I am so glad Christmas is over. Without Josh here I just could not get in the mood to decorate or celebrate. of course, I did have to make an effort for Katie and for Bill, but my heart just wasn't in it. I had to keep reminding myself Josh is not gone forever, and that there will be other Christmases to celebrate together as a family. And that we will be able to enjoy them more as a result of the work that Josh, and we, are doing.
I also had to acknowledge that my feelings were not just about sadness and missing Josh, but also about guilt and regret for the things we did or did not do that got us where we are right now. Josh actually sounded good when we talked to him on Christmas day. They had had a big Christmas Eve feast and talent show and then slept in and had brunch before opening their stockings and gifts. While being away from family for the holiday is not easy, they try to make it special at Monarch, with lots of activities and fun things planned to celebrate the holidays. Also, lots of caring staff to nurture and support the kids.
Anyway, now it's over and I can get back to my normal routine where I don't have to be constantly reminded of Josh's absence. Plus, we are going back out to visit him in two weeks, so I have that to look forward to.
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There is something in this post I don't understand. How do you know that there will be other Christmases? The fact is that some cannot make through the program or choose not to live based on what that they have been exposed of in the program.
ReplyDeleteEllen, We are thinking of sending our daughter to Monarch. We are concerned about some of the reports of "screaming" and other abusive behavior by the staff posted on the Internet. Our daughter needs more of a nurturing environment. Are our concerns justified? Thanks.
ReplyDeleteHi, Ellen here-
ReplyDeleteI am not sure what post or site you are refering to but I have never heard of any screaming or abusive behavior at Monarch (and my soon has had plenty of opportunities to tell me what he does and doesn't like about the place). On the contrary, I am finding that it is an incredible nurturing and supportive environment. More importantly, I think my son would say the same thing. Yes, he would rather be at home than there, but he also realizes that he needs to be there and that it is helping him. He seems to have a good relationship with his peer group leader (most of the time) and his therapist.
It's strict and very structured...there are a lot of rules...but the standards and expectations are made very clear to the kids, as are the consequences. We have been very impressed with all the staff we have met. They really care about the kids and about doing the right thing to help them with their personal growth.
If you are concerned about what you have read, ask the school for some parent references that you can talk to. Do you have an educational consultant? A good one will only recommend schools that they have PERSONALLY researched and visited and schools that they believe are the right fit for your child.
I hope that helps. Feel free to post any other questions you have and I will do my best to answer them.
Ellen
This "Ellen" seems to be an advertising stratagem to me. But who knows
ReplyDeleteMonarch is a 3rd generation Synanon and a thought reform extra judicial detention center.
Here's sworn testimony about what goes on in the Synanon - CEDU - Monarch cult:
http://cafety.youthrights.org/wiki/index.php?title=Jordan_McClure
Facility Attended: Monarch School
Dates and Ages attended: February 2006 through May 2007
State Facility located: Heron, Montana
Accredited (if known – ie. JHACOA): NIPSA
Regulated by the state: no
Access to attorney and or advocate: absolutely none at the Monarch School
Experienced the following:
Description: Escorted unknowingly by parents
Communication and Privacy Rights Violations Yes
Description Screened weekly handwritten letters, no negativity about the program allowed. Two monitored 15 minute calls per month Forced ultra specific uncomfortable details about past sexual, drug related information and overall exploitation of past experiences used to humiliate and conform.
Mail monitoring Yes
Description: mandatory weekly letters mentioning nothing bad about the program, screened.
Call-monitoring Yes
Description: Two 15-minute calls twice per month.
Filtered, Restricted or Interrupted Correspondence Yes
Description: on campus visits for students not already 100% compliant with program
continued...
ReplyDeleteSeclusion Yes
Description: 'Solos' on a 14 to18 day outdoor trip, solos lasting up to 2 or 3 days
(Seclusion) Self: Yes
was forced to stay on a 'work assignment site' digging a stump out of the ground and was almost crushed by the stump as i was instructed to get it out of the hole i dug around it. on bans, not allowed to talk to, make eye contact or acknowledge anyone, even staff, except for the headmaster and Peer Group Leader and therapist all day solo work assignments often, even on holidays
(Seclusion)Witnessed Yes
Description: others on work assignment
Physical Restraint No
(Physical Restraint) Self Yes
(Physical Restraint) Witnesses No
Peer conducted restraint: Yes
Description: Peers would put fellow students in stress positions in workshops
Forced labor Yes
Description: every day except sunday
Restricted Access to the Bathroom Yes
Description: Had to ask permission, during 'workshops' students could only go on breaks. sometimes 5 or 6 hours inbetween breaks.
