Troubled teens were banished to the Monarch Center wilderness program. Then their troubles really started

A A A Comments (38) By Adam Cayton-Holland Thursday, Nov 13 2008

He was one of the smartest dumbasses you'll ever meet," Harry Haney says of his son.

Dave Ventimiglia thought that with Monarch's wilderness therapy, he could provide better care than traditional treatment centers.

Emily Jarvis with her souvenir of Monarch: ten-month-old Lily.

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Chris Haney was an honors student who took all advanced placement classes at his Texas high school and was the lead-off hitter on the 5A varsity baseball team his freshman year. "Then he hooked up with a kid who was into some other things," Harry drawls, "and all of a sudden he's ditching practice, his grades went from the high 90s to the 50s. Down here, you're allowed to have nine unexcused absences; his junior year he had 148."

Chris's first other thing was weed, but he quickly got hooked on cocaine. He became addicted to gambling, too.

The Haneys sent Chris to counselor after counselor to try to break him of his new habits. Once Chris found a therapist he liked, he started visiting him regularly — but the Haneys were already working on a backup plan. The therapist had recommended a wilderness-therapy program in Georgetown, Colorado, called Monarch Center for Family Healing, a unique program that sent troubled teenagers off on lengthy wilderness excursions but also treated them therapeutically to get to the root of their problems. The Haneys decided it was the right place for Chris, and they waited for an opening.

"It's one of those things where as a family and a parent you're at your wits' end," Harry says. "'What am I going to do for my kid? I want my kid to be safe, I want him to be back on track as much as he possibly can.' We pretty much were at the mercy of the professionals, and that's what they recommended."

While some teenagers wake up to find a Monarch staffer by their bedside, ready to rip them from the life they know and whisk them to the mountains of Colorado — an extreme, boot-camp tactic that enforces the seriousness of what the student is about to go through — Chris went to Monarch voluntarily, escorted by his parents.

Right away, Harry noticed a few things that worried him. He found it odd that his son was going to be in a coed group camping in the woods. He also wondered if the cheap, plastic fishing-tackle box stuffed to the brim with the different medications of Monarch students was sufficiently secure. But he'd heard that Monarch was such an amazing place, he let those concerns go.

Out in the field, though, Chris found his daily routine a far cry from the glitzy, biking/white-water rafting/mountain-climbing Colorado experience that Monarch had advertised.

"Basically we'd wake up early, eat breakfast that consisted of powdered milk and cereal, and then we'd hike for miles," Chris remembers. "We'd stop for lunch, then keep hiking for a few more hours, and then we'd camp. We'd sit around the fire and shoot the shit for a little bit at night, but it wasn't therapy; it was just talking. Then the next day we'd do it again. It got to be really, really boring."

And worse. Early on, Chris lost the spoon he'd been assigned for his meals, so he had to consume his meager rations with a stick. An informational pamphlet handed out at orientation had informed students that they were to practice a leave-no-trace style of mountaineering, with each camper issued six squares of toilet paper, but Chris didn't even get that. "They made me wipe my ass with rocks and pinecones," he says. "They never had toilet paper. That six squares thing? That was just bullshit. The girls were made to drip dry."

Each camper carried a thermos. At streams, they'd fill up — and then counselors would purify each thermos with a few drops from an eye-dropper full of chlorine bleach. Sometimes, Chris says, they would just drop the bleach directly into the stream and then tell the kids to fill up. Chris was soon suffering from severe diarrhea.

Monarch typically takes students out into the field for two weeks at a time, then brings them back to Georgetown for a week of family therapy. When the Haneys arrived from Fort Worth, where Harry owns a company that manufactures highway safety equipment, Chris smelled so bad that he had to shower twice before they could take him out for a meal, Harry remembers.

At their first family session, Chris complained about conditions at Monarch. But his parents figured it was just normal bitching about "bad kids' camp," and they sent him back into the field.

The second time Harry came up for family week, he could see in his son's eyes that something wasn't right.

"He said, 'Dad, you have to get me out of here; they just want me for the money,'" Harry remembers.

Harry asked Chris if he'd been getting all the sports pages he'd been sending to keep his son abreast of his beloved Dallas Mavericks, along with many letters. Chris said he hadn't. Nor had Harry gotten any of the individual therapy reports or treatment plans he'd been promised. Although he again left Chris at Monarch, once he got back home, he started investigating the program.

