when defending the indefensible plenty of attorneys will rack up the billable hours in an attempt to do just that.
Well they have reason to check out the people who are accusing them. It has already been established that people are willing to lie openly to discredit a program.
Please stop pretending like things have been established that have no been. Cite your sources.
Look at AARC for example, where a graduate was caught lieing about them.
Looking to see evidence of that. Source?
http://www.calgarysun.com/news/alberta/ ... tml#medium (http://www.calgarysun.com/news/alberta/2009/08/19/10510986-sun.html#medium)
Just because somebody is accused of something does not mean they are guilty. This is not a program. Thankfully, outside of the twilight zone there is due process and a person can defend themselves and win.
Now of course you're going to bring up the fact that AARC shoudl be given that same benefit of the doubt. I can agree with that. Hopefully in time AARC will fine itself on the receiving end of a lawsuit and/or criminal prosecution. When that happens, these accusations of abuse, which have been substantiated by many people, can be used to finally hold the program accountable. Until that time, people are free to make up their own minds based on the allegations that are out there, and personally, I think those leveled against AARC are far more grave than those against Chrisine.
I think you know that was my point. If people accuse programs of abuse etc. posters here don’t jump in with the same phrase: “Just because somebody is accused of something does not mean they are guilty.”
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I think you know that was my point. If people accuse programs of abuse etc. posters here don’t jump in with the same phrase: “Just because somebody is accused of something does not mean they are guilty.”
You wrote "A graduate was caught lieing about them" and "It has already been established that people are willing to lie openly to discredit a program". Those are both statements of fact (false statements of fact at that). "Abuse" is a matter of opinion, one that is clearly and loudly elaborated on. An opinion cannot be proven true of false and thus guilt or innocence is in the eyes of whoever agrees of disagrees with the charges. Everybody is entitled to their own opinions, but not their own facts.
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I think you know that was my point. If people accuse programs of abuse etc. posters here don’t jump in with the same phrase: “Just because somebody is accused of something does not mean they are guilty.”
You wrote "A graduate was caught lieing about them" and "It has already been established that people are willing to lie openly to discredit a program". Those are both statements of fact (false statements of fact at that). "Abuse" is a matter of opinion, one that is clearly and loudly elaborated on. An opinion cannot be proven true of false and thus guilt or innocence is in the eyes of whoever agrees of disagrees with the charges. Everybody is entitled to their own opinions, but not their own facts.
Same thing. If a kid says the program abused me or I was raped or beaten then this is just hearsay until the program or staff are proven guilty. The program or accused should get a chance to defend themselves before judgement is passed either way.
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I think you know that was my point. If people accuse programs of abuse etc. posters here don’t jump in with the same phrase: “Just because somebody is accused of something does not mean they are guilty.”
You wrote "A graduate was caught lieing about them" and "It has already been established that people are willing to lie openly to discredit a program". Those are both statements of fact (false statements of fact at that). "Abuse" is a matter of opinion, one that is clearly and loudly elaborated on. An opinion cannot be proven true of false and thus guilt or innocence is in the eyes of whoever agrees of disagrees with the charges. Everybody is entitled to their own opinions, but not their own facts.
Same thing. If a kid says the program abused me or I was raped or beaten then this is just hearsay until the program or staff are proven guilty. The program or accused should get a chance to defend themselves before judgement is passed either way.
Fornits cannot "pass judgement" in any way that enforces a law or punishment. Everyone on this board has the right to make their own judgements based on what others say, and to examine the facts. Thats why I preffer facts over opinions, like this one
http://ficanetwork.net/death-row-serial ... d-to-cedu/ (http://ficanetwork.net/death-row-serial-molester-connected-to-cedu/)
MBA... a direct Cedu spin off. Make your own choices parents. Is this a chance you want to take with your child?
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Fornits cannot "pass judgement" in any way that enforces a law or punishment. Everyone on this board has the right to make their own judgements based on what others say, and to examine the facts.
