placesthatchangedpeople

[placesthatchangedpeople]

Lazuli Hartwigsen at the Midwest Center for Youth and Families

This place is downright abusive. It's not tough love, it causes more trauma for already traumatized children. I was one of those kids. I was on my best behavior my entire stay yet I still received and encountered cruel punishment. I witnessed staff hold a girls trauma against her because she wasn't paying attention in class, mocking her to the point of a panic attack. If we weren't deemed "safe enough" they would take away our long sleeved clothing, mind you this was Indiana in WINTER. The unit would maybe be around 50 to 55 degrees in the winter when I was under their care. My toes and fingers would go numb on a regular basis due to the cold. I looked forward to our 10 minute shower to keep me warm, mind you the ten minutes started when you got into the bathroom not the shower so our showers were only about 5 minutes long due to the time being spend undressing and dying off and redressing. We spent a lot of time sitting on the floor waiting for meds, and during this time NOBODY could make a noise otherwise they would make us spend extra time sitting on the hardwood floors. Most of the time we all just sat in the dayroom in our assigned seats while a staff member mindlessly led groups they knew nothing about. Occasionally a therapist would lead a group but it was like listening to a record on repeat. I encountered a girl on my unit crying out "I can't breathe" while she was held down in a hold on the floor. three or four staff were holding down this girl. She was only 13 and maybe 130 lbs. Other staff on a separate occasion made sexual comments towards the same girl, the entire unit heard and later made complaints but the staff member was still assigned to our unit after said complaints. We were only allowed to talk to our families for 10 minutes every other day, and if we went over that time limit they would forcefully end the call. Not to mention the biggest red flag is we were forced to have a staff member present for our first few calls to our families so "we wouldn't talk bad about the facility". DO NOT SEND YOUR KIDS HERE.

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At least now it also has been covered from European media so it cannot be spread to Europe.

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You're downplaying the severity of the accusations. The kidnapping, starving and dehydration were the very tip of the iceberg. Just 2 weeks ago a 12yo child was bound in a sleeping bag to prevent his escape where he died of asphyxiation. R-pe was so common in my program that we were coached on what to say to investigators. Even threatened into silence saying we'd be next or we'd be sent to "higher lvl programs" some out of the country where we'd be tortured. Non-verbal autistic children were being raped and when I went to the police after my release, they said my word alone wasn't good enough for them to get a warrant to investigate. Somehow these non-verbal kids were expected to report this themselves...

I was sent for truancy and they threatened to send my mom to prison if she didn't sign me over. Some kids were even forced there by their parents for being gay or trans as a means of conversion therapy. I dropped from 130lbs to 90lbs (6ft tall). My teeth were falling out. I was regarded as a star resident, never had a write up, told I'd only be there for 2 months. Then 3 months passed. 4 months. 6 months. They held me for a year. Cost the state $120k just for the stay. They abuse the fostercare system's funding and health insurance to fund their programs. They use that money to pay ed consultants, counselors, therapists, judges, etc. large sums of money in kickbacks to threaten parents into sending their kids. Threatening immigrant parents with deportation, Poor single parents with jail, whatever it takes to make a sale.

The testimony above was found as a comment to this media coverage:

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Just a summer camp. Supposed to be fun. It was not. It sound very awful and people tried to keep it secret.

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Lilian F at the Midwest Center For Youth & Families

I spent a month at the South Shore Academy branch of MCYF and I deeply regret choosing this facility over other residential treatment centers. The environment was much more restrictive than an acute crisis stabilization unit(inpatient) and we were often made to feel more like prisoners than patients. There was only one or two groups about actually learning DBT skills each week and they were rarely productive. I ended up having to learn all the skills on my own during free time and school. We were afraid to admit when we were struggling because of the looming threat of being put on degrading precautions(only crayons to write, someone standing in the doorway when you shower/pee, etc.). We weren't allowed to talk about our problems outside of group and we were given very little time on the unit to socialize, giving us few chances to actually apply the skills we were supposed to be learning. The patients themselves are also a huge factor in why you should NOT send your daughter there; many of them have histories of violence and aggression, and would repeatedly start fights and threaten staff members and other patients. If your daughter struggles with mental illness, South Shore is not the place for her. Look into less restrictive RTCs where she can receive attentive treatment in an environment more like the "real world" to practice her skills. I'm even considering going to residential again after wasting a month of my life doing pages from a workbook.