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Antolatu Sierra 12/19/2011 2:52:00 AM

Blasphemy. These programs are incredible, just because its not "fun" or easy doesn't mean articles like this should be slandering the reputations of these institutions. It's the parents fault for not researching the program properly. All the stuff they complain about is common knowledge on adventure programming. This kids complaints are the manipulations of someone with a behavioral problem and drug adiction.
Jfsnyder21 05/05/2011 6:30:00 AM

I was one of the kids in monarch in 2003 ish it was a tough place i often was " banished" from the rest of the group for insubordination including going to guanella pass in sub-artic conditions i remember we just got back into town from a previous outting i immediately was put in a car and driven to the trailhead of guanella i refused to hike up there with them as it was pitch black out. I was then treated like a dog by dave(owner) he told me i wasn't leaving the parking lot till i could listen. He told me to sit lay down, rollover, bark and other degrading things eventually i cracked and after what seemed like an eternity of this humiliating session i was marched up the mountain whr i stayed for a week in isolation with a counselor to keep an eye on me. The experience as a whole at monarch was bad. However i learned to enjoy isolation in the wild and in order to keep away from the miserable group i continued getting in trouble purposely and in all this alone time i fixed my own problems. Monarch itself is overpriced and cruel to your children. All they did for me was act as a taxi for me to fix my own problems. I do not recommend monarch to anyone. I only summarized one story og my experience there. At one point i was even assaulted by a counselor. I dont remember his name just that he was a bug burly guy whom my group dubbed caveman both for his looks and intelligence. There were good counselors too. One named Darin+( forgive the spelling ) was very kind and helpful although she was new and probably hadn't cracked yet. In closing Dave Ventimiglia is a man i will never forgive and someone not to be trusted with your kids or your money
fath86 08/18/2010 5:52:00 AM

these stories are really shocking, wilderness programs are my last option when my kid goes the other way, i'd rather stick with her and understand her and talk to her, i know it's difficult and us parents have different means of dealing with this. but i still believe that there are really great teen wilderness programs out there that help troubled teens, we just have to be careful and do lots of research about a program before sending our beloved children.
lynnette 03/01/2010 3:43:00 AM

Our experience with Monarch included the following: - Our child was in the mountains, camping, with other children who were sharing their prescription drugs with other children who had no prescription for the drug. (cheeking pills) - Children were camping and having sexual relationships. Monarch personnel claimed they found out about this and stated to us that they placed alarms on the childrens' sleeping bags as a measure to stop the behavior. - When we attempted to set up times to meet, they said they were not available more than half the time. - They belittled us in counseling when we asked to take our child out of the program, telling others 'some people think there is a price for health care' - our insurance company had said Monarch was not considered accredited and had suggested facilities that had 24 hour medical staff and supervision. This would have been much safer for our child. - One of the therapist, Duey, stood by my husband's child and supported her stating she did not want him in her life. - We were told Monarch was for 'family' healing. When my husband went to visit for the first time, he found his ex-wife's current, temporary, boyfriend had been welcomed to family sessions. She had been dating the man for less than a year. It took a letter from a lawyer to get the step-mother to be accepted into counseling. She had been a part of the family for more than 3 years. - Three months after 'the Monarch experience' our child got pregnant. It is our opinion that Monarch runs its business to take money from desperate parents who don't know where to turn for help. We believe they had our child stay there not to help our family, but to help their pocket books. Cumby ya Monarch. We don't think taking off shoes to get grounded and staring at people gets the job done. Get your kids real help. Just our opinion
anonymous 12/26/2009 10:45:00 PM

monarch was great! all the gear i got to bring back with me is great for hiding my bongs and stash!
wildernss program 08/03/2009 11:29:00 AM

Wilderness teen programs recommend programs that contains complete educations with some activities and adventures events for youngsters. These programs develop camper�s fundamental skills, powers and mental abilities for their personal developments. Camps teaching staffs and trainers are the best and trained people who are dedicated towards teens and children. http://www.teenscamp.net/
libby 06/24/2009 10:31:00 AM

