tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-59586407670695193072024-03-10T08:30:38.614+01:00Asylum HorribleWelcome to our blog. This blog gives sound to the weak voices of people who have been forced to attend a residential treatment facility.GitteHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13182907413970200718noreply@blogger.comBlogger117125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5958640767069519307.post-68387877216483605672024-03-10T08:29:00.005+01:002024-03-10T08:29:49.914+01:00Book: Fall of the Guardians<p>This book tells the story about what goes on in many religious based so-called treatment centers and boarding schools.</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61Q5qclepTL._SL1360_.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; clear: right; float: right;"><img alt="" border="0" height="200" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="534" src="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61Q5qclepTL._SL1360_.jpg"/></a></div>
<p>In a thread on reddit the author introduced the book:</p>
<blockquote><i>Have you ever wondered what goes on behind closed doors when a “difficult” teen gets sent away? Based on real-life events from the early 1990’s, this book tells the harrowing story of Vanessa, who at age 13, was one of those kids. She was ripped away from everything she knew and sent away to an abusive military boarding school for girls run by a religious cult that promised to fix these so-called “troubled teens”.<br>
Like most Troubled Teen Industry survivors, Vanessa and her surrogate four-year-old little sister, Jess, experienced unspeakable horrors no human should ever have to endure. But unlike most, they were able to do things no one else could. Along her way, Vanessa found family. She was the catalyst for the formation of the Guardians, a special unit in her program tasked with making the girls human again. With the help of her family and friends, Vanessa came of age while making a real difference to hundreds of other girls in an impossible situation, that is, until it all came crashing down, as the Guardians fell.<br>
Find out what it took for them to survive their time in this cult, their successes and failures, how they finally escaped, and what came next, including a 2022 update on what happened to the girls and staff she wrote about over the ensuing years and a number of response letters from some of the others she wrote about.<br>
This powerful and heart-wrenching book is a must-read for anyone who has ever been or known a “difficult” teen, anyone who attended a Troubled Teen program, and especially for any parent that has sent away a difficult child or is thinking that sending their child away is the best or only option.</i>
</blockquote>
Sources:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.de/-/en/Vanessa-White/dp/1800167024" target="_blank">Fall of the Guardians</a> - Paperback (Amazon)</li>
<li><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/troubledteens/comments/1baz6e1/my_book_is_out/" target="_blank">My book is out</a> (Reddit r/Troubledteens)</li>
</ul>GitteHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13182907413970200718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5958640767069519307.post-22966838833625379362024-01-27T15:38:00.003+01:002024-01-27T15:39:46.060+01:00A stay at Highland Ridge Hospital<p>This place has been getting some attention recently and I'm loving it. Highland ridge hospital is an inpatient for adolescent and adults. When I was 14 I attempted to die and after medical care was told I was going here. This being my 4th hospital made it less scary. I arrived at 2 am ish, was admitted then went to bed. Then woken up at 6 AM being told they were changing my meds cause clearly mine were not working, I had not talked to a docter or therapist by then. I then was put on a crazy high dose of a medicine known for withdrawls if you get off of it, I also didn't know what it was at the time but it gave my motor and verbal tics.</p>
<p>Throughout the stay the kids were not watched and there was about a groups a day, we could do whatever we wanted. There was also group punishments including losing the TV cause someone slept in. My tics left me punching walls which resulted in significant hand injury ( I had torn or stretched almost every muscle, vien, ligament, and tendon in both hands. ) as well as being threatened to be held down and restrained, and put in a medically induced coma for these tics. On night three my peer had a seizures, and was given mystery medication ( she was pregnant, and scared for the fetus ) that night after taking some random concoction of pills I went to bed with this girl ( roommates ) I woke up at 3 am to find that I was no longer wearing anything before yhe waist and my clothes was near my head, I had no blanket covering me. The staff were to check in every 5 minutes but Cleary that had not happened and the door was open leaving me exposed. The next Morning my roommate didn't wake up for a while due to the medicine she was given. On day 6 I told a staff about the situation and was told the male staff wouldn't return to the unit and they would send someone to interview me and my roommate. They didn't tell my parents. My mom called me and asked what I was doing when I told her that I was filling out a legal complaint, she had no idea why until she talked to the staff. I had to get legally pulled out that night with a police officer escorting me out. While at the e.r there was witnesses cause me and my roommate were both drugged and It had been to l9ng to do a rape kit. I told my mom about 4he med change only to find out she wasn't made aware of it, which isn't legal at all. The case was deemed inconclusive cause of the Drugs involved ( it was a male staff giving me the drugs that night ) I then had to change meds 8 months later which led to severe withdrawals to where I couldn't function.to my understanding this place is getting shut down soon as my experience isn't the only one similar to this. I am so excited for it to no longer see patients. Edit: I forgot to write this but I was there for 6 days. I didn't see a single doctor, and didn't see my therapist once. Some people saw her twice a day.</p>
<p>Sources:</p>
<p><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/troubledteens/comments/1abyio1/utahs_rape_hospital/">Utahs "rape hospital"</a> (Reddit r/troubledteens)</p>GitteHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13182907413970200718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5958640767069519307.post-57602690696458278792021-11-29T09:32:00.001+01:002021-11-29T09:32:00.272+01:00A testimony about Solstice Residential Treatment Center<p><i>This testimony was located on Google reviews. All rights go to the original author</i></p>
<hr>
<p>This place may be good for learning to understand friendship but in the end I felt cheated out of mind. I became the ‘yes girl’ the one who will never say no and always listen. I know this might not sound bad but when your parent decides to constrict your feelings, tells you how you should dress, and breaks all your promises then you begin to have problems.</p>
<p>I turned 18 the month after I graduated and everything seemed fine but my dad began to be harsh and very controlling. I thought he had changed but more I changed as I was there to accept that he must control everything. I was at a point of strength but I couldn’t tell him my boundaries anymore, I couldn’t confide in him. I went to my friends and had to ask for their support because he would not listen to me if I was happy or sad. He began to get mad at me and proceeded to yell if I said an opinion or feeling. I started to snap and realize he had taken my entire freedom, to choose and to learn. He took away my college fund to pay for solstice and held it over me like I had to thank him. He treated me like I had to obey him like a god.. I got so frustrated with that.</p>
<p>I thought that Solstice would heal the bonds between my father and I but in the end it created me to be easily manipulated by my parents and authorities. I struggled to the point of going towards trying to die again, I failed and then he kicked me out. Told me to be homeless and wouldn’t let me back in. I was so depressed, I had no money and no life. I didn’t like how solstice affected my family. I wouldn’t suggest sending your kid to an RTC as it makes it hard to come back. You literally lose your own heart and soul. You end up feeling lost because you have no freedom. Always in the same room and trying to go up levels so you can leave. I did remember all my pain but it’s so hard to deal with that now because everyone at solstice only thinks of money. I know every year there’s this big thing called secrets group because a bunch of people do some really bad things, while I was there there were girls snorting bennadryl. Even girls who’ve never done drugs so they could be cool, it’s a bad idea to mix kids with drug problems with kids who have self harm problems they give cake to the drug girls for being sober and nothing to others. They even had a group right after about bullying and everyone realized that there were people just being flat out rude to each other. I don’t think this is a safe place. Honestly, just getting them a better therapist and locking the drugs, alcohol, pills, and sharp items would be better. Or even sending them to a different school to make better friends. I had such a hard time with everything that even in the beginning I was fake and lied, I even didn’t like it there.</p>
<p>I had a mentor who resorted to always provoking me and it honestly made me feel awful, it stressed me out and my eyes got bad because I was blindfolded for a day. After going in there I’m not even better, what also needs to happen was my parents needed help and to actually learn how to love their child. I don’t expect someone to read this but I know I opened up to this fact. I know my therapist was super kind but that was the only good part. I didn’t like anything else. I also don’t think cereal from Monday to Friday is healthy. There are a lot of things that just need to be fixed like the mentors and the program it self. I don’t think that your progress should be defined as signatures and a paragraph essay. I honestly would never go back to do that again, it was not fun and very upsetting. Also 10 feet rule shouldn’t exist, thats kinda stupid, and makeup should be allowed for all levels due to it being a stress relief mechanism for some people. If anything just be careful. Also they told the girls to write good reviews to cover up the bad ones, it’s so ridiculous they just want money because they’re being kinda sketchy.</p>
<p>Source:</p>
<a href="https://www.google.com/maps/contrib/115739137125419020434?hl=da-BO&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjQieDVotfuAhXQCRAIHRFMCn0QvvQBegQIARBH">The original testimony</a>GitteHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13182907413970200718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5958640767069519307.post-58199560650631996732021-08-30T09:39:00.001+02:002021-08-30T09:39:00.210+02:00Annie's testimony about Solstice Residential Treatment Center<p><i>This testimony was located on Yelp and might be gone if the marketing department of the facility has removed it. All rights goes to the author Annie</i></p>
<p>I attended solstice rtc for almost 2 years starting in 2015 and graduated the summer of 2016. It was the most traumatizing experience of my life. I would rather have anything happen to me again from my pre solstice trauma than ever go back there. I still have nightmares that I'm there and even though I'm too old to be forced back it is still my biggest fear.</p>
<p>The emotional abuse was horrific. I was forced to clean bloody tampons out of the toilet with my bare hands by the lower level staff who weren't being supervised on multiple locations. They force patients to sign off on treatment plans that include diagnosis's, medication, and bullshit "progress reports". If you don't they withhold your privileges. They also force patients to meet with perspective parents and intrerveiw with them. They tell the parents before each interview that they (the parents) can ask us (the residents) any question and we can answer however we want, without fear of retribution. THIS IS NOT TRUE. As a patient, I had to lie to the many parents and guardians about solstice. If someone didn't , the other girls in the room would snitch in the person telling the truth. That's why they always put at least two of us if possible in the room, preferably three. I will live with the guilt of convincing people to send their children to solstice and for covering those "people" for the rest of my life's. Please don't make the same mistake.</p>
<p>They once took a girl's speaking privileges away did weeks. She couldn't SPEAK to staff, therapists, or patients, or HER FAMILY for weeks. She slept in a (finished basement). She wasn't allowed to go to groups, school, or therapy. This was because she kissed a couple girls and lied about it. They sometimes made us, the patients vote on whether or not we wanted this to happen to people. They didn't always listen to the vote, but still. They call this "positive peer pressure". I can assure you, this pressure is nothing more than rewarded bullying and emotional abuse. It was this emotional abuse that lead to my suicide attempt, while in the program. The pressure was nonstop. My therapist, literally said they would, " break [me] down to build [me] back up."</p>
<p>They broke me for so long. By the time I left, I was almost completely brainwashed. I believe what had been drilled into my head again and again. They told me I wasn't abused as a child, that I never had a "legitimate" eating disorder, that I didn't use substances before solstice and so much more. They also convinced me that the awful things that they did there were a result of my poor decisions that led me there. If I was bothered by the abuse or stood up for myself it was because I was "entitled". It makes me want to throw up to know that my name and face are still proudly displayed on the walls as a success story. I am, but in spite of solstice, not because of it. I will never erase the guilt of helping that system run, you don't want to feel the same way, I promise.</p>