I think it is one of those rare times where we all agree.
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I think you know that was my point. If people accuse programs of abuse etc. posters here don’t jump in with the same phrase: “Just because somebody is accused of something does not mean they are guilty.”
You wrote "A graduate was caught lieing about them" and "It has already been established that people are willing to lie openly to discredit a program". Those are both statements of fact (false statements of fact at that). "Abuse" is a matter of opinion, one that is clearly and loudly elaborated on. An opinion cannot be proven true of false and thus guilt or innocence is in the eyes of whoever agrees of disagrees with the charges. Everybody is entitled to their own opinions, but not their own facts.
Same thing. If a kid says the program abused me or I was raped or beaten then this is just hearsay until the program or staff are proven guilty. The program or accused should get a chance to defend themselves before judgement is passed either way.
Until this becomes a criminal case the right to an attempt to malign their accusers should be withheld from them, but sadly when defending the indefensible plenty of attorneys will rack up the billable hours in an attempt to do just that.
Well they have reason to check out the people who are accusing them. It has already been established that people are willing to lie openly to discredit a program.
Please stop pretending like things have been established that have no been. Cite your sources.
Look at AARC for example, where a graduate was caught lieing about them.
Looking to see evidence of that. Source?
http://www.calgarysun.com/news/alberta/ ... tml#medium (http://www.calgarysun.com/news/alberta/2009/08/19/10510986-sun.html#medium)
Lunn said she was forced to retract the allegation in writing or face being demoted … taking even longer to get out of the program.
What I see there from that link, is a program silencing their accuser by pressuring her to retract her statement with threats.
This does not bode well for the children transferred from MBA to other Aspen programs. It may well be out of concern for the possibility such witness intimidation that the DHS has only provided redacted copies of statements.
Man I hope some of the MBA stuff goes to court. I would love for this to get more exposure—twenty years of abuse. I know for some states even if the abuse was a long time ago statue of limitations is 3 years from when you discover what you went through was abuse. It would shine a light on what past abusive staff are doing now, like Tim Brace at Carlbrook.
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Is the MBA program being shut down because of abuse or because of a few disgruntled spoiled a$$ brats that were for once in their lives told NO?
I find it humorous that this school is being shut down and very little facts haev been presented anywhere except for some "shall remain nameless" shrink who thinks he knows whats best.
This school will re-open and the people behind trying to slam the program and the people runnign it better call their lawyers.
The only disgrace here is a program that is doing things to help straighten out a few troubled kids is suffering based on the words of a few that are clearly unsubstantiated.
Oh and by the way, "Bans" are put in place because kids with the inability to behave and do what they are told cant handle rules and regulations. See, these are the same kids we read about as they head off to jail for committing violent crimes.
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F.U. TROLL!
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Again "guest" share with us why you feel the need to be anonymous
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Oh and by the way, "Bans" are put in place because kids with the inability to behave and do what they are told cant handle rules and regulations. See, these are the same kids we read about as they head off to jail for committing violent crimes.
That you would come on here and defend the use of "Bans", which at last check even the most prominent educational consultants in this industry were trying to distance themselves from as an acceptable practice , either tells me that:
a. You're a disgruntled former MBA/CEDU empolyee
b. You're a program following graduate of a CEDU program/CEDU clome
c. You're an apologist for child abuse (or if you prefer the violation of the human rights of youth)
d. All or any of the above
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Shameful really is your response that I woudl condone child abuse. You sir are a total f'ing clown to even make a statement like that.
I went through a program and it was the best thign that happened to me. Maybe if we werent so concerned about hurting peoples feelings and being PC maybe we would raise a better brand of teens nowadays.
I am sure you have a kid that went through a program and know all about it. I would certianly hope so otherwise close your mouth and get your facts straight.