ok, im a past monarch STUDENT! i wouldn't trade my time at monarch for anything, i met some of the most amazing people of my life there, and no, i was not told to comment on this by monarch. i was there the same time Emily was, actually, if your reading this em ive been trying to get a hold of you, anyways, i met some amazing people there, and some of my favorite memories of my whole life are ones there. i even visited later on, i love monarch and it changed my life for the better. i had issues with defiance, drugs, self harm, drinking, running away, just a lot of bad stuff a parent does not want to see their kid get into. but one of the main things about monarch i love is thAt they taught me that i am not the problem, the problem was my family had a problem, i had been the scape goat, but we later realized that i was not the issue, it was our entire family that needed to improve, not just me. my parents pulled me from monarch, which i was not happy about. i had been wanting to go to a boarding school for a while, and my dad finally somewhat came through on tht promise. I ended up going to residential care for troubled teens in missouri, and i hated almost every bit except for the people i met there. although, i am now drug free, sober from alcohol, 18 and living at home while living with my parents rules and obeying them, not cutting myself, not running away even though im 18 and could legally leave. i have to say that the second program i went to would have NEVER worked on me had i not gone to monarch first, bc monarch made me realize i needed to make a change, that my family and i needed to change. honestly, i can think back to experiences I had at monarch, and i wish i could go back to that moment with those people and jst be there under the stars with them again, talking about our issues in an environment where we felt safe, and could receive re-assurance that we weren't bad people, or just another "troubled teen." yes, there were times i wrote my parents begging them to come and get me, but had i known them the outcome i see now, those letters would have never been sent. Actually, one of the families in this column, i beleive, later came to a family week and told us how great the program was. people always say that i must have been so happy to get out of monarch and be somewhere that gave me a bed to sleep in, and i say no. if i could have stayed at monarch that whole time instead, but somehow still have met the people i met in Misourri, i would have in a heart beat. I reallly miss everyone from monarch. i can honestly say there wasnt one person on any of my expeditions that i hated or disliked. I met my best friend there, she died about 6 months after my experience there from related issues to the ones that she was coping with there, but i also had another three friends die later within that year, and they had never been to monarch or any other programs, shit happens, and in my case and my best friends case, monarch wasn't to blame. they probably kept us alive longer than with out going there. I will admit that yes, the supervision was a little lacking at night, but after what happened, the boys hiked an extra mile or two or three starting the first night back in the field away from us (the field meaning the "backcountry" or whatever). my point here basically is that monarch is not out to screw people over, rip them off and ruin lives, they are doing what they can to help. I was the girl in this story who was rushed to the hospital after hitting my head on a boulder and i can tell you that within the maybe even one hour that it took for paramedics to find us,i revieved amazing care and comfort. I was held, comforted, kept conscious, and was throwing up so i was layed on my side while being talked to inorder to keep conzcious until the paramedics got there. Monarch's therapy has encouraged me to possibly study gestalt therapy and hopefully one day work there. I DO NOT think Monarch should be shut down, it has saved many lives and I have faith that it continues to do so. ~Libby p.s. shout outs to dave, emily and lily, badger,jenn(R.I.P.), my group , and the families of myb group. i love and miss you guys.thanks for all your help! wouldnt be here without you. p.s.s.- thanks also to rachel and moses and alan, the best field staff ever!!miss you guys!
Troubled Teens 05/27/2009 1:16:00 PM

Teenage problems are rising day by day every teenager have different problems. They are very easily comes under the bad influences and like to o for wrong path. Many reputed troubled teens schools offer efficient programs for troubled teens. http://www.teenageproblems.net/
Troubled Teen 05/23/2009 12:19:00 PM

Drug addiction and mental illness is very common obsessive-compulsive disorder seems in adolescents and youths. Teenagers with such life threatening behavior called troubled teen and their negative way of living life affect the society and their family. There are various programs and schools for troubled teens which provide boot camps, adolescent therapy, cognitive behavior treatment and education to these youths for their complete and successful recovery. All you need to find the appropriate boarding schools or residential treatment center and effective recovery program, our website help you in finding both of these things. http://www.restoreteens.com/
Susan Quinn 05/15/2009 4:14:00 PM

I am appalled that anyone could contemplate treating a child, far less a troubled child, in this way. I am a 54 year old woman and a mother of three adult children. I would never NEVER have put my child through this. And if my parents had treated me like this for any reason, I would have left home at the first opportunity and broken off all contact with them. No wonder these are troubled children when they have parents that think that barbarity is an appropriate child rearing tactic.
troubled teens 02/04/2009 9:42:00 AM

The teen�s boarding school is offering outstanding education programs to the students. They offer proper guidance to struggling teenagers to help and enhance their skills in various filed of education. http://www.troubledteensguide.com/
teenagers12 12/18/2008 6:56:00 AM

The teens Christian boarding school is offering one of the finest religious based education programs to the students. The school offer top class of academic programs for the character development in which they can able to make a successful life. http://www.strugglingteen.net/
troubledteens 12/18/2008 6:53:00 AM

The teens Christian boarding school is offering one of the finest religious based education programs to the students. The school offer top class of academic programs for the character development in which they can able to make a successful life. http://www.strugglingteen.net/
troubledteens 1 12/15/2008 11:57:00 AM

A parent is right hand to save their child from negative influences. The Christian boarding school is another option to save troubled teens hey have numerous educational programs and many more. They have a good experience to deal trouble teens. http://www.teenageproblems.net/
troubled teens 12/13/2008 7:53:00 AM

There are many organizations, centers and schools for troubled teens that offer strong academic programs to enhance their skills and quality. They also have a variety of learning activities programs for troubled youth . http://www.teenageproblems.net/
troubled teens 12/13/2008 7:51:00 AM

