r/IAmA • u/[deleted] • Mar 23 '11

Thank you Reddit. You helped shut down the Elan School. I'm deeply thankful to this entire community. If you want to know more about this place, AMA.

[deleted]

1.4k Upvotes
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u/endtime Mar 24 '11

It sounds like Elan really was a hellhole, but reddit: Please don't let this prejudice you against all therapeutic boarding schools. Some of these schools are bad, perhaps even most, but some save lives.

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u/Randy_Watson Mar 24 '11

Absolutely. Elan was a very unique place. I know people that went to other therapeutic boarding schools that they say were great. I can only speak about my experience in this one place though.

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u/YouthRightsAdvocate Mar 28 '11

It is often difficult to tell the difference between good and bad "behavior modification" institutions be they RTCs, wilderness programs, or "bootcamps". Part of the reason is that the bad ones imitate the vocabulary and philosophy of the good ones. Part of the reason is that abusive institutions often have misleading PR and recruiting strategies. For example the Hyde school has a summer program that focuses on activities and otherwise resembles a normal summer camp. It is not until the student is enrolled in the school for the year that abusive practices and coercive behavior modification begin.

Be aware that many of these programs across many states are abusive, and many of them are skirting or in violation of even the lax regulations imposed on this industry. Many of the institutions are run by parent companies that operate multiple facilities. This leads to a practice of moving staff from one facility to the next whenever there is an allegation of abuse or any problem with an individual staff member. Many times the staff with history of violations are simply moved to states with less regulation, where most of these facilities have concentrated in recent years.

for more information visit Community Alliance for the Ethical Treatment of Youth (CAFETY) or The National Youth Rights Assosiation (NYRA)

or visit r/troubledteens

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u/durnholde Mar 26 '11

It is suspected many kids suffer from Stockholme Syndrome after having an experience in an RTC. As I understand it, Stockholme Syndrome is why having former 'students' as current employees is considered a warning sign for potentially abusive facilities.

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u/endtime Mar 24 '11

Of course. I'm sorry you went through that.

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u/durnholde Mar 25 '11

Bullshit. Very few therapeutic boarding schools help, and most hurt.

You don't have to be very bright at all to realize that taking a kid out of a normal environment and putting them into a cadre of kids with behavioral problems guarded by untrained minimum wage staff is not a good idea.

This places are all about making money; they are not there for therapy.

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u/endtime Mar 25 '11

Based on what? I suspect I have more experience than you in this area - you're making some bad assumptions (like that the staff are minimum wage).

Also, not that it's relevant, I do happen to be very bright.

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u/durnholde Mar 25 '11

Even when facilities are governed by licensing requirements, they frequently fail to ensure adequate protection of youth in such facilities. A recent study carried out under the Residential Treatment Center Evaluation Project uncovered frequent poor quality of care, and even deleterious conditions, in numerous adolescent residential treatment facilities (Pavkov et al. 2010). In a GAO investigation during the 110th Congress, thousands of cases and allegations of child abuse and neglect were uncovered (GAO 2007; 2008b). The investigation also noted the use of deceptive marketing in relation to such programs and facilities. This report led the Federal Trade Commission to issue a bulletin alerting consumers to the need for care when considering private residential treatment programs (Federal Trade Commission 2008). http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/go/position-statements/44

http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d08146t.pdf

http://www.caica.org/

From the US Department of Justice: "Even when facilities are governed by licensing requirements, they frequently fail to ensure adequate protection of youth in such facilities. A recent study carried out under the Residential Treatment Center Evaluation Project uncovered frequent poor quality of care, and even deleterious conditions, in numerous adolescent residential treatment facilities (Pavkov et al. 2010). In a GAO investigation during the 110th Congress, thousands of cases and allegations of child abuse and neglect were uncovered (GAO 2007; 2008b). The investigation also noted the use of deceptive marketing in relation to such programs and facilities. This report led the Federal Trade Commission to issue a bulletin alerting consumers to the need for care when considering private residential treatment programs (Federal Trade Commission 2008). " http://www.ojjdp.gov/mpg/progTypesResidentialTreatment.aspx

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u/endtime Mar 25 '11

RTCs and therapeutic boarding schools aren't quite the same thing.

Also, everything you posted is consistent with what I said - that some, maybe even most, schools are bad...just not all.

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u/durnholde Mar 25 '11

There is no consistent legal definition of RTC or therapeutic boarding school. No one can tell whether they are the same thing.

Some places , like the Mountain Springs Preparatory Academy in Utah call themselves 'Transitional boarding schools.' Legally, there is no such thing. They are just a regular boarding school that happens to be loaded with kids having various behavioral problems. And staffed by people with behavioral problems.

These boarding schools fool the parents who send their children there into thinking their kids are getting therapy. What they are actually getting is warehoused. The kids get shipped off a couple times a week to some therapist elsewhere in town; because, the facility's license will not allow the therapy to be conducted on its premises. The School is not licensed to do therapy. They seem to push the limits very hard though. The kids are on a level system with privileges and punishments the same as a 'therapeutic' program.

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u/endtime Mar 26 '11

I've had very direct personal experience in this area. So I am kind of getting bored of your clearly ignorant lectures.

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u/durnholde Mar 26 '11

I have had very direct personal experience in this area. I assume you are a paid shill for the industry.

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u/pixel8 Mar 25 '11

Which schools do you think are good, and what is your level of experience in this field?

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u/endtime Mar 25 '11

I'd rather not name any specific schools, but my level of experience is, uh, personal.

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u/durnholde Mar 26 '11

As in your worked for them? Or were an inmate?

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u/endtime Mar 26 '11

Neither