Really Special Education: State Investigation Confirms "Lap Dance Therapy" Allegations

Are lap dances an effective therapy for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder or drug addiction? It doesn't seem like a question that should require a serious answer -- but a state investigation of Oregon's Mount Bachelor Academy (MBA) has substantiated allegations made by students and staff that such "therapy" was part of the school's "emotional growth" curriculum and forced an emergency shutdown of the campus.

Just this June, the Supreme Court had decided in favor of a couple who sued for payment of MBA's tuition to treat their son's ADHD and marijuana problem. The Court determined [pdf] that parents of disabled children do have the right to seek such taxpayer support from a school district, even if they haven't tried public special education first.

While the decision didn't specify whether MBA itself was appropriate, some districts across the country are already reimbursing parents for its current $76,000 annual tuition, despite decades of allegations of similarly inappropriate and unproven practices. (Just one example is here [pdf].)

These abusive practices aren't isolated. MBA is part of the largest chain of "troubled teen" programs in the industry, Aspen Education, serving hundreds of kids. Right now, another Aspen program in Oregon -- best known for being featured in the reality TV series "Brat Camp" -- is under criminal investigation.

That investigation is related to the August death of a 16-year-old boy, which the sheriff's deputy in charge of the case has called a "homicide." As in several earlier deaths in such programs, the boy was made to hike in intense heat and is thought to have died of heat stroke after staff ignored his complaints. The state made Aspen shutter the program, known as Sagewalk, in September. Websites with urls like bratcamps.com still advertise it.

But look what's going on, even when these programs don't kill kids. On Monday, Oregon's Department of Human Services released a scathing report on Mount Bachelor, saying that its "emotional growth" curriculum is "harmful and damaging" and its "methods of emotional, behavioral and mental health intervention and daily interaction with students perpetuate an environment that poses a pervasive immediate threat which places all children at risk of harm."

The state ordered the school to shut down immediately and demanded numerous disciplinary, educational and staffing changes within 90 days or its license would be revoked.

The report confirmed eight allegations of abuse involving five students, but said that those students were actually "exemplars" whose experience is "substantially consistent with the experience of all children enrolled in the program." It specifically held Executive Director Sharon Bitz to account, saying that she "either knew of the abusive practices of the agency or should have known what was happening under her authority."

Incredibly, despite that $6,400 monthly tuition and advertising claims that MBA is appropriate for teens with conditions ranging from depression, ADHD and addiction to bipolar disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder, the investigation found that "MBA has only one staff member who is an Oregon licensed mental health professional, however, that staff member reported that he does not meet with every student."

Not surprisingly, Bitz attacked the report in a statement released to the press by Aspen's parent company CRC Health. She said, "We vigorously disagree with the state's findings. This surprising action, following seven months of cooperative work by Mount Bachelor with the state since the allegations surfaced, is not only erroneous but also creates an unnecessary burden of distress and disruption for our students and their families. As a result, we are quickly and aggressively pursuing legal options."

The investigators interviewed 65 witnesses over the course of the seven month investigation, including students, staff and the ex-employee whistleblower who first made public the allegations. They determined that MBA violated at least eleven Oregon licensing rules and was "punitive, humiliating, degrading and traumatizing."

According to their report, the school's Lifesteps seminars and other tactics involved "sexualized role play in front of staff and students," and required "students to reenact past physical abuse in front of staff and peers." Allegations of sleep deprivation were also substantiated.

Students who spoke with me for a Time Magazine online story in April -- which helped spur the investigation -- were stunned by the announcement. "I'm so happy now I can't even explain," said Jane* (a pseudonym).

Before being sent to MBA, Jane had been raped. At one of the Lifesteps seminars, the 18-year-old was forced to dress as a "French maid" and perform lap dances while Kelis' sexually suggestive song "Milkshake" and similar music was played. "I was freaked out and traumatized and I couldn't do anything about it," she says.

Her friend Adam -- who asked that only his first name be used -- said he witnessed at least four girls and one boy who had identified himself as bisexual being made to do this "exercise." He said that when the girls performed the lap dance on him, "They were just crying." The bisexual boy had to give lap dances to both males and females.

Amber Ozier, now 24, attended MBA in 2002 and 2003. At the school, she was made to repeatedly re-enact her 10-year-old sister's accidental drowning death, which occurred at Amber's 12th birthday party.

"I feel like bricks have been lifted off me, like other kids won't have to go through the things I went though," Ozier says, "I'm glad they can't hurt any more kids or mentally torture them. That's what I feel like they were doing and I'm glad I'm not being called a liar anymore because the things I said were true."

Melissa Maisa attended MBA from 1992-1994. When I spoke to her for Time, she described having been made to do a bizarre and obscene ritual, for which she had to lie on the floor "in the sluttiest way possible" in front of male staff members and students. Through numerous repetitions, she had to put one foot on a guy's knee and say, "This foot is Christmas." Then, she'd place the other foot, saying "This foot is New Year's. Would you like to meet me between the holidays?"