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a. You're a disgruntled former MBA/CEDU empolyee
b. You're a program following graduate of a CEDU program/CEDU clome
c. You're an apologist for child abuse (or if you prefer the violation of the human rights of youth)
d. All or any of the above
Guest, you might want to work on your reading comprehension. Note, I said a,b,c, or d. From the content of your reply, I would have to say that (b) would be the answer that applies to you. So maybe you're not an apologist for child abuse. But let's say that c. does apply to you. Note the parenthesis in answer c. So perhaps what I call child abuse is what you would consider what a spoiled brat deserves. What I consider child abuse (i.e. punishing a young person by denying that young person the right to speak for extended periods of time) is considered a violation of human rights by the United Nations. If that makes me politically correct so be it. If you think what is contained in the Declaration of Human Rights or the Covenant on the RIghts of the Child is bullshit, I guess we know where we stand then. Maybe you think that minors have no human rights, like the right to not be detained against their will without due process. I guess we have a difference of opinion then.
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Basedonfacts, what you consider acceptable is, in fact, unacceptable to society and to the law. In addition, the Lifestep LGAT marathon therapy sessions (which were basically CEDU Propheets, with minor changes) are a model that I contend, if the scripts were made public, would astound any mental health professional with any sort of training whatsoever with their ineffectiveness and potential for grave and lasting psychological harm.
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Until either of you actually sit through one of the sessions and go through the programs, I suggest you stop basing your points on conjecture and other peoples opinions.
Yes I did go through the program at Hilltop in 1987-1989. I can safely attest that had I not gone through this program, I would surely be dead by now. That is something that is not taught in the program or perpetrated through rumor or conjecture, rather it is fact.
Additionally, if you consider what these programs are doing as child abuse, then I really would wonder what your definition is of child abuse.
Additionally, teens and young adults are brighter and more intelligent today than they were 20 years ago. With more access to information they should be. But that doesnt mean they have the right to do whatever it is that they please.
I raise my kids to know the difference between right and wrong. To respect others and themselves as well. Many of the people that are in these programs or were in these programs have no respect for themselves, authority, their parents, or even the law. How might you suggest we deal with those types? A hug? A pat on teh back and say its ok promise you wont do it again?
For every program that is out there that violates the commons laws in place that govern these institutions, there are programs out there and people running them with the very best of intentions. To make blanket statements like this is child abuse or that I condone child abuse is flat out insane.
So yes, I would fall into category "B" as someone who completed the program. Dont regret it for a minute and will defend the people that helped me to the grave.
I suggest rather than being judgemental and base your information on uninformed sources, try attending a rap or a propheet and see what really happens. You might just learn something. Otherwise, dont EVER suggest anyone condones child abuse. If you wanna bring a comment like that to me, I am sure I would love to meet and discuss it with you personally.
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I find your statement that kids today are more intelligent to be false. I generally find kids today, despite a greater access to information, don't use it. They are not well read, in fact most do little reading whatsoever, have virtually no grasp of history, are not capable of doing actual research, and are extremely superficial and do not ask deep questions of anything.
Further, I have been in Raps and Propheets, a few years earlier than yourself, and I can attest that they are abuse and have virtually no legitimate therapeutic value. The authorities that investigated Mount Bachelor, interviewed the teens about what went on, and determined based on that testimony that the program was abusive, degrading and being run by people with no credentials or little if any training. They shut it down for many reasons.
If Hilltop saved your life, I think that is great. I don't know what you attribute to the program as being the key to your life saving experience, but for many of us who went through these programs, we were not saved. Our experiences were different from your own. Being yelled at, humiliated and degraded for two straight years did nothing to make us better people. For us, it did not save us. Many of us felt we didn't need to be saved to begin with, that our "crimes" were not so severe that they required us being imprisoned far from our homes and families and friends and subjected to daily abuse.
So what saved you? Work details? Full times? Endless labor? Being yelled at regularly for the most trivial of matters? Pounding your fists in to pillows and screaming obscenities at your parents and yourself? Condemning your friends to death in a life boat experience? Writing your epitaph? Perhaps it was the blaring, repetitive music? Maybe watching girls dress up in skimpy outfits and performing lap dances for staff and students? Did the lugs help?