<p>This place should be shut down, it robbed me of my own voice and autonomy in a way my previous physical, emotional, and sexual abuse can't compare to. They bill themselves as a tough love treatment center that will give you you kid back again. In one way, they were right, but only in the sense that I would literally prostitue myself before ever going back. Please don't let this happen to anyone else. No child deserves what happens behind those close doors</p>
<p>Sources:</p>
<p><a href="https://www.yelp.com/biz/solsti6ce-layton-2?hrid=XuWKCVqhIPGo18Y3k82mvA&utm_campaign=www_review_share_popup&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_source=(direct)">The original testimony on Yelp</a>GitteHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13182907413970200718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5958640767069519307.post-53578768927127185932021-02-14T09:10:00.003+01:002021-02-14T09:10:00.397+01:00Ellen at Solstice Residential Treatment Center<p><i>This testimony was found on Google. All rights goes to the original author Ellen</i></p>
<hr>
<p>Throughout my time at Solstice, I had Jeff as a therapist. He insisted that I did not have an eating disorder despite my existing diagnosis and my intrusive thoughts pertaining to my body weight/shape/size, exercise, and food intake. Prior to admitting to Solstice I did not have compulsive exercise tendencies because I was too depressed and simply used restriction as my disordered behavior. By the end of my time at Solstice, exercising no matter my mood felt necessary and easy to do. Once I left, I was consumed by my eating disorder worse than ever before, including both my old new behaviors. In the last months of the program I had begun to lose some of the weight that I would then lose before getting back into treatment (this time for eating disorders). I had only stopped engaging in most of my behaviors while I was there because I was desperate to leave the program and return home. This of course eased up as I reached the highest levels of the program, and the behaviors started returning. I would throw away food on Fridays, not eat dinner after horsemanship, sneakily count calories, push myself harder in my workouts, and more. It was second nature for me, and I had gotten back to it with no one noticing. I wouldn’t stop unless someone stopped me. With these behaviors came suicidal thoughts, so I decided to confess to Jeff. He had me continue with applying for my final level because he felt I should leave anyway. For what reason, I am unsure. I had been there for over a year and didn’t have anything left to gain, so I didn’t fight it. I went up in front of the treatment team, and when Jamie asked me if I was engaging in behaviors, I said yes. Jeff said to me in response, “Well weekly weights were done yesterday, and if you’re trying to lose weight you’re not doing a very good job.” When I went home shortly after, my mother and the scale confirmed that that had been wrong. I don’t know his motivation for saying that, but it was mortifying to hear in front of the whole room of people and especially because my eating disorder was louder than it had been for a while. Since leaving Solstice over three years ago, I have been in and out of eating disorder treatment at Monte Nido, only spending at most 3 months in a row in outpatient treatment. It has been nearly impossible, and I have lost significant amounts of weight over that time. None of the tens of therapists who I have had since Jeff have even doubted for a second that Anorexia Nervosa is my main diagnosis.</p>
<ul>
<li>- The length of stay for a residential program should NEVER be so set in stone and should be flexible for each individual.</li>
<li>- The message given to parents to ignore their children, regardless of diagnosis, upon request to be pulled or sent home.</li>
<li>- The disregard for requests in switching therapists, ~50% of the success in therapy is found to be a result of a good match with patient and clinician.</li>
<li>- The harsh consequence based organization of the program, including children deciding the consequences and levels of other children (safety council), being forcefully silenced and punished if not done correctly (com-block), and so much more.</li>
<li>- The requirement (for most) to engage in exercise in a rigid manner despite clinical diagnosis that should suggest otherwise.</li>
</ul>
<p>There are more things that I believe were wrong with the way that things were run, however I believe that those are more opinion based as opposed to based in true clinical negligence. I do understand that for some people, especially those with defiance disorders or tendencies, Solstice could be productive. The strict policies and follow-through with consequences can teach a different set of behaviors leaning towards respecting authority. However, for many, including myself, it should be indicated to prospective parents that this treatment is not for everyone. The parents should be informed of all treatment approaches used, and about the logic for length of stay for their individual child.</p>
<hr>
<p>Early 2021 two teenage girls ran from the facility. They were not dressed for the winter. We pray that they can be brought back to California where they came from.<p>
<p>Sources</p>
<li><a href="https://www.google.com/maps/contrib/106803652708437877707?hl=da-BO&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjQieDVotfuAhXQCRAIHRFMCn0QvvQBegQIARA9">The original testimony on Google</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.fox13now.com/news/local-news/layton-police-ask-for-help-to-find-missing-teens">Layton police ask for help to find missing teens</a> (Fox 13 news)</li>
GitteHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13182907413970200718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5958640767069519307.post-240575368706720842021-02-07T08:59:00.004+01:002021-02-07T09:16:44.673+01:00Testimony concerning Solstice Residential Treatment Center<p><i>This testimony was located on Google. All rights goes to the author.</i></p>
<hr>
<p></p>
<p>Firstly, a disclaimer: my views on solstice are solely opinions. While my feelings towards it are negative overall, I know that there are some who really appreciate the program.<br>I have many feelings which cannot be explained in a review, so here's the overall pros/cons list.<br>Pros:</p>
<ul>
<li>-good trauma therapy</li>
<li>-opportunities for equine therapy & horsemanship</li>
<li>-outdoor recreation</li>
<li>-people can make lasting friendships there</li>
<li>-helps rework family dynamics</li>
<li>-provides structure which can be helpful for those who are struggling</li>
</ul>
<p>Cons:</p>
<ul>
<li>-only 1 individual session/week; 1 family session a week</li>
<li>-very high staff turnover</li>
<li>-the group therapy is generally viewed as unhelpful (to most residents)</li>
<li>-residents are around mentors much more often than therapists; mentors are undertrained, and mostly burnt out college kids. this results in highly unprofessional conduct at times.</li>
<li>-very poor eating disorder treatment in general</li>
<li>-strict level system places pressure on residents to act perfect, so often times they'll lie and fake their way through the program</li>
<li>-extremely restrictive environment; it often times takes people 5+ months to even gain the privilege of walking in between buildings on campus unsupervised or carrying a backpack.</li>
<li>-personally speaking, only one person I'm still in contact with from Solstice actually appreciates the experience. The others either believe that it made them worse, or it helped them in some aspects but traumatized them in others.</li>
<li>-there are some kids that really struggle there. there were occasions (such as a kid who drew on the wall with their blood; a girl who had psychotic breaks; a girl who repeatedly self-harmed in front of others and cosistently tried to kill herself, etc) which create a really unsafe space for healing. Personally I believe that they needed to let go of residents who undoubtedly needed more support/care.</li>
<li>-they are a lot less holistic than it would seem... they certainly don't think that "food is medicine", as the nutrition is poor (gushers and Rice Krispies for snack, hamburgers/chips for meals, etc) and there is very little spiritual connection work there.</li>
<li>-overall most residents there are miserable; not because they need treatment, but because they ARE in treatment and solstice does not provide the healthiest of spaces for this.</li>
</ul>
<p>I hope this can help parents in making a decision in where to send their child.</p>
<p></p>
<hr>
<p><b>In the news</b></p>
Early 2021 two teenage girls ran from the facility despite the cold conditions which they were not dressed for. We can only pray for their safe return to California where they originally came from.
<p></p>
<p>Sources</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.google.com/maps/contrib/101537750368781672335?hl=da-BO&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjQieDVotfuAhXQCRAIHRFMCn0QvvQBegQIARAi">The original testimony on Google</a></li>
<li><a href="https://kjzz.com/news/layton-police-search-for-2-teens-missing-since-wednesday?fbclid=IwAR0zX6YOoPBPOp_1z5WClLd8SXLtHjuD9HkXHHr5f2nvTzTcsSaQzUzZERY">Layton Police search for 2 teens missing since Wednesday</a> (KJZZ news)</li>
</ul>GitteHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13182907413970200718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5958640767069519307.post-50499733391453401972018-04-15T09:06:00.000+02:002018-04-15T09:06:08.539+02:00A stay at Timberlawn in the 1970's<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-isnj0Z2beYuSwpqlk6e_Ne2hbnn8-cc-G46FHnuJSLQfx2TNY8AjEJQRNJ-eUeD98FvaI05AEgMy0ZYotTqrLmmZg9WGDp_uuTS28MTvH9eSUP4B8FuPO0meFGJ44B3ln5nFhR_01mA/s1600/site_logo.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear:right; float:right; margin-left:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="104" width="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-isnj0Z2beYuSwpqlk6e_Ne2hbnn8-cc-G46FHnuJSLQfx2TNY8AjEJQRNJ-eUeD98FvaI05AEgMy0ZYotTqrLmmZg9WGDp_uuTS28MTvH9eSUP4B8FuPO0meFGJ44B3ln5nFhR_01mA/s200/site_logo.png" /></a></div><i>This story was originally written on the message board called the Fornits Home for Wayward Webfora. All rights and credits goes to the unnamed author</i><br />
<br />
I was on the adolescent girls unit at Timberlawn for 2 years in the late 70's. Been thinking some lately about how I gloss over my past when people talk about attending high school reunions and such--I never talk about it. Anyway, googling Timberlawn survivor led me here.<br />
<br />
I was put into Timberlawn for having severe social anxiety disorder which led me to a "school phobia". I was an innocent and naive honor student when I went in, but after 2 years in that place I came out a jaded wild thing who couldn't wait to quit school and try drugs, sex and rock-n-roll (which I did). Even as teens we patients knew full well that for most of us, we would never be pronounced "cured" until our parent's insurance money ran out. I was never put in full restraints (although I saw it happen to many others), but several times I was on "split risk" which meant I had to travel around the campus in a wheelchair with a waist restraint (I ran away 4 times until I was finally discharged AMA), and I also often experienced "chair", "chair in the hall", "chair in the room", and "talking restriction" from specific fellow patients or from everyone. Back in the 70's they didn't use the friendlier term "room therapy" or "chair therapy" it was clearly called a "restriction". <br />
<br />
Oh the memories. I spent my late teens and 20's very bitter, my 30's trying to move on, and now in my mid-40's I've finally reached a sort of uneasy peace with this part of my life. I have to go now but have another story about what happened 10 years ago when I tried to go up there and look over my medical records (I wanted to read my "nurses notes"--a journal type thing we were forced to keep). If anyone's interested I'll share that later. Talk about adding insult to injury.<br />
<br />
Sometime around the year 2000 I decided I wanted to view my records from Timberlawn in an effort to find closure, put it behind me (this was 20+ years after discharge). On the Adolescent Unit, we were forced to keep a journal of sorts. They were held in a manila folder that was kept in the Nurses Station. The form we had to write on was lined and had a title at the top called "Nurses Notes". We were allowed to draw on/decorate the manila folder--one kind of pathetic thing I remember was that most every folder had little "john + mary =love4ever" stuff like teenagers write on things. After all we were teens locked up for years at the height of hormonal rage so there were always little romances going on with the boys on the other side of the unit...also some gay romances as well, of course. Since physical contact was extremely limited...it was very frustrating. Anyway...I digress. So each evening we had to get our Nurses Notes folder from the nurses station and write something about our day. We could write anything we wanted (such as "Timberlawn Sucks!"), but the nurses, aides, Docs all looked them over so we eventually learned not to write anything that could be used against us. If we did NOT write in our Nurses Notes we got punished with some time on chair (maybe an hour or so).<br />
<br />
20 plus years later the grownup me wanted to read these to connect with the teen me of then--know what I mean?<br />
<br />
