Milestone specifics please

[Anonymous]

So here I am, signing up my step son to go to Milestones - everything else I have read has been really good, I believed the folks at CEDU, Milestones and Lon Woodbury's high regard for the schools.

My stepson is ready to "graduate" from a rehab where he has been for the last three months in Arkansas. We were hoping to find a good transition environment for him to get into a college, begin to live and function as a young, independent adult, but still have the safety net that we thought Milestones would offer. The brochures say apartment living, job shadowing, community service, therapy, college, etc. We thought it would be a good thing for about six months to allow "Joe" to transition from the rehab, until he is 18, and to take a college course or two. Then, we thought he would be able to decide where he wants to go to school - here with my husband and I, or another state, decide if he wants to hold off on college for a while, etc.

I am just sick to my stomach to have read the threads on these schools. Like I said, everything else I have read has been positive - my husband, his Mom, myself and "Joe", along with his counselor at his rehab all thought this was a fantastic next step for "Joe" as he wasn't quite ready to come here to live with us, he and his counselor knew he could not return to live with his mother, and he wasn't ready to live on his own just yet.

I would like to hear more specifics about Milestones if anyone can offer them. I would also gladly take any suggestions for other options. Thanks.

[Antibody?]

Lon Woodberry is a former CEDU recruiter.

His wife Was the county prosecuter that allowed criminal escort at CEDU to go unprosecuted for drugging and rape.

What you don't know now, you will find out. You are committing a crime on your child. You will see. The tours of the school are set up so no one can complain and kids are forced to give positive tours which they are then rewarded for -the scham.

I would say good luck and have fun in hell. But it will not be you in hell - It will be your kid. Of course, you don't mind as long as you don't have to be inconvenienced by the behavior your neglect and stupidity has created.

Also, Thge place will go broke. I hope they take you with them.

[Anonymous]

The Milestones program is designed to hold kids back from independence as long as possible in order to get more time and money from parents.

I sent a kid there and he was shunned and ignored my his "mentor" Mike DeAmico. He was held at the program and had to earn the privlege to ride a bycicle even though he was over 18, had his adult rights, and was old enough to drive. He wanted to work, to go to college, to drive and he was ready, but they held him back.

With nothing else to do and no other options, he regressed back into alcohol and drug abuse and had to go into treatment. When it was expressed to Pam Broker the director that I would no longer refer kide there after having such an experience, her response was to histerically attack me personally and tell me that she "didn't give a damn what I think."

The complaint about Milestones was taken to CEDU Idaho management and I was repremended and made to pay emotionally for being a "disgruntled employee."

This is the primary problem with all cults, and it is the reason the place and it's employees haven't evolved for 35 years. You cannot critisize CEDU or anything they do. If you do, you pay with your heart and soul.

This is not an effective program. It has uneducated, undersocialized, anf fanatical staff members who recieve no feedback and accept none from parents, therapists, professionals, community or human service and court authorities.

At best, they pretend to comply and do whatever they want to do. They are dangerous and cultish.    

Kids that are sent there are in danger of being made to fail and regress
CEDU Therapist 1999 - 2003

Thank you Antibody for asking for feedback.

[former CEDU therapist]

[ This Message was edited by: former CEDU therapist on 2004-08-01 22:29 ]

[mand45]

I spent 7 years with Cedu doing various jobs: admissions, resource coordinator and counselor.  I am now finishing my Master's Degree in Social Work.  I think I pretty much have the inside scoop on most Cedu activities.  I do not have a   conflict of interest in addressing your questions because,  I do not work for cedu anymore and do not plan to work for them in the future.  You can reach me at [email protected]

Best,

mand45

[Anonymous]

Pam Broker cares about her diamonds not your kid. I worked with Pam for 6 years, and I can tell you she is the most money hungary, spot-light seeking, egotistical person I have ever met.  She preaches that the profeets were life altering experiencess for her.  I waas in profeets as well, and any adult who hadn't already figured out what the profeets were about had more emotional problems than the average teenager!!!!

[Antibody?]

Any person who spent 7 years at CEDU and doesn't tell you right up front (on this post) what they think of it, is probably a brainwashed member or has an agenda such as being one of the many so called, "ed consultants."

What Jack said was very insightful and he clearly knows exactly what he is talking about.

As a former CEDU therapist myself I can verify that everything he says is literally true. Don't trust Lon, Don?t trust any ed consultant who hasn't been a therapist at the school you are looking into.

I think I know who this person is and they are
still working there and are brainwashed by the system.

As a therapist who is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, I can assure you that neither I nor any of my colleagues would ever recommend a CEDU school or any other emotional growth program without having experienced it directly.

CEDU is totally out of line with the code of ethics we professionals operate under. This code holds us to respect and dignity of the client, to respect the self determination of the person, and to allow them the right to choose and guide treatment planning. CEDU kids and families are not involved intreatment planning. The staff who have no experience, education or training in treatment planning guide the process of treatment planning away from respect, dignity, and self determination. Social/family inclusion, and even basic human rights are not allowed. Kids have no right to see family members without CEDU control; no right to practice religion when new in program, no right to feel or think the way they really feel and think.

That is the literal truth. And, when LCSWs or Ph.Ds provide direction staff ignore them, scoff at them, violate the rights of the child and lie to the family. Lon knows it. Everyone who has been there knows it. I worked there. It is hell. I am still recovering.