Maisa said she encouraged the state investigator who interviewed her to get into the positions that she had been made to take. "It's one thing to hear the stories, but another thing entirely to put yourself in that position mentally and physically, to think about being a teenage girl far from friends and family, feeling like no one loves you and then you have to act out no one loving you."

Maisa, who had organized other former students online and urged them to share their stories with investigators added, "Everyone has their jaw on the floor right now. As a group, we're so used to being the bad kids that we can't believe that anyone finally took us seriously."

But the state indeed substantiated allegations that teens were denied necessary access to bathrooms and found that they were sometimes punished by being sent to camp alone on an island in "inclement weather," or by "strenuous" work projects. Alternatively, some were not permitted to "talk, touch or look at others and face the wall during meal time" for a week or longer.

Communication with parents was censored and restricted -- and those who tried to report abuse were immediately punished or cut off from further communication. Teens were also denied legally required access to education during punishments.

During the course of the investigation, the school was aware that the Lifesteps program was under particular scrutiny. Nonetheless, according to the report after the state rejected a proposed revised program called "Transitions" because it "too closely mirrored the prohibited Lifesteps program. MBA proceeded to offer the Transitions program knowing that such choice could result in further investigation."

Failure to report a rape disclosed by a student to child welfare authorities and police as required by law and regulatory violations involving mismanagement or denial of access to medications were also found.

Given the massive number of expensive changes -- such as hiring qualified staff -- that the state requires in 90 days, it may be difficult for MBA to comply successfully in time to retain its license.

Could this be the beginning of the end for the billion dollar troubled teen industry? It's already facing severe economic challenges because of the credit crisis -- parents had paid to send their kids by mortgaging their houses to pay the over-inflated tuition.

Lawsuits could well follow the MBA shutdown and the Sagewalk death -- and school systems are likely to start looking more closely at what they are getting for the hundreds of millions spent nationally to send disabled students to these often-unregulated and rarely scrutinized facilities.

"I feel great, I'm shocked," says Susan Dowren, the whistle-blower, who kept pushing investigators to look more closely. She adds, "There were more employees who wanted to speak out but felt that they couldn't jeopardize their jobs and income. I really think others wanted to, but you can't let that stand in your way, I just wanted everybody to tell the truth."

Whether that truth leads to larger and lasting changes and prompts more humane and effective treatment of teens is now up to you.

 

Follow Maia Szalavitz on Twitter: www.twitter.com/maiasz

Comments

[Maria36]

Here is a history of the Mount Bachelor Academy situation

http://www.bendbulletin.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20091115/NEWS0107/911150428/1001/NEWS01&nav_category=NEWS01

[First2Run]

I can not believe what I'm reading!!! I went to this school in the fall of 1996 after completing the wilderness course that was called Summer Venture at the time. I was sent to the school afterwards but soon discovered that this was not the place for me. I ran from the school with another student named Martin. We were the first students to succesfully run from this school. Please contact me if any other students from that time are reading this... I'm looking to for Ethan, Matt Martin anyone from that time.

[First2Run]

Ethan Amezqua, Matt Wallace, Martin Reisch, Percy, Jeremy Chang, Matt Higherman??,

Any of these names sound familiar??

[Maria36]

These reports have been coming out from the Bend Bulletin since April.

http://www.cafety.org/press/109-press/705-prinvevillemtbachelor

Now the Bend Bulletin is reporting that criminal charges are being considered.

http://bbedit.sx.atl.publicus.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20091106/NEWS01/911060420

A good summary of the issues here

http://bbedit.sx.atl.publicus.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20091104/NEWS0107/911040390

[montesdeoca]

I watched the voting at the house. Momentuos. 220/215- corageous ! It only takes 5 votes to make history. I placed the happy picture of the Huffington Post with all the smiling Democrats in my favorite places in AOL. It will stay there to mark the moment. Montesdeoca

[TheELANschoolIShell]

This article alludes to a serious problem. One of these schools is still open and funded by the state of Maine. The tuition cost a whopping $60,000 a year. There is little to no education the entire time you are there. Elan is based on mental cruelty & intimidation. Kids are kept in a constant state of fear. There is no compromise & kids with legit mental issues do not get the help they need. They are often neglected, tossed into a corner, humiliated & screamed at by their peers for things out of their control while their parents/guardians are lied to about their condition.
Kids know the consequences of NOT doing as the staff says are extreme,cruel & handed out as easily as your Nana gives you candy! They seem to have no remorse for belittling an impressionable teen to tears. They have no one to help these kids grow into "normal/healthy" adults. How can they when they live in a constant state of fear? Fear. Is all Elan is about. NOT growth.

[TheELANschoolIShell]

Elan is a tragic place and the fact that it is still running today is an abomination. I want to tell everyone once and for all that Elan has NOT changed. Being a student in the program for 3 years and ending in 2001, I can tell you that the psychological abuse is at an all time high. One of the many things that brings us former students comfort is the idea that Elan has somehow changed after we left or is more watered down. THIS IS NOT THE CASE. I have done a lot of research and I have reached out to find the truth. I received an email from a student who left in July 2009 and I can assure you that NOTHING is different.
You need to realize that Elan puts a lot time into creating these false assumptions.
Elan IS still running today, and right now, children are having their lives impacted in a horribly damaging way that will stick with them for years.

