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https://www.propublica.org/article/washington-special-education-schools-funding-abuse
#ProPublica published a... an honestly gutting story about the basement level standards and the quite frankly criminal negligence at Northwest SOIL, a special needs school in Washington state.
Quote from former staff:
"There was no education whatsoever. [...] It’s a moneymaking scheme for Fairfax, and the kids are the ones that are paying the price for this.”
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The reason this is a whole Thread is that Northwest SOIL is managed by Universal Health Services, a Fortune 500 company that owns a wide range of subsidiaries -- hospitals, residential treatment facilities, specialized mental health care facilities, you name it.
The catch is... profit, profit, profit is the name of UHS's game, even if it means min-maxing those profits at the expense of those caught in the middle.
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https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/rosalindadams/intake#.fojJ11vLb
Buzzfeed had an entire investigative series concerning Universal Health Services, their rampant "greed is good" mentality, and the literal federal investigation over whether they've committed Medicaid fraud.
But this gem sticks out:
“They killed an opiate addict with opiates. [...] It’s unbelievable to me that could happen.”
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One more thing: Universal Health Services is the same company that owns Provo Canyon School, and for anyone who's familiar with the #TroubledTeenIndustry and #BreakingCodeSilence...
...the school's reputation speaks for itself.
The Provo Canyon School recently received national attention over allegations of abuse from former students at the residential youth treatment center. In response, Republican Spanish Fork Sen. Mike McKell is sponsoring a bill that would increase transparency and oversight at residential facilities throughout the state. <h2>Reported abuses at Provo Canyon School</h2> Media personality Paris Hilton […]
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https://www.propublica.org/article/washington-special-education-school-faces-state-restriction
UPDATE (per ProPublica): Northwest SOIL has officially been barred from accepting new students this fall.
A state investigation into Northwest SOIL, launched following a Seattle Times and ProPublica series that highlighted problems at the school, found “unacceptably high” use of physical restraints and isolation rooms.
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https://revealnews.org/podcast/cashing-in-on-troubled-teens/
The latest podcast from Reveal News on the #TroubledTeenIndustry, discussing how Universal Health Services are still the bad guys (as is tradition). Also includes transcript.
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https://revealnews.org/podcast/cashing-in-on-troubled-teens/
Quote(s):
"My staff and I, essentially flew around the country looking at these facilities and were horrified at what we found. [...]
You don’t put hands on a child who’s been physically or sexually abused, pull their pants down, and shoot a syringe in their butt and think that that’s going to be a therapeutic response to a child in crisis. It’s not just wrong, it’s insane."
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https://www.propublica.org/article/washington-school-northwest-soil-closes-amid-scrutiny
UPDATE: Amid low attendance numbers, a state ban on new students, and the... er, "publicity" as of late, Northwest SOIL will be closing its doors soon.
The state’s investigation of Northwest SOIL, a private program serving public school students, was prompted by reporting from The Seattle Times and ProPublica that uncovered accusations about staff restraining and injuring vulnerable students.
Jason Madrid