Scare Tactics Yes
Description: self: multiple staff (4 or 5) screaming at the top of their lungs directly at me while the 12-14 other students joined in during group, witnessed this almost every group, had group twice per week, monarch now does it three times per week. pounding it into the kids heads that they 'would be dead' if it was not for monarch. Frighteningly about 80% of the students thought this and talked about it often. during workshops staff would use physical force on students to help put them into a state of hysteria during 'therapy exercises' example: student on hands and knees with students and staff member pushing down on shoulders and mid back and screaming insults and judgements in your ears.
Exposure to harsh elements (ie. Extreme heat, snow or rain) Yes
Description: wilderness instructor made all students strip down to under layers ie. long underwear, dowse entire body and until full into the second stage of hypothermia (so we could see what it was like, more for us to fear this particular staff.
Excessive Exercise Yes
Description: work assignments often required heavy lifting during one workshop students would run in place as fast as they could until they absolutely could not stand anymore all while being yelled at and told that they aren't trying hard enough
Food/Nutritional Deprivations Yes
Description: during workshops kids would be fed cornflakes for breakfast, a cheese sandwich and for dinner macaroni and cheese. kids would be out of it and tired, very susceptible to influence in that state
self: denied my vegan diet and was pressured to eat meat, many vegetarian students became meat eaters dude to taunting and harassment by staff.
Physical Punishment
Yes - forced work.
Emotional, Physical, or Sexual Abuse by
Staff Yes
Description: constant verbal attacks in group as well as other attack therapy techniques. Staff would go off on students in the main hall in front of the entire school and go on and on screaming in the student's face
continued...
ReplyDeleteEducation and Mental Health Treatment – [ Please rate: (1) Unsatisfactory (10) Superior]
Individualized Treatment Plan 1 2 (3) 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Description: Basically the same treatment for everyone, some students just had to stay longer if they weren't doing "well" enough/
Satisfied with training background of staff members who provided:
Education (1) 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Description: no training necessary
Therapy (1) 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Description: one therapist with a Ph.D, used the Monarch/CEDU/Synanon therapy mold.
Support 1 2 (3) 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Description: Some of the staff genuinely cared but were tainted by the program. Staff were forced to go through the workshops with the students.
Satisfaction with After Care provided:
(1) 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Do you now experience any of the following:
Nightmares: Yes monthly
Anxiety: Emotional breakdowns, exactly like the ones that students, including myself, were put into during workshops through bioenergetic and primal threapy. they occur under stress. (this is common among people i went to monarch school with)
Additional Comments:
The staff there are victims as well as the students, this place comes from a long line of places EXACTLY like it, CEDU, Rocky Mountain Academy and now Monarch School. Mount Bachelor Academy, Carlbrook, and Boulder Creek Academy use the same workshop and therapy mold.
"Additional Comments:
ReplyDeleteThe staff there are victims as well as the students, this place comes from a long line of places EXACTLY like it, CEDU, Rocky Mountain Academy and now Monarch School. Mount Bachelor Academy, Carlbrook, and Boulder Creek Academy use the same workshop and therapy mold."
I will elaborate on the above comment.
Yes, the staff are "victims" in that they are expected to endure less abusive versions of the same coercive persuasions that the detainees are forced to endure through physical violence or threat of physical violence
While the detainees experience The Monarch School as a thought reform prison, the staff experiences it as one traditionally experiences a cult.
Some staff, like Lon Woodbury are drawn in and become sadistic murderers and converts.
Many of these convert-staff start new "schools," which operate with the same conditions as the original "school"
The salient difference being that the convert-staff, at that point, reaps the financial rewards of an owner / leader.
Whereas before (when lower in the typical cultic pyramid structure) they received little money for their involvement.
This is the method by which traditional cults rematerialize under new names, and how the cult “schools” typically continue.