Fornits

Fornits Home for Wayward Web Fora
An open discussion about the troubled parent industry

My son was at a Therapeutic Boarding School for twenty months. They opened a Wilderness program during his stay. He was sent for a 28-day stay on, what I'm convinced, were inaccurate claims. The whole charade was generated to bring more funds into the corporation.

He endured abuse and neglect at Wilderness but preferred it over the TBS. Why?  There was one older, experienced, rational, and reasonable counselor at the Wilderness program. She treated him with genuine respect. He knew the difference. She didn't try to twist his thoughts and allowed him to express freely.  That little bit of respect made a huge difference for him and made the abuse, interaction with ex-military, irrational physical demands, and austere environment more tolerable than the pretentious environment of the TBS.

The "counseling" at the TBS was actually manipulation administered under the guise of therapy. Ironically, the primary reason teens were placed on restriction (limited calories, extra work, no free time, no interaction with peers) was for so-called "manipulation". What they taught him was how to say what they wanted to hear. How to give the appearance of compliance. In effect, how to master the art of "manipulation". Period. He got very good at this. He did endure months of fear, grief, and confusion before he figured out the game.

This $5K month TBS advertised as a College Prep facility. My son returned 5 credits behind his peers.

I wish parents would wake up to this reality. It all sounds great when you are desperate, but there are far better ways to assist your teen.

Hire a full-time big brother or therapist to be with your teen when you can't be. Five Thousand a month goes a long way and there are so many other creative options!!!

There is much to be learned from Nature. It can be the most wonderful teacher. I believe all the benefits of such a potentially vital experience are lost when the teen is subjected to military-types or young adults, not much older than the teens, fresh out of college, who have one agenda...teach lessons the hard way. Unfortunately I think this often has the negative effect of setting up an aversion to nature. That is so unfortunate and has not place in any form of useful therapy.

You wrote:
One bit of opposition the woman has told me is that many law makers are saying, "Well, we don't have those types of schools here." Not true. I personally know of at least 3 which ARE in Oklahoma and have been in operation since at least the mid 1980's.

More times than not, parents send their teens to other states, so it wouldn't matter if Ok had programs or not.
Would this action include out-of-state placements? That's crucial, in my opinion.
Deborah

I hope they find her too and that someone advocates for her. It really blows my mind that a parent would ignore sexual abuse allegations. I would take my daughter to the dr immediately. If the claim was false, it's time to look at why your child can't be honest or feels s/he has to lie. If it is true, then charges need to be filed. Period.
The ignorance in the world astounds me.
Deborah

What does MK stand for?
I am in touch with two other parents who are in the same situation. They have hired legal representation. But neither of these cases were in New Mexico, but at the same facility.
Parents should be aware that it might not make sense to pay tuition up-front. If for whatever reason the child leaves, you may not get a refund.
The facility's policy was to return any unused tuition regardless of the reason the child might leave early. They labled the parent "adversarial" and requested that the child be picked up. But when it came time to fork over the refund, they claimed that the parent had "withdrawn" the child.
Beware, Be Aware.
Deborah

Kudos !!! This Houston mom went to Costa Rico with 2 escorts and an Ed Con and broke her sons out of Dundee Ranch. Against the odds, she got them out of the country but now may face "kidnapping" charges.
Dundee Ranch is a WWASP Program.

http://nola.com/news/t-p/frontpage/inde ... cue20.html

http://www.austin360.com/statesman/edit ... ews_1.html



How ironic is it that the father of the deceased defended Brown Schools in the 1988 restraint death of Brandon Hadden. Then his ex-wife sends their son to Brown's On Track Wilderness Program without his knowledge, where he is killed by an illegal restraint???  Too weird.



Excerpts:

Moments before a 17-year-old died in their care last week, employees at a Mason County wilderness program held the youth in a restraint outlawed a year ago because of its lethal potential, officials at the camp said Tuesday.



Charles Chase Moody is at least the fifth youth to die in Texas since 1988 after being restrained in a facility or program run by the Brown Schools. Officials for the Nashville-based company acknowledged the deaths and the fact that Moody had been placed facedown in a prone position.



Moody, who is divorced, said he did not know that his son, who was taking medication for anger issues and had been in a treatment facility before for drug and anger problems, had been sent to the On Track wilderness program in Mason.



The first death occurred in 1988 at South Austin's Healthcare Rehabilitation Center, which has since been renamed. An 18-year-old, Brandon Hadden of East Texas, died after being restrained in a straitjacket and held facedown on a bed, according to Michael Slack of Austin, who represented Hadden's mother.



"He started to vomit in their presence . . . and choked to death with two staff members continuing to hold him down," Slack said.



Charles Moody (father of the deceased), who was the defense lawyer for the Brown Schools in that case, settled it during trial in 1997 for an undisclosed amount.



