Fornits
Treatment Abuse, Behavior Modification, Thought Reform => Aspen Education Group => Topic started by: AuntieEm2 on September 02, 2009, 09:38:57 AM
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Another teen has died in an Aspen-run program.
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)
Sergey Blashchishen, 16, died Friday, August 28, 2009. He had been there one day. This is not an isolated incident. We'll wait for the details to emerge, but I expect we will hear the familiar story of events emerge: The teen complains about not feeling well, and is ignored. Then the teen vomits, and is ignored. Then the teen collapes, and the staff on hand is not trained to save the child's life. How many times have we heard this story?
I am so angry. Please keep this boy and this family in your thoughts.
Thanks to CAFETY for alerting me to this story.
Auntie Em
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From The Oregonian
Portland teen collapses and dies during wilderness camp hike
by Stephen Beaven, The Oregonian
Tuesday September 01, 2009, 2:44 PM
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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Mom sounds really clueless about the industry. Unwittingly, she took the equity from her home to have her son tortured to death.
September 3, 2009- Portland, Oregon
Story Published: Sep 2, 2009 at 1:30 PM PDT
Story Updated: Sep 2, 2009 at 1:46 PM PDT
By Jeff Jaeger KATU News and KATU.com Staff Video
PORTLAND, Ore. – A Portland teen who was trying to turn his life around died unexpectedly at a wilderness boot camp in Central Oregon and his mother can’t fathom the news.
“I just was shocked,” Lyudmila Blashchishena said after learning of her son's death on Friday. “I couldn't believe, how could my son die from hiking?”
Her son, 16-year-old Sergey, had left the day before for a wilderness camp in Lake County.
“While they were hiking he didn't feel so good and he wanted to take the break and he took off his backpack,” his mother said.
Moments later he died with no explanation.
“I was so worried about him because, you know, 16-year-old boy, a completely healthy boy.”
Blashchishena said Sergey was a very athletic teen and had no health problems.
“It's not like it was severe exercise like military boot camp; it was educational boot camp, adventure camp,” she said.
[MYTH. THAT'S WHAT THE PROGRAM TOLD HER.]
The only problems he had were in life. He dropped out of school a year ago, but he wanted to turn his life around.
“He asked me to place him to boot camp because he actually wanted to change,” Blashchishena said.
“It was very expensive for us so we took equity from our house to make sure we save our child,” she said.
He was a teen with so much potential who ultimately wasn't allowed the chance to live up to it.
“I expected so much from this boot camp to be honest, you know,” Blashchishena said. “How could he just leave us?”
Autopsy results are still pending, but Blashchishena was told Sergey likely died of heat exhaustion.
A memorial fund has been set up in Sergey’s honor at Bank of America. Contributions can be made at any branch.
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Another thread here:
Boy dies at Sagewalk
viewtopic.php?f=49&t=28470 (http://www.fornits.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?f=49&t=28470)[/list]
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KTVL censors comments.
From the editor: Many of you [Who and SageWalk] have expressed concerns about some of the harsh anonymous comments from readers. To remedy that, we are introducing new features. You can create your own blog, publish your news and share your photos with the community. Once you fill out a simple form and leave a verifiable e-mail address, you can set up your profile page. It will display all of your contributions and allow you to track issues and easily connect with others.
We want our site to be a place where people discuss and debate ideas that foster stronger communities. We built this for you. Please take care of it. Tolerate broad thinking, but take action against obscene or hateful material. Make it a credible and safe place worth preserving and sharing.
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“It was very expensive for us so we took equity from our house to make sure we save our child,” she said.
Precisely why Im hoping (in a schadenfreude sort of way) that the real estate market will finally tank, if only to render the TTI irrelevant and out of business before people get back on their feet and realize that taking out a second mortgage on a house isnt worth the mixed results.
Perspective is everything.
Doubtful this will happen, though. The bubble has already burst, and for some reason, real estate in CA is still booming and overpriced. Ridiculous. Would be nice to have some good rental rates right now.
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....Further down the bank, in the shade of the massive Freightliner wind tunnel, two men were fishing for bait to use for sturgeon fishing in the Willamette. George Gonzales said he wasn’t sure what the health risks were in eating sturgeon.
“I know they move around a lot,” he said. “I also know they live a long time. But yeah, I don’t know about PCBs.”
Williams said his goal is to determine who fishes the Portland river, how often, where and when, and how much of their catch they eat.
”Over the years there have been different things said about who is actually out there catching fish and consuming fish,” Williams said. “We can go by generalities and anecdotal evidence, as we have been for years, or we can go out there and talk to the people on the river on a very regimented basis to find out what they’re doing.
“Those are the folks and the species of fish that we really need to end up factoring into our cleanup of Portland harbor.”
Lyudmila Blashchishena of Russian Oregon Social Services has warned people from Portland’s Russian community about the dangers of fish caught in the Willamette as part of a different outreach project.
“But many of them still fish the river and still eat the fish,” she said. “They give the fish as gifts or sometimes sell them.”
Blashchishena said immigrants are often less aware of environmental health dangers and thus more vulnerable. [Oh, the irony.]
“In the Soviet Union you never heard this sort of thing,” she said. “No one told us anything.”
People who want to learn more about the hazards of fishing the Willamette River can attend a public meeting scheduled for 6:30 p.m. June 29 at the St. Johns Community Center, 8427 N. Central St.
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Full article and link here:
—•?|•?•0•?•|?•— —•?|•?•0•?•|?•— —•?|•?•0•?•|?•—
PortlandTribune
To fish or not to fish? Think twice (http://http://www.portlandtribune.com/news/print_story.php?story_id=24829)
• New warnings caution anglers of Willamette River health risks
BY BEN JACKLET
The Portland Tribune, Jun 15, 2004
Some Portlanders would no sooner fish their dinner from the Willamette River than they would hunt for wild game in Forest Park.
Others, like Terry Gallant and Mike Klopfenstein, have been fishing the Willamette for years and have no plans to stop now that summer's returning.
So how safe is the Willamette for fishing?
It depends on what you're catching. The latest data shows that migratory fish like spring Chinook salmon are as clean as fish get, while resident fish such as small-mouthed bass are often dangerously loaded with polychlorinated biphenyls, toxic pesticides, dioxin and other contaminants.
As for sturgeon, the ancient fish that Gallant and Klopfenstein were pursuing on a recent morning on the Willamette, new tests show that they also contain some toxins, though at much lower levels than bass, carp and other resident fish.
State and county health officials are issuing an updated fish advisory this week and posting new signs along the river warning of the health risks of eating fish caught in the Willamette.
The latest data show that carp contain the most PCBs, at around 2 parts per million, while bass have about 1 part per million and bullhead catfish contain approximately 0.5 parts per million.
Based on those levels of PCBs, scientists are recommending that women beyond childbearing age and healthy men should eat no more than 8 ounces of resident fish from the Willamette per month. Women of childbearing age, children and anyone with a weak immune system or thyroid or liver problems should avoid eating any carp, bass or catfish from the Willamette, according to the health advisory.
The new warnings follow a massive fish collection effort performed two years ago. As part of the Portland harbor Superfund investigation, scientists caught about 1,500 fish from the lower Willamette and sent them off to labs to be tested for 399 chemicals.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency still has not released the results from those tests publicly. But David Stone, a toxicologist with the state's health department, confirmed that the fish advisory and the new batch of warning signs were a direct result of the Superfund investigation.
"We already knew (the pollutants) were in the river sediment, but I think some people are surprised at how much turned up in the fish," Stone said.
The study was funded by the Lower Willamette Group, which consists of the Port of Portland, the city and harbor businesses that could end up on the hook for a river cleanup running $200 million or more.
The study is expected to provide important information about the river's fish and the health risks they pose. It also could end up costing the businesses that funded it big bucks.
That's because the more polluted the fish in the harbor turn out to be, the more cleanup ultimately will be required, potentially translating into greater liability for industrial powerhouses identified by the EPA as "potentially responsible parties," including Oregon Steel Mills Inc., Gunderson Inc. and NW Natural.
Fish data long awaited
The lower Willamette's woes are well-documented. The harbor was designated a Superfund site in December 2000 after scientists found tar, DDT, creosote, PCBs and dioxin in the sediment at the bottom of the river. Frequent advisories from the Portland Bureau of Environmental Services also warn of raw sewage overflowing into the river during heavy rains.
But information about how the river pollution affects fish and the people who eat them has been surprisingly limited. The first study came in 2000, when The Oregonian newspaper teamed up with scientists at Oregon State University to document that fish from the lower river contain several toxins, most notably PCBs.
The Lower Willamette Group's study builds on those findings. In addition to bass, catfish and carp, the study tested suckers, sculpin, and juvenile Chinook salmon for hundreds of chemicals.
The Lower Willamette Group only agreed to collect resident fish and juvenile fish for their study, because migratory species such as sturgeon, salmon and lampreys move around so much that it would be impossible to determine where they ingested any pollutants that might be found in their tissue.
After several public interest groups and Indian tribes argued that migratory species also should be studied, state researchers decided to fill that data gap, taking samples last summer.
Stone said salmon came up "very clean," while sturgeon were "variable."
The state researchers studied five sturgeon just under the limit of 42 inches, and while the levels of PCBs they found were far lower than in bass and carp, they were worth noting, Stone said, particularly since PCBs build up in a fish's fatty tissue over time.
"These fish we tested were on the smaller side," Stone said. "With a larger fish, you would expect that they would have accumulated more (toxins)."
Lampreys, the eel-like fish that are harvested near Willamette Falls by tribal fishermen, showed far less contamination than in previous studies, Stone said.
Who's at risk?
Questions remain about who fishes the river, where and when, and for which species.
Travis Williams, executive director of Willamette Riverkeeper, is trying to answer those questions this summer. His group is conducting a fish consumption survey funded by a $50,000 grant from the Spirit Mountain Community Fund.
On a recent afternoon, Williams steered his jet boat into the Willamette backwaters near the Swan Island boat ramp.
Floating trash and discolored water around a nearby outfall pipe didn't stop several people in lawn chairs from casting for panfish.
"My son's a big-time fisherman," Clarence Dorn said. "He talked me into giving it a try here. Whatever he brings home, we eat. I got a granddaughter who just loves it. Put a plate in front of her, she gobbles it up."
Further down the bank, in the shade of the massive Freightliner wind tunnel, two men were fishing for bait to use for sturgeon fishing in the Willamette. George Gonzales said he wasn't sure what the health risks were in eating sturgeon.
"I know they move around a lot," he said. "I also know they live a long time. But yeah, I don't know about PCBs."
Williams said his goal is to determine who fishes the Portland river, how often, where and when, and how much of their catch they eat.
"Over the years there have been different things said about who is actually out there catching fish and consuming fish," Williams said. "We can go by generalities and anecdotal evidence, as we have been for years, or we can go out there and talk to the people on the river on a very regimented basis to find out what they're doing.
"Those are the folks and the species of fish that we really need to end up factoring into our cleanup of Portland harbor."
Lyudmila Blashchishena of Russian Oregon Social Services has warned people from Portland's Russian community about the dangers of fish caught in the Willamette as part of a different outreach project.
"But many of them still fish the river and still eat the fish," she said. "They give the fish as gifts or sometimes sell them."
Blashchishena said immigrants are often less aware of environmental health dangers and thus more vulnerable.
"In the Soviet Union you never heard this sort of thing," she said. "No one told us anything."
People who want to learn more about the hazards of fishing the Willamette River can attend a public meeting scheduled for 6:30 p.m. June 29 at the St. Johns Community Center, 8427 N. Central St.
Contact Ben Jacklet at [email protected].
Copyright 2009 Pamplin Media Group, 6605 S.E. Lake Road, Portland, OR 97222 • 503-226-6397
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Am I missing something? Did this kid die from eating bad fish? what?
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Am I missing something? Did this kid die from eating bad fish? what?
Nah... Guestoftheday posted a portion of an article where Sergey Blashchishena's mum was mentioned from about 5 years ago.
Said Guest found it ironic that Lyudmila Blashchishena was warning others from Portland's Russian Community about the dangers of eating PCB-laden fish, saying that "immigrants are often less aware of environmental health dangers and thus more vulnerable" ... given that, as it turns out, the environmental health dangers of Sagewalk ultimately allegedly did her son in:
Portland Tribune[/i]"]Lyudmila Blashchishena of Russian Oregon Social Services has warned people from Portland's Russian community about the dangers of fish caught in the Willamette as part of a different outreach project.
"But many of them still fish the river and still eat the fish," she said. "They give the fish as gifts or sometimes sell them."
Blashchishena said immigrants are often less aware of environmental health dangers and thus more vulnerable.
I merely posted the whole article with link for folks to get the original context of what Guestoftheday quoted.
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immigrants are often less aware of environmental health dangers and thus more vulnerable
unfrozen caveman immigrant... your fish and rivers are large and amazing, they fascinate me with their sparkly brown sludge. In my country, our river is only polluted by what we shit out our assholes this morning.. I know nothing of these strangely named chemicals that I can neither see nor taste.
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Dear Friends and Colleagues,
SageWalk Wilderness School is saddened to confirm the unfortunate death of one of our students on Friday, August 28th. At this time, the exact details of the incident are still being determined. The student had just been admitted into our program the day before, and we do not have any further details of what may have caused his passing.
No acclimation period required?
And so much for the physical before starting the program. Unless they put the kid on a slanted treadill with a backpack weighing a third or more of the kids weight, in a 100* room and have him walk for hours at a time, then they aren't capable of assessing any potential problems.
Parents have the misconception that their kids is going to be hiking under the best of conditions. That they will have access to adequate water. That they won't be hiked beyond their physical limitations. That leisurly hiking in the beauty of nature is going to turn them around. They don't understand that the goal is to push them as hard as necessary in order to break them down.
This kids mother is right to questions why her strong healthy teen is dead. Keep digging. Check the facts against Oregon's regulations for Outdoor Youth programs. Get a good attorney immediately. Subpoena other participants soon, before they forget the details of what happened that day. Don't depende on the state or the program to conduct honest investigations.
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http://www.ktvz.com/Global/story.asp?S=11137730 (http://www.ktvz.com/Global/story.asp?S=11137730)
Redmond wilderness school suspends operations
Posted: Sep 15, 2009 08:14 PM CDT
Video Gallery <1>
SageWalk sends students home amid probe (9/15)
2:12
Lake County sheriff's deputies served search warrant Monday at SageWalk Wilderness School's Redmond office
Sergey Blashchishen's mother said her son had asked to go into wilderness school for troubled teens
State DHS, Lake County investigating teen's death on first hike; offices searched
From KTVZ.COM news sources
A Redmond-based wilderness school said Tuesday it has agreed to suspend operations amid state and Lake County investigations into the death of a 16-year-old Portland boy on his first hike with the school, in a remote area east of Bend late last month.
Word of the halt to operations came one day after Lake County sheriff's deputies traveled from Lakeview and executed a search warrant at the Redmond office of SageWalk Wilderness School, as part of its continuing investigation into the death of Sergey Blashchishen.
The school issued a statement Tuesday indicating it had learned the Oregon Department of Human Services' Office of Investigations and Training is looking into the Aug. 28 death about 60 miles east of Bend.