There are many organizations, centers and schools for troubled teens that offer strong academic programs to enhance their skills and quality. They also have a variety of learning activities programs for troubled youth . http://www.teenageproblems.net/
Struggling Teens 12/11/2008 7:27:00 AM

So many troubled youth camps are operating in the country to treat the behavioral and emotional problems of struggling teenagers. These camps provide lots of training sessions and programs to enhance the abilities of campers. http://www.restoreteens.com/
troubled teens 12/10/2008 6:03:00 AM

The troubled teens need more care and attention from their parents compare to other normal children. There are many center and institute that offer quality treatment for them. There are lots of programs for harassed teens in country. http://www.teenageproblems.net/
patricia calhoun 11/25/2008 7:34:00 PM

we'll publish some of the comments about monarch in our next issue; if you'd like to submit a letter for publication, e-mail me at patricia.calhoun@westword.com
Pamela 11/25/2008 7:16:00 AM

It amazes me how many people want to put blame back on the parents who trusted this facility to provide a safe, supervised place for their out of control troubled teens. There are several comments about these parents not doing their research. I would like to know how you come to that conclusion? If you read the article it states these families were either referred to this program and/or researched the website as well. My question would be to the owners of this facility why weren't these teens provided a safe supervised place prior to one of their students becoming pregnant while in their care? It seems to me the tent alarms should have been in place when this facility first started working with a coed arrangement. Monarch failed Emily by not having these measures in place which would have protected her from being able to sneak off. Obviously several people that have commented on this site probably have no children (or they have perfect children)as if you were raising teens in our troubled society you would know that it only takes one peer to pull your child into a path of destruction no matter how hard you lay down the law in your home. Shame on you Tom in saying your confident that this girl has a long history of being abused and you even goes as far to speculate her dad was guilty of this abuse. Wake up Tom if this was the case do you really believe this family would have reached out to so many therapists/facilities to try to help their little girl. Do you know all the facts and their family dynamics...I would venture to guess you don't so how dare you defame her dad's character. Kudos to all those who commented in reference to those affiliated with Monarch posting comments to defend the acusations which took place while these teens were enrolled in their program. One must wonder what really happened in the first facility(Trailhead)he ran as the facility continued to have violations and even a lawsuit. Wouldn't it be nice if some of the employees from that time would write some comments? I am sure this type of facility works for some but you must question if the rate is as high as Dave claims. I wish the best to the families who shared their stories and hope some justice comes out where justice needs to.
Heather 11/24/2008 7:47:00 PM

I want to communicate to the people who are saying that Monarch is a bad place, how very wrong they are. This article did not touch on the power and authenticity of Gestalt therpay. It did not convey the compassion and the respect that Dave Ventimiglia or Duey Freeman have for their clients and their families. The article did not tell the readers of the many, many families whose lives have been positively transformed due to the work they did at Monarch. When people are hurting, their pain may manifest itself in drug or alcohol abuse, violence or depression and sometimes lawsuits. It is my sincere desire that the families who are hurting recieve the support they need to express their pain and continue on with their lives. Monarch is a place where clients have the opportunity to take responsability for their own actions and learn to make better choices. I have been the parent who "rescues" her kids and it completely interferes with their ability to learn and grow.
andy 11/24/2008 12:48:00 AM

Just so you know, I have researched Monarch after reading this article, and they had a psychologist on staff that had his medical license taken way because of sleeping with the kids he was counseling. This guy was practicing psychology at this place. Based on this fact alone people should see what is really going on here. This place is a fraud. Its ok to recognize you shouldnt have put your child in here- own up to it. Monarch is clearly bad news.
sherice 11/24/2008 12:35:00 AM