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Nova O at the Midwest Center For Youth & Families

Absolutely the worst place I've ever seen. They have bugs everywhere. The staff will swear at the teens right back. I witnessed two fist fights while there, my roommate cut herself in front of me, and they only serve canned food. This place was absolutely disgusting. I had to stay there for relocation purposes while I was waiting to turn 18 and be on my own and I was treated with so much disrespect. Porcea, a staff member, is absolutely biased in which teens she likes and which teens get treated well and which don't. I was nothing but respectful during my stay and this staff member would pick me out to yell at me for things I was allowed to do and would take my points (in the point system) even when I earned them. She made it so I didn't get incentives for playing a game too hard??? Also Shaney, another staff member, bragged about how she hangs from meat hooks in her free time, brags about how she does her nails so they're pointed for when she has to put a child in a therapeutic hold she can dig her nails in them, and had no problem swearing at the teens and telling them they were worthless. I did not have a personal problem with her, I just feel that this should be noted. The staff member I would to thank is Mary, the recreational therapist. She made my stay bearable by offering music and treating me like an actual human being. Also Peggy the teacher was kind as to bring candy for us. Other than that, the place was hell.

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Gwen U. at the Midwest Center For Youth & Families

DO NOT SEND YOUR CHILDREN HERE! I was here for a little over a month and i dont think ill ever forget it... And i dont mean that in a good way! I was prompted to write this review upon waking up from another nightmare about this place. Easily the worst month of my entire life. Let me begin:

*abusive staff: i was transported here against my will. Upon arrival they forcefully cut my nails really short and it was painful. I was resistant and so i was put in a hold, which gave me huge bruises all over my body. To be fair, i wasnt being obedient, but i definitely didnt deserve those bruises. They also gave me 3 shots back to back which i dont think was safe. This was only the BHW's.

*awful peers: i was mocked because i said a hail mary prayer. Residents came into my room threatening to physical hurt me because i was praying. I quote one girl "Dear jesus give me the strength not to kill this annoying religious b****" that was not all, fights broke out all the time, and there was a major bullying issue!

*bad environment: it was dirty and the food was awful. They punished you by taking away your "points" if you didnt finish and if you did they would still not serve seconds. (did i mention the point system? Its biased and unfair) i had to shower and use the bathroom with the door open and other residents can definitely see you, its humiliating. Also one girl brought lice into the unit... and they dont let you have multiple blankets or pillows and it was really cold in the winter... And once they put me on a liquid diet for 3 days because i threw up... And i was so hungry i was only fed 250 calories a day during that. I ended up losing 15lbs in my 1 month stay from the lack of food. They also wouldnt let me take my schoolbooks back to the unit to do homework after the alotted school time... Learning was my coping skill and i got punished for sneaking a history book back to my room. Punishing a kid for TRYING TO LEARN is absolutely awful.

*lifelong memories of the awful place will really damage your child. I cried almost every night and i know i wasnt the only one. Also it doesn't work. I left feeling worse than i did before treatment and returned to other hospitals less than a month after discharge.

Please dont send your child here...

As a note: the only nice staff i can remember ... Sandy the nurse, Porcea, Peggy, and Bobitha.

Other than that most everyone else was unqualified and not working here for the right reasons.