Results of an autopsy conducted by the Lake County medical examiner have not been released, so it's not known yet if a cause of death has been determined. The teen's mother said she was told her son vomited, collapsed and died, despite efforts to revive him.
Michael Bednarz, executive director of the school, declined to comment on-camera Tuesday to NewsChannel 21, but provided the following written statement:
A Statement from SageWalk
SageWalk Wilderness School has received notice of an investigation by the Oregon Department of Human Services (DHS) Office of Investigations and Training due to the recent death of one of our students that occurred on August 28. DHS has requested that we remove all students from SageWalk until the investigation is complete, and we are cooperating with this request.
In addition, local law enforcement is conducting an investigation and has executed a search warrant. We have not seen the affidavit for the search warrant and are therefore not in a position to discuss any factual matters or further details.
We firmly believe there to be no basis for these actions. At this time, the exact details surrounding the student's death are still being determined and autopsy results are not yet available.
SageWalk considers student safety our number one priority and is confident in a positive resolution to this investigation. Over the course of our 12 year history, our program has adhered to the highest standards of care and we currently meet or exceed all industry and state standards. We were the first wilderness program to be individually accredited by the Northwest Association of Accredited Schools, and we are licensed by the State of Oregon to work with students who are experiencing issues with substance abuse and are also licensed by the State of Oregon as both an Outdoor Youth Program and Private School.
Due to the limited information available, this is all we are able to communicate at this time.
Mike Bednarz, MS, MBA
Executive Director
SageWalk Wilderness School
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What medical tests were conducted to ensure the boy was healthy?
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Killer Camps: Another Troubled Teen Dies
Friday, September 25, 2009
filed under: tween & teen logic
Hear from a mom who is determined to make wilderness intervention programs safe for our children.
KTVZ.com
Gina Kaysen Fernandes: An investigation into the death of a 16-year-old Oregon boy has temporarily shut down a wilderness school for troubled teens in Redmond, Oregon. Sergey Blashchishen of Portland dropped dead on August 28 while hiking in rugged terrain in a remote area. Sergey's mother told the media her son vomited, collapsed, and died despite efforts to revive him. Sergey voluntarily signed up for the boot camp run by SageWalk Wilderness School after his life started heading in the wrong direction. But instead of gaining the life skills he so desperately needed, Sergey died on his first day of camp.
This shocking incident is strikingly similar to what happened to 14-year-old Matthew Meyer, whose mother, Crystal Manganaro, shared her heartbreaking story with momlogic.
Matthew died of excessive heat stroke in 2004 after hiking for hours in a wilderness intervention program. The camp, called Lone Star Expeditions, is now closed, but was previously owned by the California-based Aspen Education Group. The same parent company owns SageWalk Wilderness School.
Crystal says when she heard about Sergey's death, "I just fell apart." Crystal has become a leading activist in the effort to regulate the troubled teen industry. This billion-dollar industry operates under the radar, without government oversight or intervention.
These privately owned and operated facilities are often exempt from state licensing and regulation. SageWalk operates on federal forestland -- and so did Lone Star when it was open. But the Feds claim no responsibility for the actions of these organizations. Crystal wants to change that. "If they're allowed to operate on federal land, then it's a federal problem," says Crystal, who went to Washington, D.C., in March to plead her case to politicians.
The facts surrounding Sergey's death remain tightly guarded. Crystal knows it could take years for his parents to learn the truth, but she suspects the lack of adequately trained medical staff is likely to blame. A report by Timothy Kempfe of Adventures Experiences, Inc., a wilderness camp owner with 38 years of experience, revealed the "hazardous and unhygienic conditions" he witnessed at Aspen-owned Lone Star. Kempfe reviewed the facility following Matthew's death. In his report, he wrote, "In this case, it is evident that neither the company nor the individuals working for this company knew how to provide the proper standards of care. The company had improper equipment, inadequately trained field staff, and an inappropriate form of discipline, which neglects the standards of care for providing a safe environment."
The Aspen Education Group stands behind its reputation for providing "quality care for youth and families for over two decades." In a written statement to momlogic, Aspen addressed the Oregon wilderness camp tragedy: "SageWalk considers student safety its number one priority and takes this incident very seriously. Over the course of its 12-year history, SageWalk has adhered to the highest standards of care and currently meets or exceeds all industry and state standards. We have extended our sincerest condolences to the family, as well as resources to help them through their loss," wrote spokeswoman Kristen Hayes.
The Aspen Education Group owns more facilities in Utah, Idaho, and North Carolina.
Crystal says she's frustrated that her cry for help to crack down on this unregulated industry is falling on deaf ears. "They don't care about the kids, they care about the income," says Crystal, who is urging politicians to enact federal legislation that would make these camps safer for kids. "I feel like I've hit a brick wall," says Crystal.
Gina Kaysen Fernandes is an award winning documentary producer and a former TV news producer/writer. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and son.
http://www.momlogic.com/2009/09/wildern ... z0S85GBIEU (http://www.momlogic.com/2009/09/wilderness_camp_death_another_teen_dies.php#ixzz0S85GBIEU)
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Aspen kills kids. It's all over the news. They also provide no treatment. It's been argued by their lawyers in court. So if they offer no treatment AND kill children, why do people even consider sending their kid there?
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I know back when I was sent to RMA, my parents got all their information in one phone call to the school. Everything they heard sounded so wonderful and they soon paid the tuition and sat back waiting for the magic to happen. Many parents just don't take enough time to investigate on their own. Many assumptions are made such as that the place wouldn't exist if it wasn't licensed and properly staffed. And many parents assume these "consultants" who are paid by the industry to recommend placements for teens, are actually independent, so they take their word for it and don't seek outside information. People still join Scientology despite everything people have posted about it.
And of course, the all present problem that most of these parents are desperate and at what they think is the end of their wits and are ready to make any new decision as long as it is made by someone else for them.
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After having read this article, I will have to say that they couldn't have done a better job killing him. There were so many warning signs.
Investigator calls wilderness school reckless in teen’s death (Bend Bulletin) (http://http://www.bendbulletin.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20091020/NEWS0107/910200398)
And the parents: Who is believing what they see on television? Brat Camp was a show, not a documentary. Some of part of me feel for them being naive beyound any measurement but to choose residential treatment with a problem that could have been fixed 10 times faster and better with in-home counseling makes me wonder if they wanted to be a part of the solution in the first place at all.
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We all agree that ASPEN programs negligently kill many kids every year. All programs, but specifically ASPEN, should be strictly avoided. They already argued in court that they provide no treatment, so why would anyone send their kid there? Just to roll the dice on your little one being snuffed? Makes no sense to me.
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Investigator calls wilderness school reckless in teen's death (http://http://www.bendbulletin.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20091020/NEWS0107/910200398)
A 16-year-old collapsed and died on an August hike in Lake County; a sheriff's deputy says interviews indicate the school may have skirted disaster before
By Erin Golden / The Bulletin
Published: October 20. 2009 4:00AM PST
The investigation into the death of a 16-year-old Portland boy who collapsed on a hike with a Redmond-based wilderness school this summer is focusing on reports that the boy may not have had proper nutrition and medical care before and during his hike through a remote area of northern Lake County.
In an affidavit requesting a search warrant to seek documents and other evidence from SageWalk Wilderness School's Southwest Obsidian Avenue office last month, Lake County Sheriff's Deputy Chuck Poré wrote that he believes Sergey Blashchishen's death was a homicide and the result of criminal mistreatment and reckless endangerment by the school.
No charges have been filed against SageWalk or any individuals, and the investigation is expected to continue for another few months.
But Poré said Monday that the information he gathered to make his case for a search warrant — including interviews with school staff members who said Blashchishen started showing signs of distress hours before anyone called 911 — are still pointing him in the direction of a crime.
"I have not changed my course from what I saw when I made the application for the search warrant," Poré said.
Blashchishen died on Aug. 28. About two weeks later, SageWalk Executive Director Mike Bednarz said the Oregon Department of Human Services had ordered the school to send all of its students home.
On Sept. 14, the Lake County Sheriff's Office executed the search warrant, taking more than 400 files and Blashchishen's camping equipment.
On Monday, Bednarz said no students are currently at the school, but declined to comment further, citing the ongoing law enforcement and state Department of Human Services investigations.
Surprise pickup
SageWalk is one of a handful of wilderness schools in Central Oregon for teens dealing with emotional and behavioral issues or other problems, including substance abuse.
According to the affidavit, the boy's mother, Lyudmila Blashchishen, wrote on a school form that her son was aggressive, sometimes rude and uninterested in studying or thinking about his future. On Aug. 26, Blashchishen's parents enrolled him in SageWalk without his knowledge.
On Aug. 27, between 5:30 a.m. and 6:30 a.m., two "transporters" contracted by SageWalk woke Blashchishen at his home in Portland to take him to SageWalk, according to the affidavit. Blashchishen's parents, who had been told to be away when their son was picked up, watched from a neighbor's house.
Poré wrote in the affidavit that surprise early-morning pickups are a frequent occurrence for new SageWalk students.
Blashchishen arrived in Redmond around 9 a.m. and was later transported to a medical facility for blood tests and a drug screening, according to the affidavit. He tested positive for THC, a substance found in marijuana, but a staff member present for the testing said no additional questions were asked about Blashchishen's drug use or his two-year cigarette smoking habit, which his mother had listed on a school medical history form.
Around 1 p.m., Blashchishen was blindfolded and put in a vehicle headed to the school's base camp in Lake County. Around the area of Hampton Station, Blashchishen said he wanted the blindfold removed, and staff members agreed to take the blindfold off and let the boy lie in the back seat if he'd look only at the vehicle's ceiling.
Blashchishen was never told where he was going or what would happen to him, according to the affidavit.
Once he arrived at camp, Blashchishen met other students. The conversation turned to drug use, and Blashchishen talked about purchasing the drug OxyContin.
Calorie count
The students later had a meal of rice and lentils. Though some students were allowed to ask for up to five cups of food, Blashchishen, as a newcomer, was offered just two, according to the affidavit.
DHS regulations for wilderness schools require all students to be offered no less than 3,000 calories of food per day.
Poré wrote that SageWalk staff members could not provide information about what else, if anything, Blashchishen ate before the meal of lentils and rice. He wrote that the boy could have had as few as 400 calories during the day.
That day, Blashchishen wrote a poem, in which he described the camp scene — "squirrels/running around/blue skies/green bushes and trees/but I'm still hungry."
Staff members Poré interviewed later said they did not recall Blashchishen saying he was hungry.
The next morning, at 11:45, Blashchishen, the other students, and three staff members had breakfast and set off for a hike south of Hampton.
Blashchishen carried his camping gear, food, water and clothing in a pack that weighed between 40 and 50 pounds, according to the affidavit. He set out at a "good pace" in the front of the rest of the group, though he didn't know how far he'd be hiking that day. The terrain was dusty, with tall brush and little shade.
About an hour later, one of the staff members noticed Blashchishen walking strangely. The group took a break and Blashchishen drank water and consumed electrolytes.
When the hike continued, another staff member noticed that Blashchishen had started carrying his backpack in a different way, and he was "not resting efficiently," but did not ask the boy if he was having problems, according to the affidavit.
Staff members told Poré that they did not push Blashchishen to continue on, but added that other students encouraged him to continue.
As the hike went on, the staff members said Blashchishen fell several times, but pulled himself up and kept walking. Just after 2 p.m., staff members called the school's field supervisor to report that Blashchishen had vomited, but the hike continued.
Less than a half-hour later, about one mile from where the hike had begun, Blashchishen collapsed and lay on his back in the sun. The other students moved to the shade and began preparing lunch.
Blashchishen declined the offer of food and shortly after began flailing his arms and yelling in a foreign language, according to the affidavit. Staff members said the boy began to hyperventilate before his breathing slowed and then stopped altogether.
Call for help
One staff member told Poré that by the time Blashchishen stopped breathing, he'd been thinking about calling for help, but had not. At 2:36 p.m., staff members called a school nurse, who then told another staff member to call 911.
In the affidavit, Poré wrote that the call came much too late.
"This was not a call in progress explaining that Sergey was doing weird things and then during the conversation he collapsed," Poré wrote. "This call began with the announcement of the cessation of life and the beginning of CPR. This is a call that should have gone first and directly to 911."
Two staff members trained as emergency medical technicians performed CPR for about 45 minutes before an AirLink helicopter arrived from Bend. But by the time the helicopter arrived, Blashchishen was already dead. Deputies from the Deschutes and Lake County Sheriff's offices were called to the scene.
Poré arrived around 7 p.m., nearly five hours after staff members had begun CPR and more than three hours after they'd stopped lifesaving efforts. He rolled Blashchishen onto his side to examine him, and was surprised to find the boy's body still warm.
"Never before have I encountered a body that was warmer than my own touch, and it was especially remarkable as it was overcast and had been hours since death. ... Although I was gloved I was wearing short sleeves and could feel the heat radiation against my own skin," Poré wrote. "My senses likened the feeling to touching someone who had just gotten out of a hot shower."
The investigation continues
The State Medical Examiner's Office has not yet released the results of an autopsy, and in a preliminary death certificate signed on Aug. 30 by Dr. James Olson, the deputy state medical examiner for Southern Oregon, Blashchishen's cause of death was listed as "pending."
But on the certificate, Olson listed hyperthermia — the condition that occurs when a person's body temperature rises to abnormally high levels — as a possible contributing factor.
In his affidavit, Poré alleges that SageWalk was negligent on several counts. He wrote that school staff members should have asked more questions about Blashchishen's tobacco and drug use before sending him off on a hike. In addition, he said the school failed to consider the stress that could have been created by the previous day's early-morning pickup and blindfolded transport to the campsite.
Finally, Poré wrote that the staff members should have responded more quickly to Blashchishen's signs of distress on the hike.
Gordon Gannicott, a Portland attorney representing Blashchishen's family, said his clients agree with Poré's conclusions.
"I think the family is upset about what happened to Sergey, and they have concerns about these type of programs. ... There's a real possibility for danger with these camps. It appears that the behavioral focus is placed maybe above the medical focus in the food chain, and you end up with situations where the counselors, the people involved with the camps, are involving straightforward medical symptoms and signs in an attempt to shape behavior, and they should be responding more properly to medical issues."
The state began licensing outdoor schools after the death in 2000 of a 15-year-old student, who was being held facedown on the ground by a counselor while on a hiking trip in Lake County. The student was attending Obsidian Trails, a Bend-based wilderness school that closed several years after the incident. A civil suit filed against the school by the boy's mother was settled for an undisclosed amount.
No criminal charges were filed in connection with the 2000 incident.
DHS spokesman Gene Evans said his department's investigation into Blashchishen's death is ongoing, but declined to comment further.
Poré said he still needs to conduct more interviews and sort through the hundreds of pages of documents seized from the SageWalk office before he can decide if he will recommend that the Lake County District Attorney's office pursue criminal charges.
But in the affidavit, Poré wrote that his interviews with staff members had led him to believe that problems had occurred at the school.