Man! I don�t want to be rude towards those who wrote positive things regarding Monarch, but frankly I don�t know how else to be. You are naive, ignorant, rude people. These parents and kids have shared very uncomfortable things in an article of this sort. Who in their right mind would put themselves out there like this if these things weren�t true? I have no agenda. I didn�t enroll a child in this program- I have not gone through this experience However I do have much experience in counseling kids and families- and this Monarch place is absurd!! Those parents who wrote in supporting this program have been clearly blinded by the manipulation Monarch has laid on them. Do you people realize how hard it was for the parents who spoke up about this highly abusive place? These parents too were manipulated by this program, debating whether or not to keep their kids in our out; being told if they pulled their kids out it would just cause more problems. The parents that spoke up had guts, they said "enough of this manipulation -we are not going to screw our kids up by keeping them in this program just so we can feel better about ourselves by not having to admit to our kids we made a mistake by putting them in here" A parent who keeps their kid in this place without speaking up is a parent who doesn�t want to admit they screwed up by enrolling their kids in Monarch. These are parents who have not dealt with their own issues of guilt. I greatly respect all the parents and kids who put themselves on the line to share their lives and failures for the sake of others who would enroll themselves in this God-forsaken place. Regarding the counselors who have worked for this place that have written in- YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO WRITE IN- of course you are going to defend yourselves, you were are part of the abuse. Shame on you. I know exactly what is going on here as an outsider- Monarch is having their people write in about this place to defend themselves to the public. Let me just say I am just an outsider looking in who has done my own research about this place, and this place is AWFUL. To the parents who say that they have had success with this place: please open your eyes for the sake of your kids. By reading up on what this place is all about, not only in this article, but in several other places, I can clearly see what is going on. 1. They falsely advertise, they give out false information regarding this facility, this is just straight up fact and you can�t deny that 2. They are abusive. There are kids who are abused who feel safe enough to tell the truth. There are other kids who are abused and keep it all inside. This makes severely screwed up kids who turn into very angry and messed up adults, who appear to have their acts together on the outside, but are silently suffering inside. One of two things happen with these kinds of people- they either suffer alone inside, or eventually they blow up and really hurt the people around them. In a place like Monarch, out of fear these kids pretend to their parents they are all better because of Monarch so that they will not have to deal with this kind of abuse anymore. All these kids learn to do is pretend like they are ok; they comply so that the abuse will stop. That is all you are seeing when you think your kids have been healed by this place. They are like people who look ok on the outside after being fixed by a plastic surgeon on the outside, but are internally bleeding. OPEN YOUR EYES PARENTS!!! BE BRAVE!! I counsel families who have been abused by places like this, and you don�t want to go down the dangerous road thinking your kid is ok just to find them dead one day- after killing themselves because they could bear the pain alone anymore, they could live with keeping all the pain inside, or worse your kid grows up to really hurt some other people. WAKE UP.
mike 11/21/2008 2:12:00 PM

I want to know what planet the people are from that have written comments in support of Monarch. After reading the article i can only say it takes courage for a journalist to write a story like this one. It also takes alot of self sacrifice for these families to put themselves and thier pain out there for others to read all with the hope that it saves one family from suffering through this program. What it does is puts awareness in the minds of the public that there is more underlying the surface at Monarch and other programs like it other than what is seen by first glance. To the people that have commented that it takes hard work and that it is not easy at Monarch but rewarding did you read the part of the article where the family of Maura and Michael were put through a grouling and truamatic reinactment of truama then the poor kid was left uncared for alone in a tent with no one to talk to. What kind of therapy is that. Revictimizing a victim in therapy is not a possitive expression of healing. I would ask all those of you that did not acually hear what these families went through to reread this article without the rosecolored glasses you apparently must have had on and not see this through your experience with Monarch but through these very brave and couragous families eyes, because it is possible that thier expereience was as real as yours and that is sad and deeply upsetting. i congradulate the families for being brave enough to take a stand and be at the risk of ridicule and doubt from others on the off chance it saves a family. My thanks to them and the writer Adam for taking a risk in a society which currently is more concerned with their own safety and security than with thier neighbors. "Be the change you want to see in the world" Gandhi Respectfully Mike
Cate 11/21/2008 5:32:00 AM

Wow. I can't believe the blatant bias in this story. We each have a lens through which we view life and it is my hope that journalists are taught to recognize their own biases and do research to broaden their personal perspective. Obviously some fall short of doing this. It sees to me that research was done on one side of this story; not both. It saddens me to see so many take anothers written word as gospel truth. It even baffels me that no one has questioned this reporter about his credentials and research methods. Our society lives on what our media feeds us. I for one am able to come to my own conclusions rather than be force fed by the media!
Terri 11/20/2008 9:29:00 PM

What needs to be understood here is that these parents are paying alot of money for helping their children. Which the Monarch Center promises to do. They new what Emily was doing. Therefore the Center should have had better policies and restrictions for the coed arrangements. Thank God that Lily has changed Emily's life. But why should the parents payout that kind of money for Emily not to be safe and supervised.
Ashish 11/20/2008 11:10:00 AM

Wilderness programs for teens are helpful for troubled adolescents. These programs offer recovery from behavioral, psychological and emotional disorders in effective manner. Boarding schools suggest wilderness programs that provide confidence, self-esteem and respect for others to troubled teens and make responsible. http://www.teenageproblems.net/
Brian 11/20/2008 6:37:00 AM