I find that most who claim they were saved or the program helped them end up really just saying they met some great friends, had some fun at the farm, or going on hikes, and don't mention anything about the actual program itself. And when you discuss the program specifically, they can't form cohesive positions because the program was so weird and bizarre they are still a bit vague on what exactly it was all about.
Best intentions is something I also hear repeated. That the staff weren't intentionally trying to hurt us. That they had the best intentions in mind. That they weren't evil, they just didn't know. When the authorities shut down Mount Bachelor, they weren't claiming anyone was evil. They weren't claiming that the staff didn't have good intentions. They simply recognized abuse and humiliation and trauma when they heard it or saw it. It's funny that when real psychologists and therapists are brought in to access the programs, they come away horrified. It's not too hard to spot abuse. Just because someone says they had best intentions in mind, doesn't change the fact that what they did was wrong. I firmly believe every staff member thought what they were doing to the kids was righteous and working. That they were providing a real and valuable service with actual benefits. And I firmly believe that there are kids who completed these programs and were left with the feeling that they experienced something positive and beneficial. But what you believe is not always the truth. But if you believed it worked for you, I can also believe it didn't. Those kids at Mount Bachelor decided that the program abused them. The authorities agreed with them. Nobody claims you have to believe them. But society places more authority in the position of the State, as opposed to individuals. And in this case, society has decided Mount Bachelor and its program, the same program (Generally speaking) used at Hilltop, CEDU and RMA, was abuse and of no therapeutic or value as proper counseling. Even Mount Bachelor admitted in court testimony they never provided no counseling, therapy or treatment. Which is why when graduated I know talk about how RMA helped them, it's all about things not associated with the program itself. The program provides nothing. The isolation produces close friendships. The isolation generates a setting where drugs and alcohol and partying are mostly absent. So I contend that the isolation was what produced results, some temporary, some lasting. Not the program. Such as it was.
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I would like to apologize to BasedonFacts for insinuating that he condones child abuse. At the same time I completely agree with everything that RMA survivor just wrote. As RMA & BasedonFacts have a shared frame of reference (which I don't) I would prefer to let the two of you discuss the merits of CEDU therapeutic techniques. I'm getting the hell out of the way.
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For every program that is out there that violates the commons laws in place that govern these institutions, there are programs out there and people running them with the very best of intentions. To make blanket statements like this is child abuse or that I condone child abuse is flat out insane.
I don't see how intentions have anything to do with proving or disproving that child abuse went on. Moreover,
"The road to hell is paved with good intentions."[/list]
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For every program that is out there that violates the commons laws in place that govern these institutions, there are programs out there and people running them with the very best of intentions. To make blanket statements like this is child abuse or that I condone child abuse is flat out insane.
I don't see how intentions have anything to do with proving or disproving that child abuse went on. Moreover,
"The road to hell is paved with good intentions."[/list]
I completely agree. Good intentions or not, proof of abuse isn't based on what someone intended. If you put your kid on your roof and tell them to jump off to show them they can't fly and teach them what you think is a valuable lesson, when he breaks his leg, good intentions or not, it is abuse.
And I hear this argument a lot, not just here on Fornits, but on other sites as well. A lot of people who defend the program argue that the staff weren't evil, they went in to it with good intentions. And I don't know what value you can place on that. Or if it is true or not. We all know that these programs take the worst sort of people and make them counselors. Staff with criminal backgrounds, drug abuse issues, anger issues, alcohol problems and some are potentially or literally child molesters with no concept of boundaries. Yet they are hired. But whereas a normal, well balanced and average intelligence individual might readily understand that yelling, screaming, hurling endless obscenities and humiliations, making girls perform lap dances, having kids condemn their friends to die (life boat experience) and making them write their own epitaphs, is wrong, some of these staff weren't all that bright or well educated to begin with.