"The pattern suggests that SageWalk, as a day care facility having a seemingly special right to press children to their maximum and beyond, is without the capability to separate symptoms of misbehavior from symptoms of approaching death," Poré wrote. "(My) interviews strongly suggest that, at least for the last nine months, SageWalk may have taken children to the precipice of disaster and been lucky. On Friday, August 28th, 2009, this luck ran out."
Erin Golden can be reached at 541-617-7837 or at [email protected].
Published Daily in Bend Oregon by Western Communications, Inc. © 2009
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Was the boy sent there by STICC? One day, John D. Reuben, you'll have more than your family's blood on your hands, if you don't already.
Notice how Lon Woodbury and John Reuben are leaning toward the description of troubled teens with "behavior" problems since Aspen was forced to admit it provides no mental health treatment to save their sinking asses. Throwing paper airplanes in class is no reason for a kid to die in a money sucking scam that victimizes entire families. As noted in the Surgeon General's report in the other thread, admissions to RTC's need to be closely monitored - pigs like Aspen take anyone who can afford the tuition, and the proof is in the deaths.
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...As noted in the Surgeon General's report in the other thread, admissions to RTC's need to be closely monitored - pigs like Aspen take anyone who can afford the tuition, and the proof is in the deaths.
Excerpt (http://http://www.fornits.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?f=48&t=27903&p=348907#p348907) re. long term efficacy of RTCs from Surgeon General David Satcher's report.
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We all agree that ASPEN programs negligently kill many kids every year. All programs, but specifically ASPEN, should be strictly avoided. They already argued in court that they provide no treatment, so why would anyone send their kid there? Just to roll the dice on your little one being snuffed? Makes no sense to me.
Me neither. What's wrong with these parents? They can't READ?? Aspen is piling up kiddie carcasses at several of it's facilities and the parents just step over the bodies without noticing? That's crazy.
ASPEN: Stacking Dead Kids Like Cordwood.
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James Ray uses teen wilderness program techniques on adults: Interview with Brett Merle
October 20, 6:40 PMPhiladelphia Speculative Fiction ExaminerCassandra
The participants in the James Ray sweat lodge tragedy are intelligent, rational, strong and powerful people. Every time I see someone call them “weak-minded” or some such nonsense I start flipping the bird and swearing like a sailor. Today I interviewed Brett Merle, also known as Sagewalker. He is the former owner of Sagewalk School for Troubled Teens (no longer affiliated), licensed PCS instructor (Positive Control Systems), instructor in verbal de-escalation and non-violent physical intervention and is certified in NLP (Nuero-linguistic programming). He has been espousing both the benefits and dangers of unregulated programs similar to James Ray’s sweat lodge for over a decade.
I contacted Brett because I thought it might be nice if we had some professionals on record talking about this stuff since wilderness programs have a lot in common with James Ray’s teachings.
One major similarity is in the use of NLP. Now, scientists are still not in agreement about NLP, but it is a concept that makes sense when you think about it. Brett describes, “It's the relation between how we speak, how we hear, and how we process that information. The way that I say something might not be the way you hear it and the way you hear it might not be the way you process it.” Now, that is clearly a highly subjective experience based on each individual which would explain why it’s hard to pin down scientifically.
NLP, at its heart, is a highly effective communication technique based on the different styles of learning. People learn visually, through auditory listening, and kinesthetically but everyone is more receptive to one particular type. James Ray and other experts trained in this can maximize results by using all three methods and continually judging what is working best for which individuals and then reinforcing that learning. This is why it is so important to pay attention to the individual person using these techniques; it places masters of NLP in a conversational position of power that can be used to great benefit or great harm. Brett explains it as “People tend to speak the way they think, and you change the way you’re speaking to gain rapport with them.”
NLP is a valued technique in wilderness programs for its effectiveness in behavior modification of Troubled Teens. As early as 2000 Brett is on record speaking out about the dangerous lack of accountability in these fields, "We don't have to answer to anybody, and that scares the hell out of me. Oregon needs some (regulation) before children die." In wilderness programs there are two main dangers that need to be constantly guarded against – physical and mental.
The very process of behavior modification can leave participants vulnerable psychologically at the point of transformational shift, even when they themselves are leading the change within. It is very important to ensure the person leading these modifications is not abusing that temporary vulnerability, whether it’s physical abuse or psychologically adding their own agenda.
Wilderness programs can use these techniques to great effect on some of the most difficult teen cases because the unpredictability in nature resembles the natural flow of life in any community. This very unpredictability can lead to emergencies – even if well prepared. James Ray tried to duplicate some of these techniques to gain greater sway over the most financially capable, intelligent, powerful, and transformative people he could find. It’s not just that he failed to safe-guard them in any capacity (although he did, I will address that as well), but that James Ray twisted and warped valid techniques and amazing experiences with his own subtle messages. Well, they were subtle, until he used his technique to cook people to death. It’s kind of hard not to notice now, huh?
I asked Brett what kind of safety nets he used while running his own wilderness program, because (as far as I know) he has never had any accusations brought against him. When I asked him about that he informed me that the current owners of Sagewalk are working to reduce coverage of a recent suspicious death of one of their students. This highlights Oprah’s problem right now perfectly – I can say Brett ran Sagewalk with every safety measure in mind, but that does not mean it will continue. These programs are effective or dangerous depending on who’s in charge.
Brett set up several levels of accountability for the well-being of his charges. First, all the field staff were trained in CPR/ basic first aid, as well as the head instructor being either a Wilderness EMT or Wilderness First Responder. They were also given warning signs to look for – physical and psychological signs that something is amiss. Every student was also under the overall care of licensed doctors. For the most part this included people with PhD’s in Psychology, but there were also several Master’s level people working at the direction of the doctors to contribute to the accountability and hands on understanding that is needed in this work because of the highly individualized nature of it.
Sounds expensive right? The numbers are surprising. James Ray Spiritual Warriors paid $10,000.00 to attend the five day retreat and $5,000.00 or so in additional expenses (flight, room and board, preparatory materials, etc). For $13,000 they could have participated in Brett’s program which was 45+ days and also included things like vision quests. Of course, Brett doesn’t live in a Beverly Hills mansion either.
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In case the FTC is wondering, I do not endorse James Ray and he has never compensated me in any way. Nor Have I been compensated by Sagewalk, although they did send me some information about their company once.
http://www.examiner.com/x-11245-Philade ... rett-Merle (http://www.examiner.com/x-11245-Philadelphia-Speculative-Fiction-Examiner~y2009m10d20-James-Ray-uses-teen-wilderness-program-techniques-on-adults-Interview-with-Brett-Merle)
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James Ray uses teen wilderness program techniques on adults: Interview with Brett Merle
October 20, 6:40 PMPhiladelphia Speculative Fiction ExaminerCassandra
Full name of the author of that piece is Cassandra Yorgey (it got cut off).
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SageWalk responds re. the above posted article, "Investigator calls wilderness school reckless in teen's death (http://http://www.fornits.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?f=48&t=28474&p=348906#p348906)":
-------------- • -------------- • -------------- • -------------- • --------------
Breaking News
Posted: Oct 29, 2009
Sagewalk Wilderness School
Bend, OR
Sagewalk Responds to Posted Article (http://http://www.strugglingteens.com/artman/publish/SagewalkBN_091029.shtml)
Contact:
Michael Bednarz, MS, MBA
Executive Director
541-316-4800
http://www.sagewalk.com (http://www.sagewalk.com)
October 22, 2009
The below is a statement from SageWalk in response to a posting of the article titled "Investigator calls wilderness school reckless in teen's death (http://http://www.bendbulletin.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20091020/NEWS0107/910200398)" on strugglingteens.com yesterday:
The circumstances surrounding the death of one of our students on August 28 are part of an ongoing investigation. We maintain that we took every step possible to ensure the safety of this student, as we have every student over the course of our 12 year history, and disagree with the Lake County Sheriff's Deputy's view of the events. We expect that, once all the facts are known, they will show us to have acted carefully and responsibly, and we will be fully vindicated.
We do not have further details of the investigation but remain confident in our reputation and adherence to the highest standards of care. Should more information become available, we will update you.
Copyright © 2009, Woodbury Reports, Inc.
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SageWalk's founder and previous owner says that Aspen has been neglegent and reckless with the program since they took it over. He states safety controls and proper personnel were cut.
ASPEN kills children.
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In an affidavit requesting a search warrant to seek documents and other evidence from SageWalk Wilderness School’s Southwest Obsidian Avenue office last month, Lake County Sheriff’s Deputy Chuck Poré wrote that he believes Sergey Blashchishen’s death was a homicide and the result of criminal mistreatment and reckless endangerment by the school.
Needs no comment.
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SageWalk's founder and previous owner says that Aspen has been neglegent and reckless with the program since they took it over. He states safety controls and proper personnel were cut.
And it's ironic they try and teach the kids to take "responsibility". There can be no excuse whatsoever for what happened.
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Guest wrote:
SageWalk's founder and previous owner says that Aspen has been neglegent and reckless with the program since they took it over. He states safety controls and proper personnel were cut.
Hi, is there a link to this? I missed this.
Auntie Em
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Guest wrote:
SageWalk's founder and previous owner says that Aspen has been neglegent and reckless with the program since they took it over. He states safety controls and proper personnel were cut.
Hi, is there a link to this? I missed this.
Auntie Em
It was a blog entry containing material from an interview with Brett Merle posted (http://http://www.fornits.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?f=48&t=28474&p=349659#p348973) above, regarding the three deaths at James Ray's sweat pit which happened recently. Merle's interview was probably considered pertinent to the age-old and industry-wide question of:
"Just how extreme can conditions be, when you want to deliver a transformative experience, yet not kill off the marks?"[/list]
Link to original (http://http://www.examiner.com/x-11245-Philadelphia-Speculative-Fiction-Examiner~y2009m10d20-James-Ray-uses-teen-wilderness-program-techniques-on-adults-Interview-with-Brett-Merle)
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SageWalk's founder and previous owner says that Aspen has been neglegent and reckless with the program since they took it over. He states safety controls and proper personnel were cut.
ASPEN kills children.
How convenient, and how easy it is for him to say that now, eh? Or it could be that he just was lucky back then...
That blog entry containing material from an interview with SageWalk founder Brett Merle was also posted in another thread, namely, Mind Control as Therapy in Programs. There's a fair amount of material pertaining specifically to Brett Merle following that post (http://http://www.fornits.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=29000&p=348974#p348974).
I'd especially like to know just how SAFE it is, psychologically speaking, for folks to have someone from a program background practicing neuro-linguistic programming on them, and who may or may not even be certified, hmm?
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Brett Merle runs a teen escort business and used to be in a program. Not a good guy at all. He has the look of a sheep killing dog. Merle's background is all program, from his RTC to the Army. He sounds like a mercenary wannabe reduced to kidnapping kids.
http://www.jastransportservices.com/Brett_Merle.htm (http://www.jastransportservices.com/Brett_Merle.htm)
Brett Merle
Brett Merle has a fairly unique perspective in transporting, transitioning and interventions. He was transported to a wilderness program at the age of 16. He went on to become a United States Army Airborne Ranger, earning a bronze star and purple heart while in combat in 1989. After his term of service, brett went to work for wilderness programs, residential programs, crisis residential, culminating in him founding his own wilderness program in 1997. Although he sold his wilderness program in 2002, it is still in operation today. Brett has been in the youth help industry and been transporting kids since 1994. He holds a first degree black belt in kenpo juijitsu, is a PCS (positive control systems) non violent verbal/ physical intervention instructor, has his current cpr/ first aid card and is registered with the California trustline to legally be able to transport to/ from/ within the state of California.
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SageWalk's founder and previous owner says that Aspen has been neglegent and reckless with the program since they took it over. He states safety controls and proper personnel were cut.
ASPEN kills children.
How convenient, and how easy it is for him to say that now, eh? Or it could be that he just was lucky back then...
That blog entry containing material from an interview with SageWalk founder Brett Merle was also posted in another thread, namely, Mind Control as Therapy in Programs. There's a fair amount of material pertaining specifically to Brett Merle following that post (http://http://www.fornits.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=29000&p=348974#p348974).
I'd especially like to know just how SAFE it is, psychologically speaking, for folks to have someone from a program background practicing neuro-linguistic programming on them, and who may or may not even be certified, hmm?
I didnt find where the article talked about Sagewalk at all. It never uses the words reckless or neglegent. Did someone provide the wrong link? I would like to read about what Sagewalks founder said.
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yeah, it's there. he said aspen removed all of the safety controls and hired people with no life-saving skills or therapy qualifications and ruined the nice business he built. go back and read it again.
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yeah, it's there. he said aspen removed all of the safety controls and hired people with no life-saving skills or therapy qualifications and ruined the nice business he built. go back and read it again.
I think as a minimum we can say the program owners have gained a bit of credibility here on fornits, at least some of them. I remember back a few years when I posted here that no one would believe what program staff or owners had to say about their programs successes, even if they provided testimony. So this is a big step.
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I believe that Aspen took away all safety controls from Sagewalk, leading directly to the deaths of two or more children. Did the owners state that? If so, good for them for finally coming clean that they are unsafe and damaging. Good job, owners!
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yeah, it's there. he said aspen removed all of the safety controls and hired people with no life-saving skills or therapy qualifications and ruined the nice business he built. go back and read it again.
I think as a minimum we can say the program owners have gained a bit of credibility here on fornits, at least some of them. I remember back a few years when I posted here that no one would believe what program staff or owners had to say about their programs successes, even if they provided testimony. So this is a big step.
Well, the owners have become more open about the programs. Its not like the old days of straight and kids. I dont trust them entirely but you have to admit that being able to walk in off the street unannounced and see your child or walk around the facility by yourself is a big step towards transparency.
I, myself believe that SageWalk was safer in the beginning, like the founder and previous poster said. Its just a matter of getting back to that and then the program will be back on track.
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^^That^^ is laughable. Especially coming from Whooter, the man who has been vehement for years about how you "can't just walk in unannounced and walk around the facility. It's disruptive to the program. No business would allow that!"
Everyone knows that these facilities do not allow visitors without an appointment. Everyone also knows that SageWalk became even more unsafe and even more ineffective when Aspen took over. Several dead kids prove that indelible fact. To spin bad controls, untrained staff and child deaths as "success" is idiotic on its face, Whooter.
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yeah, it's there. he said aspen removed all of the safety controls and hired people with no life-saving skills or therapy qualifications and ruined the nice business he built. go back and read it again.
I think as a minimum we can say the program owners have gained a bit of credibility here on fornits, at least some of them. I remember back a few years when I posted here that no one would believe what program staff or owners had to say about their programs successes, even if they provided testimony. So this is a big step.
Well, the owners have become more open about the programs. Its not like the old days of straight and kids. I dont trust them entirely but you have to admit that being able to walk in off the street unannounced and see your child or walk around the facility by yourself is a big step towards transparency.
I, myself believe that SageWalk was safer in the beginning, like the founder and previous poster said. Its just a matter of getting back to that and then the program will be back on track.
You also left out that the founder of SageWalk recommends programs as a great choice for at-risk kids. I think that we can all agree to disagree, but anyway you look at it the programs voices are becoming more influential here on fornits. Its good to see we are finally disecting and utilizing the programs perspective here, albeit a tad, it is a start.
