Katherine at Auldern Academy

This testimony was found on Google Maps. All rights go to the original author.

After now working in human services with disabled children, I've reflected a lot on my experience at Auldern. While I can agree that "it's all about perspective," it shouldn't have to be framed like that. The program is unprofessional, abusive, and traumatizing. Please do your research on the owner company, Sequel. It's a for-profit-prison and residential system-- not education at all. A lot of the practices used mimic that of being a prisoner. Their forms of punishment are that of manual labor, and after further research, are against labor laws. They used shame tactics, and had staff members come in intoxicated to verbally berate and abuse students at 1 in the morning. Please also look into "Breaking Code Silence." I was the first successful escapee in 2012. I've been called in to help with court cases and non-profits to bring light to these kinds of programs. If you are considering Auldern, I know that you are 1) desperate to help your daughter, and 2) you have money. There are other options that aren't institutionalized abuse. I have considered to this day to speak out against them for for everything from denial/refusal of medical care (I have a permanent muscle tear from being forced to carry boulders as punishment, and when I went to the nurse, was told it was just the weight from my backpack), endangerment (they convinced and manipulated my parents to kick me out during Hurricane Sandy in NJ until I agreed to come back when I ran away, even though I was 18), and the longterm impact/impairment that the trauma has left me.

If a parent is seeing this, please feel free to reach out to me. I will gladly divulge my full story. I have helped families get their daughters out of there. I promise you that your daughters can't fully communicate while they are there. Staff listens in on the phone calls, and are instructed to hang up the phones if students begin to get emotional or volatile. If someone has the e-mail privilege, their therapist is reading their e-mails. I would look like a lunatic when I'd behave normally on the phone, and then in person would beg my parents to get me out.

Also, in response to the mother saying their daughter's GPA went up, of course it did. The course work was easier than middle school and did not "college prep" me at all. In order to graduate, students had to apply to 2-3 colleges. They also withheld my credits when I returned to public school to finish senior year.

In addition, in response to "they are selective with their admissions process," they are not. It makes no sense clinically for me to have been accepted into a program with girls who had astronomically different treatment plans. I was there for having been in an abusive relationship and acting out in a rebellious way. I would sneak into New York City, and wouldn't answer my phone. While these are problem behaviors, how does it make any sense that I was in the same program as girls with addictions, ones who had witnessed siblings getting assaulted or had a Bi-Polar or Borderline diagnosis? Their "admissions process" is if you have the funding, and if they need a RTC instead.

So, my family dished out over $100k to leave me more traumatized with a lot of friends who are now dead after attending. If you have the resources, please seek help elsewhere.

Source
The original testimony from Google Maps

Mike's stay at ABM ministries.

Abm claims to be a cure, a safe space for kids who struggle.

They give a "tough love" approach. There is little love. Just tough. Day one Mr.Larry looked at me and laughed. "What's with the sour face? Did your dog just die? You where lucky. Usually we have people kidnap you in the night."

They took my adhd meds which I had been taking since I was 5 and got rid of them "It's just a lack of self control." I developed some sort of neurological tick. It's not adviced by psychiatrists that anyone go off a meds cold turkey. Parents are given a handbook. Then told a handful of lies. There is no physical abuse. Staff members will not berate/humiliate students. Food will not be used as punishment. Of course, the phone calls where monitored so saying things like "They are abusing me." Was impossible. The parents where told that their children would most likely say a number of outlandish things about the school, and that the child is lying to you because they wanna leave. pull one over on you.

Since I'm "gay" I was told that I would get restrained for making eye contact with any male student. Which in reality meant put you in a choke hold, punch you, push you, forcibly throw you face first into the ground, hold your head down while putting your arm behind your back in this position I can't even begin to describe because I can't imagine that it was physically possible, until you start screaming and obey. A student could be put into one at any time. Some times for just talking out of order.

Most parents reading this will think spare the rod spare the child! Your gay they did what they had to do! It wasn't just the rod, it was physical abuse. God! These people do not have the fruit of Christ to show for it. They are just master deceivers. I was consistently called a f#%^*¥, pickle lover. Humiliated in front of the other students. They would take away blankets and pillows, sometimes mattresses and you'd have to sleep on the thin wire bars of the bed. Painful. I watched a kid get cement glue shoved up his nose while he was being held up against a wall by his neck. Iv seen kids pass out. One child somehow got a hold of a razor and slit his wrists. Blood everywhere. He was unresponsive and we assumed taken to the hospital. Treated like absolute crap afterwords. 3 years ago he ended up killing himself.

