VisionQuest Deaths

[AtomicAnt]

I wanted to elaborate on my previous post. I can't find it now, but I once came across a website for a teen boot camp that described the following situation. I will have to paraphrase as best I can:
 
"Imagine a group of boys sleeping soundly in their barracks when a DI comes in, snaps on the light and calls them to attention. They all snap to. The DI then picks one bunk at random and tosses the bedding, mattress and all out the window. He then gives an order that the barracks is a disgrace and the teens have 10 ten minutes to have it ready for inspection.

Knowing that the poor lad whose bedding is now outside in the dirt will never make it, and knowing the whole group will punished for it. The boys must pull themselves together and work as a team. Leaders will emerge delegating tasks and giving orders and others will take those instructions in order to achieve the ends the team needs."

Now, as an adult, or in my case even in my middle to late teens, I would already 'know the game' in a sense. I wouldn't like the situation, but I would know what is required and why they were doing this. I would do my best to become one of the leaders, because that is the way I was raised and I want to be successful and good at what I do.

But I think this kind of team building is lost on a troubled teen and they would only see the whole exercise as being an act of random cruelty. They would do it only because they had to. They would remember it in a completely negative way and it would only piss them off.

The DIs would look on the success of the task as being the same as having these troubled teens 'getting it.' They would see this as a team building exercise and be completely unaware of the stuffed anger that would remain stuffed to avoid punishment. Then, God help us when the teen gradutes and you have a physically fit and very pissed off young male re-entering the larger world.

[youthadvocate]

As always, great discussion guys.  Haven't been here for a while; so I don't know where to start.  Um, first off, and this is very important, I was in the Army not the Marines. hehe.  Okay, now that that's out of the way, intimidation and fear do not work as far as causing internalization of values.  I have never thought intimidation or fear were good practices for working with youth.  I will say that sadly some staff, not just in boot camps but the aforementioned counselors as well, do attempt to use this method.  I prefer to have true and mutual respect.  As a DI, if you've got that, then you are safe no matter what.  If you don't, then you're vulnerable to be attacked at any opportunity the residents may find.  And i wouldn't blame them.  As far as team building or any other type of thing working, I find it is vital to treat the youth as intelligent, thinking, people, which they are.  You may not do it initially, but you should put everything into context.  For instance, in a case where everyone is doing push-ups you might say something like, Trooper Smith's rack looked like crap.  So why is the whole platoon doing push-ups right now?  How can we apply this to someone acting a fool in the community?  As far as, i believe antagonizing was the word used, I can only assume this refers to a DI responding to explosive behavior on the part of a kid with explosive behavior of his own (and no this does not necessarily mean a physical altercation or hands being placed on anyone at all).  From a cognitive, social-learning standpoint, most people who display explosive behavior, do so because they have learned to utilize it as a defense mechanism.  If I explode, then people will leave me alone.  If an explosion is met with an explosion, the youth learns that in this case, explosive behavior will not mean being left alone, and so the youth will have to face whatever the issue is.  So, over the course of his time there, the youth gets experience actually processing issues and coming up with appropriate coping skills rather than running away from the problem. Now is three months in boot camp long enough to change a learned behavior, which has been utilized for 15 years or so?  No.  But that's why I place so much emphasis on after-care and in-community support no matter what type of placement the youth is being discharged from.  For real, for real, if there were greater emphasis on in-community supports in the first place, there would be less kids getting sent to placement, and that should be the goal.  I appologize if this was incoherent at points.  Unfortunately, this site won't let me break this up into paragraphs.

[Anonymous]

You say, "If an explosion is met with an explosion, the youth learns that in this case, explosive behavior will not mean being left alone, and so the youth will have to face whatever the issue is. "

But that's a shaky and dangerous conclusion. You can't model the very behavior you're trying to help the kid change. What you may end up teaching is that the person with the most power and the most explosive behavior wins. What you want to teach is the alternative behaviors for getting what you want: respect, responsibility, negotiation, listening, compromise, creativity, assertiveness. Those are the behaviors you need to model.

[Anonymous]

I was able to find the cause of death of most of the people on that list posted earlier in the thread.