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So, if you are to use SageWalk's founder as a model of "truth-telling" you must then heed his warning that SageWalk is no longer safe for kids, as Aspen took away all of the safety controls and hired uneducated, unlicensed, non-CPR certified employees to work there. Maybe it was good for kids when he was there, but now he says it is dangerous for kids. You can't pick and choose which piece to believe!
It also hurts your argument that SageWalk is safe that they just killed a kid a few weeks ago. Doesn't seem very "safe" to me or to the founder who is rightly concerned that there are no safety controls or qualified people at SageWalk.
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So, if you are to use SageWalk's founder as a model of "truth-telling" you must then heed his warning that SageWalk is no longer safe for kids, as Aspen took away all of the safety controls and hired uneducated, unlicensed, non-CPR certified employees to work there. Maybe it was good for kids when he was there, but now he says it is dangerous for kids.You can't pick and choose which piece to believe!
It also hurts your argument that SageWalk is safe that they just killed a kid a few weeks ago. Doesn't seem very "safe" to me or to the founder who is rightly concerned that there are no safety controls or qualified people at SageWalk.
Exactly my point! So we need to rely on what the kids and parents have to say about the programs they attended. Lets listen at the source from people who have experienced programs today. We are going to hear bad stories and good ones. The parents job is to gather as much info as possible and weigh that ageinst present conditions.
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No, my point was specific to SageWalk's founder who admits it's now a dangerous and unsafe place for kids due to Aspen's handling of the business.
And anecdotal evidence from parents and kids doesn't mean anything, scientifically or legally speaking. Scientifically we would require a clinical trial of Aspens methods using a control group and an experimental group in a double-blind setup combined with a long-term follow -up of both groups. This is the only way to assess efficacy, period. There is no other method. To date, Aspen has refused to allow any clinical research.
Secondly, anecdotes can be true, false, or somewhere in the middle, depending on perspective. Therefore, we must rely on the fact-finding of the agency charged with overseeing MBA. It's report indicated wholesale, widespread abuse and neglect along with sexual humiliation of students. An objective, factual report is believable and passes the evidentiary tests that anecdotes simply cannot.
I'm sorry to have to keep reminding you, "Guest" about what facts are and what opinions are, but you seem unable to grasp the difference. Stories of parents and children = opinion. State report of abuse, neglect and sexual humiliation = fact. I hope you now understand the difference between objective facts and subjective opinions.
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Great post above. Keep the focus. Kids are dying on a regular basis at Aspen programs. This documented fact cannot be avoided.
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Good discussion. So we can conclude that in the absence of studies we need to rely on those who have progressed thru the system. With an estimated 500 programs running today and lets say, to be conservative, 100 kids graduate a year (per program), then we are seeing 50,000 kids benefitting from these places and a handful who are harmed (1 per year? Maybe).
We see public school teachers raping their students but the ones benefitting from public education far outweighs those who are harmed and therefore we keep the public system going and don’t move to shut them down.
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No, we don't agree on anything at all. With no studies to validate your claims we must conclude that the programs are ineffective until proven otherwise. It's called "the scientific method" and you should learn about it.
Anecdotes from kids and parents do not in any way create validity of efficacy claims. In fact, the state of Oregon has documented the exact opposite: the very model of the programs is abusive. And it also substantiated claims of abuse and neglect, I believe nine cases in the past year from a single facility, including the sexualized humiliation of minor females forced to simulate oral sex on minor boys for "therapy."
No, we all can agree that the state of Oregon found out the truth about Aspen. You can't put the genie back in the bottle, Whooter.
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No, we don't agree on anything at all. With no studies to validate your claims we must conclude that the programs are ineffective until proven otherwise. It's called "the scientific method" and you should learn about it.
Aw shit....is this asshole STILL pulling this "we" shit???
Anecdotes from kids and parents do not in any way create validity of efficacy claims. In fact, the state of Oregon has documented the exact opposite: the very model of the programs is abusive.
BINGO!!!
And it also substantiated claims of abuse and neglect, I believe nine cases in the past year from a single facility, including the sexualized humiliation of minor females forced to simulate oral sex on minor boys for "therapy."
Ughhh...that just makes me ill.
No, we all can agree that the state of Oregon found out the truth about Aspen. You can't put the genie back in the bottle, Whooter.
:tup:
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Good discussion. So we can conclude that in the absence of studies we need to rely on those who have progressed thru the system. With an estimated 500 programs running today and lets say, to be conservative, 100 kids graduate a year (per program), then we are seeing 50,000 kids benefitting from these places and a handful who are harmed (1 per year? Maybe).
We see public school teachers raping their students but the ones benefitting from public education far outweighs those who are harmed and therefore we keep the public system going and don’t move to shut them down.
Good point, :tup: guest, never thought of it that way. I wish there was a way to compare the public school system to programs. This way we could better see the point.
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If only "theraputic boarding schools" would cooperate in rigorous clinical trials by credible third parties, like universities, in comparing outcomes with public schools. I'm confident the programs would fail to measure up.
I don't see how Aspen can any longer call their schools "therapeutic" after the Oregon DHS concluded, based on documentation of substantiated incidents, that their "therapy" meets the Oregon definition of child abuse.
So "child abuse boarding schools" would be the accurate term.
Auntie Em
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If only "theraputic boarding schools" would cooperate in rigorous clinical trials by credible third parties, like universities, in comparing outcomes with public schools. I'm confident the programs would fail to measure up.
Can you point to an instance where a rigorous clinical trial was denied?
I don't see how Aspen can any longer call their schools "therapeutic" after the Oregon DHS concluded, based on documentation of substantiated incidents, that their "therapy" meets the Oregon definition of child abuse.
Because not all programs work to the same model. Massachusetts calls the programs therapuetic so we can conclude (by your logic) that all of Aspen programs are therapeutic.
Your getting old GrannyEm. your logic fails.
So "child abuse boarding schools" would be the accurate term.
You are also childish. Resorting to name calling because you cant argue. I think we can agree that the anti program group is running out of examples to hold up. We need a picture of the hobbit and the 300 pound staff member who sits on kids!! Then you can show them how abusive these places are!! Ha,Ha,Ha
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Wow. The last post is stunningly ignorant. The state of Oregon DHS investigated Aspen (MBA) and concluded they are and have been abusing and neglecting children, including forcing rape victims to simulate oral sex on other minors in a group setting.
Which part don't you understand? Aspen has already admitted they provide no therapy and Oregon has concluded they abuse children, so AuntieEm's conclusion that Aspen programs should be called "child abuse boarding schools" is perfectly and completely logical. This is what the facts bear out.
Aspen's admission that they provide no therapy + Oregon's finding that Aspen systematically and methodically abuses children = Child Abuse Boarding School. It's as plain as day.
Aspen, as found by the state of Oregon, systematically, methodically and purposefully abuses children in its care.
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BUMP
Aspen program is legally defined as child abuse in the state of Oregon. State investigation finds ALL attendees abused, neglected and that program employees failed to protect children against the abuse. BOMBSHELL.
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If only "theraputic boarding schools" would cooperate in rigorous clinical trials by credible third parties, like universities, in comparing outcomes with public schools. I'm confident the programs would fail to measure up.
Can you point to an instance where a rigorous clinical trial was denied?
I don't see how Aspen can any longer call their schools "therapeutic" after the Oregon DHS concluded, based on documentation of substantiated incidents, that their "therapy" meets the Oregon definition of child abuse.
Because not all programs work to the same model. Massachusetts calls the programs therapuetic so we can conclude (by your logic) that all of Aspen programs are therapeutic.
Your getting old GrannyEm. your logic fails.
So "child abuse boarding schools" would be the accurate term.
You are also childish. Resorting to name calling because you cant argue. I think we can agree that the anti program group is running out of examples to hold up. We need a picture of the hobbit and the 300 pound staff member who sits on kids!! Then you can show them how abusive these places are!! Ha,Ha,Ha
This is a valid point, I dont remember reading anywhere that a program denied a clinical trial to be performed. The programs in our state have a good reputation for helping kids.
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Can you point to an instance where a rigorous clinical trial was denied?
Since there are no instances in which programs have participated in a rigorous clinical trial--one that is NOT bought and paid for by the industry, or conducted in the 1950s, '60s or '70s--we clearly agree one is needed. Excellent!
So, if you will talk to your bosses at the programs (the ones who pay you to peddle your twaddle here) and get them to agree to:
* clearly defined criteria for diagnoses and treatment of youth with mental health and behavioral problems--the programs' version of that, vs the definitions used by children's mental health practitioners in community-based care settings (i.e., the two treatment methods the clinical trial will compare);
* enroll the youth in your programs in the study--I've seen the Power of Attorney documents parents have to sign, and based on those documents you have the power to sell kids for their bodily organs, fawgawdssake, so don't tell me you can't get permission from parents or that this would be a violation of HIPAA;
* enroll ALL of them, not just the "good ones";
* agree to open your programs to independent outside researchers who can observe and document firsthand the treatment practices in programs for a period of a year or more; and
* agree that the study will follow ALL these youth post-program for a period of at least five years.
If you will do that, then I can arrange for:
* the cooperation of a respected university;
* a comparative group of youth receiving community-based care following accepted standards and practices used by professionals nationwide;
* an oversight board to ensure ethical treatment of human subjects;
* senior researchers in childrens mental health, education, law, social work, and juvenile justice; and
* funding NOT from the Corporate Overlords at Aspen/CRC or UHS, but from institutions like the Centers for Disease Control, or the NIH.
Okay? Most amusing, by the way, that in the same post you called me a granny and a child.
Thanks for the words of support, John Carten.
Auntie Em
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Can you point to an instance where a rigorous clinical trial was denied?
Since there are no instances in which programs have participated in a rigorous clinical trial--one that is NOT bought and paid for by the industry, or conducted in the 1950s, '60s or '70s--we clearly agree one is needed. Excellent!
So, if you will talk to your bosses at the programs (the ones who pay you to peddle your twaddle here) and get them to agree to:
* clearly defined criteria for diagnoses and treatment of youth with mental health and behavioral problems--the programs' version of that, vs the definitions used by children's mental health practitioners in community-based care settings (i.e., the two treatment methods the clinical trial will compare);
* enroll the youth in your programs in the study--I've seen the Power of Attorney documents parents have to sign, and based on those documents you have the power to sell kids for their bodily organs, fawgawdssake, so don't tell me you can't get permission from parents or that this would be a violation of HIPAA;
* enroll ALL of them, not just the "good ones";
* agree to open your programs to independent outside researchers who can observe and document firsthand the treatment practices in programs for a period of a year or more; and
* agree that the study will follow ALL these youth post-program for a period of at least five years.
If you will do that, then I can arrange for:
* the cooperation of a respected university;
* a comparative group of youth receiving community-based care following accepted standards and practices used by professionals nationwide;
* an oversight board to ensure ethical treatment of human subjects;
* senior researchers in childrens mental health, education, law, social work, and juvenile justice; and
* funding NOT from the Corporate Overlords at Aspen/CRC or UHS, but from institutions like the Centers for Disease Control, or the NIH.
Okay? Most amusing, by the way, that in the same post you called me a granny and a child.
Thanks for the words of support, John Carten.
Auntie Em
I am "all in" on that, Auntie em. I wish I had someone to talk to get that arranged. But like you I am not part of the industry, just a parent of a child who attended. I think if these studies were done it would clear up a lot of the misunderstanding around here and show the effectiveness of the programs... especially 5 years out.
I have never seen an instance where a program turned down the opportunity of a clinical study (I believe we all agree here). If the programs fund the studies themselves then it is perceived as not being independent. I do know of Universities who have conducted studies and published the results in their science journals, but since the results showed the program to be beneficial and no abuse was found it was rejected here on fornits. There have been independent studies done, but since one of the people on the team had a past association with the industry the results were rejected. (like rejecting a heart study because one of the team members use to be a heart doctor).
I think what you are looking for is a study which shows programs to be ineffective and abusive. There just isnt any data to support this. I think there would be more studies if the programs could justify the expense somehow. But since they are doing just fine without them, why incur the expense? Drug companies wouldnt go thru years of clinical trials and the expense unless they were forced to. So you see we cannot blame the programs for this.... many here are looking for answers that just dont exist.
Programs are effect (period) Are there abusive ones? sure... ineffective ones? yes.. but the industry as a whole is very effective in turning around at-risk youth. All the studies we have seen to date have substantiated this position.
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I do know of Universities who have conducted studies and published the results in their science journals, but since the results showed the program to be beneficial and no abuse was found it was rejected here on fornits.
I call bullshit on this (again). Now you're claiming multiple universitieS have conducted studies? Post them. And don't try to post Valerie Shapiro's sophmore psychology paper as a "university study" either.
Let's go, prove us wrong.
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That's what we thought. Lots of claims, this time multiple university studies published in multiple science journals, but no evidence whatsoever to support the nonsensical, obviously false claims.
Whooter is a bullshit artist who will say anything to put heads in beds.
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Here's one I found:
Colgate University
It was part of a study, there was a woman, Shapiro, who conducted an independent study of Therapeutic Boarding Schools and found them to be extremely effective. She found no evidence of abuse. It was published in a journal if I recall correctly. She is currently working with “Students for Sensible Drug Policy” and “National Institute for Mental Health”. She is pretty cool and really into helping kids.
Valerie Shapiro
She was selected to be the 2007 Gottlieb Fellow and awarded summer funding to participate in the NIH Multidisciplinary Predoctoral Clinical Research Training Program. In 2008-2009, she will work with the Social Development Research Group as an NIMH Prevention Trainee using a prevention science framework to research risk and protection factors in child development, the implementation of community-level interventions, and questions regarding the scalability and sustainability of tested-effective programs.
Currently she is working on papers examining whether the SSDP “Students for Sensible Drug Policy” intervention worked better (or worse) for people who were high in behavioral disinhibition/externalizing, as well as a qualitative paper examining the transition to adulthood for youths involved in crime and drugs during adolescence.
Link to Study (http://http://groups.colgate.edu/cjs/student_papers/2002/VShapiro.pdf)
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You don't recall correctly, In fact, you didn't publish the full link to this psychology paper because the link is titled "student papers" and it's stored on a student server and has never been published anywhere, much less a science journal. Busted again.
Let me help you: http://http://groups.colgate.edu/cjs/student_papers/2002/VShapiro.pdf
The first page of the abstract states:
"Results found that the majority of pathological and adaptive behaviors were perceived to have improved by both the students and parents, but that the standardized measures of patient relations, self-reliance, conduct, and self-reported depression were still well within the clinical range."[/u]
What does this mean? It means that anecdotal evidence from parents and students is unreliable, as the data prove that in all areas the measured items failed to improve out of the clinical range, i.e. the treatment felt good to the parents and students, but was factually totally ineffective.
Shot yourself in the foot again, Whooter.
This "evidence" you provided actually invalidates your claims that student and parent stories reflect reality and that ASR's treatment is effective. Too bad your reading comprehension skills are so low or you could have avoided this embarrassment.
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Here's one I found:
Colgate University
It was part of a study, there was a woman, Shapiro, who conducted an independent study of Therapeutic Boarding Schools and found them to be extremely effective. She found no evidence of abuse. It was published in a journal if I recall correctly. She is currently working with “Students for Sensible Drug Policy” and “National Institute for Mental Health”. She is pretty cool and really into helping kids.