:(

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Peyton P. at the Midwest Center For Youth & Families

This place was terrible while I was there it was freezing they wouldn't let you layer because they thought you would be trying to escape the staff would curse back at the children arguing they would constantly put the kids down and constantly be passive aggressive towards the kids they yell at us when we talk about past residents when they talk about them all the time and all the holds they put kids in the therapists would try and change the kids complete personalities there was very few staff that you could actually talk to and know you can trust that not every single word would be used against you there was very few good staff but the good ones there in my opinion was :Candi, Mery, Stashia and nurse Sam

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Gabriela S. at the Midwest Center For Youth & Families

Horrible, horrible place. It's the same as a military boot camp. I witnessed a ten year old being attacked by staff for having a nonviolent panic attack. One male staff member intentionally looked at a patient when she was half-dressed. I have PTSD from this "treatment facility". Well, if treatment is being physically and emotionally abused by staff and peers, then this is the definition of it. Girls were catcalled by male staff who were decades older than them. Staff were self-centered and didn't care if you died. I DEVELOPED an eating disorder here. I still have it. This place made me afraid to seek treatment. I had a panic attack a year and a half after being discharged, over a package of butter by the same brand they used at Midwest. Shantay is awful. Valeria, or "Mrs. V', is worse. Staff are really horrible. Please, please, please... find somewhere else. Anywhere else. Please.

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Yelp review of Falcon Ridge Ranch

if you're thinking of sending you're kid here. i'm just gonna kindly redirect you to learn how to talk to you're kid and understand them before sending them off to get physically and sexually abused by the staff that work there. kids got sexually abused when i was there a little over a year ago. i got restrained for going out into the hallway. my wrist is still not okay till this day. Falcon is NOT a place for teenage kids. It is owned by Sequence, which also owned Red Rock. which was recently shut down for many many many reports of physical assault and sexual assault. hmmm same thing happening at Falcon. so the same shit is happening at the other "Sequence" owned places, we could assume. If i had a gun pointed to my head, i would still not send my kid to any type of treatment like this. Scarred me for life. Staff falsely accuse you for situations and over exaggerated everything. You send you're kid here, get ready for them to come back 50 times worse as they were before they went there.

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Cameron Meeker at Turnaround Ranch, Missouri

Some of us made it out and became "better". Not my word for it, just one most would prefer. That is not credited to this establishment. Whilst there were good staff, for each one there was an abusive one. Such as allowing other children to see the charts of another. Playing favorites. Or simply tired of their job, allowing for rash or unsympathetic treatment. Were we, as children, easy to deal with? Hell no. But we were just that, children. Turnaround is built to break the will of the kids and find them easier to manage. Not help them with their issues.

If you want a real solution, send your child to Challenge & Change in Nevada Missouri. From personal experience, the staff are better trained as well supported by a system built on empathy and the goal of healing the children. One I am afraid I took for granted. As an adult, I urge you to be careful when reading into places like these. Please visit and look beyond the brochure.

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C. Clark at SUWS Carolinas

I have spent the last 15 years trying to heal from the emotional and physical trauma SUWS put me through. I’m now a registered nurse & have a background with young teens, & specializing in behavioral health.

First let’s talk about how two grown men pulled me out of my bed at 3am, not telling me where I was going, only that I wouldn’t be able to tell anyone goodbye and if I resisted they’d ‘tie me up’. As parents, your children will look to you for safety and stability, having them professionally kidnapped will forever harm that relationship.

The program itself is set up and founded on outdated and damaging psychology. There is now decades of research and thousands of former ‘campers’ like myself coming forward to talk about how traumatizing and harmful these programs are, and it blows my mind that people are desperate enough to pay over 30k to send their child away but not ACTUALLY DO THERAPY with them.

Your children will be at high risk of developing an eating disorder. Your child may develop PTSD from being kidnapped. Your child might become more isolated. Your child WILL learn they can not ever fully trust you again. Your child will resent you.

The parents weekend they have when you pick up your child is all a show. Your child will not have the opportunity to shower regularly (I went 28 days without being allowed to bathe) your girls will be at such a risk for UTIs, they give them supplements to prevent, but not actual hygiene. Your girls have 2 pairs of underwear to last over 21 days with no shower, think about that. No deodorant, no shaving, so if you’re queer or female presenting, you may also develop some dysphporia.

The real kicker? The staff watching your child are not qualified to do so. The counselors are often early 20s people who like hiking, no mental health experience. The one therapist they see happens once a week, for under 45 min.

Please just do some research. Don’t listen to google reviews from parents saying “my kid behaves better” because Of course that is what will happen, your child was legally in an outdoor prison for over over a month with no contact with friends, family, loved ones. TEENS. where socialization is detrimental part of development. Congratulations, your children don’t respect you, they’re just scared of you now.