I can understand how many people will be upset with the content of this story. Sadly, it would be more appropriate to be upset with the lopsided and sensationalistic nature of its composition. The article's depiction of Monarch, its programs, its practices and its director are all significantly at odds with our family's firsthand experience. I truly grieve for the families who are now seeking through the courts what they have not been able to find elsewhere. If I thought that beating Monarch in court would help them heal, I would even wish for that. Our experience with Monarch lasted for three months, and we have remained in contact with families who were there when we were. None of them have found it easy. All of us still struggle to be functional families, with varying degrees of success. But I have heard no regrets. Was Monarch tough? Yes. And not only for the students. My wife and I were each able to spend time in the field with our son and his group--no special treatment, no perks. It's physically grueling and emotionally challenging. But relative to the danger he proved to be to himself prior to Monarch, the risks of wilderness camping were minor (and in fact, his monitoring, equipment and field staff precautions were of a quality at least as high as that we experienced in scouting's high adventures). Bottom line, it really worked for him--it won't for everyone, and I didn't hear Monarch suggest that it would. What's more, Gestalt therapy is not for sissies. It is experiential, deeply emotional and very cathartic. And everyone in our family experienced it. None of us enjoyed it, or even liked it while we were in it, but we all continue to benefit from it and will be forever grateful for it (think labor and delivery--painful, even traumatic; but who regrets it afterward?). We always knew who was working with our son and what their qualifications were. We spoke directly to Dave as well as to other staff with any concerns or questions we had, and we always received responses. I am sorry that Maura feels she lost Michael at Monarch; truly sorry. But I know that we had lost our son to his behaviors, his peers, his rebellion. It was at Monarch that we found him again. As a pastor, I can tell you that every horror story you have ever read or heard about churches and church members is true--of somebody, sometime, somewhere. And there are those who've written off the Church because of those isolated incidents. I see this article taking a similar stance regarding incidents that may have happened at Monarch. I do not doubt the sincerity of those who are challenging Monarch. I never believed we were enrolling our son in a perfect program. But after months of in-depth research and direct contact with programs throughout the country, we chose Monarch and have since recommended it to others who faced similar challenges. As an organization that refuses to simply try to "fix a problem child," but insists on hard work and transformation for the entire family system, it stands head and shoulders above all those we considered. Our experience there was transformative; expensive, difficult, challenging--but truly life-changing. The State of Colorado, and every parent considering treatment, needs to investigate treatment centers, and allegations related to them, seriously. Monarch will continue to be subject to such formal and informal investigations, and will need to continue to operate in the effective, responsible, transparent way that our family has known them to. Would that Westword were as committed to the same in its approach to journalism. I wish these families well. And I trust in Monarch's vindication in court, and in their continued effective work with families in crisis.
Mary 11/19/2008 5:44:00 PM

After reading this article, I can't believe that anyone thinks this is a healthy enviorment for children. The owners and conselors involved should be charged with child abuse and child endangerment. These people should be thrown in jail. I bet many of the positive comments on this site are from the people who were implicated. Someone needs to put these scammers out of business!
Paul Andersson 11/19/2008 10:18:00 AM

A truly fascinating article. I challenge the author to use his/her literary skill to write another of equal or greater length, depth, emotional intensity, and impact to the Monarch organization-- but this time from the standpoint of success stories.
T Canty 11/19/2008 2:55:00 AM

As a family member of a monarch student, I agree the behavior of staff members was completely inappropriate on many levels. The counseling methods used in Maura and Michael's case was over the top. A student of psychology myself, I cannot see a situation where these tactics would be ok. The Monarch system needs to be completely examined and likely shut down.
Paul Andersson 11/19/2008 2:21:00 AM

As a 3-year veteran staff member for Monarch, I saw many varieties of this article's scenarios unfold, each with it's own twists and turns. Nothing is easy when dealing with these populations in these settings, except for 1 thing: slapping a "Perfect" or "Worst" label on the whole process and convincing yourself you're right by ignoring all the other information and opinions available. Ignorance is bliss, and between Monarch being the best place and the worst place, it's all of these things. Unfortunately, the "worst place" scenario is far over-represented in this article, which seems to cater to a population thriving on fear and making decisions based on limited information. I can say that when sex or drug use occurred in the field, the entire company felt the ripple effects-and immediately evaluated its practices. These instances were few and far between, and were often the result of unhealthy group dynamics created by those we were attempting to empower--the students themselves. In my experience, each student's life was taken personally and seriously by each Monarch staff, from Dave at the top, to part-time support at the bottom. What Dave is trying to do is inherently risky-- subjecting people to their inner demons, making their lives within Monarch difficult, frustrating, and seemingly hopeless at times, so that their lives outside can be rebuilt, as a family unit, on healthier terms. Doing all of this within a lawsuit-happy society that's no longer sure of what it means to hold ourselves accountable for our own actions is no easy task. Dave runs a tight ship that could always get tighter, and will. The fact that he is standing by his words and his company today, after 13 years of struggle, praise, disappointment, and emotional intensity, is testament to his committment to teens, family, and a healthier American society. We who have had a rough relationship with Monarch (as I often did too), need to look at our role in that relationship. We who have had no relationship with Monarch need to develop one based on our own experiences only. No matter where we stand with Monarch, we need to hold sacred the thousands of people that have benefitted invaluably from its existence, let their stories ring true, and allow for the continuation of such successful work. I wish Emily the best with her baby, Chris the best with his future, and Mike and Maura new opportunities and open minds to make amends. Thanks to all the students, families, and staff that allowed me to teach and learn a better way.- Paul
David Ventimiglia 11/19/2008 12:39:00 AM