Valerie Shapiro
She was selected to be the 2007 Gottlieb Fellow and awarded summer funding to participate in the NIH Multidisciplinary Predoctoral Clinical Research Training Program. In 2008-2009, she will work with the Social Development Research Group as an NIMH Prevention Trainee using a prevention science framework to research risk and protection factors in child development, the implementation of community-level interventions, and questions regarding the scalability and sustainability of tested-effective programs.
Currently she is working on papers examining whether the SSDP “Students for Sensible Drug Policy” intervention worked better (or worse) for people who were high in behavioral disinhibition/externalizing, as well as a qualitative paper examining the transition to adulthood for youths involved in crime and drugs during adolescence.
Link to Study (http://http://groups.colgate.edu/cjs/student_papers/2002/VShapiro.pdf)
Thanks for the link. I believe you were right this was published. Here is an exerpt:
There are many advantages to treatment in a residential facility. As Wong (1999, p. 42) reports, “Adolescents with long-standing and intense aggressive, destructive, and disruptive behavior are not good candidates for short-term, outpatient, or in-home treatment. Simply put, youth in this state do not participate in or cooperate with therapy. Some type of extended residential or alternative living situation is probably necessary to provide a secure and controlled environment in which to instigate behavior change.” Inpatient care can provide immediate help in a crisis situation, and can remove the client from dangerous situations (Barker, 1974). More so than the average outpatient program, residential facilities offer more opportunities for therapeutic contact, more monitoring of dangerous and disturbing behaviors, and a more direct evaluation of aftercare options. Assessments that are hard to do as an outpatient can be done at these facilities, and at multiple intervals, and hence the reactions to medication and other interventions can be watched particularly closely
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Here's one I found:
Colgate University
It was part of a study, there was a woman, Shapiro, who conducted an independent study of Therapeutic Boarding Schools and found them to be extremely effective. She found no evidence of abuse. It was published in a journal if I recall correctly. She is currently working with “Students for Sensible Drug Policy” and “National Institute for Mental Health”. She is pretty cool and really into helping kids.
Valerie Shapiro
She was selected to be the 2007 Gottlieb Fellow and awarded summer funding to participate in the NIH Multidisciplinary Predoctoral Clinical Research Training Program. In 2008-2009, she will work with the Social Development Research Group as an NIMH Prevention Trainee using a prevention science framework to research risk and protection factors in child development, the implementation of community-level interventions, and questions regarding the scalability and sustainability of tested-effective programs.
Currently she is working on papers examining whether the SSDP “Students for Sensible Drug Policy” intervention worked better (or worse) for people who were high in behavioral disinhibition/externalizing, as well as a qualitative paper examining the transition to adulthood for youths involved in crime and drugs during adolescence.
Link to Study (http://http://groups.colgate.edu/cjs/student_papers/2002/VShapiro.pdf)
Thanks for the link. I believe you were right this was published. Here is an exerpt:
There are many advantages to treatment in a residential facility. As Wong (1999, p. 42) reports, “Adolescents with long-standing and intense aggressive, destructive, and disruptive behavior are not good candidates for short-term, outpatient, or in-home treatment. Simply put, youth in this state do not participate in or cooperate with therapy. Some type of extended residential or alternative living situation is probably necessary to provide a secure and controlled environment in which to instigate behavior change.” Inpatient care can provide immediate help in a crisis situation, and can remove the client from dangerous situations (Barker, 1974). More so than the average outpatient program, residential facilities offer more opportunities for therapeutic contact, more monitoring of dangerous and disturbing behaviors, and a more direct evaluation of aftercare options. Assessments that are hard to do as an outpatient can be done at these facilities, and at multiple intervals, and hence the reactions to medication and other interventions can be watched particularly closely
Here it was published:
Colgate University Journal of the sciences
Volume 34
Watch it Whooter, Dysfunction Junction is going to try to punch you out again!!!
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Hilarious. You look at the study and the first two sentences are these:
"There is a lack of research concerning the effectiveness of residential treatment for troubled adolescents. Due to a focus on internal controls in this area of research, there has been no conclusion as to how helpful such treatment is for real world clients."
The rest of what I read is speculative, full of phrases like "...is probably necessary," and "...were perceived to have improved." That's not hard data. The abstract concludes by saying that much more research needs to be done, and that the result of her research suggests--it does not prove--effectiveness.
Also note that she talks about "in-patient treatment," yet this is not what is offered at programs, clearly not at Aspen programs. Aspen admitted in court in August that they do not provide treatment. So an $83,000 a year babysitter?
Auntie Em
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You don't recall correctly, In fact, you didn't publish the full link to this psychology paper because the link is titled "student papers" and it's stored on a student server and has never been published anywhere, much less a science journal. Busted again.
Let me help you: http://http://groups.colgate.edu/cjs/student_papers/2002/VShapiro.pdf
The first page of the abstract states:
"Results found that the majority of pathological and adaptive behaviors were perceived to have improved by both the students and parents, but that the standardized measures of patient relations, self-reliance, conduct, and self-reported depression were still well within the clinical range."[/u]
What does this mean? It means that anecdotal evidence from parents and students is unreliable, as the data prove that in all areas the measured items failed to improve out of the clinical range, i.e. the treatment felt good to the parents and students, but was factually totally ineffective.
Shot yourself in the foot again, Whooter.
This "evidence" you provided actually invalidates your claims that student and parent stories reflect reality and that ASR's treatment is effective. Too bad your reading comprehension skills are so low or you could have avoided this embarrassment.
Sorry, Whooter, but here are the real facts. If Shapiro was "pre-doctoral" in 2007, then five years earlier she would have been a freshman psychology student (2002) when this paper was written. A freshman psychology paper is not a university study. Everyone understands this.
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Hilarious. You look at the study and the first two sentences are these:
"There is a lack of research concerning the effectiveness of residential treatment for troubled adolescents. Due to a focus on internal controls in this area of research, there has been no conclusion as to how helpful such treatment is for real world clients."
The rest of what I read is speculative, full of phrases like "...is probably necessary," and "...were perceived to have improved." That's not hard data. The abstract concludes by saying that much more research needs to be done, and that the result of her research suggests--it does not prove--effectiveness.
Also note that she talks about "in-patient treatment," yet this is not what is offered at programs, clearly not at Aspen programs. Aspen admitted in court in August that they do not provide treatment. So an $83,000 a year babysitter?
Auntie Em
All true, AuntieEm. But the abstract says on the first page that the data that was able to be gathered showed no clinical improvement in any area:
...the standardized measures of patient relations, self-reliance, conduct, and self-reported depression were still well within the clinical range."
So the few pieces of data that she did gather and analyze prove that ASR is ineffective.
Now, where are the others of thes "multiple university studies published in university science journals," Whooter?
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Oh, I remember this study... From my previous comments (http://http://www.fornits.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?f=48&t=28446&p=347858#p347858) on it:
"...Moreover, the actual number of participants in this survey is staggeringly low. It is impossible to draw any meaningful statistical conclusions from the data. There were fewer student surveys returned for analysis (17), than there are pages in this paper. Perhaps this is why the results discussed in the text, as well as the tables, are expressed almost exclusively in terms of
percentages."[/list]
Seriously, how can you generate twenty-plus pages of discussion, when only 17 students returned their surveys? Just how statistically relevant are said results ... extrapolated to the population at large?
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There has been so much more research done on how profitable they are.
Aspen's parent company, CRC Health, reported earnings in 2007 of $460 million, up 69.6% over 2006. Nearly three quarters of the company’s increased revenue, or $131.4 million, came from their youth division, with an average net income per youth per day of $233.80—more profitable by far than its adult addiction recovery division which earns an average net income per patient per day of just $11.18.
Auntie Em
P.S. So those 17 ASR students produced $1.45 million dollars in profit per year.
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Here's one I found:
Colgate University
It was part of a study, there was a woman, Shapiro, who conducted an independent study of Therapeutic Boarding Schools and found them to be extremely effective. She found no evidence of abuse. It was published in a journal if I recall correctly. She is currently working with “Students for Sensible Drug Policy” and “National Institute for Mental Health”. She is pretty cool and really into helping kids.
Valerie Shapiro
She was selected to be the 2007 Gottlieb Fellow and awarded summer funding to participate in the NIH Multidisciplinary Predoctoral Clinical Research Training Program. In 2008-2009, she will work with the Social Development Research Group as an NIMH Prevention Trainee using a prevention science framework to research risk and protection factors in child development, the implementation of community-level interventions, and questions regarding the scalability and sustainability of tested-effective programs.
Currently she is working on papers examining whether the SSDP “Students for Sensible Drug Policy” intervention worked better (or worse) for people who were high in behavioral disinhibition/externalizing, as well as a qualitative paper examining the transition to adulthood for youths involved in crime and drugs during adolescence.
Link to Study (http://http://groups.colgate.edu/cjs/student_papers/2002/VShapiro.pdf)
Thanks for the link. I believe you were right this was published. Here is an exerpt:
There are many advantages to treatment in a residential facility. As Wong (1999, p. 42) reports, “Adolescents with long-standing and intense aggressive, destructive, and disruptive behavior are not good candidates for short-term, outpatient, or in-home treatment. Simply put, youth in this state do not participate in or cooperate with therapy. Some type of extended residential or alternative living situation is probably necessary to provide a secure and controlled environment in which to instigate behavior change.” Inpatient care can provide immediate help in a crisis situation, and can remove the client from dangerous situations (Barker, 1974). More so than the average outpatient program, residential facilities offer more opportunities for therapeutic contact, more monitoring of dangerous and disturbing behaviors, and a more direct evaluation of aftercare options. Assessments that are hard to do as an outpatient can be done at these facilities, and at multiple intervals, and hence the reactions to medication and other interventions can be watched particularly closely
Great find Whooter:
There was no abuse noted and the program at ASR was found to be highly effective. Lets take a closer look.
DJ no violence now!!! Lets keep your temper at bay.
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Highly effective? Let's look at the data analysis again, shall we? First page of the abstract clearly states:
"...the standardized measures of patient relations, self-reliance, conduct, and self-reported depression were still well within the clinical range."
So, no measurable improvement indicates "highly effective"? You'll have to explain that to the rest of us round-worlders.
When a kid has finished 18 months at ASR, they will still be clinically depressed, have bad relations, low self-reliance and bad conduct. So sayeth the Shapiro paper. So parents are paying some $120k for 18 months of zero improvement.
Let's also not forget that Aspen's program rises to the level of child abuse under Oregon law.
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*crickets*
Whooter gets fully owned in debate yet again after making demonstrably false claims of "multiple university studies proving effectiveness of programs and published in multiple university science journals." Another crock of steaming shit served up by the ardent supporter of institutionalized child abuse.
So we're back to square one: No clinical trials have ever been conducted and the one piece of "evidence" Whooter holds out as proof of efficacy (a freshman psychology paper) actually says on the first page that programs, based on data, are completely ineffective and participants show no clinical improvement after successfully completing a $120k, 18 month institutionalization.
Next topic...
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I have to admit that I didnt think I would see the day where we were discussing a study together. I am most surprised with you DJ and I am happy you are able to have a "back and forth" with a study in your hand vs just your feelings and emotions on the topic. I noticed you didnt threaten anyone lol..... (just kidding). This has been productive, though, even though we dont agree we are at least speaking from the same document for a change.... instead of this parent said this.. this survivor said this etc.
We are all quoting the study which is the important thing and we all chose to site different parts to support our thoughts and beliefs which is a huge step. Here are a couple of excepts that I found interesting:
My findings contradict the idea that making fundamental changes during late adolescence is nearly impossible (Loeber, 1991) and also dispel the myth that long-term treatment is detrimental to normal development. The most important finding of this study is that residential treatment for troubled adolescents has the potential to be extremely effective.
Colgate
The parents and students both perceived changes in the student from the time before treatment to the time of follow-up. Parents found the frequency of alcohol use and of cigarette smoking to have improved (p ? .01). Parents also found the following areas to have shown additional improvements (p ? .001): trouble making behavior at school, sexual promiscuity, desire to hurt oneself, the impact of alcohol use on daily life, the frequency of drug use, and the impact of drug use on daily life. Students had similar impressions of their own improvement.
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Students had similar impressions of their own improvement.
How many of those 17 students were still living at home when they filled out those surveys? And how many months had it been, since they graduated the program at ASR?
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Students had similar impressions of their own improvement.
How many of those 17 students were still living at home when they filled out those surveys?
I am not sure if the study was that specific in that area. I'll go back thru it to see if they break that out.
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Students had similar impressions of their own improvement.
How many of those 17 students were still living at home when they filled out those surveys?
I am not sure if the study was that specific in that area. I'll go back thru it to see if they break that out.
Ha, ha, ha.
Study, my ass. This is a paper written by a freshman student. Still waiting, Whooter, for your links to the numerous clinical studies performed by universities and published in their science journals as you claimed earlier. No links? NEVER HAPPENED.
It wouldn't matter where they were living anyway. there were only 17 responses from a hand-picked sample given to Shapiro by ASR. this hand-picked sample is presumably the ones ASR thought would look the best, but, alas, the data show clearly that in ALL areas, these kids were still clinical in all areas after an 18 month program. Not even one was "sub-clinical" much less symptom-free.
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Highly effective? Let's look at the data analysis again, shall we? First page of the abstract clearly states:
"...the standardized measures of patient relations, self-reliance, conduct, and self-reported depression were still well within the clinical range."
So, no measurable improvement indicates "highly effective"? You'll have to explain that to the rest of us round-worlders.
When a kid has finished 18 months at ASR, they will still be clinically depressed, have bad relations, low self-reliance and bad conduct. So sayeth the Shapiro paper. So parents are paying some $120k for 18 months of zero improvement.
Let's also not forget that Aspen's program rises to the level of child abuse under Oregon law.
First page, in cold print, all studied traits still in the clinical range. No improvement.
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It wouldn't matter where they were living anyway.
You don't think that parental presence would have an impact on the students' answers? Maybe they could be sent away again.
Moreover, it would suggest that the student respondents were still in that honeymoon phase of trying to fit in with everyone's expectations of them. Hence my question of how much time had elapsed since they were in program...
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It wouldn't matter where they were living anyway.
You don't think that parental presence would have an impact on the students' answers? Maybe they could be sent away again.
Moreover, it would suggest that the student respondents were still in that honeymoon phase of trying to fit in with everyone's expectations of them. Hence my question of how much time had elapsed since they were in program...
I didnt see it listed anywhere, Ursus. I dont think she broke it out that fine. It would have been interesting to see how many are still at home and how many moved away or moved on to college/boarding school.
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It wouldn't matter where they were living anyway.
You don't think that parental presence would have an impact on the students' answers? Maybe they could be sent away again.
Moreover, it would suggest that the student respondents were still in that honeymoon phase of trying to fit in with everyone's expectations of them. Hence my question of how much time had elapsed since they were in program...
Whoops it was there..."Thirty-eight percent of these parents reported living with the graduate, 30% reported living apart from the graduate, and 33% reported living with the graduate on a part-time basis."
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Here are a few more findings from the study:
The length of time since graduation for this sample ranged from 6.5 to 26.5 months, the average being 13.9 months.
