Fornits

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

What are the full names of the staff from MB that you can remember. Please post them here. Low level Staff names get forgotten, usually. They need to be held accountable for what they are involved in. Post the names of all the staff high and low that you can think of, and the torutre you witnessed them oversee, organize

Actually you can see a list of all the staff from certain months at the program by using the wayback machine, a website that archives literally the entire internet and allows you to browse through it on a chronological basis. I'm not fucking with you! This is a real site.
http://www.archive.org/web/web.php
Type the MBA website into the wayback machine search box, or just go to their current website here:
http://www.mtba.com/team.html

That method is a good way to get the names of previous staff members from other programs, too, if you were so interested. People forget that once you put information out on the internet, it's part of the public record. Anyone can see it, and that once information is released onto it, it is almost impossible to get it off.

While I was an inmate at Mount Bachelor Academy, I was able to obtain copies of a lot of their promotional literature. I have decided to post the largest of those documents, entitled Heart to Heart: A Parent Survival Guide to Mount Bachelor Academy. The whole packet was written by one Mina Steen, a former parent of a student who is currently on Mount Bachelor Academy's payroll.

The first installment can be found here: viewtopic.php?f=48&t=26311

It is my opinion that the deceptive marketing practices used by Mount Bachelor Academy are endemic to the "troubled teen industry" as a whole, and that they should thus be examined and taken apart piece by piece publicly so that desperate parents in the future won't be as easily manipulated as mine were. As promised, I will post this entire packet in a series of installments. All material was copied word-for-word from the original, except where noted by the [brackets.]
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Tip #3 - "Keep the Lines of Communication Flowing"

It reflects an enormous leap of faith on your part to turn your child over to people you don't really know and to a program that initially seems pretty structurally complicated, especially when you and your child are at your most vulnerable. It is doubly difficult since there is no support organization like the "PTA," and you may feel you shouldn't "bother" MBA staff, though you have many, many questions and more keep occurring. You can "bother" MBA staff with what's on your mind. Feeling comfortable and developing trust takes time and acquiring more information.

>Communicating With Other Parents: A New Parent's Lifeline
The First thing you can do is join the Parent (email) Listbox.

[Instructions are then given on how to send and receive email from the listbox]

Once on board the listbox, you can introduce yourself and ask other parents any questions you might have. It's consoling to realize that you're not alone. Parents of current and graduated students share experiences, and you will find this parent network is incredibly supportive and full of insight that cannot be gained elsewhere. The listbox can also be your place to "give back" by sharing your experiences and perceptions. But don't be intimidated - you can partici[pate in the listbox without ever writing a thing, if you chose to only read other parents' incoming messages. The listbox is entirely confidential and is not availableto anyone except other MBA parents. No MBA staff member has access to the emails. Any potentially sensitive information you learn on the listbox should not be shared with others or your child without permission.

>Communicating With Your Child
Staying In Touch During Phase I (Discovery Phase)

Within about a week or two of your child's enrollment, you will begin to hear regularly from our child's Phase I mentor. Those calls, usually made on a weekly basis, become your pipeline to your child's new world, especially since you will not be able to talk with your child directly for several weeks. Because time on these calls goes very quickly, we have found it helpful to prepare for the weekly call by writing down ahead of time any thoughts or concerns or items to discuss.

Unfortunately,due to circumstances beyond anyone's control, the calls do not always come at the appointed times (in spite of the fact that parents may have rearranged their work schedules to accommodate the call time!). If you have not received your call within about 15 minutes of the scheduled time, call the school to see what has happened and offer some times for rescheduling, if necessary.

You may be asked to place rescheduling information in your mentor's voice mailbox. Though they may also have an email address, you need to check with them to see which is their preferred method for contact.

During Discovery (Phase I), you will communicate with your child only by written mail (or perhaps fax). Even after regular phone calls between you and your child begin, you will be encouraged to continue mail contacts throughout his stay at MBA. Remember that you are your child's lifeline to the "outside world"!

Don't be too upset or surprised if your child does not write profuse or frequent letters to you. Although students are in theory required to write home, that doesn't always happen, and some of the letters may be very short and uninformative. That, too, often improves over time. Also be aware that there may be such circumstances that prevent your child from receiving or sending mail, such as being placed on a self-study. If you have questions about communication issues, ask your mentor.

There is often a lag in the mail or in faxed items, usually because the mentors read communications to and from your child. That aspect of a mentor's role helps him know your family, your feelings and your day-to-day happenings, as well as how your child is communicating his experiences. IT also alerts the mentor to events at home that your child may find disturbing (like the death of a pet, a friend having trouble with the police, grandma having had a stroke, etc.).

