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Messages - T.O.

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The Troubled Teen Industry / Re: BENCHMARK YOUNG ADULT SCHOOL
« on: July 15, 2016, 05:21:40 PM »
You should be very, very concerned.

As a survivor of Benchmark, I tell you that what you need to worry about is not the impact of the young people on your neighborhood - most of them are just lost.

What you should worry about is the for-profit, under-qualified and abusive way that the program is run. I, and many other survivors of Benchmark, continue to receive therapy in order to recover from the damage inflicted BY the program.

As a side note, having seem the absolutely OFFENSIVE comments Benchmark issued comparing your community members to Nazi's, I would mention that as a Jewish resident I observed continuous ignorance and prejudice against myself and the few other Jewish students. That is not to mention the literally fascist ways that Benchmark itself operates (having students dig and fill in ditches all day in the heat, placing them under house confinement, restricting food intake...). Pots and kettles, anyone?

Don't let them into your neighborhood. Be a good person, find an organization that does REAL GOOD and invite them to come into your town - not these money-grubbing and abusive vipers.

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Broke the link :-) Sorry for the delay, and thanks for the heads-up

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Quote from: "Abir"
Hi Ursus,
Sorry for the late response, as to your questions:
1. Lotan (their full name is "Derech Lotan") is a very serious and legitimate Israeli non profit organization. The main difference between them and us is that they normally run short wilderness programs (a week or so) for israeli school kids not necessarily teens at risk.
As you know our program is much longer (38 days) and offered to teenagers at risk mainly in the US and Canada.
2. As to the cost mentioned in an earlier post and the suggestion to "leave the money in the US" I can say that I am sure that in the US there are also good programs. Our program is very good and different and I am sure that parents and kids can tell the difference and hopefully choose us.
Have a good weekend,
Shaul


Dear Abir, a couple of questions: I will not assume that your program is guilty of the kinds of behaviors or failures that others on this site are (I have yet to see student testimonials). I will say that, if your program is actually NOT like the others here, it makes me very happy: I was forced to attend a program where the staff were so ignorant of Passover that they thought I had an eating disorder and put me under food watch. And so that you understand that my questions are not intended to be hostile, I should say that I have a background in 19th and 20th century Jewish thought: I take it very seriously the relationship between Judaism, Jewish heritage, and political Zionism.  So:

What do you think is the relationship between a program of this type and the early 20th century Zionist convictions that the various troubles of the Jews could only be resolved through the establishment of and connection to a Land? [i.e., that the Jews of Europe had been 'emasculated,' and that the only thing that could regenerate their manhood was a sovereign land]. (I'd be interested to know if you have any students who are NOT Jewish, not because it means anything in particular, but just as a point of interest).

--In a related point, you say that you have a 'Shabbos camp,' which, in all honesty, makes me very happy. My question is this: to what extent does your program include an actual religious component? Do you light candles and do havdalah? Is their a religious education component, or is the focus on Jewishness as a unifying cultural/ethnic bond rather than a religious one?

 ??? ??? ??? ?????? ?????? ???. ???? ???? ?? ????? ??????.

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Wonder if the staff are former IDF...

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Tacitus' Realm / Romney Campaign and Troubled Teen Industry
« on: April 28, 2012, 09:59:52 PM »
I think the forum viewtopic.php?f=24&t=38914 might be misfiled: anyone interested in taking a look at the relationship between the Romney campaign, Anne Romney, and the troubled teen industry, should take a look.

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Just looking around, and I noticed that not only is this site the first non-official google result for 'Benchmark Transitions,' but it engages in a DIRECT defense of the institution (particularly adressing recent court cases). They DO NOT link to any student testimonies (for obvious reasons), and their attempts to defend Benchmark indicate that they have certainly NEVER seen the fornits boards or talked to any students. Instead they say that Benchmark "deserves its reputation as one of the most if not the most trusted facility in its class for excellence of service, innovation, and self-assessment."

http://www     .familylight.com/     link3/3.03/3.032/BC/benchmark.htm

They don't seem to have any comment boards (of course) but there might be a way to deal with their prominence on google...

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Dear Amanda, I don't know anything about this place, but as someone who has also survived programs, I have a couple of suggestions (which you may have already considered). Psy might also have something good if he responds.

First, you are referring to the Hope Chilren's School? http://momofmany.wordpress.com/sources/ (search for it)
Second, I think the name of the Church might be different: here is a facebook page for one that has an approximate address. https://www.facebook.com/pages/Victory- ... 3886242685
Third:  this website (http://www.realhelpforteens.com/index.p ... facilities) seems to actually funnel children TOWARDS Hope Children's--they also seem to have a phone number for the 'Young Girls' section! (662)565-2894

One problem is that in the USA, many 'church' or 'religious' organizations (particularly pertaining to child care and education) are exempt from state requirements that cover care, licensing, etc,. Here is one group that is working on holding institutions that claim to be religious responsible: http://secular.org/issues/childcare Perhaps (?) this group or one like it would be interested in helping you with the research.

 It sounds like you are in touch with at least one girl who was there (and was terribly young--my heart goes out to her): It would be a good idea to try to find out what records you can obtain from them. If you or anyone else is in therapy, your therapist can make a formal medical request for the records concerning your medication, medical treatment, and therapy while you were there. In many cases, the institution is legally REQUIRED to provide this information.

Consider checking out the police records in the country where it is located. If ambulances or the police were ever called, there should be a record.

All the best.