I made several calls to Timberlawn and was told this was possible, but I needed to hurry as they would soon be destroying the records from my era. I had to make an appointment for a certain day, bring my ID. My car was old and high-mileage, so I spent $75.00 to rent a car and hightailed it to Dallas (I live elsewhere in Texas now). I was so excited and creeped out at the same time! I got there, went into the Whitehouse (shudder), showed my ID, and was taken to some big officey/warehousey kind of room. I was seated at a table, the office worker came toward me with a pile of records, set it in front of me, and IT WASN'T MINE! The first name started with the same letter, the last name was the same, but these were records for an older woman who was there at a different time than I was. I pointed this out & demanded MY records. There were phone calls made, hushed conversations held across the room with sidelong glances at me. Eventually I was told that MY records had been destroyed THE DAY BEFORE! I felt so screwed over and wounded by Timberlawn...again! After I got home I called up there and demanded I at least be re-imbursed for the car rental. After several calls were never returned I wrote a lengthy letter to the Doctor in Charge/Medical director whatever. I eventually recieved a check for $75.00 along with a terse note from this Doc that said "while I do not feel Timberlawn can be held responsible for your lack of adequate transportation"...blah blah. What a jerk! <br />
<br />
Sources:<br />
<ul><li><a href="http://www.fornits.com/phpbb/index.php/topic,26204.15.html">The original testimony</a> (The Fornits Home for Wayward Webfora)</li>
<li><a href="http://www.cbs7.com/content/news/Dallas-mental-hospital-to-close-before-state-shuts-it-down-470305843.html">Dallas mental hospital to close before state shuts it down</a> (CBS 7)</li>
</ul>GitteHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13182907413970200718noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5958640767069519307.post-70442236787007269992018-03-18T18:35:00.000+01:002018-03-18T18:35:00.440+01:00Gail S. at Elevations RTC<p><i>This testimony was found on Yelp. All rights goes to the author known as Gail S.</i></p><br />
<p>Elevations RTC is an impersonal, unprofessional, and substandard institution.</p><br />
<p>Kindness is the exception there, not the norm. In general, they keep students there for way too long, charge a fortune, and provide very poor therapeutic services and even worse customer service to parents. Their medical staff do not communicate effectively or often. Our therapist provided minimal to no insight and did not win affection or trust from my child who complained that he was often too busy for her and not really present or skilled.</p><br />
<p>They are generally very slow to respond or follow up on anything and get defensive when you raise issues of concern or frustration, even at the highest administrative levels. Supposedly they have cleaned up their act regarding use of strong physical restraints/intervention when children act out, but this is not what my child reported back to me. Physical restraints are used frequently to address children's defiance. They did not leave the impression that they were truly interested in the advancement of children's mental health. It is clearly a lucrative business for them, more than anything else.</p><br />
<p>There are much better, more compassionate, and sophisticated options in the world of residential treatment centers. Keep looking. Good luck!</p><br />
Sources:<br />
<ul><li><a href="https://www.yelp.com/biz/elevations-rtc-syracuse?sort_by=rating_asc">The original testimony on Yelp</a></li>
<li><a href="http://wiki.fornits.com/index.php?title=Viewpoint_Center">Factsheet - Fornits Wiki</a></li>
</ul>GitteHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13182907413970200718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5958640767069519307.post-90525863444535277232018-02-18T08:23:00.000+01:002018-02-18T08:23:00.299+01:00Elizabeth at TimberLawn<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-isnj0Z2beYuSwpqlk6e_Ne2hbnn8-cc-G46FHnuJSLQfx2TNY8AjEJQRNJ-eUeD98FvaI05AEgMy0ZYotTqrLmmZg9WGDp_uuTS28MTvH9eSUP4B8FuPO0meFGJ44B3ln5nFhR_01mA/s1600/site_logo.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear:right; float:right; margin-left:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="104" width="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-isnj0Z2beYuSwpqlk6e_Ne2hbnn8-cc-G46FHnuJSLQfx2TNY8AjEJQRNJ-eUeD98FvaI05AEgMy0ZYotTqrLmmZg9WGDp_uuTS28MTvH9eSUP4B8FuPO0meFGJ44B3ln5nFhR_01mA/s200/site_logo.png" /></a></div><i>This story was originally written on the message board called the Fornits Home for Wayward Webfora. All rights and credits goes to the author known as Elizabeth</i><br />
<br />
Hi! Im Elizabeth! I was in Timberlawn in 1983, I was 15, the girls adolescent ward. <br />
<br />
I had come out of Baylors Adolescent ward before I came to Timberlawn, Baylor was so strict and rigid that I had tried to commit suicide but really didnt want to kill myself, just thought that they did send me to another institution if I caused enough trouble, anyways I tried it 3 different times, and Baylor kept me tied down to a bed in restraints for 6 months. They had me so drugged up with Thorazine that by the time I got to Timberlawn, they put me on a couch in the big lounge and layed me down and told me I wasnt gonna do anything but sleep and eat for the enxt week. I had to sleep off all the drugs I had in me from Baylor. <br />
<br />
I had alot of the same experiences at Timberlawn as well strict and ahrd yea well, but I was so terrified of being put into restraints by that time that I was almost perfect by the time I got to Timberlawn. So I didnt get into much trouble at Timberlawn, and I was one of the lucky ones who got grounds privileges early and was able to go to PE and we walked 2 miles a day everyday and went to the Canteen on Saturday the little store they had for us. We also had patio parties and dances with the guys alot. It was very strict and hard even with the parties and all that, and I have to say that alot for people didnt have the privileges of going to dances and parties. <br />
<br />
One person was my roommate, K. She and I were real close. She was only 13 and had run away from home with her boyfriend and her parents threw her in to Timberlawn and she was scared. I was scared too and we took care of each other and showed at group meetings and stuff and sat with each other at meals times and other places alot. I suspected then that some were saying we were gay and whats interesting is that they started demonizing her to me. She was 5 feet one inch and 95 lbs and looked like a little girl and its like guys liked her naturally you know which was no big deal but they made a big deal out of it constantly accusing her of being sexually permiscous all the time and they were always putting her on guy retriction and tried to convince me that she would take my boyfriends away from me and what not. I had a boyfriend and a guyfriend and at parties I was so scarwed shed get into trouble with guys that she and I hung out together with my BF, so we did all hang out together, and I just know they were making it into something nasty that it wasn't. <br />
<br />
The whole thing with them being paranoid about Gays and Homosexuals, I really think they were paranoid about me and my room mate because they kept demonizing her to me.<br />
<br />
Sources:<br />
<ul><li><a href="http://www.fornits.com/phpbb/index.php/topic,25762.0.html">The original testimony</a> (The Fornits Home for Wayward Webfora)</li>
<li><a href="http://www.cbs7.com/content/news/Dallas-mental-hospital-to-close-before-state-shuts-it-down-470305843.html">Dallas mental hospital to close before state shuts it down</a> (CBS 7)</li>
</ul><br />
GitteHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13182907413970200718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5958640767069519307.post-16526720727561116752018-01-23T18:15:00.000+01:002018-01-23T18:15:17.549+01:00Timberlawn 1980 testimony<i>January 2018 it was announced that Timberlawn in Texas would close down as result of pressure from the authorities who were concerned about the safety of the patients. Universal Health Services Inc who runs hospitals for profit decided that a closure was better compared with the options of being forced to shut down or improving the standard as the last option was too costly if you still want to make profit. Here is a testimony from one of the former patients.</i><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-isnj0Z2beYuSwpqlk6e_Ne2hbnn8-cc-G46FHnuJSLQfx2TNY8AjEJQRNJ-eUeD98FvaI05AEgMy0ZYotTqrLmmZg9WGDp_uuTS28MTvH9eSUP4B8FuPO0meFGJ44B3ln5nFhR_01mA/s1600/site_logo.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear:right; float:right; margin-left:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="104" width="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-isnj0Z2beYuSwpqlk6e_Ne2hbnn8-cc-G46FHnuJSLQfx2TNY8AjEJQRNJ-eUeD98FvaI05AEgMy0ZYotTqrLmmZg9WGDp_uuTS28MTvH9eSUP4B8FuPO0meFGJ44B3ln5nFhR_01mA/s200/site_logo.png" /></a></div><i>This story was originally written on the message board called the Fornits Home for Wayward Webfora. All rights and credits goes to the author known as KaTee:</i><br />
<br />
<br />
In May of 1980 I was admitted to Timberlawn with reactive depression following the divorce of my parents and abuse occurring in my home. I was never a problem child, but I had difficulty adjusting to these changes. At Timberlawn I was subjected to horrific "behavioral" treatments by my doctors, Looney (no kidding) and Estabrook. The doctors felt I would require a minimum of two years of treatment to get better, ( no issue with my father's 100% coverage health insurance) I was not allowed outdoors, and restraints were commonly used as punishment for minor infractions or for daring to say you were depressed. Every night of my stay there I was restrained to the bed regardless of my relative freedom during the day where I was often serving time "on indefinite chair" for some minor offense like falling asleep during group due to the heavy doses of drugs I was forced to take. Sometimes I was in wheelchair restraints. The worst episode began in late November of 1980 when I began what was to be a two and a half month stint in five point bed restraints and insulin sheet. "Chucks" were placed under me to soak up my urine, feces and menstrual blood in lieu of the standard bedpan which would have required potentially manipulative communication with the staff. .These were rarely replaced causing festering bedsores up and down my back and buttocks and a stench that was overwhelming. I was never bathed. A posey strip attached to each wrist restraint and tied together further restricted movement of my arms. <br />
<br />
Since I was on a deprivation program no one was allowed to communicate with me including staff so except for my bi-weekly "visits" with the doctor (and later staff who were opposed to my care) I was completely isolated My contact was restricted to the sounds I could hear from my bed in the room.They often failed to feed me and at times I was left alone when both the patients and staff left the ward. My days were spent looking at the ceiling,sweating, and crying out in pain from muscle cramps since my limbs were never rotated or exercised. I remember begging them to quit hurting me. The pain was excruciating and to this day I do not know how I managed to tolerate it and not go completely insane. The doctors told my parents I was psychotic (in weekly letters) and no visits or phone calls were allowed to prove them wrong. <br />
<br />
After some time even the patients and staff could no longer be convinced that the treatment was appropriate. A night staff member used to loosen my restraints only for them to be re-tightened by the morning shift nurse,and even though not allowed to speak to anyone I was accused of continuing to manipulate staff as a result of acts of defiance by the staff. Those staff were removed from my care or required to see me with witnesses present.I still have light ringed scars around my ankles from the restraints pulled very tightly to the end of the bed.. <br />
<br />
I was losing all hope and beginning to think I might die laying in that bed, but I finally got smart and signed out involuntarily which forced them to transfer me from the facility. Much pressure was brought to bear for me to sign back in. but I held out and the new hospital released me a few months later back to the parents who were abusing me. I did not care.Before I entered Timberlawn I was an athlete, running the mile and half mile in track. By the time I was released I could no longer walk unassisted due to muscle atrophy. Before I entered this facility I had problems in my life, abuse at home ,and some quite normal travails of adolescence. To this day I have severe PTSD, horrible nightmares and lingering health issues. I have a life now, but it is no thanks to my "treatment" at Timberlawn. I would like to talk to other survivors, especially those who were there as teens.<br />
<br />
Sources:<br />
<ul><li><a href="http://www.fornits.com/phpbb/index.php/topic,26386.0.html">The original testimony</a> (The Fornits Home for Wayward Webfora)</li>
<li><a href="http://www.cbs7.com/content/news/Dallas-mental-hospital-to-close-before-state-shuts-it-down-470305843.html">Dallas mental hospital to close before state shuts it down</a> (CBS 7)</li>
</ul>GitteHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13182907413970200718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5958640767069519307.post-86559485267980552392017-09-17T18:44:00.000+02:002017-09-17T18:44:00.742+02:00Another testimony concerning Sunrise RTC<i>This testimony was found on Google where it properly will be removed by the marketing department at some point. All rights goes to the author Kayla Muzquiz </i><br />
<br />
If I could give this place no stars I would because this place ruined my life.<br />
<br />
I was a resident of this facility in 2008, I was bullied and physically abused by both staff and other residents who lived here almost on a daily basis.It got to the point where I would be provoked so bad that I felt I had to defend myself physically, which resulted in me getting in trouble and kicked out. <br />