Finally, with regard to mail, your child may not communicate with any of his prior friends until an assigned point during Phase II when you and the mentor agree he may do so.

-Notable Changes in Phase II

In Phase II, which happens after students complete The Bridge Lifestep, your child may place a weekly call on an evening that typically remains consistent throughout the MBA stay. (Hint: Provide the school with phone cards or calling card numbers to avoid expensive collect calls.) A staff member is present in the room when the child calls. The staff may check with you to ask how the call went and to see if you need to hear from or relay anything to a mentor. This is particularly true if the staff member perceives that the call has been "difficult" for the child.

These calls fly by quickly. They will likely be more satisfactory if you have compiled a list of things you want to be sure to cover. Be sure to save time to let your child express himself, too.

While students are encouraged to call home weekly, they are not required to do so. Some parents have encountered the difficult situation of waiting anxiously for a call, only to have it not occur. If this happens more than once, don't hesitate to discuss this with the mentor. The opposite situation can also occur, in which a child calls home only to be disappointed by the parents not being available. Since most students eagerly look forward to their weekly phone contact with folks at home, parents are encouraged to make every effort to honor these appointments.

Further into Phase II, there will be occasional (typically each week or two) conference calls that involve your child and his mentor. Issues may arise that would cause ether you or the mentor to initiate additional conference calls. While these conferences can, at times, be challenging experiences, they can also offer some real breakthroughs in family understanding.

-Greater Freedom In Phase III!

By Phase III, (after the The Promise Lifestep,) communications will take another turn. The conference calls between you, your child and the mentor will continue, but depending on your child's circumstances and your new mentor's judgments, they may be less or more frequent than Phase II. After The Venture Lifestep, weekly calls with your child will be extended to 15 minutes, and most students are given the option to send email. In short, efforts are increased to reconnect you and your child as the process evolves toward reuniting the family, and students are afforded the opportunity to taste more freedom.

>Communicating With MBA: The Logistics

Most often, your child's mentor is your conduit for all questions and information. However, there are staff members who have specialties and other assigned duties with your children. These may also be contacted with regard to their areas of responsibility, such as academics, more severe discipline, substance addiction, health care, or travel arrangements. Your mentor and the MBA phone list can help you determine the appropriate personnel and how to contact them.

It is sometimes hard to reach a staff member, and this can be exceedingly frustrating. Given the nature of the school, the day-to-day needs of our children, and the unforeseen events that require their attention, staff is often occupied and away from their phones. You may find it easier to reach the support staff, who are usually available to take calls during business hours. If you really have a problem that needs immediate attention, and cannot reach the person you need, let the administrative office know and they will help direct you.

If you dial the MBA number and reach only a message or answering machine (such as after business hours or on weekends), you may dial Ext. #202 to leave a message. We advise that you only do this if you feel your message is very important for the staff to receive before the next school day. The on-call staff member will respond to you as quickly as possible, or at least deal with the contents of your message.

If you are leaving your hometown and won't be available at one of the numbers MBA has listed for you, let you mentor know how to reach you. Either leave your temporary number with your child's mentor, or with another administrative person at MBA for delivery to the mentor.

-Be Proactive In Communicating with MBA Staff

Share your gut feelings about your child's progress with the mentor. Mentors encourage parents to speak up and share their perspective. If you need information, or feel uncomfortable, or have concerns, make a call or email. If you have an idea you want your mentor or other staff to consider, make a call or send an email. They appreciate hearing our viewpoint and our experience with our child and consider these to be integral to the process. THat said, try to keep in mind that mentors and other MBA staff are exceedingly busy. It's beneficial to develop a sense of balance, maintaining regular and necessary communication, but not calling too often.

Communication becomes easier and feels much more comfortable after your first in-person parent conference, which typically occurs during the first parent seminar after your child enrolls at MBA. (This may not be the case if your child is still in Discovery Phase.) It is comforting to actually meet your child's mentor, and other staff, face to face, and to start meeting other students. You will also feel better informed about the program and the nature of your child's social environment. Depending upon where your child is in the program, you may have time and permission for an on or off campus visit with our child following the parent conference.

-Birthdays and Holidays At MBA

Most of your kids will celebrate their birthdays and even some significant holidays at MBA. No doubt about it, this is one of the toughest aspects of having your child at MBA. The holidays and birthdays will just not be the same for you, your family or your child.The reality of those losses will hit each of us differently and the same goes for our children. At least they have the support of each other and the staff. We remain in our old worlds, working to keep our thoughts in the positive while a myriad of feelings well up inside.

