People are not really sure exactly how many abusive treatment facilities there are. So if anyone knows about some places that are not on the "Targeted Facilities" list at the bottom of the page, put them in the comment section of this update. You can however cite some proof on weather or not their abuse is top notch or from your own experience if your a survivor.
This list really counts to let the general public know about these abusive for-profits. The bigger the list, the better!
Carlbrook School in Halifax, VA:
ReplyDeleteI personally know the following from an on site visit and interviews with staff members:
1. Students are not allowed to speak to other students (this is called "bans") and are put on "bans" when they arrive.
2. If a student breaks "bans," another rule or has a "bad attitude," they are placed in a classroom called the "reflection room" by three staff members and the "suspension room" by some of the students. They are made to stay there from approx. 7:30 am until 10:30 pm with two 45 minute breaks. They are not to speak or talk and are allowed to ask four questions. A sign on the wall made it clear that the room attendant had the discretion of deciding whether or not a question could be asked in the first place. We were told that the students could be in the room anywhere from one day to 6 weeks.
All phone calls are monitored.
All mail is monitored.
Students must "earn" the right to speak with their parents.
All parent - teacher conferences are held off site at a resort in North Carolina.
There is one RN on staff who is present two days per week.
There is no real infirmary - just a small room in a trailer that has a larger room that serves as the music room/"activities" room, and two small adjoining rooms with bunkbeads. The whole building was very, very dark inside with minimal lighting.
Most of the buildings (not shown in the fancy brochure we received) were modular trailer units, small and dark.
The grounds were very unkempt and the boys dorm was filthy. Four bunk beds were crammed in each room, with clothes hanging visible (no closets), the bathroom was filthy (they are building a new very nice dorm, however).
We asked the school what "therapist" they would pair our child with and we were told they would not provide that information unless our child was enrolled. When we asked for a list of credentials of their staff therapists, we got the same answer.
We were not allowed to see the building "up in the woods" (as it was described) where they conduct the large group workshops they refer to as therapy.
They charge $7,100 per month to attend - double that of most all Ivy League Schools.
They have approximately 100 plus students.
Students are not allowed to come home for holidays.
Students are at no time allowed access to internet or cell phones.
Visit and any communication with family is "earned." We were told that we should expect not to have our child come home for any visit for nine months to a year.
When we visited, we hardly saw any students, which we thought was very strange. We were told that most of them were up in the workshop building have a workshop and it would not be over till late.
The few students we did see told us they were not allowed to talk about the workshops.
I went there.
ReplyDeleteIt really wasn't a big deal. In fact I miss it a lot sometimes. Those were good and pure times that are hard to explain. I am now a finance professional in Charlotte and I doubt that I would be here if not for my time at the brook, You should chill,
ReplyDeleteI also attended and graduated from Carlbrook and I must respectfully disagree with David's comment that "it really wasn't a big deal".
ReplyDeleteI personally sat in a group therapy session while the co-founder of the school called several teenage girls horrible epithets that would be considered sexual harassment in even the most liberal and understanding adult workplaces, let alone a school for vulnerable teens. This is to say nothing of the fact that the co-founder in question had absolutely no academic background or clinical credentials in therapy and should never have been granted access to a group therapy session with in the first place.
I'll mention that this incident was in no way isolated, it is symbolic of the systematic abuse that was rife during the year and a half that I spent at Carlbrook, and it was a terrifying experience to endure. I had to put on a mask to survive the experience, and pretend to comply and conform in order to graduate.
Any "progress" I made at Carlbrook was short lasting, and it was not long after I graduated before I reverted to many of my old behaviors, which were made all the worse as I was struggling with an identity crisis adopted at Carlbrook. Fortunately, I sought help from actual clinical professionals who had the expertise to help me deal both with my underlying issues as well as the trauma I experienced at Carlbrook.
Based on the number of graduates I still keep in touch with, my story is typical of the Carlbrook experience, and I consider myself very lucky to have made it out and to have rehabilitated myself (many have not). Like David, I have a successful career in finance and I'm happy with who I am; however, I believe that Carlbrook did far more to put that success in jeopardy than it did to help me realize it.