[TheELANschoolIShell]

.part 2 cont.

This school needs to be shut down, and I am happy if that day is coming near. Even if Elan survives the recession, it should still be closed. However, this could prove to be exceedingly difficult, because the students in the school are pressured not even to think a bad thought about the program, let alone utter it, and will receive punishment if they fail to oblige that rule. I know that while I was at the school investigations were conducted, and students were pressured into lying. Furthermore, a survey was also done, which now appears on the school's website, some questions asking about if we felt comfortable at the school. It was said to be anonymous, but again we felt pressured into lying, staff was supervising, and each of our handwriting could be easily identified.

I hope someone reacts to the atrocity that is the Elan School.

[TheELANschoolIShell]

I was a student at the Elan School for 3 years from 2005 to 2008. I am still traumatized by what I went through during my time there. Waking up each day the environment was constant screaming and swearing, by students, but more so by the "staff". I remember as a new student, I was crying when I was told to scrub a garbage can as a punishment for something so minor that I can't even remember the cause. I has stopped cleaning it, and that was when the staff determined that I has to be restrained and dragged to "the corner", isolation in a room to the point when one barely feels human. I tried to fight back, as any normal person would do when one is touched and forcefully grabbed without consent. Instead of just bringing me to the corner, the staff had other students hold me up, my hands and feet restrained, as other students were forced to scream and degrade me. I say forced, because regretfully I have also done the same to other students, and I know that if they refused to participate in this abominable event they too would have been punished. The only way to survive in this setting was to shut down emotionally. This memory haunts me to current day.

[Caru]

Unregulated Capitalism at work

[BeckieNNate]

Continued again: I also want to point out that while they have a clinical psychologist, Dr. Jerry Sapan on staff the students rarely ever see him or have access to him. Personally I think I met him the day I got to Élan or the day after I got to Élan for 5 minutes. They I met him again for about 10 minutes a week before I was to graduate 2 years later. http://www.elanschool.com/counseling.htm. This shows that the only people in charge of our “therapeutic” stay were the staff. Who are currently: http://www.elanschool.com/staff.htm. Now upon reading there descriptions you will notice that most if not all of the staff have little to no education of any sort in psychology, Psychiatry, or Sociology, yet these people (and other that have since left or been fired) were in charges of hundreds of children/ students for the past few decades. After I left in 2000 it was rumored that the staff was told they had to at least get a college degree of some sort or take social working classes.

[MBAMom777111]

Maia Szalavitz has written a book critical of the therapeutic boarding school/residential treatment/­wilderness therapy industry. She cannot pretend to be unbiased about this issue. No one knows the troubled teen industry better than parents of these kids. They have searched the country for the best placements for their children, who could not survive at home due to drugs and unsafe behavior, who could not survive in "ordinary" schools. They were in danger of dying. Health care professional, attorneys, psychologists have all placed their children at Mt. Bachelor Academy with amazing results. States have investigated these schools -- and this one in particular -- before agreeing to pay their tuition. The state of Oregon, in particular, had a legal case decided in favor of employing Mt. Bachelor to help kids. Now they have reversed course and have, in the process, done incalcuable damage to fragile teenagers.

[ClareP]

How can the supreme court mandate that scarce taxpayer dollars be used to reimburse parents for sending children to outrageously expensive and basically unregulated private "educational" facilities, and even when parents haven't made an attempt to try publicly available services first? This seems to be to be a mandate to give public educational tax dollars away to private businesses without any restrictions of any kind, which if it were used much at all would effectively bankrupt public education and which would simply encourage profiteering on the part of people simply wanting to make money in the 'troubled teen' business. On what grounds did they defend such a decision?

These facilities shouldn't be allowed to operate at all without very tight regulation and licensing laws, and they shouldn't be getting tax dollars. And if they are involved in violations of this sort, they shouldn't be given 90 days to make changes-- they should be shut down immediately and should face prosecution for operating on a fraudulent basis and endangering children.

[HopeGrenade]

Really? Really? Like, these people killed and tortured several children and then were allowed to continue? I might not have read that correctly, but it seems like the same group of people have been under criminal investigation a number of times. And still they're allowed to walk around free? Does this society really tolerate child molesters so long as they charge money for it?

Prison for all of them. And whatever money they made for the people they tortured. Anything less is morally irresponsible.

[TheELANschoolIShell]

The Elan School is even worse and still active, google: The Elan School

[whateverlolawants]

It's easier for the public to dismiss when the kids have been labeled as "bad" for one reason or another.

[WmC]

Presumably if Republicans have their way, the parents of these students will be eligible to receive vouchers to help pay for tuition.

[Steve Parker - Huffpost Blogger]

When I read the "$76,000 annual tuition" line, I prayed that it was a typo. Then later in the post you write about the "$6,400 monthly tuition". More than Harvard or any other top college? What gives?
I don't think you made two related typos in the same post ...
Someone is getting rich as hell from that school, and maybe, after the lap dancing and therapy and all, investigators should look into where all that money has gone.
What a world we live in ...