So it looks like a little over a year out on average.
Psychiatric medication was used by 60% of the student sample prior to ASR, and only 46% of the student sample after ASR
This was always my perception. The programs tend to try to get these kids off all the meds if possible. Kids now a days are way over medicated.
None of the students required psychiatric hospitalizations after ASR, though 66% resumed outpatient individual therapy, 10% continued group therapy, and 10% used family therapy.
This is about what I would have expected and experienced with the groups I followed and the one my daughter was in.
Twelve percent of ASR students had attempted suicide prior to treatment, and none reported attempting suicide after treatment.
Great result!!!!
Of the 49% of students who reported that they planned to be sober following graduation, 5% have been completely sober since they graduated, and an additional 12% used substances after treatment, but have now committed to a lifestyle of sobriety.
So basically one kid stayed sober after a year. The rest are normal teenagers.
Despite the consensus that drug use in graduates has declined, since graduation, 64% have used marijuana, 12% mushrooms, 12% cocaine, 12% ecstasy, 6% acid, and 6% abused prescription drugs.
Still lighting up though!!! You gotta love em!! Personally that would be the first thing I would have done is find a source and fire up. I expected this to be higher in the weed category.
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You don't recall correctly, In fact, you didn't publish the full link to this psychology paper because the link is titled "student papers" and it's stored on a student server and has never been published anywhere, much less a science journal. Busted again.
Let me help you: http://http://groups.colgate.edu/cjs/student_papers/2002/VShapiro.pdf
The first page of the abstract states:
"Results found that the majority of pathological and adaptive behaviors were perceived to have improved by both the students and parents, but that the standardized measures of patient relations, self-reliance, conduct, and self-reported depression were still well within the clinical range."[/u]
What does this mean? It means that anecdotal evidence from parents and students is unreliable, as the data prove that in all areas the measured items failed to improve out of the clinical range, i.e. the treatment felt good to the parents and students, but was factually totally ineffective.
Shot yourself in the foot again, Whooter.
This "evidence" you provided actually invalidates your claims that student and parent stories reflect reality and that ASR's treatment is effective. Too bad your reading comprehension skills are so low or you could have avoided this embarrassment.
Sorry, Whooter, but here are the real facts. If Shapiro was "pre-doctoral" in 2007, then five years earlier she would have been a freshman psychology student (2002) when this paper was written. A freshman psychology paper is not a university study. Everyone understands this.
Great point. This paper was written by a 19 year old girl for a psychology class. Trying to use this paper to to suggest that programs are safe or effective is nonsense.
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It wouldn't matter where they were living anyway.
You don't think that parental presence would have an impact on the students' answers? Maybe they could be sent away again.
Moreover, it would suggest that the student respondents were still in that honeymoon phase of trying to fit in with everyone's expectations of them. Hence my question of how much time had elapsed since they were in program...
You missed my point. None of that matters because this isn't a study, it's a paper written by a 19 year old girl for a psychology class and based on a survey conducted with ASR's approved contact list of gradutes only. These schools on average have a 50% attrition rate and none of those treatment failures were considered. The whole point is that there is no reason to argure minutiae when this paper doesn't mean anything anyway.
If you're going to assign some kind of value to it then one need not read past the abstract which clearly states that parents' and students' opinions were that there was improvement, but for all traits examined, all were still in the clinical range. It's actually evidence that ASR doesn't work for any mental hygiene problems.
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Here are a few more findings from the study:
The length of time since graduation for this sample ranged from 6.5 to 26.5 months, the average being 13.9 months.
So it looks like a little over a year out on average.
Psychiatric medication was used by 60% of the student sample prior to ASR, and only 46% of the student sample after ASR
This was always my perception. The programs tend to try to get these kids off all the meds if possible. Kids now a days are way over medicated.
None of the students required psychiatric hospitalizations after ASR, though 66% resumed outpatient individual therapy, 10% continued group therapy, and 10% used family therapy.
This is about what I would have expected and experienced with the groups I followed and the one my daughter was in.
Twelve percent of ASR students had attempted suicide prior to treatment, and none reported attempting suicide after treatment.
Great result!!!!
Of the 49% of students who reported that they planned to be sober following graduation, 5% have been completely sober since they graduated, and an additional 12% used substances after treatment, but have now committed to a lifestyle of sobriety.
So basically one kid stayed sober after a year. The rest are normal teenagers.
Despite the consensus that drug use in graduates has declined, since graduation, 64% have used marijuana, 12% mushrooms, 12% cocaine, 12% ecstasy, 6% acid, and 6% abused prescription drugs.
Still lighting up though!!! You gotta love em!! Personally that would be the first thing I would have done is find a source and fire up. I expected this to be higher in the weed category.
Whooter, Tell us more about the kids smoking pot. you dont think this is a problem? 64% reported smoking after the program... major fail. You lose.
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This little piece was interesting:
The results of this study are not as I predicted. I predicted the large parent and student perception of change in psychopathology, which was found, but I did not predict a return to the normal range of these measures on the BASC psychopathological scales, which occurred on all scales except that of parent reported conduct and student reported depression.
So basically all or mostly all the kids returned to the normal range in most areas. I didnt catch this the first time reading the study.
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Here are a few more findings from the study:
The length of time since graduation for this sample ranged from 6.5 to 26.5 months, the average being 13.9 months.
So it looks like a little over a year out on average.
Psychiatric medication was used by 60% of the student sample prior to ASR, and only 46% of the student sample after ASR
This was always my perception. The programs tend to try to get these kids off all the meds if possible. Kids now a days are way over medicated.
None of the students required psychiatric hospitalizations after ASR, though 66% resumed outpatient individual therapy, 10% continued group therapy, and 10% used family therapy.
This is about what I would have expected and experienced with the groups I followed and the one my daughter was in.
Twelve percent of ASR students had attempted suicide prior to treatment, and none reported attempting suicide after treatment.
Great result!!!!
Of the 49% of students who reported that they planned to be sober following graduation, 5% have been completely sober since they graduated, and an additional 12% used substances after treatment, but have now committed to a lifestyle of sobriety.
So basically one kid stayed sober after a year. The rest are normal teenagers.
Despite the consensus that drug use in graduates has declined, since graduation, 64% have used marijuana, 12% mushrooms, 12% cocaine, 12% ecstasy, 6% acid, and 6% abused prescription drugs.
Still lighting up though!!! You gotta love em!! Personally that would be the first thing I would have done is find a source and fire up. I expected this to be higher in the weed category.
Whooter, Tell us more about the kids smoking pot. you dont think this is a problem? 64% reported smoking after the program... major fail. You lose.
Does anyone else see the problem with Whooter admitting to being a drug user, glorifying drug use, calling drug-using kids "normal teenagers" and also locking up his own kids at programs for exactly what he's accepting and glorifying right now? No wonder his kids are so screwed up. He gets high, brags about how great it is and when his kids follow in his footsteps he flip out on them and puts them into behvior mod centers. What a jerk and a hypocrite.
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Does anyone else see the problem with Whooter admitting to being a drug user, glorifying drug use, calling drug-using kids "normal teenagers" and also locking up his own kids at programs for exactly what he's accepting and glorifying right now? No wonder his kids are so screwed up. He gets high, brags about how great it is and when his kids follow in his footsteps he flip out on them and puts them into behvior mod centers. What a jerk and a hypocrite.
Why is smoking pot such a crime for you? Why do you have to label people as "drug user" because they smoke? You are a little out of touch if you think that kids today dont smoke. It is very normal. You should get out more.
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Does anyone else see the problem with Whooter admitting to being a drug user, glorifying drug use, calling drug-using kids "normal teenagers" and also locking up his own kids at programs for exactly what he's accepting and glorifying right now? No wonder his kids are so screwed up. He gets high, brags about how great it is and when his kids follow in his footsteps he flip out on them and puts them into behvior mod centers. What a jerk and a hypocrite.
Why is smoking pot such a crime for you? Why do you have to label people as "drug user" because they smoke? You are a little out of touch if you think that kids today dont smoke. It is very normal. You should get out more.
Oh, I know all about it. The difference is I wouldn't send my kids to programs for it, but you did. You punished them for modeling your own behaviors and attitude. That's your problem. You're a hypocrite.
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Does anyone else see the problem with Whooter admitting to being a drug user, glorifying drug use, calling drug-using kids "normal teenagers" and also locking up his own kids at programs for exactly what he's accepting and glorifying right now? No wonder his kids are so screwed up. He gets high, brags about how great it is and when his kids follow in his footsteps he flip out on them and puts them into behvior mod centers. What a jerk and a hypocrite.
Why is smoking pot such a crime for you? Why do you have to label people as "drug user" because they smoke? You are a little out of touch if you think that kids today dont smoke. It is very normal. You should get out more.
Oh, I know all about it. The difference is I wouldn't send my kids to programs for it, but you did. You punished them for modeling your own behaviors and attitude. That's your problem. You're a hypocrite.
No I didnt and I dont think many other program parents do either. I am sure there are some that do but that isnt the norm. Smoking pot and drinking are normal process for kids growing up, they need to experience and experiment with their enviornment and those things that are available to them.
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And you sent them to programs. You forgot that part.
One of the primary reasons parents send their teens to programs is because they are sexually active as well. How un-teenage-like! Thousands of kids have been sent to programs precisely for smoking pot. Some because the parents just thought they might be smoking pot. What you are saying is completely untrue.
We should get back on topic though. This thread is about a kid who was killed at SageWalk, an Aspen program, that has been ruled a homicide by the Sheriff's Department. What about this kid who got a death sentence for using drugs? Aspen killed this kid who was placed there for drug use. This is a very serious matter.
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And you sent them to programs. You forgot that part.
One of the primary reasons parents send their teens to programs is because they are sexually active as well. How un-teenage-like! Thousands of kids have been sent to programs precisely for smoking pot. Some because the parents just thought they might be smoking pot. What you are saying is completely untrue.
We should get back on topic though. This thread is about a kid who was killed at SageWalk, an Aspen program, that has been ruled a homicide by the Sheriff's Department. What about this kid who got a death sentence for using drugs? Aspen killed this kid who was placed there for drug use. This is a very serious matter.
Yeah, there are all kinds out there. But I believe the majority of the parents, like myself, are okay with their kids experimenting with what’s available in their environment. I am glad you can see this too.
Back to Sagewalk. I didnt see the Sheriffs release that this was ruled a homicide. Thats interesting. Do you have a link to the report?
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Back to Sagewalk. I didnt see the Sheriffs release that this was ruled a homicide. Thats interesting. Do you have a link to the report?
As far as I know, the final report isn't out yet. To be fair, I would say that this case is technically "believed to be a homicide." Nevertheless, people generally do not write this in an affidavit, let alone release said opinion to the press, unless they are fairly certain.
From the Bend Bulletin article by Erin Golden, "Investigator calls wilderness school reckless in teen's death (http://http://www.bendbulletin.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20091020/NEWS0107/910200398)" (Oct. 20, 2009) (also posted earlier (http://http://www.fornits.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?f=48&t=28474&p=348906#p348906) in this very thread):
In an affidavit requesting a search warrant to seek documents and other evidence from SageWalk Wilderness School's Southwest Obsidian Avenue office last month, Lake County Sheriff's Deputy Chuck Poré wrote that he believes Sergey Blashchishen's death was a homicide and the result of criminal mistreatment and reckless endangerment by the school.[/list]
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It's important that this case is being investigated as a homicide. These people murdered this boy, as programs have done to many other children. Force-marching him until he drops and denying him proper medical care is the same as putting a gun to his head and squeezing one off. Aspen Education Group KILLED THIS BOY, like they have killed many others. When will authorities put a stop to this abuse, neglect and killing in the name of 'helping'???
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And you sent them to programs. You forgot that part.
One of the primary reasons parents send their teens to programs is because they are sexually active as well. How un-teenage-like! Thousands of kids have been sent to programs precisely for smoking pot. Some because the parents just thought they might be smoking pot. What you are saying is completely untrue.
We should get back on topic though. This thread is about a kid who was killed at SageWalk, an Aspen program, that has been ruled a homicide by the Sheriff's Department. What about this kid who got a death sentence for using drugs? Aspen killed this kid who was placed there for drug use. This is a very serious matter.
Its not "them" its "She". My daughter attended a program for 16 months. The kids that I knew were not there for smoking pot or being sexually active, although I do believe this to be a problem. I would like to see a requirement that all kids have a third party sign off on their placement ie, school counselor, therapist, hospital screening etc. This would cut way down on the number of kids who are placed for no reason like smoking pot or being sexually active.
As far as the Sagewalk event, it seems the authorities are on top of it.
Like I have been saying all along. If these programs were abusing kids then they would be shut down and people would go to jail. If kids were abused at Sagewalk then these kids would go to the police, like they did, and have the problem addressed. I read stories on fornits all the time but no one goes to the police so it is hard to believe (sometimes) that they are telling the truth. Going to the police helps to validates the story in my opinion. If someone abused me or my family I would be calling 911 in a heart beat not sitting on my computer telling strangers in an open forum. So you see there is a difference. If these people at Sagewalk abused kids then they should go to jail and their licensed to operate should be pulled.
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Like I have been saying all along. If these programs were abusing kids then they would be shut down and people would go to jail. If kids were abused at Sagewalk then these kids would go to the police, like they did, and have the problem addressed. I read stories on fornits all the time but no one goes to the police so it is hard to believe (sometimes) that they are telling the truth. Going to the police helps to validates the story in my opinion. If someone abused me or my family I would be calling 911 in a heart beat not sitting on my computer telling strangers in an open forum. So you see there is a difference. If these people at Sagewalk abused kids then they should go to jail and their licensed to operate should be pulled.
But you forget what you've always said - they are all liars. The cops hear that from the programs and shine it all on. You know that. The programs take all credibility away from the kids.
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Students, parents and staff went to the police about CEDU. They were still under investigation on a variety of charges when they chose to drain all the money and close. I am thrilled to see another abusive program bite the dust!
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Twelve percent of ASR students had attempted suicide prior to treatment, and none reported attempting suicide after treatment.
B.S. I know of at least 4 CEDU students who committed suicide after CEDU...there are probably several more.
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Twelve percent of ASR students had attempted suicide prior to treatment, and none reported attempting suicide after treatment.
B.S. I know of at least 4 CEDU students who committed suicide after CEDU...there are probably several more.
I know that a public school teacher raped a student, but that doesnt mean all students get raped. See what I mean.
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No, I don't. A teacher raping a student is an aberration.
Aspen's program, by design, rises to the level of child abuse. Therefore it is reasonable to assume all Aspen facilities are abusive because they run the same program of abuse.
Oregon DHS stated clearly that all of the children at MBA were abused. ALL of them. It's not us claiming this, it's the state watchdog. If you are asserting that they are lying, take it up with them, not us.