So were all of them capable of understanding that what they were doing was abuse? I know most had to have been able to. They weren't all complete idiots. Which leads me to believe that if most knew, and none objected or tried to put an end to it, you can't make the argument that best intentions were the rule. It seems like collusion was the rule. But again, to be fair, you have to consider that Stanford University experiment in social behavior from way back. When normal people who were not cruel, but basically people who were typically as politically correct as could be back then, when given authority, collectively abused it. And they probably all went in to it with good intentions. But I bet, when their behavior was later pointed out to them, they were able to recognize that they had abused those under their control. And, I am just as willing to bet that those who were abused, were probably not able to see good intentions as justification for the abuse. And as you pointed out, determining whether abuse took place does not require one to consider whether anyone had good intentions. I do think it is interesting, the Stanford University Prisoner/Guard study and the abuse that went on at these programs, to delve deeper in to what conditions need to exist where adults are able to rationalize abuse in their own minds as not being abusive. And collectively rationalize it. Because if you accept that they were capable of knowing it was abuse, how did they then rationalize their actions? It sounds like they decided their intentions were good, thus it wasn't the same as if they had sought to abuse in the first place.
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So were all of them capable of understanding that what they were doing was abuse? I know most had to have been able to. They weren't all complete idiots. Which leads me to believe that if most knew, and none objected or tried to put an end to it, you can't make the argument that best intentions were the rule. It seems like collusion was the rule. But again, to be fair, you have to consider that Stanford University experiment in social behavior from way back. When normal people who were not cruel, but basically people who were typically as politically correct as could be back then, when given authority, collectively abused it. And they probably all went in to it with good intentions. But I bet, when their behavior was later pointed out to them, they were able to recognize that they had abused those under their control. And, I am just as willing to bet that those who were abused, were probably not able to see good intentions as justification for the abuse. And as you pointed out, determining whether abuse took place does not require one to consider whether anyone had good intentions. I do think it is interesting, the Stanford University Prisoner/Guard study and the abuse that went on at these programs, to delve deeper in to what conditions need to exist where adults are able to rationalize abuse in their own minds as not being abusive. And collectively rationalize it. Because if you accept that they were capable of knowing it was abuse, how did they then rationalize their actions? It sounds like they decided their intentions were good, thus it wasn't the same as if they had sought to abuse in the first place.
Such is the power of the perceived consensus of the group, of mob mentality, and of the therapeutic community modality as a tool for modifying the behavior of individuals.
Staff, by living and working in that milieu, were also subjected to those corrosive forces.
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I totally agree. And further, there is some evidence that staff bought in to the programs on some level. I commented on some other thread about how when I was at RMA, there were staff who actually formed "split contracts" with other staff. That they felt a need to run away, whereas it was just a job...couldn't they just quit?
And though many staff came from the local town, the staff all seemed to spend their time off with each other. This had to reinforce the behavior of the collective. That nobody outside the program could possibly understand them. That they too, no longer fit in to normal society just as students who left found it difficult to readjust. And you see this in the way staff move from one program to another, rarely if ever leaving the system they created for themselves.
Did you ever notice that staff seemed to marry staff? How often does that happen in the work place where you marry your co-worker? Some came in to the program already married, and it seemed their spouses tended to work there as well. Lisa and Brett Carrey. Ray Kreider and his wife. Doug and Mona Kim-Brown. Tim and Kathy Brace. Caroline Wolfe and Randy Eide. Dan and Carmen Earle. Dan and Mare Krumptitch. Come work for us, invite the whole family!
Cults reinforce the concept of not being able to function without the cult. It is like being religious and not being able to marry outside of your religion.
And because it was like they were creating their own religion, with themselves as the priests, writing their own dogma as they went along, it was far easier, in my opinion, for a mob mentality to form. Where everything they did was sanctioned by themselves, determined to be good based on group consensus, all acts justified because as priests, they decided collectively they were infallible.