Fornits

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An open discussion about the troubled parent industry

There are many other outward bound programs, yes they had a death at their florida Troubled TEEN facility.  However most of their trips last anywhere from 8-28 days and are for families and individuals who want a "wilderness" experience.

The fact of the matter is that troubled teens is an industry and many companies like outward bound who didnt offer troubled teen programs before are now being roped into getting contracts with the department of juvenile justice as "wilderness therapy".

With ANY program that anyone gets involved with, the most important thing to remember is that if in any way you feel your SAFETY is compromised, then natually you remove yourself from the situation.  Then you s h o u l d report what made you feel uncomfortable or unsafe to the head people of the organization.  

Naturally, with any program or camp there is inherent risk.  The difference is percieved risk verses actual risk.  If you are going rock climbing, the percieved risk is that it is very dangerous and you could get hurt, fall and die.  The actual risk with rock climbing is very low.  The ropes are designed to hold weights up to 1 ton and even more.  The ropes are tested for breaking strength before they are put on the market.  The equipment such as harnesses, belay devices, anchors, and caribeaners are also tested for breaking strength.  All will hold things like tractor trailer trucks.


The important thing to remember when considering risking your life is your safety.  You may want to check your equipment for any signs of damage.  Check a helmet for cracks, check your bike for chain and gear problems, check the brakes of a bicycle if you are on a bicycle trip.

Camping and trail hiking and biking is a great pasttime.  The difference between you doing it on your own and/or placing your child in a situation are the people involved.  If a company hires people who are not qualified to perform the duties other than a glorified babysitter, the outcome is going to be that of a glorified babysitter, placing your child at more actual risk than percieved risk.

Proper use of equipment does not cause death, its human error and lack of knowledge in how to use equipment.  Again I reiterate that i dont endorse any Troubled TEEN program as i know that there are unqualified staff at these programs.
[ This Message was edited by: mbnh31782 on 2006-06-30 16:33 ]

While solutions are on a case by case basis, the biggest solution we can give or provide parents is EDUCATION.  If we can provide education through stories and through experiences with each of these places, we can help them make the right choice for their child.  They need to understand there is no end all miracle fix all cure, but there are *some* limited choices out there that can be of help.

i dont think i missed the point, i understand he was court appointed to be there which is why i do not reccommend the outward bound "troubled teen" program.  It seems shoddy and like they want to make a quick dollar.  I also dont like the fact that the mother wasnt notified until the SECOND time the child was hospitalized.  I do believe that the outward bound staff took the precautions neccessary to get him to medical care, however, without being there, or actually being in the situation i cannot say for sure.

Where the school failed was in the communication between the family, the child, and the facility.[ This Message was edited by: mbnh31782 on 2006-06-28 10:52 ]

I just looked at outward bounds family trips. most of them last 8 days.  They also offer a "solo" time.  I agree with the poster above me especially when dealing with detoxing.  If you are speaking about actual drug and alcohol then you do need professional guidance... however in the sense where maybe I want you to "detox" from each other.... a wilderness thing might be right...

outward bound doesnt usually offer "therapy" but i think maybe a family outward bound trip (ie canoeing, mountain climbing, backpacking, dog sledding, might help open communication lines between you and your teen that way when you get back to "civilization" maybe a transition into family therapy with a licenced therapist might be a good option to continue building that relationship with you and your teen.

Artist: jack johnson
Album: in between dreams
Song: good people

oh and i'm an EX staff of one of these places, does that make me a child abuser because i decided to get the heck out of the hell hole?

While alot of the food served at summer camp is deemed "kid friendly" the portions are not controlled as strictly as they were at a facility such as Three Springs.  The kid friendly menu included things like pizza, chicken fingers, ravioli, spaghetti, Etc.  

I've worked at summer camps and one thing was prevalant against the institutionalised facilities: there was always enough food and there was always "seconds" available.  There was also a salad bar for those kids who didnt want the particular meal, or wanted a salad to go with their meal.  NO kid went hungry.  Snacks were something like apples, or oranges or the occasional granola bar.  There was always milk or something with a snack for a drink.  

The only time cereal was served was on the last day of camp and the kids practically had to eat then get on the bus.  Cereal was limited to 2 individually sized bowls per person, and they had a variety of cereals ranging from healthy raisin bran and cheerios to frosted flakes and froot loops.

The difference between an institution like Three Springs and Summer camps is this:  Summer camps last 1 week to 4 weeks depending on the camp, there are day camps available with or without food for parents who want to control what their kids eat.  The parent has the right to pack their kid a lunch or let them eat in the mess hall.  In sleep away camp, the food has to be kid friendly or many of the kids will not eat it.  In an institution, kids are sent there for 1-2 YEARS not weeks.  Over a period of time, the food choice actually harms the kid instead of helps meet the caloric intake needed for the kid.  Additionally, the food intake by kids in an institution is standardized and generalized by using portion control.  The result, many kids are hungry and there are no seconds or alternate options such as a salad bar available.

I truely meant it as a blanket obeservation of whats happening in schools...

2 scenarios

A. Teacher: your kid is acting up
Parent: oh really
Teacher: i think your kid has ADHD you should get medicine for him
Parent then goes talks to the doctor who prescribes without even diagnosing or without question to the parent.

or B.  Teacher: your kid is acting up
Parent: oh really
Teacher: i think your kid has ADHD you should get medicine for him
Parent then goes talks to the doctor who DIAGNOSES then prescribes medicine.

Either way the kid ends up on some f***** up meds
[ This Message was edited by: mbnh31782 on 2006-06-25 20:32 ]