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You have to understand that there are millions of kids in public school and a fraction of that in programs so the ratio of abuses to students is vastly different. I am sure if the math were ever done it would be found that the percentage (P7T
which would be more like 100%)of abuse in the programs as a ratio to students enrolled is vastly greater in programs in spite of the Whoots trying to cloud the issue. Regardless, abuse is not acceptable in either. One does not justify the other and the program abuses are systematic and involve all sthe students while public school abuses usually involve a teacher and one other student. There is also more public outcry and transparancy in public schools while program schools hide behind pubic ignorance, apathy and averision to "troubled teens"
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If a kid claims to have been raped in the public school system, the kid's assertions are taken seriously, and it is assumed that the kid is telling the truth unless or until it is proven otherwise. Local authorities get involved.
If a kid claims to have been raped in a program, the kid is usually called a liar and/or is made to feel somehow responsible, is often coerced to "admit" that it wasn't really a rape, and is often publicly humiliated if not taunted in the aftermath. No authorities are notified. Often the parents are not even notified.
There would appear to be a difference between these two responses.
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This is a good point and well taken, Ursus. This happens to be a great example, because one of the MBA investigation findings is that MBA failed to report a child rape. This is an enormous problem, and it is a crime.
We still don't know if the child reported a rape that occurred prior to her enrollment at MBA, or if she was raped by another attendee or staff member right on the premises. In either case, MBA failed to protect this child. The staff to whom this was reported and all staff subsequently informed of it and the decision maker who judged this should not be reported all should be in prison. It's plain and simple.
If this occurred at a public school, there is no way it would have escaped detction by the proper authorities. In this case, the child was prevented from telling the authorities. That would never happen at a public school.
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That would never happen at a public school.
Just to clarify: I'm sure that there have been cases where rapes in public school settings have not been reported. The key difference is that these were individual cover-ups, and not systemic program-wide policies.
Program policies and philosophies are slanted towards blaming the victim and holding the victim responsible for everything that happens to him or her. It's part of "teaching kids to be accountable."
Any normal sane person would experience a visceral reaction when confronted with the sick extremes to which programs take "being accountable." It's hard for the average person to believe. But then again, they are not part of the cult...
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Aspen Education Group MURDERED this child. Supporters of Aspen believe this murder is the kid's fault. They are sick in the head. They believe that kids should know that due to their behavior they are headed for a program and that a possible consequence of their 'therapy' is being murdered. Makes perfect sense...to a psychpath.
Aspen Education MURDERS CHILDREN in their care. :poison: :poison: :poison:
That is an undeniable FACT.
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Aspen Education Group MURDERED this child as well as all the kids in the Twin Towers because I think they are being investigated in the 911 attacks. Supporters of Aspen believe this murder is the kid's fault. They are sick in the head. They believe that kids should know that due to their behavior they are headed for a program and that a possible consequence of their 'therapy' is being murdered. Makes perfect sense...to a psychpath.
Aspen Education MURDERS CHILDREN in their care. :poison: :poison: :poison:
That is an undeniable FACT.
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Aspen Education Group MURDERED this child. Supporters of Aspen believe this murder is the kid's fault. They are sick in the head. They believe that kids should know that due to their behavior they are headed for a program and that a possible consequence of their 'therapy' is being murdered. Makes perfect sense...to a psychpath.
Aspen Education MURDERS CHILDREN in their care. :poison: :poison: :poison:
That is an undeniable FACT.
You know TheWho has no argument with the facts that Aspen killed this kid when he resoorts to his stupid "9/11 conspiracy" garbage. You can take that as an admission that he knows Aspen commited a negligent homicide on this poor kid who did nothing wrong.
Aspen kills kids. According to the Sheriff's Department anyway. They murdered this poor kid. No way around that fact.
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Al Qaeda MURDERED this child. Supporters of Al Qaeda believe this murder is the kid's fault. They are sick in the head. They believe that kids should know that due to their behavior they are headed for a program and that a possible consequence of their 'therapy' is being murdered. Makes perfect sense...to a psychpath.
Al Qaeda MURDERS CHILDREN in their care AND THE PEOPLE IN THE TWIN TOWERS. :poison: :poison: :poison:
That is an undeniable FACT.
You know TheWho has no argument with the facts that Al Qaeda killed this kid when he reports on the "9/11 conspiracy" which they are now on the hook for. You can take that as an admission that he knows Al Qaeda was involved.
Al Qaeda killed the people in tower 1 and 2. According to the Sheriff's Department anyway. They murdered these poor people. No way around that fact.
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Aspen Education Group MURDERED this child. Supporters of Aspen believe this murder is the kid's fault. They are sick in the head. They believe that kids should know that due to their behavior they are headed for a program and that a possible consequence of their 'therapy' is being murdered. Makes perfect sense...to a psychpath.
Aspen Education MURDERS CHILDREN in their care. :poison: :poison: :poison:
That is an undeniable FACT.
You know TheWho has no argument with the facts that Aspen killed this kid when he resoorts to his stupid "9/11 conspiracy" garbage. You can take that as an admission that he knows Aspen commited a negligent homicide on this poor kid who did nothing wrong.
Aspen kills kids. According to the Sheriff's Department anyway. They murdered this poor kid. No way around that fact.
Yes, it's true and the state shut down the program for it. Half of Aspen's programs in Oregon were shut down for abuse and killing children in just one month. That's scary!
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Al Qaeda MURDERED this child. Supporters of Al Qaeda believe this murder is the kid's fault. They are sick in the head. They believe that kids should know that due to their behavior they are headed for a program and that a possible consequence of their 'therapy' is being murdered. Makes perfect sense...to a psychpath.
Al Qaeda MURDERS CHILDREN in their care. :poison: :poison: :poison:
That is an undeniable FACT.
You know Robert Bruce has no argument with the facts that Al Qaeda killed this kid when he resoorts to his stupid "9/11 conspiracy" garbage. You can take that as an admission that he knows Al Qaeda commited a negligent homicide on this poor kid who did nothing wrong.
Al Qaeda kills kids. According to the Sheriff's Department anyway. They murdered this poor kid. No way around that fact.
Yes, it's true and the state shut down the program for it. Half of Al Qaeda programs in Oregon were shut down for abuse and killing children in just one month. That's scary! Ha,Ha,Ha
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It was actually Aspen Education programs that were closed for killing and abusing kids, but I can see the connection there because terrorists kill children just like Aspen. But Aspen gets paid to kill those kids.
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It was actually Al Qaeda that were closed for killing and abusing kids, but I can see the connection there because terrorists kill children just like Al Qaeda. But Al Qaeda gets paid to kill those kids.
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No, you idiot, it was Saddam Hussein who did it, he's too blame for all of it. Get your facts Straight you weenie! :ftard:
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Another teen has died in an Aspen-run program.
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)
Sergey Blashchishen, 16, died Friday, August 28, 2009. He had been there one day. This is not an isolated incident. We'll wait for the details to emerge, but I expect we will hear the familiar story of events emerge: The teen complains about not feeling well, and is ignored. Then the teen vomits, and is ignored. Then the teen collapes, and the staff on hand is not trained to save the child's life. How many times have we heard this story?
I am so angry. Please keep this boy and this family in your thoughts.
Thanks to CAFETY for alerting me to this story.
Auntie Em
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
From The Oregonian
Portland teen collapses and dies during wilderness camp hike
by Stephen Beaven, The Oregonian
Tuesday September 01, 2009, 2:44 PM
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]
Aspen Education kills children.
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What is really important is that Reuben introduces a tremendously complicated and emotionally charged unrelated issue to the discussion and steers it away from the subject of Aspen. Lazy Hasbaranik Reuben.
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No, you idiot, it was Saddam Hussein who did it, he's too blame for all of it. Get your facts Straight you weenie! :ftard:
Ha,Ha,Ha
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No, you idiot, it was Saddam Hussein who did it, he's too blame for all of it. Get your facts Straight you weenie! :ftard:
Ha,Ha,Ha
You really will sit here and post this inane shit all-day-long won't you, troll? Weird. You're not undoing any of the valuable content with this stuff. You're scribbling with your crayons, but the truth about Aspen and their abuses and neglect of children is still there.
Do you know you're a loser or are you as oblivious and deluded as you seem to want others to be?
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No, you idiot, it was Saddam Hussein who did it, he's too blame for all of it. Get your facts Straight you weenie! :ftard:
Ha,Ha,Ha
You really will sit here and post this inane shit all-day-long won't you, troll? Weird. You're not undoing any of the valuable content with this stuff. You're scribbling with your crayons, but the truth about Al Qaeda and their abuses and neglect of children is still there.
Do you know you're a loser or are you as oblivious and deluded as you seem to want others to be?
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Why is everyone talking about Al qaeda? I dont get it.
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Another teen has died in an Aspen-run program.
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)
Sergey Blashchishen, 16, died Friday, August 28, 2009. He had been there one day. This is not an isolated incident. We'll wait for the details to emerge, but I expect we will hear the familiar story of events emerge: The teen complains about not feeling well, and is ignored. Then the teen vomits, and is ignored. Then the teen collapes, and the staff on hand is not trained to save the child's life. How many times have we heard this story?
I am so angry. Please keep this boy and this family in your thoughts.
Thanks to CAFETY for alerting me to this story.
Auntie Em
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
From The Oregonian
Portland teen collapses and dies during wilderness camp hike
by Stephen Beaven, The Oregonian
Tuesday September 01, 2009, 2:44 PM
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]
Aspen Education kills children.
How many has Aspen killed now? There have been at least three in the past year.
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Why is everyone talking about Al qaeda? I dont get it.
Its thewho just ignore him.
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Why is everyone talking about Al qaeda? I dont get it.
Its thewho just ignore him.
It was me, I took over for thewho today. Good job, no?
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do you feel *good* about it?
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do you feel *good* about it?
I do,thewho does do good things here.
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You were deviant, stupid and lazy as usual. To coin a phrase, that's no way to go through life, son.
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You were deviant, stupid and lazy as usual. To coin a phrase, that's no way to go through life, son.
Awe come on thewho got rid of the RobertBruce guy for us or atleast drove him underground. No one can say they miss Bruces constant trolling of thewho. Thewho keeps the place colorful at least. I filled in for him just to see if I could pull it off that’s all. I did good I think.
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I don't believe you think at all. You run off of your amygdala.
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Yes, "thinking" and "TheWho" in the same sentence is a nonsequitor. Coincidentally (?) the nonsequitor is what he uses to derail threads about Aspen abuse.
So, back on topic: Aspen Education MURDERED this boy in their care by force marching him until he collapsed and refusing medical attention until he was dead.
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Another teen has died in an Aspen-run program.
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)
Sergey Blashchishen, 16, died Friday, August 28, 2009. He had been there one day. This is not an isolated incident. We'll wait for the details to emerge, but I expect we will hear the familiar story of events emerge: The teen complains about not feeling well, and is ignored. Then the teen vomits, and is ignored. Then the teen collapes, and the staff on hand is not trained to save the child's life. How many times have we heard this story?
I am so angry. Please keep this boy and this family in your thoughts.
Thanks to CAFETY for alerting me to this story.
Auntie Em
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
From The Oregonian
Portland teen collapses and dies during wilderness camp hike
by Stephen Beaven, The Oregonian
Tuesday September 01, 2009, 2:44 PM
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]
This is sad. when will the authorities stop Aspen's killing in the name of "treatment"? How many more have to die before Aspen is closed for good? 1? 10? 50?
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They have killed children before. Another Aspen facility in Texas called LoneStar was shut down right after they killed a kid there too. It seems like everywhere Aspen operates, kids are being killed. They should shut down Aspen as a whole. Their track record is abysmal and they even admitted in court recently while being sued over not providing treatment as they promised that they don't, never did and never will provide any treatment and that the statement was just "advertising." Sheesh. There is just no reason to hire them if they already admit under oath that they're not providing any treatment services. How dumb can parents be to even think about using Aspen? :suicide: :poison:
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They have killed children before. Another Aspen facility in Texas called LoneStar was shut down right after they killed a kid there too. It seems like everywhere Aspen operates, kids are being killed. They should shut down Aspen as a whole. Their track record is abysmal and they even admitted in court recently while being sued over not providing treatment as they promised that they don't, never did and never will provide any treatment and that the statement was just "advertising." Sheesh, they even admitted to being involved in the 911 attacks. There is just no reason to hire them if they already admit under oath that they're not providing any treatment services. How dumb can parents be to even think about using Aspen? :suicide: :poison:
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They have killed children before. Another Aspen facility in Texas called LoneStar was shut down right after they killed a kid there too. It seems like everywhere Aspen operates, kids are being killed. They should shut down Aspen as a whole. Their track record is abysmal and they even admitted in court recently while being sued over not providing treatment as they promised that they don't, never did and never will provide any treatment and that the statement was just "advertising." Sheesh. There is just no reason to hire them if they already admit under oath that they're not providing any treatment services. How dumb can parents be to even think about using Aspen? :suicide: :poison:
That's exactly right, guest. And you know what? No amount of trolling this thread will change those facts, but this thread will stay at the top. And when people come here, they read threads from the beginning, so trolling it is insuring more people read the facts and news articles right in the front of the thread. The fact that Aspen abuses and kills children is in cold print, right up front, with links to the news stories confirming the facts reported in this guest's post.
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They have killed children before. Another Aspen facility in Texas called LoneStar was shut down right after they killed a kid there too. It seems like everywhere Aspen operates, kids are being killed. They should shut down Aspen as a whole. Their track record is abysmal and they even admitted in court recently while being sued over not providing treatment as they promised that they don't, never did and never will provide any treatment and that the statement was just "advertising." Sheesh. There is just no reason to hire them if they already admit under oath that they're not providing any treatment services. How dumb can parents be to even think about using Aspen? :suicide: :poison:
That's exactly right, guest. And you know what? No amount of trolling this thread will change those facts, but this thread will stay at the top. And when people come here, they read threads from the beginning, so trolling it is insuring more people read the facts and news articles right in the front of the thread. The fact that Aspen abuses and kills children is in cold print, right up front, with links to the news stories confirming the facts reported in this guest's post.
You seem to have missed the point.
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http://www.ktvz.com/Global/story.asp?S=11137730
Redmond wilderness school suspends operations
Posted: Sep 15, 2009 08:14 PM CDT
Video Gallery <1>
SageWalk sends students home amid probe (9/15)
2:12
Lake County sheriff's deputies served search warrant Monday at SageWalk Wilderness School's Redmond office
Sergey Blashchishen's mother said her son had asked to go into wilderness school for troubled teens
State DHS, Lake County investigating teen's death on first hike; offices searched
From KTVZ.COM news sources
A Redmond-based wilderness school said Tuesday it has agreed to suspend operations amid state and Lake County investigations into the death of a 16-year-old Portland boy on his first hike with the school, in a remote area east of Bend late last month.
Word of the halt to operations came one day after Lake County sheriff's deputies traveled from Lakeview and executed a search warrant at the Redmond office of SageWalk Wilderness School, as part of its continuing investigation into the death of Sergey Blashchishen.
The school issued a statement Tuesday indicating it had learned the Oregon Department of Human Services' Office of Investigations and Training is looking into the Aug. 28 death about 60 miles east of Bend.
Results of an autopsy conducted by the Lake County medical examiner have not been released, so it's not known yet if a cause of death has been determined. The teen's mother said she was told her son vomited, collapsed and died, despite efforts to revive him.