The staff at the Monarch Center are incredibly proud of the reputation that we have created with the hundreds of families that have participated in the program here. We are disappointed and frustrated that Westword has glorified and misrepresented the facts of the case and look forward to defending our reputation in court and making clear the facts of the case. We have always encouraged parents, and those who are curious about the work that we do, to come out and observe our program. We have had this open invitation because of our confidence in the quality of our staff as well as the effectiveness and integrity of our program
helen 11/18/2008 1:51:00 AM

I think that that place should be shut down. The staff should never be able to work with children in crisis again and a severe penlty should be paid. They were dealing with human beings, animals are treated better. Who ever is running that place should be looked into to see if he or she even has a license to practice. I bet if you look into to it this has happened before in another state. Good luck to all the families.
Craig McMahon 11/17/2008 6:50:00 PM

Wow. I just came across this article and was moved to post a comment. in January of this year, my wife and I elected to place our oldest child in Monarch after months of agonizing issues in our family. Anger, Defiance, drugs, running away, issues with other parents calling- all forced our hands on what to do and where to turn for help. After extensive research and recommendations from a crises counselor -Monarch was offered as something no other program even came close to - Family Therapy. Not just a place to send children to have them "fixed". A place to learn what is going on in our family system-what is going on that is causing our child to search out this direction in life? For me personally-I was blown away with Monarch. Don't get me wrong-I am still personally having many issues with my child-but I have learned that it is My Family Dynamic that is the root cause of our families problem-not my child. He is reacting to something wrong in our family. We are continuing to work on this. We continue to struggle-but G-d willing- we will connect with each other someday in the honest way we are really supposed to meet. I can totally get how the children attending Monarch didn't appreciate the program. Its different. It engages the problems we each face head on-in a way that I honestly haven't seen in any program-course-community. Our society wants the quick fix, the 30 day South Beach Diet approach to parenting. It just doesn't work. It never has. I have returned from Monarch to find out what is going on with my child is an epidemic in our society. Our children are screaming out for help-in violent rages, in drugs, in sex, in money. Nothing changes until something in the family cycle changes. Unless the parents-the individual parents- decide to change-then there is just no other way for the child to react differently. After really struggling with this-why so many kids are finding themselves in rages- my second child coined what is going on for me-"we are the most Narcissistic Society on the planet-its the "all about me generation(s)" No wonder our children run to Facebook/Myspace. They learned from the best. Does my child like the program? Hell no. But guess what he says everytime he gets himself in trouble and we have to decide on serious boundaries for his safety? "Can I go back to Monarch?" He will quickly deny it after he can negotiate terms of surrender. If you are reading this-and wondering if your child will make it through the night because you can't stop them from running away, taking drugs or getting pregnant-you will ultimately have to face the hardest issue I had to face-to get him help. To pause life for a moment so we can take a breath and then dive in head on to what is going on. To give them a chance to work with you. My child made it through Monarch. We are still struggling-not because of his experience-because my wife and I suck at this parenting thing. Just about every parent I have met does as well. We just weren't prepared. In today's world-who is. I can give as many stories about parents trying to struggle through thier teenagers rages in their own homes-without help-but their children still continue drugs, get hurt, get pregnant. It's unfortunate that some of the children experienced the same results while in the program. I went into the field with my child and saw the program in action. It's amazing. I know from my experience-that the issues with my child would have happened at home. Honestly, there are no places in this world that teach you to be a parent. That's sad. We have done in society exactly as our children are acting out today-however our children are trying out life a little earlier than we experienced it. I have found the greatest tragedy is that we want to look the other way and hope that things fix themselves. Our kids are screaming for help. I am truly thankful that there are programs like Monarch. Don't send your child to a wilderness program if you don't want to get involved with your personal issues or avoiding diving in head on your Childs life-all of it. This is life stuff. Its ugly. Its messy-and damn worth it. I'm sad so many people in difficult family situations can't experience fully what a program like Monarch has to offer. I am truely feeling for the families and thier bad experiences in getting hurt. It is hard there. Its actually very very cold as well. My son is thankfully alive and I am working like Hell trying to show him how much I love him enough to do what ever it takes to work with him. I remember this next statement and try and live it as much as possible as each day has its own parental opportunities: "Can you stand up in front of your child - in all his fury, manipulation and adolescent rightousness - and insist that he adhere to what you know to be true and in the best interests of him, your family, humanity? And then follow through with him if he turns his back on you?" Can you follow through for your child? I am working on this daily. Thank you Dave and the Monarch team.
lynn 11/17/2008 6:41:00 PM

