I am writing in response to the front-page story about alleged abuse at Mount Bachelor Academy that appeared in The Bulletin on April 5. I have been with the academy since July 1990 and have served in many capacities and roles. During those nearly two decades of service to teenagers and their families, I have never seen, participated in, nor trained fellow staff in anything related to the kind of abusive behavior outlined in the story.

What is so disturbing is that a few disgruntled individuals have created an unfounded image of Mount Bachelor Academy and, in so doing, have added additional anxiety and stress to kids who are trying to deal with severe personal issues. The effect this has had on our current students is the biggest tragedy.

Mount Bachelor Academy is licensed by the state of Oregon as well as accredited by the Northwest Association of Accredited Schools and Pacific Northwest Association of Independent Schools. The academy is also regulated by the state of Oregon through an intensive licensing process that was just completed in the spring of 2008.

Mount Bachelor Academy is transparent in its approach, with kids graduating four times a year and going out to test their learned tools in the real world. Our parents are some of the most intelligent, high-powered lawyers, teachers, politicians, writers, movie stars, professional athletes and doctors in the world. We also work with children whose families work for the State Department and the Oregon Department of Human Services. These parents know what we do and how we are helping or have helped their kids in the past.

For 20 years, Mount Bachelor Academy has successfully worked with thousands of young people who were perceived “failures” in their previous schools and communities. What we actually work with are the most gifted, brilliant, talented, artistic and athletic kids in the world. We work with kids who have been wounded and seen trauma in their pasts. We work with kids with drug and alcohol abuse, dysfunctional family units, overcrowded schools, cutting and eating disorders, and the ever-present, day-to-day negative influences of the media, Internet, films and sensational news stories pounding at us from every angle.

Our approach is to educate the “whole child,” the social, emotional, physical, academic and family aspects of every student. Mount Bachelor Academy employs numerous evidence-based therapeutic methods such as cognitive behavioral therapy, skill-building from dialectical behavior therapy, Adoption Clinical Training, drug- and alcohol-focused therapies, mindfulness, writing exercises, engaging the senses, interactive group, art, music, dance and other nonverbal therapies, affirmations and guided visualization. All methods of therapy are done in a supportive atmosphere with trained professionals and the intent to raise self-awareness and self-worth, as well as help students accept that they are good human beings in spite of whatever it is that they have done in their past or previously believed.

We individualize our plans to accommodate each kid and each family, so as not to force-feed or generalize a lock-step program. One size most definitely does not fit all at MBA. We work around the clock, day and night, to ensure that we have a safe, warm, loving and nurturing place for our kids to thrive. Abuse never enters the picture.

Do we tell our kids the hard truth at times? Absolutely. Do we also show our kids we care each and every day? Absolutely. We have group therapy where kids can freely express their inner feelings, fears and opinions. At MBA, kids can talk to anyone about anything they choose to, including staff, teachers and parents. And we listen, take it in and make changes when necessary.

The staff at Mount Bachelor Academy are the most dedicated individuals I have ever worked with. We seek to change children’s and families’ lives for the better, and we are dedicated to achieving this noble task every day of every week, of every month, of every year. The relationships we forge with our students last a lifetime. I am often honored to go to weddings, college graduations and receive the birth announcements of their children. I dare say this continued engagement in our young people’s lives wouldn’t be possible if we relied on abusive methods or “scared straight” tactics to mold children.