One thing that helps is to become informed. Whether it is a holiday or a birthday, the school and/or your mentor can tell you how things are celebrated and what role you and others can play. The listbox is a good source of information as well. Parents can share what they have done to celebrate and this will open your mind to all of the possibilities.

You may be challenged to think of small gifts when CD's, video games, and movies are no longer options. Even any jewelry and cosmetics are usually off-limits until Phase III. Many parents send funny gifts, like floppy animal slippers or comfort gifts, like warm "jammies" for winter. Other nice touches to enrich their MBA days are attractive journals, family photos in frames, inexpensive cameras, "stuffies" (MBA lingo for stuffed animals!) or other dorm decorations, reading or writing supplies. Some families have had a "personal" calendar printed at the local full-service print shop, with family photos and special dates designated. In the past parents have also sent bouquets of flowers or balloons. Food items such as big tubs of candy should be cleared in advance and, if approved, are usually shared with other students - and staff! It is best to check with the mentor if you have any questions about appropriateness, as having a gift returned home is a disappointment.

Our experience has been that your child is able to call you on birthdays and holidays. With this in mind, you might want to be sure that they know how they can reach you on these special days. the call is usually very brief, two or three minutes, but it is a wonderful one to receive.

Another thing that has helped us is to keep this in perspective. MBA does provide nice holiday and birthday celebration for the kids. Certainly they will be unique from other times of their lives. Yes, they miss us and it is hard for us all. However, that pain can build an appreciation for tradition and family that they may not have felt before.

Finally, remember, you are not alone. We all share in these feelings and another MBA parent can provide rare comfort and understanding. Don't hesitate to call or email your MBA friends or query the listbox for wisdom and support.
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Only the first three 'tips' have been posted so far, thirteen in all, more to come later.

Check it out:

http://www.natsap.org/pdf/09%20NATSAP%2 ... Agenda.pdf.

Seems like it would be a great time for everyone to protest. Internet activism is all very well and good, but in my opinion nothing can beat good old fashioned picketing.

Is this real or fake?

My favorite part about it is the fact that they use the word "terrorist." What an apropo way to demonize someone for this day and age. "You're an emotional terrorist!" Why not just call them emotional communists while we're at it?

Damn, that's unfortunate. Maybe Bromley Brook blocked fornits and she had to bypass the firewall. They sure as hell blocked fornits at Mount Bachelor Academy.

I found this surfing around the Internet. More parent propaganda. I was wondering exactly which of the founding group of staff (which are listed below,) were former CEDU.  Anybody have any light to shed?
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This was taken from:
http://www.thaitopsites.com/mbanews/history.html

1988-1989 The Pioneers:
In 1987, educator Linda Houghton was approached by Barry Weiss, of College Health Enterprises, who, owning several health facilities, understood that adolescents in crisis were often unsuccessful in making lasting life changes in traditional treatment centers. They agreed to create a learning environment, which would educate the whole person, academically, emotionally, physically and spiritually.

With continued support from CHE, Linda Houghton brought her vision of education, excellent dedication, and a team of committed pioneers: Dennis Crowell, Academy Director; Jeannie Crowell, Dean of Academics; Jane Stewart, Director of Admissions; Steve Houghton, Wilderness and History Teacher; Alex Bitz, Theatre Arts Teacher; Pat Brown, Science and Math Teacher; Cec DeClerk, Teacher; Kathy Carter, Executive Assistant; Judy Burgen, Bookkeeper. All were mentors, drivers, cooks, builders; wilderness scouts and in a word - pioneers.

After a few difficulties with permits and the local community of Powell Butte, Linda Houghton decided to build at Mark's Creek Lodge in the Ochoco National Forest. Skilled workers like Clint and Jodi Brooks, Brook Hilton and others began dismantling the old hunting lodge and commenced the process of building classrooms, kitchen, dining room and dorms. With the arrival of our first student, Tori Clark, others soon followed in time for our first Summer Leadership Intensive, which included: Theatre, Biology, Wilderness, English Composition and more.

Under the direction of Linda Houghton, Executive Director, and Academy Director, Dennis Crowell, the founding members established the fundamentals of MBA: Mission, classes, schedules, the first emotional growth workshops (Lifesteps), rules and agreements, etc. Educational Consultants like Alice Jackson, Virginia Reiss, Miriam Bodin, Anita Targan, Martha Kolbe, Diane Albrecht, Teri Solochek, Ann Carol Price, Paula Feldman and others were of tremendous help with visits, advice and referrals.