[Antibody?]

One more thing. Jack is right. What I said was innappropriate and totally wrong. I am wounded and I appologize. To everyone who read what I said. I just get very upset when parents want to send their children away to these Gulags.

Please accept my appology and honest desire to avoid venom in my speach.

Jack is right. Use it as a guage of how bad others can become by spending time there. I did not like the person I became and I am still shaking off the toxicity of the place and my own anger about it.   :wstupid:

[former CEDU therapist]

[ This Message was edited by: former CEDU therapist on 2004-08-01 22:31 ]

[Antibody?]

Yes, thanks, I hope she reads it too. We all have to come to terms with our "dark side." This is how we evolve.

Thank you for your kind and encouraging words. I hope I can live up to them 90 percent of the time.

I hope CEDU can reflect on their actions. I just dug up an old program design I presented to them years ago suggesting that we go to a humane approach that respects students rights. They rejected it outright.

I have peace in the knowledge that, if they would have adopted my new program design they would have become successful and led the industry. Kids and staff would have been healed, grandosity left behind with humanity and good will prevailing.

Deep down, I want nobody to suffer. Deep down I want to heal. I do believe one can recover from CEDU - or anything. For me, this is part of it. Thanks for the encougagment and acknowledgement.

[Anonymous]

Please do not send your child to Milestones. If my past can save just one child from the clutches of cedu, let it be yours. I am begging you.

[Anonymous]

The Stepmom is back - guess it is better than what my step brother called my mom - the step monster. I was a little taken aback originally, but decided to look back and see if anyone else had responded. My husband and I are going to take Joe in here. We will have to attend court with him in Arkansas to face a couple of charges there and have already started the process to have his probation moved here to Colorado (my neighbor is a detective and knows a good probation officer who will help us work with Joe). Joe actually went to a decent treatment center in Arkansas, actually it just made a report for being second only to Betty Ford for treatment of young men with various issues: rage, alcohol, drugs, depression, trouble with the law, etc. I was initially REALLy against it because the web site was all about Christ, etc. and I was concerned aobut a cult issue there, and to my surprise, the therapist has been great, the whole family spent a week in group, individual, etc. sessions and my husband and his ex and both the kids (Joe and his sister) were able to talk about their resentments, regrets and goals, etc. And no bible thumping, snakes or anything. Also, this school was a LOT cheaper than Betty Ford - we only had to get a second, and not a third mortgage for it!

Not all fixed yet, but a start for all of us, step, whole and divorced. Joe will come out here, we have a part time job lined up with a neighbor who is aware of the past and upcoming challenges, and Joe will be bringing his lab puppy with him as the treatment center works with canine therapists as well as clinical therapists (not sure if the term is right, but real school degrees, not from the late night/Internet scams that seem to be rampant in many of these "schools".

We are all continuing therapy and it will be some real changes for me. But, I do appreciate the support, and Antibody, I accept your apology. I hope that things will begin to heal for you as well. Formats such as these are great to discuss and vent - we all do it.

Take care all. I'll continue to check back every once in a while for news (and maybe even some updates if they help anyone else out there!)

Stepmom.

[Oppositional Defiance]

Don't go to milestones, they are liars, bigots and thieves. I just came from milestones.
Brainwashing is a crime. hmm... good idea.. maybe we should get it legislated!




Sage Kiesel, A.K.A. Black Francis the 2nd
Here's to ya, bitch! ya, I'm talking to you Pam Broker!

[Anonymous]

I WAS AT CEDU WHEN LON WOODBERRY SPENT 3 DAYS VISITING WITH US IN 1991.  IF MEMOMORY SERVES ME CORRECT IT MAY HAVE BEEN LON'S FIRST VISIT THERE. LON SPENT MOST OF HIS TIME THERE HUGGING AND HANGING ALL OVER THIS GIRL IN OUR PEER GROUP NAMED TANA. SHE WAS LIKE 15 AND HE WAS 50 OR SOMETHING.  EVERY TIME I TURNED AROUND TANA WAS SITTING ON LON'S LAP! IT WAS SICK. I KEPT ASKING MYSELF WHEN WAS THIS GUY GOING TO FUCK HER ALREADY. TANA NEVER MET HER DAD AND HAD REAL ISSUES ABOUT IT, SHE WAS ALL OVER LON, SHE JUST WANTED SOME ATTENTION, AND LON DEFINATELY TOOK ADVANTAGE OF THAT. IT WAS CEDU'S OWN VERSION OF LOLITA, LON JUST ATE IT UP. HIS OWN PERSONAL WHORE. LON IS SICK, AND IT'S NO WONDER WHY HE LOVES CEDU SO MUCH.  AS FOR CEDU, IT'S A BIG WASTE OF MONEY. AND BELIEVE ME THAT IN THE LONG RUNE, SENDING YOUR KID TO CEDU WILL
ONLY CREATE BIGGER PROBLEMS BETWEEN YOU AND YOUR CHILDREN THAN YOU HAVE ALREADY.

[Anonymous]

All True about Lon. Hi Francis,!!! I was the therapist at BCA who liked candy - Are you the talented Francis from there? Either way - great posts. Keep posting the truth about that F - ing Cult CEDU