The state’s action last Monday was deeply disappointing to Mount Bachelor Academy after all of our cooperative efforts these past months. We intend to do everything possible to defend the excellent record of our staff of dedicated professionals built over more than 20 years at Mount Bachelor, and to refute these erroneous allegations.
We are told that the state’s order to suspend operations at Mount Bachelor was largely based on a 200-page report that we still have not been given. However, from what we read in the media, it appears that the report includes allegations that date back as far as 10 to 12 years, many of which were based on a prior treatment process that was overhauled in 2002.
Mount Bachelor places a high value on compliance and being viewed by the state as a good operator. As a result, our staff cooperated fully throughout the DHS inquiry, and made a number of changes based on the limited information the state shared with us about its concerns.
Mount Bachelor was a program specifically designed for troubled students who had failed to progress in other settings, and was unique in our system. It was designed to help kids confront the worst of their behaviors and take ownership of them, whether that be substance abuse, sexual acting out or other issues. At a couple of points in key transitions of personal growth, students engaged in supervised role play in a very supportive setting where they were surrounded by staff and peers with whom they had formed close relationships. This approach proved successful at producing positive, life changing – in some cases life saving – results. It is unfortunate that this one-of-a-kind program, which has been effective for so many, will no longer be available to teens and their families.
The state’s sudden action was not only erroneous but also created an unnecessary burden of distress and disruption for our students and their families. At this point, we are doing everything we can to protect our students and assist our families in making orderly and appropriate arrangements for their children in alternative programs.
At the same time, we are aggressively pursuing legal options, including requesting hearings to overturn the order issued by DHS and to contest the findings by the Office of Investigations and Training.
For decades, Mount Bachelor Academy has enjoyed a solid reputation as a quality, accredited therapeutic boarding school for teens with behavioral, emotional or motivational problems or special learning needs.
We remain proud of Mount Bachelor’s record of life-changing, positive results for young people in our care, and confident in the professional conduct of our staff who have committed their careers to making a difference in the lives of young people and their families. Mount Bachelor has been recognized for comprehensive therapeutic best practices and safety protocols, and has independent verification of its success through participation in third-party outcome studies with oversight by the Western Institutional Review Board.
Throughout the inquiry, we have been heartened by the overwhelming support from Mount Bachelor Academy alumni and current students and families. More than 100 individual letters and a letter with roughly 200 signatures were filed with the Oregon DHS in support of our school.