But critics such as Jerry Boswell, president of the Austin chapter of the Citizens Commission on Human Rights, say these cases are occurring too frequently.



"The more you look at a situation like this, the more incensed you get," Boswell said. "How many children have to die . . . before you lose a license in this state?"





[ This Message was edited by: Deborah on 2002-10-23 19:24 ]

Newshawk: Suzy Wills
Pubdate: 10-17-02
Source: Dallas Morning News
Contact: http://www.dallasnews.com/
Author: TANYA EISERER
Webpage Reference:
http://www.dallasnews.com/localnews/cit ... tyouthcamp
2.682ea.html
*****************************************************
Death of teen at therapy facility investigated Richardson 17-year-old died being restrained by staff in Hill Country
10/17/2002

By TANYA EISERER / The Dallas Morning News
Authorities are investigating Monday's death of a 17-year-old Richardson youth who died while being restrained by staff members at a rural Hill Country program for troubled youths.

Charles "Chase" Moody died on the grounds of On Track, a private therapeutic program on a 6,000-acre former exotic-game preserve near
Mason.

"We all want to ... understand what happened so this never happens again," said
Marguerite Sallee, president and chief executive officer of The Brown Schools,
a company based in Nashville, Tenn., that owns and operates On Track.

Law enforcement officials could not be reached for comment Wednesday
night.

Charles Moody, the boy's father, said he has many unanswered questions. "I want the truth to come out," said Mr. Moody, a Dallas lawyer. "I certainly wonder whether it could have been prevented." He said his son, who had been having drug, alcohol and anger management problems, had been in the program for about a week.

Company officials said two staff members put the teen into a "physical hold" after he became physically and verbally aggressive. Staff members then called 911 for help.
By the time officers arrived, the youth was having difficulty breathing and paramedics were called, but he died before they arrived, company officials said.

Ms. Sallee said she thinks the preliminary investigation indicates that staff members followed proper procedures. She said she has met with a Texas Ranger who was investigating the death.

Mr. Moody's parents were immediately notified, as were the parents of the six
other youths at the facility, company officials said.

On Track is a 28-day program for struggling youths between the ages of 13 and 17. The camp usually accommodates between five and 15 youths.

E-mail http://www.tdprs.state.tx.us/Child_Care ... fessionals
/mncity.asp

Other interesting links:
CEDU acquired by Brown Schools
http://www.strugglingteens.com/archives ... ews03.html

Chris Kocurek of Austin created On Track
http://www.strugglingteens.com/archives ... een02.html

In 2000 Kocurek at SageWalk Wilderness Program in Bend, Oregon
http://www.strugglingteens.com/archives ... een01.html
http://www.strugglingteens.com/archives ... ews02.html

Bingo...here's the connection between Kocurek and Wardle
http://www.strugglingteens.com/archives ... een03.html
WARDLE HIRED BY SAGEWALK
(April 15, 2000) Chris Kocurek, Director of SageWalk, in Bend, Oregon, 800-877-1922, announced they have hired Mark Wardle for wilderness operations. Wardle had been Director of OnTrack Wilderness in Texas.
A year later Wardle is at Skyline Journey.
http://www.strugglingteens.com/archives ... een01.html

And remember, Sagewalk employed Aaron Bacon's murderer, Eric Henry during a 9 month diversion agreement following Bacon's death. Then went on to Obsidian Trails where another death occured.
http://www.contac.org/contaclibrary/tragedy28.htm

HALLELUJAH !!!!
I'm so pleased, and hope the appeal is denied.  One down, "too many" to go !!!
Deborah

Oct 13, 12:21 AM (ET)
http://apnews.excite.com/article/200210 ... F9NO0.html

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) - The state will revoke the license of a wilderness
program for troubled teens after two employees were charged with
child-abuse homicide in the July 13 heat exhaustion death of a
14-year-old boy.

Ian August collapsed while on a three-mile hike in sweltering heat in
central Utah. Skyline Journey director Mark Wardle and counselor Leigh
Hale were charged in his death.

The Utah Department of Human Services said Friday it would revoke the
program's license Oct. 25.

Lee Wardle, Mark Wardle's father and Skyline's CEO, said the program
would appeal, allowing it to operate until administrative hearings are
complete.

"The decision to revoke was based on a thorough review of our
investigation," Licensing Director Ken Stettler said. "We also used
supporting evidence from law enforcement and the medical examiner."
After hiking about three hours, August complained of thirst and refused
to continue. A counselor gave him water under a tarpaulin.
A couple hours later, while still resting, August began moaning and fell
backward. The counselor could not find a pulse, and the boy was dead by
the time emergency personnel arrived two hours later.
Five children, including August, have died during Utah wilderness
programs since the state began policing them in 1990. August's death
reopened a debate on whether the state's regulations are stringent
enough.

The programs aim to help troubled teens by teaching cooperation and
self-reliance in a wilderness setting.