I am sure there both good and crappy counselors in this program, as there are in many other mental health facilities. The kid who thought it was bleach in his thermos might not know the difference from the iodine. The girl who got pregnant was alreadt sleeping around, so the fact she was sneaky the have sex there is not suprising. I'm sure that some kids are helped by this program, and others are not. No place has a 100% success rate.
Samuel Forsyth 11/16/2008 5:50:00 AM

In regard to the recently printed article about the Monarch Center : As former Monarch field staff, I have a very different view of the program. The Monarch Center for Family Healing is the only wilderness program I know of that dedicates a week to the family aspect of therapy. During this week, parents and other family members are involved in intensive therapy as well as multi-family therapy. They are also encouraged to (and often do) come out to therapy sessions that occur in the field. Monarch is also one of the few wilderness institutions that aims to send the students back home as opposed to a therapeutic boarding school or similar situation when transitioning out of the program. Although I don't think it was Monarch that led Ms. Jarvis to have sex and become pregnant, measures have been taken since that incident to aid in supervision at night. Tent alarms are now placed on zippers which sound if a student's tent is opened during night hours. Students tents are set up near staff tents. Staff tents are located between the separate male and female tent sites. When the number of students allows, the male and female groups are completely separate at different locations with different itineraries. Physical contact between the students is not allowed. At my last multi-family gathering at Monarch one parent complained that she thought the measures were too strict! I would also like to express my distaste for the caption under the photo of Ms. Jarvis and her beautiful daughter, which describes her daughter as a "souvenir". In regard to the possible giardia case mentioned; students use backpacking water filter pumps and iodine pills. Not having patience for the water pump, occasionally students will fill bottles behind staff's back with water straight from the creek, disregarding the warnings from staff. The idea of staff putting drops of bleach in a stream and telling the students to "fill up" is ludicrous. Groups are given toilet paper in rolls which stay in ziplock bags. A hand washing dromedary bag is hung in a tree along with a sanitation kit that includes camp soap and hand sanitizer. A gravity filter is hung in a separate tree which holds water that is filtered as is flows out. As most families will tell you, Monarch is a life changing program. All three students in this case were pulled out early for different circumstances. I don't know the details, as I don't trust the subjective nature of the article that was written, but it's truly unfortunate. At Monarch, contact is everything. Contact meaning �being in relationship�. The growth I witnessed in the way families connected at Monarch was truly inspiring. Awareness of different behaviors and emotions is realized. Family members become adept at expressing emotion while remaining in contact. So much is gained from this! Therapy at Monarch is praised by so many for good reason. From a firsthand point of view, every therapist at Monarch is very effective in a positive way. The wilderness setting is ideal for removing the distractions that bring us out of contact, ie. tv, video games, internet, phones. It also allows the silence and space to reflect on our behaviors. During hikes, slow hikers push themselves and over time, fast hikers learn patience through their frustration. The wilderness is a good place to bring awareness to emotional triggers and encourage compassion and teamwork. During �solo� time, students work on curriculum and treatment focus journals. While backpacking they also learn to be self-sufficient by performing camp chores such as gathering firewood, filling the dromedary bag, digging a latrine, as well as learning how to cook for the group. There is also more time and incentive for the students to communicate and really �drop in� during groups(group meetings) and in therapy sessions, when they are in the field for weeks at a time. And what better place than in the wilderness to learn to live in the present! I have no doubt that every family comes away from Monarch with profound and positive change. I had often heard from staff from other programs that this was a thankless job. While working at the Monarch Center for Family Healing, I found that most students, through all the complaining, knew they and their families were deeply affected and had no problem voicing their recognition and gratitude before they left. Witnessing the progress in family relationships was an eye opening experience. I have been deeply touched from living and growing with the students.
Katie 11/13/2008 5:11:00 PM

The federal government is very much aware of issues related to wilderness camps and is dealing with the lack of regulations pertaining to them. Not all treatment options are as negative as this particular situation. I am so sorry for the families that were subjected to this terrible program. I hope others seeking help are not dissuaded by this program.