<br />
Why was I placed here, well my mom passed away in 2005 and I had to go with my biological father who I never knew or saw growing up, he began to sexually abuse me as well as physically and due to those traumatic experiences Child protective services placed me here to get help, but thats the furthest thing I got out of sunrise. I was a foster kid and I think they knew that I didn't have any parents so they left me in the back burner a lot, they would let other girls make fun of me or belittle me and sometimes the staff would join in on it too, I didn't have a mommy or daddy to go run to when i was being treated unfairly so they got away with it . Most of the girls here come from a family who has money and they are honestly in my opinion just too spoiled, I came from nothing so it was hard for me to relate to my other peers and their situations, I could never understand why they were so bad. I wound up being isolated from everyone because there was constant confrontation and I was always the one to blame. The staff were not held accountable nor were the other girls. <br />
<br />
They wound up shipping me off to an even worse RTC where a boy had committed suicide and is now shut down for the abusive therapy methods. This is one of those places, the only thing different is the name. The staff that dealt with us girls were not fit for the job, let alone experienced enough and I would never hire someone who acts like the girls who are put there. <br />
<br />
I'm turning 20 this month(I was 13 while I was there ) but looking back now I realize that if I never came here my life would have been so much different and better. This place really messed me up, more then I already was.When I arrived at this place I came in with all these disorders and for every disorder I was on a pill for it. They will drug your kid up for a quick fix believe that, I think pills should be a last resort but not this place. They charge way too much for the horrible treatment they give you.<br />
<br />
It took me 2 years of being on my own to fix the emotional damage this place did to me along with the other facility they sent me to.Never send your kids here, or they might come out worse then when they first went in. Residential treatment isn't always the best thing for your kid, and being a troubled teen isn't a diagnoses. Ive been through the ringer and I never used my past as an excuse to make wrong choices and I'm a foster kid. These places are always going to try and make a buck with you, so don't fall into that trap. I live with my boyfriend in our newly bought house with 3 dogs and 4 cats, I am going to college and I'm getting my license to be a dog trainer soon. <br />
<br />
I'm doing fine though I still suffer from ptsd, I deal with it without medication because I know my brain isn't fully developed till 21, also I don't think it's the healthiest solution.Please think twice three times again before sending your children there. best of luck !<br />
<br />
Source:<br />
<a href="https://www.google.dk/maps/place/Sunrise+Residential+Treatment+Center/@37.1773447,-113.3123157,626m/data=!3m2!1e3!4b1!4m7!3m6!1s0x80caf6bfd1e04595:0xe8731dcf30b6dca6!8m2!3d37.1773404!4d-113.310127!9m1!1b1?hl=da">The original testimony</a>GitteHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13182907413970200718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5958640767069519307.post-60238160471847698152017-07-12T08:09:00.000+02:002017-07-12T08:09:04.924+02:00Book: The Dead Inside<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.sourcebooks.com/store/images/thumbnails/0/500/9781492635734.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://www.sourcebooks.com/store/images/thumbnails/0/500/9781492635734.jpg" width="212" height="320" data-original-width="500" data-original-height="755" /></a></div>The book is about the stay of Cyndy Etler in the so-called drug rehab Straight Inc. Today known as a rehab program which destroyed more lives than it helped, it was considered one of the best rehab programs for minors when it was created.<br />
<br />
The book provides a deep insight in the cult environment which founded the basis of a program where it never was about healing the teenagers but just proving whather ever lose assertion parents might had about possible drug use of their children.<br />
<br />
Buy it here:<br />
<a href="https://www.sourcebooks.com/store/dead-inside.html">Source Book</a> or ask for it at your local bookstore using the ISBN-number: 9781492635734<br />
<br />
GitteHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13182907413970200718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5958640767069519307.post-32073589040501262062017-07-08T11:51:00.001+02:002017-07-08T11:51:43.969+02:00RontgenisesItUp at Elevations RTC/Island View Academy<i>This testimony was found on Reddit. All rights go the original author known as RontgenisesItUp</i><br />
<br />
I’ve seen a bunch of conflicting posts on subreddits such as this and on other places on the internet, and I know that literally nothing will be done to shut down these kind of places but I guess maybe I’m hoping this will get out there. I don’t know, I guess I just need to get it all out there. <br />
<br />
It started on August 28th of 2016. I had just gotten released from my previous treatment center (a 90 day program called Cottenwood de Tucson in Tucson, AZ. It partially secure/lock down and no touch facility with all female staff and patients) and arrived at Elevations Academy/RTC formerly known as Island View. Before getting into more details about my experience; here’s what you should know about me. I’m 16 years old, I was 15 at the time and had my 16th birthday in October while at Elevations. I’ve suffered from various traumas such as sexual assault, have severe attachment/abandonment issues, a history of disordered eating and anger issues, as well as generalized anxiety and depression. I was sent there after Cottonwood to continue treatment for my anxiety, depression, and trauma. (Keep in mind that I was sent to Cottonwood for a completely different reason— meaning drug use and sex related incidents— and never have I been treated for my eating disorder). Also, I’ve been in and out of therapy including off and on prescription anti anxiety/anti depressants since I was 11. <br />
<br />
I stayed at Elevations from August 28th 2016-February 22nd 2017. When I got to elevations I was, like you may expect, angry. I didn’t want to be there, but my previous therapist and I looked at the website and it seemed decent enough. Plus my other option was an all girls ranch in Southern Utah and I have super bad allergies to all plants and animals so I’d most likely be hospitalized if I even step foot on a ranch— making Elevations the only option. The staff who checked me in were nice enough; and seemed to understand how awful it was that I was in a treatment center. For those unfamiliar with (what I presume to be) the typical check in process for a treatment center: 1. the staff go though all your stuff to check for drugs, confo like phone numbers and addresses, contraband sharp objects or other forbidden items, any electronics you may have brought. And anything that isn’t deemed approved by the staff is put into a box and shipped back to your parents. Here’s where things go wrong: Looking back, knowing the rules of the place….the staff who checked me in were all newer (since there’s a very high turn over rate of staff at places like that…hmm wonder why?? SARCASM) and didn’t really know what to take from me and what not to. So I was left with a bunch of stuff like mechanical pencils, glass jewelry, and bobby pins. Not that I minded, but it got me into a lot of trouble later when the more experienced staff found out. 2. there was also an intake shower to make sure you don’t have lice and to also do an entry body check to asses your self harm scars if you have any. The overall body check part wasn’t that bad when I was there since they only made you be half naked (top or bottom) at all times and it was usually really fast. The bad part is: the check in showers were awful. All the showers were awful. They were the kind of camp showers with cheap tile around them and even cheaper plastic curtains that stuck to you when they got wet and most of them had gaping holes in them. The water pressure was either like bullets pelleting you or a little tiny trickle that barely came out at all, and as for the temperature it never stayed the same. There was no control for the temperature, it was just a button that you had to press and MAYBE you’d get freezing cold water, maybe you’d get scalding hot water, OR MAYBE you’d get lucky and your water would change temperature mid shower because someone else was taking a shower or flushing the toilet or washing their hands. but keep in mind I was on Ruby team (one of the two girl’s teams) and the water heater was down Diamond hall (the other girl’s team) so the water had to travel a while before reaching our side of the building. Think of it like a military barrack but longer with a big center dividing it in half. A lot of my hatred for that place comes from the despicable girls I met. For privacy reasons I’ll only call them by their initials. Each newbie (the compee) was given a compass (like a mentor) to show them the ropes of the place and help them make friends. Mine was KW, a 16 (?) year old girl who’d been there about 5 or 6 months and was from Bel Air (?). But she wasn’t fresh or a prince, or even funny. She was a bitch, and It’s totally okay that I said that on the internet because she called me a bitch 50 times within my first 2.5 days of being there. She was also a kleptomaniac and everybody low key hated her— you couldn’t even imagine the pettiness of the girls in that place, it was like some crazy lifetime movie meets jersey shore plus pretty little liars. Anyways: MY POINT ON COMPASSES IS: like many things at this place- the idea is good and theoretically it’s helpful but for the most part you’re just given a person and you may or may not get along with them.<br />
THE FOOD: So elevations was actually really good trying to accommodate to kids with dietary needs as long as you told your therapist and the physical doctor so they could confirm with your parents then tell the kitchen. Despite their efforts the food still sucked for the most part and a lot of the staff could agree with that. <br />
<br />
There’d be special nights where parents could come and spend time with the kid and the kitchen would cook something fresh to impress them. Much like all the other things this place would do. To the public and the parents it pretended that we were being well fed and treated fairly depending on our behavior and that living conditions were good and it was a healthy environment-- obviously none of this was true. THE STAFF: As I said earlier the staff turnover rate was super high and some barely lasted a day. One instance KW started causing a scene trying to get into AJAX (our supply closet where the laundry machine and shampoo/conditioner and shoes were) when she wasn’t allowed to. The staff pushed her out of the doorway to lock it (this was a touch facility) and so KW started screaming at her. Everyone got shuffled away into our group room to “avoid complications” but because the walls were super thin you could hear pretty well. I couldn’t hear exactly what she was saying (probably because someone else was also screaming at the time), but it was roughly along the lines of: “get out of my way you stupid fat cnt. You can’t fcking touch me you stupid ugly whre. fcking dumbas redhead btch. You’re pathetic how about you just quit now because no one here likes you you pathetic crying piece of sh*t ” The woman quit about an hour later. I don’t blame her. The reason the inconsistency of staff is a problem is because they most likely don’t know what they’re doing and as a resident you couldn’t actually hold a long term and helpful relationship with any of them which sucked a lot because they were the only people you ever really saw besides your teammates. (Who probably were psycho and hated you anyways) and like hell did you ever see your therapist. TECHNICALLY you’re supposed to meet with your therapist twice a week. 1 for a family therapy phone call and 1 personal therapy. I think I saw my therapist about 12 times individually, not including the two intake meetings my first two weeks. 5 months is about 22 weeks. The supposed amount of meetings of 2 a week should’ve totaled 44 meetings. Doing the math I’m pretty sure I only got 32 of the 44 meetings-- not that I minded because I hate therapy; but it was pretty annoying when she (my therapist) never had time for me. BECAUSE HERE’S THE MOST FUCKED UP PART OF ELEVATIONS: they don’t teach you how to realistically deal with problems. All the models of issues are between people you’re in treatment with who are learning the same exact “coping skills”. So they know the methods, everyone knows the system, and anyone smart knows how to use it to their advantage. So as soon as an ACTUAL problem from the real world occurs you’re on your ass fucked as can be and you’re there thinking WOW DBT CAN’T DO SHIT FOR ME. You’ll only get attention from the staff and doctors if you act out. Good kids don’t get help. Unless you’re screaming and stealing and breaking all the rules and self harming, or making threats or starting fights, you’re practically invisible.<br />
<br />
My overall experience with Elevations was shit. The kids were shit, the staff didn’t have a clue what they were doing, the doctors never had any time for you, and the whole place caters to ADHD kids who have problems acting out through drugs and sex rather than just quietly depressed kids with body issues who are actually the majority of the population living there. The only thing I learned was that nobody cares about your problems unless you cause a giant scene and threaten your peers. The whole time I was there I mentally had my guard up and had my safety constantly threatened and was belittled by the staff/therapists/other kids for not acting out like the other kids. I saw things that no one should ever see, even in some of the toughest jails. It wasn’t all bad, but it was bad enough that if I could do one thing in the world it would be to completely shut the place down for good.<br />