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Benchmark Young Adult School / Benchmark Transitions / Re: Please Respond
« on: December 22, 2011, 10:24:33 AM »
Quote from: "none-ya"
A PhD in why the Arabs don't like the Jews? Sounds pretty easy.

HA! Funny. Actually, it's about why the relationship between Judaism and Islam is far more complex and intimate that the relationship that either of those faiths has (or can have) with Christianity, largely as a result of a) the understanding in Judaism and Islam that law is an essential component of wordly ethics, and b) emphasis on human responsibility for the world that human being live in and each other, rather than a 'heavenly world' or life-after-death :-)

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Benchmark Young Adult School / Benchmark Transitions / Re: Please Respond
« on: December 20, 2011, 04:03:25 AM »
Quote from: "cmack"
Quote from: "T.O."
Glad you have access! I'd repeat the comment that you should be careful. Your situation seems similar to mine--I was at benchmark a number of years ago. I actually graduated high school at Redlands Adult School and transferred to a 4-year university. I have since graduated (with honors), lived overseas, completed a Masters degree and am working on my PhD. It is possible, and it sounds like you are going in a really positive direction. Recently I accidentally ran into a girl I was at Benchmark with in Canada, where she was working on her M.A. and it is wonderful to see her happy.  

Benchmark is awful. It is so destructive--if it is a 'benchmark' of anything, it may be a benchmark of how bad things can be. But I have been amazed at how we managed to survive, and survive well.

Please let me know if there is anything we can help you with, at least while you have access. If you are taking college classes there, is it at Redlands or San Bernadino?

Btw, a bit of practical advice? Before you leave Benchmark, make sure that you get copies of your medical and psychiatric records. This has proved very difficult for me: on request from a respected therapist, they only provided the documents that *I* filled out upon admission--nothing concerning medication.

Welcome to fornits and thanks for posting.

Would you mind explaining a little about how you ended up at Benchmark? I assume you were an adult when you went there so technically it was your decision, but were you pressured by parents or someone else. Was the program fairly described to you beforehand or did they misrepresent themselves? I've read psy's account of his experience there and understand how they can drive a wedge between parents and child after they are in the program. Were there any warning signs beforehand that the program wasn't what it made itself out to be?

And congratulations on your educational attainment. What's your PhD in?

Oy. I think I was in maybe a week or two before my 18th (they used to allow that, I don't know if they do now) but I was also straight out of SUWS--if you are familiar with that one, I was in the high mountains in Idaho from mid-January until mid-February-- and I had been 51/50d before that. I was already pretty discombobulated and disoriented from those experiences, and I was already being over-medicated.  All I knew was that I wanted the chance to keep going to school (I was not allowed back to my old high school), and Benchmark was supposed to be place were I could do that. I basically said ok because a) I was out in California with a suitcase and nothing else, and I'm from Boston, and b) I could finish school and start college courses. There weren't really any warning signs--I was incredibly lucky that my mother refused, in front of me, to sign the contract saying she would have no contact, but then she flew back to Boston and we had no money (for example, for her to get me home)...my Dad payed for the program (an epically hostile divorce story there), and he was all on board. Basically, me and my mom had no resources, and as far as my Dad was concerned it was this or nothing if I wanted to finish high school. It has alienated us for years, and I have only begun to be able to broach with him the depths of the horrible things that happened there and the degree to which I am still dealing with damage caused by Benchmark. I think when parents really love you, it is VERY hard for them to admit that they may have made a VERY BAD decision.

Interestingly enough, I forced myself to start talking to him about it when he started bringing up the 'troubled teen' daughter of a neighbor, mostly because I was TERRIFIED that he would recommend to the parents that they send her to Benchmark--I had to break my silence, because I knew I couldn't bear that responsibility.

I like to think that someday, when I am at UCLA or UC Berkeley delivering a paper, that I will be able go back and confront that place calmly, quietly, and with strength, but I can't do that yet--the very thought of the arrogance with which the majority of the staff went about damaging incredibly vulnerable young people still has the power to make me boil over.

And thank you! I am working on a PhD (Religious Studies) in the relationship between law and imagination in medieval and modern Jewish and Islamic philosophy and religious thought.

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Benchmark Young Adult School / Benchmark Transitions / Re: Please Respond
« on: December 19, 2011, 06:07:00 PM »
Quote from: "Xelebes"
I wonder if they have any documentation on the medication they dispense to patients/students.
I would love if anyone had any advice for how to get it out of them? :-)

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Benchmark Young Adult School / Benchmark Transitions / Re: Please Respond
« on: December 19, 2011, 05:56:45 PM »
Glad you have access! I'd repeat the comment that you should be careful. Your situation seems similar to mine--I was at benchmark a number of years ago. I actually graduated high school at Redlands Adult School and transferred to a 4-year university. I have since graduated (with honors), lived overseas, completed a Masters degree and am working on my PhD. It is possible, and it sounds like you are going in a really positive direction. Recently I accidentally ran into a girl I was at Benchmark with in Canada, where she was working on her M.A. and it is wonderful to see her happy.  

Benchmark is awful. It is so destructive--if it is a 'benchmark' of anything, it may be a benchmark of how bad things can be. But I have been amazed at how we managed to survive, and survive well.

Please let me know if there is anything we can help you with, at least while you have access. If you are taking college classes there, is it at Redlands or San Bernadino?

Btw, a bit of practical advice? Before you leave Benchmark, make sure that you get copies of your medical and psychiatric records. This has proved very difficult for me: on request from a respected therapist, they only provided the documents that *I* filled out upon admission--nothing concerning medication.

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