This is a really terribe terrible terrible place. I lived here for four years in the Independent Living program. They made you sit through hours and hours of group therapy, which was really awful because you had to lay out your business in front of 15-20 other teens.
The staff were so-so. Some of the staff, you could be best friends with. They took you places and let you do things on your own. The other staff members only cared about staying in the office and talking on their phone.
I was lucky, unlike some of the children who were in the more intense program who had to go to school on the group home campus. I went to public school along with another house of people who were known as "perpetrators". We were told to never hang out with them, but on several occasions (usually once a month) we would have to sit through independent living classes with them where we learned life skills.
They had some kind of level system where you could kinda "gain" priveleges. .Nobody ever worked through the system because you had to put all your stuff out in the open. Nobody in their right mind wants to do that.
When I went to the group therapy sessions, I was also told that the abuse that happened to me "was my fault". Who tells a child that????
Oh and the house that is the other independent living house for the perpetrators. They are fine people. I kept in touch with a few of them and they all turned out okay. In my opinion, you can't call someone a perpetrator until they actually commit a crime. These kids didn't commit any crimes.
Half the time, I was really drugged up on meds for my "depression". Everyone there gets some type of medicine. I was so doped up half the time I was so sleepy. I feel like I was a zombie for most of the four years.
Overall, I feel a lot of pain over those four years that were lost. It could have been a lot worse...the younger people who aren't in the independent living program had to stay in the center all day. They even go to school there. So no outside contact at all. I couldn't even imagine no contact, no friends on the outside world, just in a center for victims of sexual abuse and another side for the perpetrators.
Oh and those independent skills you are supposed to be learning in the program won't be taught to you. Because you can't clean because they are afraid you will do something with the chemicals. The only thing you are taught is how to vaccuum. You won't learn any life skils here.
I think they like eating the states money. Don't let the beautiful campus (which is near the North side of Columbus) fool you.
I hope this helps you choose, if your caseworker gives you a choice. DO NOT CHOOSE THIS HELL HOLE.
All USA
This is a really terribe terrible terrible place. I lived here for four years in the Independent Living program. They made you sit through hours and hours of group therapy, which was really awful because you had to lay out your business in front of 15-20 other teens. The staff were so-so. Some of the staff, you could be best friends with. They took you places and let you do things on your own. The other staff members only cared about staying in the office and talking on their phone. I was lucky, unlike some of the children who were in the more intense program who had to go to school on the group home campus. I went to public school along with another house of people who were known as "perpetrators". We were told to never hang out with them, but on several occasions (usually once a month) we would have to sit through independent living classes with them where we learned life skills. They had some kind of level system where you could kinda "gain" priveleges. .Nobody ever worked through the system because you had to put all your stuff out in the open. Nobody in their right mind wants to do that. When I went to the group therapy sessions, I was also told that the abuse that happened to me "was my fault". Who tells a child that???? Oh and the house that is the other independent living house for the perpetrators. They are fine people. I kept in touch with a few of them and they all turned out okay. In my opinion, you can't call someone a perpetrator until they actually commit a crime. These kids didn't commit any crimes. Half the time, I was really drugged up on meds for my "depression". Everyone there gets some type of medicine. I was so doped up half the time I was so sleepy. I feel like I was a zombie for most of the four years. Overall, I feel a lot of pain over those four years that were lost. It could have been a lot worse...the younger people who aren't in the independent living program had to stay in the center all day. They even go to school there. So no outside contact at all. I couldn't even imagine no contact, no friends on the outside world, just in a center for victims of sexual abuse and another side for the perpetrators. Oh and those independent skills you are supposed to be learning in the program won't be taught to you. Because you can't clean because they are afraid you will do something with the chemicals. The only thing you are taught is how to vaccuum. You won't learn any life skils here. I think they like eating the states money. Don't let the beautiful campus (which is near the North side of Columbus) fool you. I hope this helps you choose, if your caseworker gives you a choice. DO NOT CHOOSE THIS HELL HOLE.