<br />
Source:<br />
<a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/troubledteens/comments/6lxmzz/my_experiences_at_elevations_rtcisland_view/">My experience(s) at Elevations RTC/Island View Academy</a> (Reddit)GitteHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13182907413970200718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5958640767069519307.post-54316309361622159152017-06-18T18:38:00.000+02:002017-06-18T18:38:02.615+02:00Reflections on a stay at Sunrise RTC<i>This testimony was found on Google and will properly be removed at some point by the marketing department. All rights go to the the author Larissa Gould </i><br />
<br />
Terrible experience. <br />
<br />
The staff are inattentive and some got in trouble for being into drugs themselves while I was at sunrise. To me basic human rights should not be taken away unless court ordered or in extreme cases, and even then Sunrise Treatment Center isn't the way to go. My mom and I don't get along and I was sent to basically a rehab center where my freedom and privacy and education were all compromised. This place is very corrupt and most of the reviews on Google and Facebook that give it over two stars are from the staff and therapists themselves. Of course they're going to give it good ratings, how else are they going to earn a salary? The success rate is very low especially in the long term at Sunrise and most kids go back to what they were doing before and sending your kids away creates a barrier between kids and parents. If you want a relational approach I would give outpatient treatment centers a try or a facility closer to home.<br />
<br />
Source:<br />
<a href="https://www.google.dk/maps/place/Sunrise+Residential+Treatment+Center/@37.1773447,-113.3123157,626m/data=!3m2!1e3!4b1!4m7!3m6!1s0x80caf6bfd1e04595:0xe8731dcf30b6dca6!8m2!3d37.1773404!4d-113.310127!9m1!1b1?hl=da">The original testimony</a>GitteHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13182907413970200718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5958640767069519307.post-39789409782632065632017-03-19T19:02:00.000+01:002017-03-19T19:02:03.320+01:00Avi Chaise at Palmetto Pee Dee Behavioral Health<i>This testimony was found on Google. All rights goes to the original auhtor.</i><br />
<br />
The structure was ok but there was a lot of physical abuse there I was the one that got the three staff fired and helped the place be a little safer the facility was filthy at times and a lot of bug infestation there the food was not very flavorful and the same thing every week they had for units savanna and santee and motrie and edisto 2 units for girls and 2 units for boys there restraints were overly offended used for minor behaviors like yelling at staff and and cursing the offenses like physical aggression or self harm and property Destruction that were the things u were placed in the hold for some staff when they placed these patients in the (CPI)<br />
<br />
Known is Crisis Physical Intervention most UHS facilities engage in this method of restraint to regain control of the aggressive patient check it out on YouTube to better understand this type of hold look up CPI restraint training video if your looking to place your child and especially has a diagnose of autism spectrum disorder I don't recommend this facility for adolescents with autism they have a link on their website called autism program but when I was there they didn't treat autistic patients there very well the nonverbal ones didn't get any tools to assist them to communicate with staff just lets them be to there selves and rock all day sort of speak some staff say there trained in developmental disorders when themselves abuse them and have no clue about autism behaviors I was admitted there this last January of this year 2016 was discharged October of this year 2016 <br />
<br />
I was there for 9 months for aggression I have autism if u want me to explain more about my experience there at palmetto Pee Dee behavioral health go to me YouTube channel (avi chaise) thanks for reading this big old long paragraph on this review for this residential facility peace out😃💩👽<br />
<br />
<i>Beside the negative feedback the authorities also has their attention on the facility</i><br />
<br />
<br />
Sources:<br />
<ul><li><a href="https://www.google.dk/?gws_rd=ssl#q=%22Palmetto+Pee+Dee+Behavioral+Health%22&*&lrd=0x8855671906854d61:0x488d386328bd835a,1,">The original testimony</a> (Google reviews)</li>
<li><a href="http://wpde.com/news/local/residential-treatment-facility-for-children-in-florence-cited-again-by-dhec">Residential treatment facility for children in Florence cited again by DHEC</a> (ABC 15 news)</li>
</ul>GitteHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13182907413970200718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5958640767069519307.post-40387533792483760222016-12-25T09:07:00.002+01:002016-12-25T09:09:07.694+01:00A stay at the Redcliff Ascent wilderness program and Sunrise RTC<i>This testimony was made by a person known as snorlaxgottaeat. All rights goes to the original auhtor.</i><br />
<br />
I just discovered this subreddit and wanted to talk a little about my experience with these programs. First of all, I do want to acknowledge that at age 16, I did need some sort of mental treatment, as I was likely suffering from depression and acute anxiety (to be diagnosed later as an adult). But, as many of you already know, these programs can worsen conditions and I feel like this is what happened to me. I don't feel as if the "treatment" I received was beneficial in any way, and that it even exacerbated some of my issues.<br />
<br />
My parents had hired "escorts" to come into my room around 5 in the morning and take me to RedCliff. This was in April of 2011, and I was a sophomore in high school. I was sleeping naked (I mean, I didn't think anybody would be coming in), so that was embarrassing to say the least. The escorts were a man and a woman, and the woman told me to get up, get dressed, and come with them or else they would have to handcuff me and take me with force. My mom, anticipating that I wouldn't know what was going on, came into the room and told me that she and my dad were doing this "because we love you". I didn't fight back because 1. I was depressed and apathetic as hell and 2. there was nothing I could do and I knew that. As a side note, I used to hold onto a lot of hatred towards my parents for sending me away to these programs. Now that I'm older though, I only blame myself for how I was acting/how I was hurting my family. While there were certainly other ways that I could have gotten the help I needed, I understand that my parents were truly doing what they thought was best for me and that just because they were misinformed doesn't mean it was their fault. I love them and we have an alright relationship nowadays.<br />
<br />
I was at RedCliff Ascent for 83 days. When I first got to their main office, a woman did my intake. I think she realized how difficult these situations could be, and she was comforting and calm with me while still remaining professional. Part of the intake process required me to strip down completely naked, and do a series of squats and other positions in front of her to make sure I didn't have anything in my rectum (shocker, I didn't). This was a weird experience for me, but it was far from traumatic/scarring. Honestly, there were many parts of this program that I actually enjoyed. The hiking was painful and long, but it was somewhat therapeutic to be out in nature and away from my problems at home. As a long-term solution, however, this program would do nothing. There was little to no therapy (once a week, for less than 45 minutes each time) from an incompetent therapist. There were a couple therapists (so maybe this wasn't the case for everybody), but mine didn't even seem to know which way was up or down. I didn't ever feel like I got anything from our sessions. I received more help just talking about random things with the staff members who watched over us and led us on hikes. Some of the staff were great, and genuinely cared for us. Others seemed to like it when we were angry, sad, or generally struggling. I don't think it was malicious, but that they thought we were "building character" in these instances. I can think of several examples of a particular staff member who would laugh at the girls I was with when they were angry/upset/emotional. The environment was harsh at times, too. We didn't get tents - we got cords and tarps that we could tie up into makeshift tent structures. I was thankfully only there for a couple snowstorms, but the nights would get so cold you would wake up with frost on your sleeping bag. I partially lost feeling in the toes of my right foot from one day where the rain turned to snow and the water in my shoe froze as well. However, this was the extent of the physical hardships and overall RedCliff was not a terrible experience. What did bother me though was once I left, I found out that the program length was changed from about 3 months to a single month. So, I was there almost 3 times as long as some of the girls I was with near the end of my stay.<br />
<br />
Sunrise Academy is a different story. I was taken there directly upon graduating RedCliff, and stayed there for 6 months. This was an extremely short time, as most girls are there for a year (or more). Part of it was because I had already attended RedCliff and another part was that I was very careful in what I did and said to staff, my therapist, and the other girls. I feel like my entire time there was a charade. I was among girls who were heavily medicated and had serious mental disorders. I was not like that. I had some depression and anxiety, and took no medication. At certain points, I was the only girl out of 40~ish others that wasn't taking any kind of medication. There were girls who had to be restrained and forcibly thrown into solitary confinement. They called it the "pink room" because they would lock you in a room for a minimum of 3 days and you were only allowed to write with pink crayons (at least, this is what I heard from one of the girls who had to be put in solitary a couple times). If you got into trouble (like one time where a girl got caught lying on another girls bed with her - a capital offense in Sunrise) they would put you on therapeutic probation, where you couldn't talk to anything or participate in any activity. You still had to watch, though, and sit quietly.<br />
<br />
The therapy there was intense, though, and you did up to 3 hours a day. This could be in the form of group therapy, team-building exercises, or one-on-one with your therapist. Sunrise therapy was all DBT, or dialectical behavioral therapy. This form of therapy was developed by ex-crazy woman Marsha Linehan, who had a history of banging her head against asylum walls in bipolar fits. While DBT might work for some, this therapy was not what I needed. In the RTC though, there wasn't any other kind of therapy offered. Additionally, the staff were all mormons. I was placed in a group therapy for alcoholics (I have never been an alcoholic) simply because I had a history of drinking underage. Undoubtedly, their religious teachings influenced their perception of drinking and they tried to convince me that I was an alcoholic. I played into this, and made a huge show one day about how I finally accepted the fact that I had a problem. I cried, and I asked to call my dad to apologize for my "disease". Right in the middle of group therapy, we called my dad on speaker phone and I sobbed to him about how I needed to address my alcoholism while I was at Sunrise, blah, blah, blah. The therapist ate it up. I had to pull many stunts like this, where I admitted I needed help for problems I didn't have. It was honestly easier that way than trying to convince staff and therapists that I didn't have problems like alcoholism (fast forward to now, I'm 22 and I don't even drink/smoke weed/do drugs). A big part of making "therapeutic progress" just seemed to be saying you had all of the problems they said you did. It was a matter of bending to their will, which I did quickly and without hesitation when I arrived and realized what was happening. I didn't care about what was right or wrong, I just cared about convincing them of my therapeutic progress, advancing through the level system, and getting the fuck out of there.<br />
<br />
I still have some problems from being at Sunrise. I regularly have nightmares about being sent back. It wasn't until almost a month ago that I had the nightmare and actually realized in it that I was 22 years old and could leave when I wanted! Additionally, the meals they fed me at Sunrise were nutritionally lacking and I remember always, always, always being hungry. They have a "vegetarian" option for girls who want it, which includes a meager amount of tofu with some meals. Even if you go with the regular option, it is not enough food, especially if you consider the ridiculous amount of exercise you do daily. We ran every day, as well as attended either dance class or yoga class. Because of the small amount of nutritionally void food I had available to me at Sunrise, I am now very selective and anxious about the food I eat. If I don't have food available to me (at work, for example) I get a panicky, sick feeling until I realize that I can call my supervisor to come break me so I can buy a snack. Little instances like this happen all the time, and I get very anxious very quickly until I tell myself "just go buy a banana from the deli". It is not the end of the world, and I'm not traumatized in any way, but I think about Sunrise every day and how the littlest things have seeped into my adult life and made it that much harder to cope with on a daily basis.<br />