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Sasuke R. at the Midwest Center For Youth & Families

Literally the worst facility I've ever been to in my life. The staff were cruel and abusive and the grievance procedure was crumby. The facility had a regulation where if a adolescent or child was only physically harmful/aggressive toward his or herself they would be put in a physical restraint, but the staff who were there when I was there misused the restraint procedure and used it as a punishment and a threat instead of to protect the child/adolescent. Also, Physical restraint in mental health facilities aren't supposed to painful. These sick people made a 17 year old young male cry and scream like a baby going through circumcision, while restraining him just because a staff member told him to stop singing. That's in no way shape or form acting out aggressively or unsafe.  I was never restrained but I was told that if I "act out aggressively toward staff" I would be restrained out of retaliation not for safety. Also the supervisors were no better. They would literally take the staff's side no matter what, I was even threatened by one of the supervisors. Also the co-founder barely pays any attention to how a client is being treated I've put in so many requests to speak to him because all of the supervisors here suck and throughout my entire time being there I've never gotten a single chance to speak to him. Also the therapists here are absolutely no better. Mine was ok, but I knew that he would never admit that he didn't want to work my case, but there was a female therapist that I've seen that works here who is very condescending and inconsiderate of anyone's feelings and she was a complete hot head who had literally no emotional navigation and wanted people to hear what she had to say more than anything ugh she was terrible. Just a horrible facility that no one should go to....it's so poorly ran and they will not help you or your child. It will only make them worse, I promise you! Please PLEASE do not place your child in this facility it is hell on earth.

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Sui Keoin at Turnaround Ranch, Missouri

I was placed here while waiting for foster care placement. The system is broken and sends trouble orphaned children to level 4 facilities where abuse and humiliation goes on. We weren’t allowed to wash our hands in the bathrooms. We had to count out toilet paper. I saw kids held down, denied family visits as punishment, bullied by staff etc. Huge amounts of abuse went on. Kids had been there for years with no chances of going home or living a normal life. There were times we didn’t go outside for days, weren’t allowed to attend school, etc. it was a horrifying and traumatizing experience. Any adult that can justify the treatment we went through is disgusting

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I attended SUWS in 2012 in the boys group. None of the staff that was working there at the time was still working there a few years later, not even the therapists. Their staff turnover rate is extremely high. That should tell you something. Also, their "field instructors" are college students being paid minimum wage to babysit. They aren't therapists, and they get very little training. We did have brief (maybe 30 minute) meetings with an actual therapist about once a week.

I didn't have any issues with not being fed or given enough water, but I can confirm the other reviews about the poor hygiene. In the 2 months I was there, I think they allowed us to shower 2-3 times in total. Even when we were back at the base camp, they usually didn't let us shower. Not being allowed to shower for 2 months is very unhealthy, and nearly caused me to get an infection. Guys know what can happen when you don't regularly clean down there. I was too embarrassed to bring it up to any of the staff, who I barely knew. Even without a full shower, they should have at least given us wet wipes or something to use daily to clean private areas.

There was essentially no privacy, except when using the bathroom or showering. Even when doing that, we had to yell out every few seconds so the staff knew we hadn't run away. We weren't allowed to have "private conversations" with each other. All conversations had to be within earshot of the staff, and they controlled what we were allowed to talk about. We weren't even allowed to know what time it was for some reason. They never really explained that one. Also, the letters we wrote to our parents weren't private either. They were first read by the staff before being sent to our parents.

Also, I was there during Hurricane Sandy. They knew the storm was coming, and didn't take us inside to the dry, heated cabins. Instead, we had to sleep outside in the woods under a tarp (not even a fully enclosed tent), while we got several inches of snow and ice with strong winds all night. Most of us didn't get any sleep from the noise, and because we were afraid a tree would fall on us from the strong winds.

When our parents came to pick us up, they didn't have them come to the main location where we had been for 2 months. They moved us to the much nicer Wolf Creek cabins, and allowed us to shower to make it look like we were being treated nicely.