Mission Mountain School
Encyclopedia
Mission Mountain School was a therapeutic boarding school
for girls located in Condon
, Missoula County
, Montana
. It operated from October 1, 1990 to August 16, 2008. On that date, the school graduated its last class and ceased operation, announcing that its founders would be on sabbatical.
was divided into four program components: daily life skills, outdoor education
, emotional growth and academics. An equine-guided education program was offered.
A graduate of the program stated that the school used behavior modification
to give students structure and provided psychoanalytic counseling
to help students understand the sources of their negative behaviors.
One psychiatrist who also testified before Congress noted his own horror at the accounts of 'blatant abuse in the name of treatment and therapy' at the school and other poorly regulated therapeutic boarding schools.
Yet another former participant has said that the program induced students into "self-obliterating submission" by instilling fear.
member of the Pacific Northwest Association of Independent Schools
(PNAIS) and the Northwest Association of Accredited Schools
(NAAS), and was a full member of the National Association of Therapeutic Schools and Programs
(NATSAP). It was also affiliated with the Equine Assisted Growth and Learning Association (EAGALA).
Therapeutic boarding school
A therapeutic boarding school , alternatively known as an emotional growth boarding school, is a boarding school based on the therapeutic community model that offers an educational program together with specialized structure and supervision for students with emotional and behavioral problems,...
for girls located in Condon
Condon, Montana
Condon is an unincorporated community in Missoula County, Montana, United States.Condon is the site of a U.S. post office, using ZIP Code 59826. Mission Mountain School is located in the community and the U.S. Forest Service operates an airport in Condon....
, Missoula County
Missoula County, Montana
-National protected areas:*Bitterroot National Forest *Flathead National Forest *Lolo National Forest *Rattlesnake National Recreation Area-Demographics:...
, Montana
Montana
Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
. It operated from October 1, 1990 to August 16, 2008. On that date, the school graduated its last class and ceased operation, announcing that its founders would be on sabbatical.
Program description
The school enrolled girls ages 13 to 18, offering therapy, college preparatory education, and recreation for girls of above average intelligence who were "in crisis." It operated year-round and the average length of enrollment was 18 to 22 months. The curriculumCurriculum
See also Syllabus.In formal education, a curriculum is the set of courses, and their content, offered at a school or university. As an idea, curriculum stems from the Latin word for race course, referring to the course of deeds and experiences through which children grow to become mature adults...
was divided into four program components: daily life skills, outdoor education
Outdoor education
Outdoor education usually refers to organized learning that takes place in the outdoors. Outdoor education programs sometimes involve residential or journey-based experiences in which students participate in a variety of adventurous challenges in the form of outdoor activities such as hiking,...
, emotional growth and academics. An equine-guided education program was offered.
A graduate of the program stated that the school used behavior modification
Behavior modification
Behavior modification is the use of empirically demonstrated behavior change techniques to increase or decrease the frequency of behaviors, such as altering an individual's behaviors and reactions to stimuli through positive and negative reinforcement of adaptive behavior and/or the reduction of...
to give students structure and provided psychoanalytic counseling
Psychotherapy
Psychotherapy is a general term referring to any form of therapeutic interaction or treatment contracted between a trained professional and a client or patient; family, couple or group...
to help students understand the sources of their negative behaviors.
Controversy
The appropriateness of practices at the school have been disputed. One alumnus testified before Congress regarding abusive practices, exploitative interventions, educational neglect and the lack of mental health training of staff.One psychiatrist who also testified before Congress noted his own horror at the accounts of 'blatant abuse in the name of treatment and therapy' at the school and other poorly regulated therapeutic boarding schools.
Yet another former participant has said that the program induced students into "self-obliterating submission" by instilling fear.
Accreditation and affiliations
Mission Mountain School operated as an accreditedEducational accreditation
Educational accreditation is a type of quality assurance process under which services and operations of educational institutions or programs are evaluated by an external body to determine if applicable standards are met...
member of the Pacific Northwest Association of Independent Schools
Pacific Northwest Association of Independent Schools
The Pacific Northwest Association of Independent Schools is an organization devoted to promoting quality education within independent schools in the Pacific Northwest...
(PNAIS) and the Northwest Association of Accredited Schools
Northwest Association of Accredited Schools
The Northwest Accreditation Commission , formerly named the Northwest Association of Accredited Schools, is an organization based in Boise, Idaho which accredits a variety of schools, including K-12, elementary, middle, and high schools; schools offering distance education; non-degree-granting...
(NAAS), and was a full member of the National Association of Therapeutic Schools and Programs
National Association of Therapeutic Schools and Programs
The National Association of Therapeutic Schools and Programs is a United States organization of therapeutic schools, residential treatment programs, wilderness programs, outdoor therapeutic programs, young adult programs and home-based residential programs for adolescents and young adults with...
(NATSAP). It was also affiliated with the Equine Assisted Growth and Learning Association (EAGALA).
External links
- cafety.org - Community Alliance for the Ethical Treatment of Youth
- Mission Mountain School official site
- U.S. House of Representatives, Committee on Education and Labor, "Child Abuse and Deceptive Marketing by Residential Programs for Teens", Full Committee Hearing on HR 5876, April 24, 2008.