BTW...did you ever give us the name of a "good program" other than the BFA? If there are any good ones out there, I would love to know about them. What was done to my son in such a short time is/was a travesty from which we will both never fully recover! Our past experiences have made us both very wary of people who promise things that cannot be reasonably delivered.
Hi miss antsy Pam, I recall I mentioned 3 or 4 originally, I dont know which area I posted it in but I could put them out again if you like. I can imagine that you would be very wary after having a bad experience. I am sorry your son was sent there. Did you get the assistance of an educational consultant prior to placement? How is your son doing now, is he thru his crisis.
Something changed along the way with residential treatment facilities and specialty boarding schools when it became commission driven and actively marketed to desperate parents looking for help. This is not a problem that is unique to only the whole BM industry, but has now crossed over into respectable dual diagnosis facilities here in the U.S.
From my experience they have expanded greatly over the past couple of decades but they have been around for at least a century or more.
When did substance abuse problems and mental disorders become a marketable source of income...commission driven???
I don’t really know the early beginnings of the industry but there have been commissions paid back into the early 1980’s based on people I have spoken to in the industry.
To me, this is beyond appalling! Parents seeking to help their teen manipulated into signing contracts and shelling out $35,000 for 30 days of "treatment" and then a step down process of extended care at $5k per month.
I saw a educational consultant myself when I was in high school. I spent all day taking this test and then the woman discussed possible careers that I would be interested in or a good fit based on my interests and academics. With so many specialty schools out there there is a greater need to have a consultant who can match the student up with the right school or program. It has evolved out of need not just greed. If you come across a person who is manipulative you should report them. There are basic ethics which should be followed in this business.
Then another $15k for sober living for 6 months. Something is terribly wrong with this business model...after all we are dealing with HUMAN BEINGS not pieces of paper with someone's name on it...these are our children!
I do agree that the prices are high. There are local services which work very well with the public school system and 30 day programs which are a good match for some people. I wouldn’t suggest jumping into a boarding school situation without looking at other options first.