<br />
I want to acknowledge that I was still very lucky in my "troubled teen" experience because I know that there are many places I could have gone where I would have actually been exposed to abuse and violence. We always heard stories about Cinnamon Hills and how the staff there were allowed to hit the teens. We were jealous of the kids a New Haven, though! We heard that they got a lot more freedom, but I don't know how true that is. There is so much that is kept secret in these treatment centers. It's terrifying. As a last note, I'll say that I'm very sorry to those of you who had even worse times and are survivors of the systematic abuse that can happen so easily in these institutions. Please message me if you have any questions or just want to talk.<br />
<br />
<i>The Sunrise RTC is in the media mostly known for the terrible traffic accident which killed two girls during an outing. At Redcliff Ascent there has been many escape attempt and even a riot which resulted in arrests of the involved teenagers.</i><br />
<br />
Sources:<br />
<ul><li><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/troubledteens/comments/5jn3cq/i_attended_both_the_redcliff_ascent_wilderness/">The original testimony</a> (Reddit)</li>
<li><a href="http://wiki.fornits.com/index.php?title=Sunrise_RTC">Factsheet about the Sunrise RTC program</a> (Fornits Wiki)</li>
<li><a href="http://wiki.fornits.com/index.php?title=Redcliff_Ascent_Wilderness_Program_(RCA)">Redcliff Ascent Wilderness Program</a> (Fornits Wiki)</li>
</ul>GitteHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13182907413970200718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5958640767069519307.post-4484728609969707562016-09-18T20:38:00.000+02:002016-09-18T20:38:07.906+02:00PUMAGIRL at Excelsior Youth Center<i>This testimony was found on the Internet as a comment to an article about the so-called treatment facility. All rights goes to the original author.</i><br />
<br />
All lies - try 45 girls to a unit not 12. They look like mid-century mental hospital rooms. <br />
I was here in 1986-1989 and staff steals from you. If you say anything, 24 hours lock up for you my earrings were gone and the witch had the nerve to wear them to work claiming they were hers. There was nothing I could do plus because I said something I was locked up 24 hours straight in a dirty room with no mattress. Btw my mom had the earrings custom made for me and my best friends 6th grade graduation that included our birthstones to make them more personal on top of the design so how would she have the same pair??? … she wouldn’t that’s how ugh!!! <br />
<br />
Do not send your girls here it really messed me up worse than I was I’m 43 now and still have a reoccurring nightmare where I wake up and I’m there it is terrifying every time I have it and it’s been happening since 1989. I always wake up and I’m crying I literally have tears in my eyes because I’m locked up there in my old room and it’s dark and so sad the feeling is just despair! <br />
<br />
Don’t do this to your girls it ruined my relationship with my mom I never trusted her again and was hurt she actually put me in this prison that is what it is it’s horrible!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! They made me feel like I was nothing and put me down every chance they had because they said I was conceded or I thought too much of myself … how does one do that and why would they want me to feel like less of anything. <br />
<br />
My friend June Pena hung herself when I was there I’ll never forget the look on her face hanging in the laundry room “ever” !! By the way June was 14 and that’s as far as her life went I hate this place and everyone who works here old hags just under paid pissed off jealous evil witches then they have a website called “working at excelsior youth center” complaining about the girls and how they laugh at them with one another “how professional” !!! And saying that they are horrible, dirty (hygiene wise not true) also some claiming the girls are too much trouble and not worth it and they’re too hard to deal with. Well they knew where they were applying what did they expect sweet valley high? And if that’s how they feel about the girls why work there to begin with? To take it out on the girls that their life didn’t turn out as they hoped I mean if they feel like they were too good for the job they should have got a better education or married a doctor like I did I guess they’re the ones who really needed the help … bums!<br />
<br />
<br />
Sources:<br />
<ul><li><a href="https://rehabreviews.com/excelsior-youth-center-review/">Excelsior Youth Center</a> (Rehabs reviews)</li>
<li><a href="https://1000placesudontwanttobe.wordpress.com/2013/04/09/74/">74. Excelsior Youth Center</a> (1000 places You don't want to be as a teenager)</li>
</ul>GitteHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13182907413970200718noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5958640767069519307.post-71670435423006175882016-08-13T09:36:00.002+02:002016-08-13T09:36:45.299+02:00A stay at Kolob Canyon RTC<i>This testimony was found on Yelp. All rights goes to the original author</i><br />
<br />
I am a previous girl from Kolob and i will say i had the worst time ever. <br />
<br />
My basic rights as a human being were taken away from me, I was forced to take various amounts of psychiatric drugs (which is against my religion) I also do not agree with the drugging of children teens adults or of the elderly, most if not all "medication" (drugs) that are given are in the same category as heroin meth and coke and have the exact side effects that you are trying to get away from. Don't like how you feel on them, too bad you have to wait for the "Doctor" to come back in and talk to you. They give you the wrong dose or give it to you at the wrong time and you fall asleep due to it, to bad you will still get in trouble. <br />
<br />
There have been numerous girls who have had medical issues ignored just because staff did not want to deal with it. Girls that were sick had to deal with it by themselves and staff would not help unless it was basically to the point of death. I've seen girls twist and sprain joints even a few dislocations without even a single glance from the staff. I understand "safety and super safety" (when you first come in to make sure you are not a run or suicide risk) but a lot of times girls would have to do early morning horse chores in nothing but slippers and just sweats and a light hoodie while there was at least 4 feet of snow on the ground, that's around half an hour out in that condition to make sure all the horses water is broken and they are properly feed. <br />
<br />
There is no real dietary care for each girl individually, when i was there we were put on the dietary needs of the biggest girl that was there ( around 200 pounds) i gained a tremendous amount of weight to the point where i had to go on a diet when i get home cause i was considered obese. I was lied to by my on site therapist and i was made to take punishments for things i did not do. The girls there have no say in anything and will never be listened too. <br />
<br />
If anything it is a sever state of Stockholm syndrome, and they "get better" due to the fear of punishment that they will receive. I am actively working to get Kolob looked into and investigated. I have sever night terrors from my stay at Kolob and wake up screaming almost every night. I would highly recommend that you find alternative methods to helping your child.<br />
<br />
<br />
Sources:<br />
<ul><li><a href="https://www.yelp.com/biz/kolob-canyon-rtc-new-harmony">The original testimony on Yelp</a></li>
<li><a href="http://wiki.fornits.com/index.php?title=Kolob_Canyon_Residential_Treatment_Center">Factsheet about the facility</a> (Fornits Wiki)</li>
</ul>GitteHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13182907413970200718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5958640767069519307.post-28620843104599518402016-07-17T09:24:00.000+02:002016-07-17T09:24:00.498+02:00jmb2605 at Provo Canyon School<b><i>A testimony from a author known as "jmb2605"</i></b><br />
<br />
I was at PCS from 98-00. <br />
<br />
I was beaten, starved, drugged and mentally abused. I was subjected to monthly vaginal exams FOR NO REASON. I have not ever had an STD or any of the likes. I was given meds for conditions I never had. I was locked in obs for DAYS, or straped to a board while i laid in urine because they wouldnt feed me or let me go to the bathroom. I spend 6 weeks in a small chair with my knees against the wall with no contact with ANYONE. I lost over 70lbs. And my therapist had my parents fooled into thinking that it was all great. My parents once flew across the country to see me just to be told I wasnt allowed to see them. (because they had me in obs naked) I once had to sit in the snow in only pants and a t-shirt for hours for saying NO. I spent more time on investment than anywhere else. <br />
<br />
I was sent with a small group of girls into the wilderness for 7 days with men who i had no idea who they were, and it was called a privledge. We had no bathroom or proper food. These outtings were described to my parents as "treats". <br />
<br />
I have royally screwed up my life because I went in as a 14 year old kid and I came out so warped and screwed up. I followed my mom around like a dog for months when i came home, i was use to being told when i could eat, pee, sleep and then BAM nothing. I got use to being called by my last name and didnt respond to my first anymore. my number 326, really messes me up, my birthday being the 26th. I hate that number. I wont buy things if the total comes up to that. I have big anxiety problems. <br />
<br />
I have two children and no husband, because i want love and someone to need me but i do not enjoy physical contact, and fear sleep. I sleep on an average of 4 hours a night, if that. I hate being naked. I HATE IT. I feel like i was subjected to being a show item infront of men and women alike. I was stripped like a doll and left on the floor of obs so many times. My first night there i didnt fully understand why i needed to get naked and squat infront of someone i had never in my life seen. They dialed 9 and i was searched and all my clothes taken from me. Im in no way saying i didnt have issues. My step dad was abusing my whole family and i acted out. I have very deep depression and I am slowly working through it. <br />
<br />
I have been out of PCS for 11 years and rarely a week goes by that I dont have nightmares.but that places damages a child more than anyone can repare. ANyone that needs to talk I am here.<br />
<br />
<i>While it is unclear how damaging the long-term effects of a stay in such a facility can turn out to be, it must be clear that none can walk away without damage. A classic example is the case of manslaughter of a person convicted of criminal sexual contact of a minor. The 21 year old women who took his life as an act of defense was a former "student" of Provo Canyon School, who after her release from the facility became an easy prey for an older man who at the time of his murder was the center of a police investigation tied to drug abuse. The family had used a lot of money on the useless treatment at Provo Canyon School so there was no left for a high priced lawyer who would have got her cleared of the charges.</i><br />
<br />
<i>In year 2000 Charter Behavioral Health Systems sold Provo Canyon School to Universal Health Services, Inc.</i><br />
<br />
Sources:<br />
<ul><li><a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20110909055839/http://www.torturecanyonschool.com/testimonials">The original testimony found on a archived website</a> (The Internet Way Back machine)</li>
<li><a href="http://wiki.fornits.com/index.php/Provo_Canyon_School">Factsheet about the facility</a> (Fornits Wiki)</li>
<li><a href="http://www.topix.com/forum/city/loving-nm/T8DM75JKNBV931URE">Blair guilty of voluntary manslaughter</a> (Topix)</li>
</ul>GitteHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13182907413970200718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5958640767069519307.post-57287327856729047792016-06-12T09:21:00.000+02:002016-06-12T09:21:00.143+02:00A testimony about Provo Canyon School<i>Here are another testimony from the early days of in the existence of Provo Canyon School. All rights goes to the unnamed author</i><br />
<br />
I was a "student" there too. <br />
<br />
It was indeed horrible. There is no way to describe it but the truth needs to be told so I will do my best. They use girls as examples of how not to misbehave, for instance: one staff member didnt like what one girl said so for two weeks she was forbid to speak only write it down on a note book for others to read. Their distored reasoning was to have her think about what she was saying but every time she made a mistake and spoke by accident she recieved an infration and would have to sit for hours in "chair structer" and if u made a mistake there it would continue to increase the time u spent in the torture room.<br />
<br />
Sometimes girls were on that unit the whole time I was there I never knew them or their names for months and months they would sleep on cotts in the hall way with lights in their faces. Where pink sweats. Never ever go outside. I heard they fed them worse food than the others were offered which was horrible in nutional value. That was a BIG deal, we were lucky and it was a major privlidge if you recieved: Edible Food, Clothes, Going out door (for a short period of time), a Bed, contact with ne one at all (including in faculty) but especially ur family, this was highly detoured. <br />
<br />
