Archive | March 2015
31/03/2015  

327. Second Nature Wilderness program

Second Nature Wilderness program is marketed as a wilderness therapy program. When the business was largest, It had departments in Georgia, Oregon and Utah. As of 2021 the website only mentions Utah. The wilderness program was founded in 1998.

The students are often forced to attend the program against their wishes. Many are transported to the office by professional muscle persons hired by their parents who collect the teenagers from their own beds using the force and tools necessary for such an pickup.

Each student often has to complete fours phases. If the parents run out of money the teenagers can be kicked out before. Often the program has a referral list of boarding schools they can offer the parents. The program often receive payments from some of the boarding schools and treatment centers when they refer a child.

It cannot be fun to be there as a teenager.

Sources:

Student testimonies:

2021 Update

A father and a son sued the program claiming that the services offered were not real threapy.

30/03/2015  

326. Royal Haven Equestrian Center For Girls

Royal Haven Equestrian Center For Girls was a behavior modification facility located on near Sisters, Oregon for some year before moving closer to Bend.

It focused on treating girls for various behavioral issues. However the treatment took a too personal approach for many of the girls. The founder was sentenced to 45 years in prison.

It could not have been fun to be there as a teenager.

Sources:

29/03/2015  

325. Pendleton Academies

The Pendleton Academies was located in Pendleton in Oregon. It closed in 2008.

Founded in 1989 the facility was as a non-profit organization specializing in education and psychiatric treatment for children with the most challenging behavioral, educational, and mental health care needs.

However the facility used a lot of restraints and they failed to report the use of this to the authorities. As result they were forced to close.

It could not have been fun to be there as a teenager.

Sources:

14/03/2015  

324. Saving Youth Foundation

Justice finally caught up with the management of a Christian Boot camp in Mobile, Alabama

Years ago we wrote about a similar boot camp also in Alabama called Restoration Youth Academy also located in Alabama. After we wrote about the facility they got some unwanted attention from the local media and they decided to close their operations.

It turned out to be a trick enabling them to open under a new name.

Ordinary families who sought help for their children gave them to people who shackled their teenagers and isolated them in small boxes as punishment being lured by a website promising counseling and therapy.

Fortunately the authorities intervened and several arrests have been made.

It is time that the people behind such scams which includes a history back to infamous places like Bethel Boys Academy etc. can be stopped.

It could not be a fun place to be as a teenager.

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