Michelle Sutton, dead at age 15, Summit Quest
Died of Dehydration on a desert hike. “Counselors” ignored complaints.
Kristen Chase, dead at age 16, Challenger
Died of heatstroke after long hike.
Paul Choy, dead at age 16, Rite of Passage
Was forced to sit on platform for 5 hours in cold. Died later at hospital. Doctors observed evidence of anal rape.
Aaron Bacon, dead at age 16, Northstar
Was beaten and tortured, deprived of food and water. Died from perforated ulcer.
Dawnne Takeuchi, dead at age 18, VisionQuest
Died after being thrown off a truck driven by VQ staff. Counselor ordered to pay $270.
Lorenzo Johnson, dead at age 17, Arizona Boys Ranch
Drowned in an irrigation ditch while trying to escape.
Carlos Ruiz, dead at age 13, VisionQuest
Fell 80 feet to his death.
Mario Cano, dead at age 16, VisionQuest
Was not treated for a fatal blood clot.
John Vincent Garrison, dead at age 18, VisionQuest
Boating/Drowning
Bernard Reefer, dead, VisionQuest
Boating/Drowning
Robert Zimmerman, dead, VisionQuest
Boating/Drowning
Charles Lucas, dead, VisionQuest
Boating/Drowning
James Lamb, dead, VisionQuest
Boating/Drowning
Tammy Edmiston, dead, VisionQuest
Fell From Bridge
Leon Anger, dead, VisionQuest
Drowned while attempting to escape.
Latasha Bush, dead at 15, Daystar Residential Treatment Center
Died of asphyxia after being mechanically restrained.
Charles Collins, Jr., dead at age 15, Crossroads for Youth
Died after period of forced exercise
Jamie Young, dead at age 13, Ramsey Canyon
Heatstroke from forced hike.
Randy Steele, dead at age 9, Laurel Ridge Psychiatric Hospital
Was restrained, vomited, and stopped breathing.
John Avila, dead, Rocky Mountain Academy
Hung himself from a pipe using a belt.
Danny Lewis, dead at age 16, VisionQuest
Drowning
Nicholas Contreras, dead at age 16, Arizona Boys Ranch
Forced exercise and untreated infections. Died from collapsed lung.  2.5 quarts of pus in chest at time of death.
Edith Campos, dead at age 15, Desert Hills
Broke a vertebrae while being restrained, went untreated. A month later, died from asphyxia while being restrained. Skin was visibly blue.
Matt Toppi, dead at age 17, Robert Land Academy
Hit by train attempting to escape.
Chris Brown, dead at age 16, Robert Land Academy
Hit by train attempting to escape.
Eric David Schibley, dead at age 17, VisionQuest
Drowned.
Robert Doyle Erwin, dead at age 15, VisionQuest
Drowned.
Lyle Foodroy, dead, VisionQuest
Drowned, boat capsized in storm.
Gina Score, dead at age 14, State Training School (South Dakota)Died attempting 2.6 mile run. Hyperventilated, urinated on herself, eyes rolled back into head. Staff reportedly were laughing and made jokes. Ambulance was called 3 hours later, died of hyperthermia with body temperature of 108°.
Bryan Dale Alexander, dead at age 18, Texas Correctional Services                                                                
Died from Pneumonia
Michael Wiltsie, dead at age 12, Eckert Youth Alternatives
Asphyxia while being restrained by 300 pound counselor. Michael weighed about 66 pounds. Mother later killed her other son and herself in murder-suicide.
Tristan Sovern, dead at age 16, Charter Behavioral Health System
Died of asphyxia while being restrained. Towel was put in mouth and bedsheet over his head.
Robert Rollins, dead at age 12, Devereaux School
Asphyxia after being restrained. Restrained for argument over teddy bear
Andrew McClain, dead at age 11, Elmcrest Psychiatric Hospital
Died of asphyxiation and chest compression after being restrained.
Anthony Haynes, dead at age 14, American Buffalo Soldiers Boot Camp
Forced to wear black sweatpants & sweatshirt in 111° heat, resorted to eating dirt. Died of dehydration.
Charles "Chase" Moody, dead at age 17, The Brown School (CEDU affiliated)
Died from asphyxia while being restrained. Had vomit in throat.
Roberto Reyes, dead at age 15, Thayer Learning Center Boot Camp
Died from complications from a spider bite. Staff ignored Roberto falling down frequently, complaining of muscle soreness, vomiting and involuntarily urinating and defecating on himself. Had over 30 cuts and bruises at time of death.
Travis Parker, dead at age13, Appalachian Wilderness Camp
Died of asphyxia after being restrained for over 90 minutes. Was denied food and asthma medication.
Christening "Mikie" Garcia, dead at age 12, Star Ranch
Suffocated while being restrained.
Linda Harris, dead at age 14, Chad Youth Enhancement Center
Asphyxiation from restraint.
Martin Lee Anderson, dead at age 14, Bay County Sheriff's boot camp, Florida
Was punched and kneed. Died while mouth was covered and ammonia capsules were shoved up Martin’s nose.