I recall my family planning a trip from Colorado to come visit me and I was walking on eggshells making sure to be "perfect" so I would recieve the visit because that was always held over your head. I have no recolection of why I got into so much trouble but it was a huge deal and instead of going to go out of the place with my family they granted me with sitting in a different room in the front lobby for two days with them, crying about how horrible it was and how depressed they made me, but they manipulated my parents into thinking that I was over reacting because of the meds i was on. They for sure brainwashed me and caused me way more issues than when i went in and i stilll suffer from severe anxioty, i also beleve i have post tormatic stress disorder but have nerver been diognosed. <br />
<br />
This was 12 years ago and I still havent let my anger and frustration go toward what this school did to me. It was of no help what so ever to me and I pleed with ne on sending their child here to choose a different program that allows family envolvement, be suspecious if they dont allow u to freely contact ur child. <br />
<br />
<i>While it is unclear how damaging the long-term effects of a stay in such a facility can turn out to be, it must be clear that none can walk away without damage. A classic example is the case of manslaughter of a person convicted of criminal sexual contact of a minor. The 21 year old women who took his life as an act of defense was a former "student" of Provo Canyon School, who after her release from the facility became an easy prey for an older man who at the time of his murder was the center of a police investigation tied to drug abuse. The family had used a lot of money on the useless treatment at Provo Canyon School so there was no left for a high priced lawyer who would have got her cleared of the charges.</i><br />
<br />
<i>In year 2000 Charter Behavioral Health Systems sold Provo Canyon School to Universal Health Services, Inc.</i><br />
<br />
Sources:<br />
<ul><li><a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20110909055839/http://www.torturecanyonschool.com/testimonials">The original testimony found on a archived website</a> (The Internet Way Back machine)</li>
<li><a href="http://wiki.fornits.com/index.php/Provo_Canyon_School">Factsheet about the facility</a> (Fornits Wiki)</li>
<li><a href="http://www.topix.com/forum/city/loving-nm/T8DM75JKNBV931URE">Blair guilty of voluntary manslaughter</a> (Topix)</li>
</ul>GitteHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13182907413970200718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5958640767069519307.post-49069272540921921522016-06-02T06:35:00.001+02:002016-06-02T06:40:29.578+02:00New film-project: A basement in QueensFrom the fundraiser website:<br />
<br />
<i>When friends hear the bizarre stories of what happened to me in the program, they are shocked and often tear up. No one can believe that any parent could leave their child in a full-on drug rehab for three or more years, with hard-core drug addicts and criminals.<br />
<br />
I survived three years in Aurora Concept Inc., one of the first troubled teen programs in the country. Officially a drug rehabilitation center or therapeutic community ("TC"), it was actually more like an abusive cult. For years I felt that I was part of an underground survivors society. <br />
Originally created for adult heroin addicts in 1972, Aurora Concept Inc. started bringing in kids as young as 12. In 1982, I had just turned 14, was smoking a little pot, missed a lot of school and had emotional problems. I needed help. A psychologist suggested Aurora to my parents. He heard it was a great place for teens. It wasn't. Even the neighbors didn't have a clue what was going on “In that Basement”. <br />
<br />
Aurora used a mixture of shame, humiliation, military-type structure and thought reform (brainwashing). This "treatment" was adapted from the methods of a cultish group called Synanon (1958-1991), which pioneered the model that went on to influence the modern “Troubled Teen Industry”. Its leaders were high school dropouts whose sole qualification was having themselves been addicts. Like Synanon, Aurora was also led by high school dropouts and former addicts; Jerry Lucci, Sandi Lucci and Louie Cino. They shaved heads, forced clients to wear bizarre costumes and degrading signs, and used extreme techniques like sleep deprivation, primal screaming, and constant guilt confessionals to tear people down to nothing.<br />
<br />
I was forbidden from telling my parents, family or friends about the bizarre treatment I was subjected to in Aurora.<br />
<br />
The average stay was three years. Either you "graduated" from Aurora, or you were garbage. I wanted out so I "split" many, many times and was eventually kicked out, never graduating.<br />
<br />
Through interviews over the last decade, I have come to understand that this treatment can and has worked for the hard-core, adult drug addict. Many feel that they would be dead today if not for Aurora. I am glad for them and truly mean it, but this story focuses mainly on the adolescent experience. <br />
<br />
The difference is that these extreme measures often wreak permanent damage on the adolescent brain and ego. Damage I am still trying to repair. 30+ years later, many adolescents like me have recurring nightmares, traumatic memories and PTSD.<br />
<br />
Jerry Lucci, Sandi Lucci and Louie Cino were taken down by NY Attorney General, Elliot Spitzer in 1999.<br />
<br />
Ex-clients and parents continue to ask questions:<br />
<ul><li>Where is all of our personal information, our psychological files?</li>
<li>What happened to all the money they made off of us and our parents and medicaid?</li>
<li>Can we still sue them?</li>
<li>Why didn't they go to jail?</li>
</ul><br />
I am committed to making this film. I have been working on it for more than eight years and much of the work is already done and paid for.<br />
The total budget for this film is $25,000. I have already invested $18,000 in pre-production. My target of $7,500 here on INDIEGOGO is specifically for two purposes:<br />
<ul><li>Interviewing, filming, and editing clients/survivors, families, and faculty of The Aurora Concept, the related travel expenses and editing costs</li>
<li>Additional research and interviews on adolescent brain development</li>
</ul>I am sharing digital and DVD copies of In a Basement in Queens, as well as opportunities to see a screening of the film before the final cut, dedicate a message in the credits, or even become a producer of the film.<br />
<br />
Thank you for making this documentary possible. <br />
<br />
Not until Facebook did I realize that there were others out there like me. Lots of others. I finally figured out how to deal with my trauma - I'd tell my story, and maybe even help others.<br />
<br />
The Aurora Concept Inc. is closed, but this model of "treatment" for adolescents still exists. I hope that by telling my story, and the stories of other Aurora Concept survivors, we will warn parents on the verge of making the same mistake ours did. Don't send your troubled teen to an institution like this. Stop and seek other options.<br />
<br />
Making a balanced and cohesive documentary film is difficult. This is true in this case for several reasons, including the fact that The Aurora Concept is closed, speaking about their experiences is often traumatic for survivors, and much of the documentation of the activities at the Aurora Concept has been destroyed.<br />
<br />
I know not everyone is in the position to make a financial contribution today, but there are lots of other ways to help make this film:<br />
<ul><li>If you or someone you know was involved with the Aurora Concept and has photos, film, or stories to share, please contact me today. Click the pink link next to the video at the top that says "Ask a question", or email me at aofphoto@mac.com.</li>
<li>Like us on Facebook and share our posts.</li>
<li>Please use the INDIEGOGO share tools in the menu on the left to spread the word</li>
</ul><br />
Thank you for your help today! <br />
<br />
-Adam</i><br />
<br />
<iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/167977152" width="355" height="200" frameborder="0" webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen allowfullscreen></iframe><br />
<br />
Sources:<br />
<ul><li><a href="https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/in-a-basement-in-queens--2#/">The project Indiegogo page</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.facebook.com/The-Aurora-Concept-Documentary-140908954973/">The projects Facebook page</a></li>
</ul>GitteHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13182907413970200718noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5958640767069519307.post-91924366632829011842016-05-15T08:43:00.000+02:002016-05-15T08:43:00.170+02:00I survived PCS<i>This testimony was found on a website called "Torture Canyon School". It tells the story about being a patient at Provo Canyon School under the old ownership.</i><br />
<br />
My 1'st night there, I was thrown into obs, (observation) and because it was the Friday, I didn't get any clean clothes, or toiletries until Monday.<br />
<br />
There forms of discipline were two extremes: They either treated us like immature children, giving us 'punishments' like, sitting on a chair facing the wall for hours on end, or, they would get extremely physical with us, calling (dial 9's) - restraints, which pretty much meant, that if a girl were to show any signs of emotional distress, all the available staff in the area, were to grab a limb, and slam her against the wall as forcefully as possible, as they drug her to obs. It was like a game to the staff. A competition to see who could leave the most bruises on a patient. <br />
<br />
My first night, I got a dial 9, because I was upset about being there, and I was confused, but I wasn't freaking out or anything. Two guys just came out of nowhere and tackled me. The next morning I had bruises everywhere, and I 'got' to see the campus doctor. He recorded them, but just waved them off as 'routine.' <br />
<br />
I tried to tell my parents about the form of abuse that was taking place here (it happened daily, constantly. There wasn't a day that went by, that you weren't constantly hearing over the staff radio "DIAL 9!" And the screaming. You could always hear the screaming of the girls from inside obs.) You couldn't contact your parents for the first two weeks, so I wrote them. Telling them what happened. And their reply was "'Thats a lovely story (they obviously thought I was BS-ing them, trying to get them to withdraw me) Perhaps you can write a novel when you get home." Also, since there was so access to a telephone, there was no way to contact the authorities to help the abuse issues. <br />
<br />
There also was the food. The same menu every week. Oatmeal for breakfast. Pasta for lunch. Tacos for dinner. And, since there were so many anorexics, they were essentially ''force-feeding'' us. (we had to take everything offered (a ridiculous amount of food) and finish it all.) So, if you weren't suffering from an eating disorder, you would gain weight. Not, to mention that the food offered was ridiculously unhealthy. <br />
<br />
I went through two therapists in my duration there. My first therapist and I never talked about anything. He mostly used our sessions to bring up my past and make me feel guilty about every little thing that I've ever done in my life. When he left, I got another one, who wasn't an upgrade. She used our sessions, to gripe about her personal life, and we stared at each other in awckward silence and read Oprah magazines. The website is very misleading. It brags about how great its school system is. But, what it doesn't say, is that it consists of a square hallway, 11 classrooms, and adults that are even barely qualified to teach the subjects they teach. The classes aren't arranged by grade, because there isn't even a system, so while the parents are under the influence their child will stay 'up to date' with their credits, they're really just being thrown into what ever class is availible, i.e a Seinor in basic algebra.<br />
<br />
I Still vividly remember that godforsaken place. <br />
<br />
The PCS Lingo, that all the girls used, the Staff, my Peers.<br />
<br />
I'm haunted by memories of that place. I dream about it...could you even call those dreams? <br />
<br />
I just hope that someday enough people will fight hard enough to liberate those that are still trapped in places like that. I don't see why anything hasn't been done yet.<br />
<br />
<i>In year 2000 Charter Behavioral Health Systems sold Provo Canyon School to Universal Health Services, Inc.</i><br />
<br />
Sources:<br />
<ul><li><a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20110909055839/http://www.torturecanyonschool.com/testimonials">The original testimony found on a archived website</a> (The Internet Way Back machine)</li>
<li><a href="http://wiki.fornits.com/index.php/Provo_Canyon_School">Factsheet about the facility</a> (Fornits Wiki)</li>
</ul>GitteHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13182907413970200718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5958640767069519307.post-17451539774705255092016-04-17T10:40:00.000+02:002016-04-17T10:40:04.328+02:00bringbackbreeches at Island View<i>This testimony was found on Reddit. All rights goes to the original author known as bringbackbreeches</i><br />
<br />
Warning: this is gonna be long as hell.<br />
<br />
No details on who I am or when I went, sorry, other than I was there when it was still called Island View. I'm ultra paranoid about being identified and want to distance myself from it all. I'm happy to talk via PM. One little hint I'll give out publicly is that while I attended there, someone called in a bomb threat, so we were all moved to the church down the street. Sat around for seven hours bored out of our skulls, but got to eat pizza and not go through the daily miserable routine. It was a nice reprieve, so if you're the person who called it in, thanks man. I owe you a pizza.<br />
<br />
