We sent our son, when he was 12 to Midwest Academy. He went here for 11months. My son had a history of ADHD, ODD, anxiety, depression, & self harm. Our lives were spiraling out of control for some time. Constant calls from teachers about his behaviors, disrespect at home, his younger sister was scared to be alone with him. We tried in patient hospitalization after we found him on the roof of our house threatening to jump. A few months later he stole $20 from friend and lied about seeing someone break into their house. That was the last straw we needed help. We needed a place that would help our son before he went down a much darker path. We found out about MWA from our sons psychiatrist and a teacher at his public school. So we contacted them & enrolled him May 2014. We ended up pulling him out April 2015 after he was named victim of 2 DHS reports within 1 months time. At the time DHS was investigating them the FBI had begun their investigation into them as well. I have no direct knowledge what the FBI were investigating at that time. Everything going I share comes directly from my own knowledge or the two 50 page DHS reports given to us by DHS.   The 1st case was lack of basic needs- he spent at least 50% of his time in isolation OSS. OSS is a small concrete room with bright fluorescent lights on 24 hours a day, a video camera in corner, no furniture, & locked door. If you are good then you earn right to have door open. It bedtime you are given a mattress, but don't cover your face with it or there will be a consequence, & again fluorescent light on while you are to sleep. If you are good & follow rules, you are out within 24 hours. If you are my son, yu are in for 2-3 weeks at a time. Other children who were also in OSS at the time would defecate & urinate in the room & it would be left in there by staff. One child would bang his head on the wall until he gave himself a traumatic brain injury. Our son would punch his self in nose then use blood to write on walls-- treating the children as caged animals. How does this treatment help a child with ODD, Anxiety, depression, & ADHD. My son went in at 130lbs and dropped to 90-95lbs. Of course I couldn't see how at this time but would get pictures from their website & would question the nurse via email & she reassured me this was healthy. Mr Ben was able to explain the DHS call to us as a "witch hunt". He explained that they didn't like MWA & Never have. He had my husband & I buying into everything he said. We wanted to help our 12 year. We loved him more than words & wanted him to get the help he needed. We truly thought MWA was the answer. The second call from DHS came in a few weeks later informing us that our son again had been named as a victim of sexual abuse by peers. Again the charge would be neglect. Our son was a difficult child. His entire time at MWA he never leveled up. There were a few kids like this so staff decided to start a new "family". A family is a group of kids that live together, go to school together, & eat together. They became the "Pride Family". Everyone of these kids that came to MWA have mental health issues and or a criminal past. Our son was placed in a family with a know sex offender. This sex offender was approximately 16 years old. He was court ordered to MWA for forcing his young niece (under age 10) to perform oral sex on him. While in the Pride Family this kids along with a few of the upper level/older boys started sexually abusing other members usually younger & lower level in their family. They would tell the other kids if they didn't do what they were asking then they would make up stories that would get the lower level put into OSS. At MWA, upper levels are pretty much regarded as staff & their opinions & claims are treated as such. Of course the lower levels would not want to get into trouble so they would perform whatever act was being asked of them. If lower levels did as asked they would be rewarded by their abuser with things like extra snacks or Nike dry fits. The kids were doing this in their bunks & bathroom. They were able to get away with it because staff were not paying attention to them. They would be sleeping at desk or playing video games. The abuser would pick their victim as their "second " to go to the bathroom with. One child did report these events to MWA & they held their own investigation. They told the kids that all persons involved would be arrested. Then sent to a state mental facility or juvenile detention center. Other kids at MWA found out & called the family "Gay Pride Family". When the kids complained that others were making fun of them they were told that should not have participated in such behaviors to earn them the reputation. Our family reps called us 3 days after finding out about the events. We expressed our concern of safety for our child. The family reps had Mr Ben call us who tried to tell us that it was no abuse but just boys "experimenting ". We asked what actions would be taken we were told they were doing everything they could do to safe gourd our childrwn. 2 days later DHS made contact to inform our child was taken into their custody to new interviewed surrounding the allegations. I asked if MWA had contacted them & was informed no. Later we found out that it came from another students probation officer. While talking with our son & DHS we found it out that there was no "experimenting " for the victims. They were only doing it because they were forced into or because they thought they would get friends & stay out of OSS. After DHS, concluded their interview we took our son home. We stopped by MWA to gather his things & again Mr Ben tried to tell us that DHS has a "witch hunt out for him & MWA". He recanted his story at least twice to us. He told us the kids were liars & manipulating us to take them home. All I saw was a grown man trying to manipulate my husband & i. In August 2015, we received 2 50 page reports from DHS stating the 2 cases of abuse were FOUNDED. They found Ben Trane on 2 counts of abuse as all decisions go through him. He is the only one with any decision making authority at that school. We have been told by DHS that the part of the problem with MWA that it is does not fall into any of the state guidelines on how their facility should proceed. They have no board of directors. During the investigation it was found that staff is not getting proper training. Most of staff that watch kids at night are given a 1 night crash course. This is what you do & if anything happens call Ben. Some of the staffers admitted they did not know what to do in the event of an emergency such as fire or tornando. One even attest they are not allowed into the sleeping quarters. That is they saw something happening such as a rape or someone hanging themselves that they would not be allowed to entire room until the first radio Ben. There are a few good staffers we meet while there such as Mr Gary, Ms Angie & Mr Don. I do believe that they are there for the right reasons & truly want to help these kids. Since leaving MWA my son still struggles with sleep. We were informed that this is common in kids from MWA that spent a lot of time in OSS due to the constant fluorescent lighting on them. My son is finally starting to smile & laugh again. :) He is such a good kid atbheart. He is always willing to jump in &help anyone who needs it. School is still a struggle. He still struggles with his ODD that makes school a challenge. But we take it one day at a time. For any prospective parents out there, I would truly recommend you to do all your research. Do not rely on the reviews that Midwest provides or the families the put you in contact with for personal testimonies of success. He even have parents reviewing his school on other sites. Ben will have you discount me too. He will tell you that my child didn't finish the program which he is right. And that is fine by me.  My child didn't finish because of the sexual abuse that was happening to him by peers in his family. Please, please research all options before settling in any treatment facility.