[Anonymous]

Michelle Sutton, dead at age 15, Summit Quest
Kristen Chase, dead at age 16, Challenger
Paul Choy, dead at age 16, Rite of Passage
Aaron Bacon, dead at age 16, Northstar
Dawnne Takeuchi, dead at age 18, VisionQuest
Lorenzo Johnson, dead at age 17, Arizona Boys Ranch
Carlos Ruiz, dead at age 13, VisionQuest
Mario Cano, dead at age 16, VisionQuest
John Vincent Garrison, dead at age 18, VisionQuest
Bernard Reefer, dead, VisionQuest
Robert Zimmerman, dead, VisionQuest
Charles Lucas, dead, VisionQuest
James Lamb, dead, VisionQuest
Tammy Edmiston, dead, VisionQuest
Leon Anger, dead, VisionQuest
Latasha Bush, dead at 15, Daystar Residential Treatment Center
Charles Collins, Jr., dead at age 15, Crossroads for Youth
Jamie Young, dead at age 13, Ramsey Canyon
Randy Steele, dead at age 9,
Laurel Ridge Psychiatric Hospital
John Avila, dead, Rocky Mountain Academy
Danny Lewis, dead at age 16, VisionQuest
Nicholas Contreras, dead at age 16, Arizona Boys Ranch
Edith Campos, dead at age 15, Desert Hills
Matt Toppi, dead at age 17, Robert Land Academy
Chirs Brown, dead at age 16, Robert Land Academy
Eric David Schibley, dead at age 17, VisionQuest
Robert Doyle Erwin, dead at age 15, VisionQuest
Lyle Foodroy, dead, VisionQuest
Gina Score, dead at age 14, State Training School (South Dakota)
Bryan Dale Alexander, dead at age 18, Texas Correctional Services
Michael Wiltsie, dead at age 12, Eckert Youth Alternatives
Tristan Sovern, dead at age 16, Charter Behavioral Health System
Robert Rollins, dead at age 12, Devereaux School
Andrew McClain, dead at age 11, Elmcrest Psychiatric Hospital
Anthony Haynes, dead at age 14, Buffalo Soldiers Boot Camp
Ian August, dead at age 14, Skyline Journey
Charles "Chase" Moody, dead at age 17, The Brown School
Roberto Reyes, dead at age 15, Thayer Learning Center Boot Camp
Travis Parker, dead at age13, Appalachian Wilderness Camp
Christening "Mikie" Garcia, dead at age12, Star Ranch
Linda Harris, dead at age 14, Chad Youth Enhancement Center
Martin Lee Anderson, dead at age 14, Bay County Sheriff's boot camp, Florida

From:                                                                                         This is very sad, to see the names of children that suffered.
http://moral-highground.blogspot.com/

[hawaiib34]

Wow! I was a youth in the west coast program for a year and 6 months around 1986. I had been on my own since 14 because life on the street was safer than home, I was arrested 7 times before I hit 16, placed in a group home and made a ward of the court. Went to VQ shortly after. And I loved it! It changed my life! I did see a couple of staff get a little rough but nothing major, I heard a kid died a couple years ahead of me from a heart problem. I know I had to go thru an extensive physical before they would release me to the program. I am not saying all the kids that died were from Physiological unforeseeable's, but I would guess that would be the bulk of them. VQ was tough! Physically and mentally. All the staff I knew were good people with good intentions.

Since leaving VQ I have gone to college, started my own business and am raising two beautiful, smart, well rounded children. Not tosay all the grass has been green, but without VQ I would not have achieved any of this.

Mike