Ridge Creek

Ridge Creek is a 26-day wilderness-based program owned by Hidden Lake Academy. Two types of students attend Ridge Creek. The address of the intake office and base camp is 830 Hidden Lake Road, Dahlonega, GA 30533, which is next to the facility that owns them: Hidden Lake Academy

The teenagers detained in the program can be divided into two categories:

• a) HLA Students--HLA students are often sent to Ridge Creek as an alternative method of encouraging them to progress therapeutically. When they come back to HLA, they are expected to make up their schoolwork, however they are given the opportunity to complete school work at the wilderness program.
• b) Nationals--Some students are sent to Ridge Creek for its own wilderness program's sake. If the program does not help them progress to their parents' expectations, they are often recommended to HLA.

Program Structure

Level System

There are four levels in the program:

The first level is called Orientation. During this level the teenager is expected to break down and accept the banishment from his or her family.

Level two is named Foundation. It is about to learn the basics of wilderness life (survive).

Level three is called Expansion, which consist of hard work combined with group session with the other detainees.

The final level is called Integration, where the detained teenager is coached for the next step, which could be Hidden Lake Academy, if the staff have convinced the parents that the child need somekind of further treatment.

Communication

The communication between parents and the detained teenager is restricted to letters only. The parents can call a representative from the program, which the program claims to be a license therapist.

Misc

A survivor gave an interview on Fornits <Ref>HLA Ridge Creek Interview, a thread on Fornits webforum</Ref>

External Links

Info pages

• Info: Homepage of the wilderness program
• Info: International Survivor Action Committee on Hidden Lake Academy
• Info: Hidden Lake Academy on Wikipedia, Warning - revert war ongoing
• Info: Hidden Lake Academy on secretprisonsforteens

Survivor groups

• Survivor group: Hidden Lake Academy, Myspace
• Survivor group: HLAgroup, Myspace
• Survivor group: HLA, Myspace
• Survivor group: Group for survivors of wilderness program, who are alive to tell their story, Myspace

Message boards

• Forum: Hidden Lake Forum on Fornits
• Forum: Ridge Creek School - Accreditation, a thread on Fornits webforum
• Forum: RIDGE CREEK SCHOOL, a thread on Fornits webforum

References

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