Michael Bednarz, executive director of the school, declined to comment on-camera Tuesday to NewsChannel 21, but provided the following written statement:
A Statement from SageWalk
SageWalk Wilderness School has received notice of an investigation by the Oregon Department of Human Services (DHS) Office of Investigations and Training due to the recent death of one of our students that occurred on August 28. DHS has requested that we remove all students from SageWalk until the investigation is complete, and we are cooperating with this request.
In addition, local law enforcement is conducting an investigation and has executed a search warrant. We have not seen the affidavit for the search warrant and are therefore not in a position to discuss any factual matters or further details.
We firmly believe there to be no basis for these actions. At this time, the exact details surrounding the student's death are still being determined and autopsy results are not yet available.
SageWalk considers student safety our number one priority and is confident in a positive resolution to this investigation. Over the course of our 12 year history, our program has adhered to the highest standards of care and we currently meet or exceed all industry and state standards. We were the first wilderness program to be individually accredited by the Northwest Association of Accredited Schools, and we are licensed by the State of Oregon to work with students who are experiencing issues with substance abuse and are also licensed by the State of Oregon as both an Outdoor Youth Program and Private School.
Due to the limited information available, this is all we are able to communicate at this time.
Mike Bednarz, MS, MBA
Executive Director
SageWalk Wilderness School
Man, I'm glad the authorities are finally starting to shut down Aspen programs. There have been a lot of kids dying in Aspen facilities recently and lots and lots of documented, proven abuse.
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We firmly believe there to be no basis for these actions.
A student died, not the first, in their care and there is no basis for action? How bloody cold hearted and ignorant is that?
Over the course of our 12 year history, our program has adhered to the highest standards of care and we currently meet or exceed all industry and state standards.
The industry standards? What a joke, "the industry" makes billions from the pain and suffering of children and families. They are ghouls without standards themselves, except making the bucks, how can they possibly set standards?
We were the first wilderness program to be individually accredited by the Northwest Association of Accredited Schools, and we are licensed by the State of Oregon to work with students who are experiencing issues with substance abuse and are also licensed by the State of Oregon as both an Outdoor Youth Program and Private School.
It takes nothing, but filling out a form to receive accredidation from the Northwest Association of Accredited Schools, hence many states do not recognize these wilderness programs and they cannot receive funding from educational funds states and districts set aside for bonafide "non-public schools." There is no actual education in these programs and yet NAAS will certify them for a price. As far as a licensed private school, again, it is a simple form to be completed and mailed into the state.
Close the whole industry down!
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If not the whole industry, at least all Aspen programs. They are the worst of the worst. They kill, abuse and neglect kids on a regular basis and are being shut down left and right by state governments. Bye-bye, Aspen programs. Your reputation is horrible and deserved. Enrollment is dropping like a stone.
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The industry needs to be regulated by a governmental body other than regulating themselves...we've already seen how well that worked with Wall Street and banking! All of these so called "therapeutic" programs should be licensed by State Mental Health as well as made to follow the education codes of their respective states. The educational piece should be delivered via state standards and guidelines and the should be held accountable via standardized testing (the Stanford for private schools would work).
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Over the course of our 12 year history, our program has adhered to the highest standards of care and we currently meet or exceed all industry and state standards.
The industry standards? What a joke, "the industry" makes billions from the pain and suffering of children and families. They are ghouls without standards themselves, except making the bucks, how can they possibly set standards?
The industry does set standards: the standard is to make billions from the pain and suffering of children and families. Sounds like Aspen does adhere to ( and may possibly surpace )the highest standards of making money from and inflicting more pain upon suffering children and their families.
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I meant "surpass"...sometimes its too friggin' frustrating to correct errors due to the intensely altered state required to actually read the conf. code. ???
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Investigator calls wilderness school reckless in teen’s death
A 16-year-old collapsed and died on an August hike in Lake County; a sheriff’s deputy says interviews indicate the school may have skirted disaster before
By Erin Golden / The Bulletin
Published: October 20. 2009 4:00AM PST
The investigation into the death of a 16-year-old Portland boy who collapsed on a hike with a Redmond-based wilderness school this summer is focusing on reports that the boy may not have had proper nutrition and medical care before and during his hike through a remote area of northern Lake County.
In an affidavit requesting a search warrant to seek documents and other evidence from SageWalk Wilderness School’s Southwest Obsidian Avenue office last month, Lake County Sheriff’s Deputy Chuck Poré wrote that he believes Sergey Blashchishen’s death was a homicide and the result of criminal mistreatment and reckless endangerment by the school.
No charges have been filed against SageWalk or any individuals, and the investigation is expected to continue for another few months.
But Poré said Monday that the information he gathered to make his case for a search warrant — including interviews with school staff members who said Blashchishen started showing signs of distress hours before anyone called 911 — are still pointing him in the direction of a crime.
“I have not changed my course from what I saw when I made the application for the search warrant,” Poré said.
Blashchishen died on Aug. 28. About two weeks later, SageWalk Executive Director Mike Bednarz said the Oregon Department of Human Services had ordered the school to send all of its students home.
On Sept. 14, the Lake County Sheriff’s Office executed the search warrant, taking more than 400 files and Blashchishen’s camping equipment.
On Monday, Bednarz said no students are currently at the school, but declined to comment further, citing the ongoing law enforcement and state Department of Human Services investigations.
Surprise pickup
SageWalk is one of a handful of wilderness schools in Central Oregon for teens dealing with emotional and behavioral issues or other problems, including substance abuse.
According to the affidavit, the boy’s mother, Lyudmila Blashchishen, wrote on a school form that her son was aggressive, sometimes rude and uninterested in studying or thinking about his future. On Aug. 26, Blashchishen’s parents enrolled him in SageWalk without his knowledge.
On Aug. 27, between 5:30 a.m. and 6:30 a.m., two “transporters” contracted by SageWalk woke Blashchishen at his home in Portland to take him to SageWalk, according to the affidavit. Blashchishen’s parents, who had been told to be away when their son was picked up, watched from a neighbor’s house.
Poré wrote in the affidavit that surprise early-morning pickups are a frequent occurrence for new SageWalk students.
Blashchishen arrived in Redmond around 9 a.m. and was later transported to a medical facility for blood tests and a drug screening, according to the affidavit. He tested positive for THC, a substance found in marijuana, but a staff member present for the testing said no additional questions were asked about Blashchishen’s drug use or his two-year cigarette smoking habit, which his mother had listed on a school medical history form.
Around 1 p.m., Blashchishen was blindfolded and put in a vehicle headed to the school’s base camp in Lake County. Around the area of Hampton Station, Blashchishen said he wanted the blindfold removed, and staff members agreed to take the blindfold off and let the boy lie in the back seat if he’d look only at the vehicle’s ceiling.
Blashchishen was never told where he was going or what would happen to him, according to the affidavit.
Once he arrived at camp, Blashchishen met other students. The conversation turned to drug use, and Blashchishen talked about purchasing the drug OxyContin.
Calorie count
The students later had a meal of rice and lentils. Though some students were allowed to ask for up to five cups of food, Blashchishen, as a newcomer, was offered just two, according to the affidavit.
DHS regulations for wilderness schools require all students to be offered no less than 3,000 calories of food per day.
Poré wrote that SageWalk staff members could not provide information about what else, if anything, Blashchishen ate before the meal of lentils and rice. He wrote that the boy could have had as few as 400 calories during the day.
That day, Blashchishen wrote a poem, in which he described the camp scene — “squirrels/running around/blue skies/green bushes and trees/but I’m still hungry.”
Staff members Poré interviewed later said they did not recall Blashchishen saying he was hungry.
The next morning, at 11:45, Blashchishen, the other students, and three staff members had breakfast and set off for a hike south of Hampton.
Blashchishen carried his camping gear, food, water and clothing in a pack that weighed between 40 and 50 pounds, according to the affidavit. He set out at a “good pace” in the front of the rest of the group, though he didn’t know how far he’d be hiking that day. The terrain was dusty, with tall brush and little shade.
About an hour later, one of the staff members noticed Blashchishen walking strangely. The group took a break and Blashchishen drank water and consumed electrolytes.
When the hike continued, another staff member noticed that Blashchishen had started carrying his backpack in a different way, and he was “not resting efficiently,” but did not ask the boy if he was having problems, according to the affidavit.
Staff members told Poré that they did not push Blashchishen to continue on, but added that other students encouraged him to continue.
As the hike went on, the staff members said Blashchishen fell several times, but pulled himself up and kept walking. Just after 2 p.m., staff members called the school’s field supervisor to report that Blashchishen had vomited, but the hike continued.
Less than a half-hour later, about one mile from where the hike had begun, Blashchishen collapsed and lay on his back in the sun. The other students moved to the shade and began preparing lunch.
Blashchishen declined the offer of food and shortly after began flailing his arms and yelling in a foreign language, according to the affidavit. Staff members said the boy began to hyperventilate before his breathing slowed and then stopped altogether.
Call for help
One staff member told Poré that by the time Blashchishen stopped breathing, he’d been thinking about calling for help, but had not. At 2:36 p.m., staff members called a school nurse, who then told another staff member to call 911.
In the affidavit, Poré wrote that the call came much too late.
“This was not a call in progress explaining that Sergey was doing weird things and then during the conversation he collapsed,” Poré wrote. “This call began with the announcement of the cessation of life and the beginning of CPR. This is a call that should have gone first and directly to 911.”
Two staff members trained as emergency medical technicians performed CPR for about 45 minutes before an AirLink helicopter arrived from Bend. But by the time the helicopter arrived, Blashchishen was already dead. Deputies from the Deschutes and Lake County Sheriff’s offices were called to the scene.
Poré arrived around 7 p.m., nearly five hours after staff members had begun CPR and more than three hours after they’d stopped lifesaving efforts. He rolled Blashchishen onto his side to examine him, and was surprised to find the boy’s body still warm.
“Never before have I encountered a body that was warmer than my own touch, and it was especially remarkable as it was overcast and had been hours since death. ... Although I was gloved I was wearing short sleeves and could feel the heat radiation against my own skin,” Poré wrote. “My senses likened the feeling to touching someone who had just gotten out of a hot shower.”
The investigation continues
The State Medical Examiner’s Office has not yet released the results of an autopsy, and in a preliminary death certificate signed on Aug. 30 by Dr. James Olson, the deputy state medical examiner for Southern Oregon, Blashchishen’s cause of death was listed as “pending.”
But on the certificate, Olson listed hyperthermia — the condition that occurs when a person’s body temperature rises to abnormally high levels — as a possible contributing factor.
In his affidavit, Poré alleges that SageWalk was negligent on several counts. He wrote that school staff members should have asked more questions about Blashchishen’s tobacco and drug use before sending him off on a hike. In addition, he said the school failed to consider the stress that could have been created by the previous day’s early-morning pickup and blindfolded transport to the campsite.
Finally, Poré wrote that the staff members should have responded more quickly to Blashchishen’s signs of distress on the hike.
Gordon Gannicott, a Portland attorney representing Blashchishen’s family, said his clients agree with Poré’s conclusions.
“I think the family is upset about what happened to Sergey, and they have concerns about these type of programs. ... There’s a real possibility for danger with these camps. It appears that the behavioral focus is placed maybe above the medical focus in the food chain, and you end up with situations where the counselors, the people involved with the camps, are involving straightforward medical symptoms and signs in an attempt to shape behavior, and they should be responding more properly to medical issues.”
The state began licensing outdoor schools after the death in 2000 of a 15-year-old student, who was being held facedown on the ground by a counselor while on a hiking trip in Lake County. The student was attending Obsidian Trails, a Bend-based wilderness school that closed several years after the incident. A civil suit filed against the school by the boy’s mother was settled for an undisclosed amount.
No criminal charges were filed in connection with the 2000 incident.
DHS spokesman Gene Evans said his department’s investigation into Blashchishen’s death is ongoing, but declined to comment further.
Poré said he still needs to conduct more interviews and sort through the hundreds of pages of documents seized from the SageWalk office before he can decide if he will recommend that the Lake County District Attorney’s office pursue criminal charges.
But in the affidavit, Poré wrote that his interviews with staff members had led him to believe that problems had occurred at the school.
“The pattern suggests that SageWalk, as a day care facility having a seemingly special right to press children to their maximum and beyond, is without the capability to separate symptoms of misbehavior from symptoms of approaching death,” Poré wrote. “(My) interviews strongly suggest that, at least for the last nine months, SageWalk may have taken children to the precipice of disaster and been lucky. On Friday, August 28th, 2009, this luck ran out.”
Erin Golden can be reached at 541-617-7837 or at http://www.bendbulletin.com/apps/pbcs.d ... category=# (http://www.bendbulletin.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20091020/NEWS0107/910200398/1041&nav_category=#)
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Article posted just previous was a correction:
This article has been corrected. Read correction.
Correction
Published: October 21. 2009 4:00AM PST
In a story headlined "Investigator calls wilderness school reckless in teen's death," which appeared Tuesday, Oct. 20, on Page A1, a word was used incorrectly in a quote from attorney Gordon Gannicott, who represents the family of Sergey Blashchishen.
Original article (http://http://www.fornits.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?f=48&t=28474&start=15#p348906) as posted here earlier.
Pertinent corrected portions:
Original:
Gordon Gannicott, a Portland attorney representing Blashchishen's family, said his clients agree with Poré's conclusions.
"I think the family is upset about what happened to Sergey, and they have concerns about these type of programs. ... There's a real possibility for danger with these camps. It appears that the behavioral focus is placed maybe above the medical focus in the food chain, and you end up with situations where the counselors, the people involved with the camps, are involving straightforward medical symptoms and signs in an attempt to shape behavior, and they should be responding more properly to medical issues."
Corrected:
"I think the family is upset about what happened to Sergey, and they have concerns about these type of programs. ... There's a real possibility for danger with these camps. It appears that the behavioral focus is placed maybe above the medical focus in the food chain, and you end up with situations where the counselors, the people involved with the camps, are ignoring straightforward medical symptoms and signs in an attempt to shape behavior, and they should be responding more properly to medical issues."
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:twofinger: :twofinger: :twofinger: :twofinger: :twofinger: :twofinger: :twofinger: :twofinger: :twofinger: :twofinger: :twofinger: :twofinger: :twofinger: :twofinger: :twofinger: :twofinger: :twofinger: :twofinger: :twofinger: :twofinger: :twofinger: :twofinger: :twofinger: :twofinger: :twofinger: :twofinger: :twofinger: :twofinger: :twofinger: :twofinger: :twofinger: :twofinger: :twofinger: :twofinger: :twofinger: :twofinger: :twofinger: :twofinger: :twofinger: :twofinger: :twofinger: :twofinger:
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:twofinger: :twofinger: :twofinger: :twofinger: :twofinger: :twofinger: :twofinger: :twofinger: :twofinger: :twofinger: :twofinger: :twofinger: :twofinger: :twofinger: :twofinger: :twofinger: :twofinger: :twofinger: :twofinger: :twofinger: :twofinger: :twofinger: :twofinger: :twofinger: :twofinger: :twofinger: :twofinger: :twofinger: :twofinger: :twofinger: :twofinger: :twofinger: :twofinger: :twofinger: :twofinger: :twofinger: :twofinger: :twofinger: :twofinger: :twofinger: :twofinger: :twofinger:
Aspen's response, as always.