With the Summer Intensive Graduation, parent workshops, five high school graduates, new staff joining the school, first edition of The Looking Glass, more referrals and visits from professionals, new buildings completed and many other historical firsts, Mt. Bachelor Academy was established. The long exciting hours of work, the commitment and talents of staff members and the forming of a strong student peer group culture resulted in a warm and close-knit community where learning and personal growth flourished.

1990-1993 The Builders:
This period of MBA's evolution was characterized by the continuous building on campus, a metaphor for the development of the Emotional Growth Curriculum which occurred simultaneously. This process of readjusting, reevaluating and establishing and identity was constant. Linda Houghton and Alex Bitz (Academy Director) were the team behind the creation of one of MBA's very unique aspects the second year of the Emotional Growth Curriculum Lifesteps. These workshops are specifically created to provide opportunities for students to apply their skills and knowledge outside of the MBA campus and to assist them in understanding their role in the larger community. These intensives focus on each student's responsibility for the present and preparation for his or her future. The Academy graduated its first class in December 1990.

In the three years from 1990-1993, people like Jane Stewart, Jeannie Crowell, Jeff Johnson, Sarah Koalkin (Persha), Bill Hoffman, Sharon Hunter (Bitz), and Janine Riehl (LePere) were also instrumental in refining and maintaining the quality of the Emotional Growth Curriculum.

The Academics Department grew under the supervision of Jeannie Crowell. Teachers like Jeem Peterson, Science and Math; David Miller, Political Science and general studies; Terilynn, English and Drama; Harold Brasington, English; Steve Houghton and Dave LePere, Wilderness; and others brought creativity and a higher level of integrity to experiential academics. All of this expansion was supported by the people who fed the machine: Naty Zamora, Kitchen Manager; Alvin Jones, Maintenance Manager, Susie Carroll, JoDee Welty, Kelli Hoffman, and so many others dedicated to the service of children's needs.

1993-NOW The Keepers:
Until 1997,under the leadership of Tim Brace, Executive Director, who joined MBA in 1993, the school has become a dynamically functioning program. We sailed through our accreditation process, developed training for staff members and refined procedures for how things should be done in all areas to ensure the safety of students and staff members.

We have continued to infuse our curricula with training from outside the school and new programs within the school such as: Understanding Addictions class and processing groups, ADHD workshops, dynamic group processes through training with outside professionals, the addition of two Learning Resource Specialists, sports teams in roller hockey, cross country and basketball - just to name a few.

In 1998, with the active involvement of the President, Elliot Sainer, our parent company College Health Enterprises formed a separate company, Aspen Youth Services (whose name was recently changed to Aspen Education Group), which has provided us with a partnership of support and services for adolescents, families and educators. While we continuously strive for the school to remain vital and dynamic and to evolve where it is warranted, we never lose sight of the need to hold fast to the original vision, philosophy and mission of this school community.

In May of 1997, Sharon Bitz, after 8 years of service to MBA, assumed the leadership of Mount Bachelor Academy as the Executive Director.

That explanation makes so much sense to me...  it explains more than opiate addiction. Remember how we discussed coming out of CEDU and not making connections to people because we became habituated to these intensely contrived, "transcendent" experiences?  Everything/everyone else seemed hollow and shallow by comparison?   But really, they were living the reality of day to day life, and we were living in this maesltrom of psychodynamic mania.  Without consciously realizing it, we wandered and sought a duplicate high of parallel proportion to our CEDU experiences.  It wasn't healthy. And it wasn't even pleasurable, but somehow, it was like looking for a "fix."  And there would be no fix because nothing could satisfy it... and you end up angry and disconnected and frustrated wondering what's wrong with you? but the truth is you came to crave something that can't be found...because it was never authentic to begin with...

I know that whenever I would go into group at Mount Bachelor I was just worried about covering my ass all costs. Looking back on it, I was using my basic reptilian survival brain - the limbic brain, the same part of the brain primarily pricked by drugs. The "lifestep high" was very often discussed, I believe, as if it was an actual high, by the staff and students. I never understood it until I actually facilitated a lifestep. It's gets you fucked up, it really does!

The sleep deprivation, physical exhaustion and just the intense forced emotional catharsis that being in such a stressful situation creates all combines to create a volatile situation in which, I contend, people's judgement is severely impaired.
 
Along a similar vein - I've heard of LSD being used therapeutically with "troubled teens" with a fairly high rate of success. Hell, if we're willing to try this shit, then why not?