I graduated as a test. I spent more than a year there. I graduated having one of the most prestigious 'job' you could be assigned, and was seen as a diplomat between teams and as vastly improved by the facility. By all accounts, I seemed like the perfect success story.<br />
<br />
A couple years later, I had a sympathetic therapist who was astonished by all of what I'd told him. He had no idea. Given, he probably didn't have the extensive education a psychologist or psychiatrist would have, but he didn't have a lot of contact with the TTI because he was mostly an adult therapist. He told me a buddy of his was an investigator for these sorts of places, and asked me if I wanted him to try to coax this investigator into giving Island View a closer look. Of course I said yes, so he told me he was going to call him up, put him on speakerphone, and pretend he was just talking to him one on one, and for me to be quiet, so we could get the response he'd give a colleague.<br />
<br />
So he rang him up and asked him if he knew about Island View, the investigator said of course, then told him my allegations against the place. Keep in mind, I wasn't pulled from the RTC, I didn't barely graduate on impact, I was well-regarded when I graduated.<br />
<br />
The investigator paused, and this is what he said (I'll remember this until the day I die): "That's ridiculous. I've toured that facility multiple times and can attest to the highest level of professionalism in the business. It sounds like you've got a disgruntled ex-patient on your hands trying to get some attention or sympathy."<br />
<br />
Even typing this out now makes my heart race. I've never been quiet since then about telling people about the place, but the few times I've had friends start to rally, get angry, get motivated to make a petition or launch an investigation, I've told them not to bother.<br />
<br />
Here's why: Anyone who stayed at Island View for a long period of time will remember the routine when they sent investigators over: we were made to double deep clean our rooms. The people who were on yellow zone or individual focus were either sequestered to their room with the door closed, or the door to the whole hallway was closed off. Anyone below an impact caught talking to the investigators could get privileges pulled and were told not to interact with them, not to look at them. At best, if you were asked a question by them, you were pressured to smile and look engaged in your schoolwork. The investigators were led around by tests, usually the team leaders. If anyone of any level said anything bad or incriminatory to the investigators, you could face serious trouble. And if my memory serves me right, which it might not because there are thankfully big great gaps missing from this period in my life, they would serve the 'good' food when these investigators rolled through. The burgers and fries and sometimes even root beers and cream sodas. They did that when parents came through too. And if I recall correctly, they mostly toured the school and only briefly strolled through the actual housing units.<br />
<br />
This place practised conversion therapy. They practised solitary confinement. They practised gender confirmation therapy. They used excessive force when restraining non-dangerous patients. (I mean, that's why they had to sell the place.) They practised extreme social manipulation. They practised literal brainwashing! A kid killed himself there. There were multiple accounts of sexual abuse. But I was a 'disgruntled ex-patient looking for attention or sympathy'.<br />
<br />
So yep. There's my contribution to 'these lovely human beings have all the possible cards you could imagine stacked against you' argument. If I had no soul, moral conscience, or empathy for other living beings, this whole industry has an amazing business plan.<br />
<br />
<i>Island View was part of the collapse of Aspen Education Group. Is was sold and renamed. It is now open under another name. It might not be so bad now if the patients can phone home from day one to family and friends perferally given their own cell-phone</i><br />
<br />
Sources:<br />
<ul><li><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/troubledteens/comments/4416kp/i_went_to_island_view_gonna_tell_you_a_depressing/">The original testimony on Reddit</a></li>
<li><a href="http://wiki.fornits.com/index.php/Island_view">Factsheet about Island View</a> (Fornits Wiki)</li>
</ul>GitteHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13182907413970200718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5958640767069519307.post-45483090041388685012016-03-20T19:48:00.000+01:002016-03-20T19:48:00.208+01:00Joice at Elan School<i>Today the now closed Elan is the media due to the retrial against Michael Skakel. Many teenagers who were there later committed suicide. The "confessions" made at the facility were result of extreme pressure.</i><br />
<br />
My name is Joice. I also was sent to E'lan 4 in 1977. The day before my 14th birthday. <br />
<br />
As with any new resident the next day I had to sing in front of everyone in m/m. I was there for a total of three years. stayed 2x. I was put in the ring, tried to escape with Cindy Kieth. What was I thinking. The place was sealed tighter than a fortress. The people that were declared "uncontrollable" were placed there. And forgotten about. <br />
<br />
Elan did not give hope but rather took it. I remember Frankie. I believe he had cerebral palsy. Know for sure he was epileptic AND had a metal plate in his head. Almost everyday Peter McCann would come into the dining room and start picking out the largest guys and taking them secretly to a room. That was no secret...we all knew he was preparing a cowboy ass kicking for Frankie. Sure enough you would hear Frankie screaming and his body hitting the floor, walls and the big guys fists and feet. Frankie didn't do shit to deserve THAT. <br />
<br />
I was always in the ring. I was the one with the head gear on covering my face with my 16 oz boxing gloves. And the spankings. There were these two huge guys. George Washington was one. Really nice guy. Everyone used to pick on him. When he spanked you (me) you knew it. I got so used to that I would start laughing. That frustrated Peter. He got this other guy. Don't know his name. His technique was the two handed spank. One would hit you the other would ricochet you off the chair. I was always a "shot-down". I was defiant. No matter what they did there was no way I was going to do it thier way. "fake it til you make it". All those tight houses. 4 was always on a tight house. I was so depressed there I just went into another realm. I was made to scrub the dumpster outside by the kitchen area with the maggots still in there. It was so fucken gross. Finally they stuck me down in the laundry room with Jeffrey Weintraub as my worker. I let Nanette Walls escape one day during cheerleading practice. She got caught, I got shot down then turned into a "nothing" doing daily's everyday. <br />
<br />
I wanted to pretend like this part of my life never happened and I was doing really good at it. But then something made me look it up and to my JOY I see it has been closed forever. It never should have lasted as long as it did. I have also seen a couple of peoples names that I remember being there with. I hope to be able to get in touch with some people.<br />
<br />
<i>Elan School closed in 2011.</i><br />
<br />
<br />
Sources:<br />
<ul><li><a href="http://wiki.fornits.com/index.php/Elan_School">Factsheet about the facility</a> (Fornits Wiki)</li>
<li><a href="http://heal-online.org/tinc?key=aOvhgoOX&start=970&epp=5&reverse=1">The original testimony</a>(Heal-online's message board)</li>
</ul>GitteHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13182907413970200718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5958640767069519307.post-42353282332014442652016-02-14T19:32:00.000+01:002016-02-14T19:32:06.894+01:00Anon at Devereux Glenholme<i>This testimony was found on HEAL-online's message board</i><br />
<br />
I had the 'pleasure' of being sent to this place when I was around 11 or 12,in 1992 or '93. My stay there was cut short, thank God,because my stepfather, a Navy man, was being transferred out of state. <br />
<br />
First of all we'll start with the glamorous brochures and outlandish claims of lavish accommodations afforded the 'students' at their 'school'. I was,at the time,in an acute care mental facility for children and adolescents in Rhode Island,diagnosed with bipolar disorder, when discussions for my future care were being held by all concerned. <br />
<br />
Somehow, Devereux Glenholme was included. With glossy brochures featuring pictures of go-kart tracks (that I'd never get to use) and ice cream shops, they lured me in. Nothing but a shameless sales pitch. Well, the first week I was there I was on the phone to my mother, desperately begging for her to come get me out of there. It all started with the 'discipline' regime which involved, as another poster had said, having to stand behind your chair at mealtimes and having to march around single file, not allowed to speak or anything - but that really wasn't too bad compared to what had me on the phone. <br />
<br />
One morning, I was accosted by two older,bigger (I was 11 or 12) 15-16 year old boys who,wearing blankets,gave me a 'blanket party' while I was still in bed. Kids will be kids, right? But this happened in the full view of a staff member who watched the entire thing happen, without intervening - this staff member being a full grown man - he watched as a boy older and bigger than me climbed onto the top bunk with me and punched me repeatedly in the face and head. This man said he wouldn't intervene because it could expose him to liability. What a coward.<br />
<br />
More fun at Devereux Glenholm included finding my suitcase with my belongings rifled thru and vandalized in their basement of one of their oh-so-lovely 'cottages'. Apparently, Glenholm places more emphasis on collecting its hundred + thousand a year 'tuition' than on protecting the wellbeing or the property of the 'students' who they collect it from. <br />
<br />
Also there were the little tile rooms - probably the most egregious of offenses to humanity and sanity that Devereux Glenholm had to offer in my stay with them. They had several of these rooms -not included in the information in what can only be described as their sales brochures, to be sure - all across their campus,about the size of a small bathroom. These rooms were covered from floor to ceiling with tile, they were dimly lit and featured a door with no handle on the inside and a drain in the center of the room. Oftentimes, I was placed in one of these rooms and there was excrement left in them from children who had been held in them before. Just as the poster above mentioned - they didn't let you out of there for hours for anything; bathroom, water, food,etc. Yes-these criminals denied children access to basic human needs. And an interesting note was that at the time,or so I was told, it was illegal in the state of Connecticut to lock a child in a room using an actual deadbolt or other fastening device, so they used to have the older kids act as 'holders', or in other words, they would throw a kid in one of these holes, and have another child hold the door shut so that you could not get out. Speculatively, one can imagine what the 'holder' could get away with regarding tormenting the child he was keeping in the room when he was unsupervised - perhaps even while he was supervised, given the manner in which staff dealt with even physical assaults between the children as I have described above. <br />
<br />
As to the 'amenities' at Devereux Glenholm - I was there maybe 9 months. Not once was I allowed to use the go-karts, the track seemed to never get used either. The pool -interestingly, if you look at their website, its the same one they had there back when I was incarcerated there in the early 90s, and looks like it was built in the 70s - I got to use once. For maybe 15 minutes. I don't recall the horses there,but I'll tell you, just like all the other 'amenities' at glenholm, those horses are just there to entice people to pay them to take their kids. Most of the time we were either in what they call 'classrooms',or the 'cottages', or we were being forced to participate in some form of what they called 'leisure activities', which was just more excersize in 'discipline', as 'leisure' meant doing things like practicing square dancing or other horribly dull and droll (square dancing,for kids?seriously?) 'activities' that if you didn't participate in, and with a 'good attitude'- see above about the little tile rooms. As for 'therapy' sessions - I remember one 'session' in particular that was being led by a so-called 'councilor', the excersize was to compose a 'group rap'. So we all had to sit around and make rap lyrics. How therapeutic. <br />
<br />
Devereux Glenholm,as I remember it, was a nightmare. There is nothing a child can do,nothing so 'wrong' with a child,that should ever prompt a parent to consider sending them to this private, run for-profit juvenile prison that masquerades itself as an amenities rich 'care facility'. I'd like to,at this time,remain anonymous unless and until a class action suit or other suitable remedy is ever pursued,but feel free to post my story on your website. Your doing a good thing exposing these adolescent gulags to the world- as much as they like to claim and aggrandize their success stories about their 'students' going on to become doctors and such,for every one of those kids- theres probably 20 kids that were terribly ruined by them who's stories they don't post on their slick web sites.<br />
<br />
<br />
Sources:<br />
<ul><li><a href="http://heal-online.org/tinc?key=aOvhgoOX&start=970&epp=5&reverse=1">The original testimony</a></li>
<li><a href="http://wiki.fornits.com/index.php/Devereaux_Glenholme">Factsheet about the facility</a> (Fornits Wiki)</li>
</ul>GitteHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13182907413970200718noreply@blogger.com0