We would have these "bible studies" and "church services" Mr. Larry would talk about himself, and how he was so smart, successful and how we should strive to be more like him. Christian homeschool program called ACE. Dumbest education I've ever had and unfortunately I was so behind in things like math and English when I entered college. If I got in trouble, I was outside doing "work projects" which consisted of running large stones back and forth, or digging holes in Missouri ground (all rocks) and putting up fence posts. My food was tortilla wraps with peanut butter. An overweight mentally handicapped boy was given small amounts of food and made fun of because he was fat, by staff members in front of students until he would cry. Which he did a lot. He had asthma and was given one water bottle and told to run laps for hours until he stopped crying. boy fainted.

We where forced to circle around a student one day, while he stripped into his underwear in the snow. He was a black student who had taken food from the kitchen once when no one was around (which was super rare). We where told to yell and scream at him and throw snowballs at him. You could get in trouble for doing nothing. Which meant the staff found something to be mad at you for. A lot of parents see me as just being leftist trash. I'm the furthest thing from liberal. I just see this school as wrong. One year a male teacher raped a female student. Her family ended up suing the school. Larry paid out a little more than what the school makes in a year in fees.

There where a lot of abuse allegations, they had changed the schools name multiple times in order to get away from bad reputations and allegations of abuse. Just do your research!

Source:

• The original testimony on Yelp

Trinity Teen Solutions survivors testimony

This testimony was found on Yelp. All rights goes to the author.
---

My experience at Trinity was torture for me. I was not what you would really consider a troubled teen. Worst grade I had in High school was a C, I did not party, do drugs, or have sex. I did have communication issues with my parents and that is what I was sent to Trinity to address. I felt that the information my parents found on Trinity before sending me was misleading and the issues could have been better addressed in family therapy rather than a residential treatment facility. I was there from May 2008-Aug 2010.

I was sent at the age of 17, after getting drunk for the first time at my oldest brother's wedding. I was there for 26 months. During that time I saw my parents twice. I was not allowed to see my brothers or my grandparents. My grandmother died during my stay and I was not allowed to attend her funeral. Communication with my parents was monitored very closely. If anything I said on a phone call was seen as negative by staff I lost my phone privileges with my parents. I felt forced to say what staff wanted to hear even if it wasn't the truth for fear of losing contact with my parents. If the letters I sent were not considered "positive or uplifting" they were returned to me to rewrite. This was the only contact I had with my parents over the two years.

I have done research since leaving on the behavior modification model, also known as coercive persuasion. I encourage parents to do some research if you are considering residential treatment for your teen. The environment of this center feels very similar to a cult and masks abuse (physical, psychological, and emotional) as "tough love". I have had many other girls confide the same feelings to me since leaving. I was left feeling isolated, sleep deprived, overworked, and desperate to get home. Even after I turned 18 I was told that I was not allowed to leave. I was never informed of my rights. I was terrified to even ask because I did not want to be knocked down levels for being "defiant" or "manipulative". It is a constant state of fear. The "challenges" were assigned to either humiliate or break a certain behavior. I felt that very few of the challenges I endured actually had any positive effect on me.

The program is run on a "need to know" basis. The staff never disclosed how long I was to be there. My parents thought I would only be there for a few weeks. The anxiety behind not knowing the length of stay or even when the next time I could see my parents was unbearable. Any "change" I believe was inspired by the stress and were not effective outside of the ranch. After two years I had only reached level 3 of 6. I can't imagine how long it would have taken me to graduate. My stay cost my parents about $200,000+ dollars. My relationship with my parents after was still a mess. I felt lost and confused when I left, even though the staff claimed I was in a good place. I was 19 which I believe played a major part in me being able to leave. In my opinion, the truth was that nothing about Trinity had prepared me for re-entering the real world. Everything they had "taught" me there I felt was a lie and had no real world value.

I felt like the exorbitant amounts of money spent to keep me here should at least have afforded us things such as clean unused underwear, and clothes.

The Government Accountability Office website has thousands of reports of abuse regarding the troubled teen industry due to the lack of regulations. Trinity claims on their website, "As a Christian based Residential Treatment Center, Trinity Teen Solutions uses individualized treatment plans to help your child be a functioning part of today's world with the least restrictive environment possible." I feel that this is a lie based on my experience. I feel that the ambiguity depicted on their website does not accurately depict the level of restrictions and discomfort that they are exposing teens to. I felt that I had no freedom, no support; only fear, deprivation and isolation. We as humans need to be loved and accepted and will adapt to the environment around us to survive. That is what I did here, I survived, but I am left with the aftermath of the abuse and it will forever be part of my life.

I want you to know that I'm coming from this with 11 years of perspective. I have worked hard outside of Trinity to repair relationships with my family, but Trinity did not help me accomplish that. I believe that any success I have had in life is in spite of it. I am now happily married with 3 beautiful girls. I could never imagine putting them through a place like this. It is my job as their parent to protect them. I still to this day have nightmares that I get sent back (10 years since I left). My parents and I are on great terms now that they have seen me reach my potential as a mother and adult. It took us years to reach this place and to leave the hurt that Trinity caused us in the past.

Source:

• The original testimony on Yelp