DO NOT RECOMMEND AT ALL! Jeff (Google Reviews), HEAL Program Information Discovery Ranch, Family Alleges Bestiality at Alternative School, The Troubled Teen Industry: Commodifying Disability and Capitalizing on Fear by Catherine Kushan (mentions Discovery Ranch), Strength in the Struggle A Marketing Video uploaded by the school to YouTube, Discovery Ranch Secret Prisons for Teens. The location grew in popularity after rumors swirled that the land . The representative will help connect you with resources that can help your family--even if that help is not from us. The last few years of my life have felt unreal, Ive had migraines with frustration wondering how places like this exist, and how theyve gotten away with so much deceit. DISCOVERY RANCH - 20 Photos & 27 Reviews - Yelp We have created this bond because unless you went through a detention center such as DR, you will not understand. My parents spent over $200,000 here before they realized I was not getting the help I needed. I stopped feeling emotions and didnt for two years. Craig Smith worked as the Clinical Director of Discovery Ranch. He previously worked at, worked as the Residential Director of Discovery Ranch. But I fucking wasnt. I still have insomnia and night terrors of being at that place. Its sick and I hope in the future these places will be illegal and I will NEVER send my kids to one of these places. Have been in contact with many former students that have not done well once leaving the ranch. Im in therapy, on medication, have been to three AA meetings in the past three days, and just feel like I am out of options and suicide or getting constantly fucked up is my only option at this point. They are very abusive and they will lie to you. Although there are no support groups for people like us and since the program is so small & were from all over the country, it feels and looks very real that you may be alone, YOU ARE NOT. When the program opened, it housed both boys and girls on the same campus, but kept them completely seperate in different parts of the campus. You will also be able to observe your sons progress through our secure, password-protected parent portal. My parents spent over $200,000 here before they realized I was not getting the help I needed. We were victims of abuse. I still have insomnia and night terrors of being at that place. The Famous Blind Frog Ranch: A Private Ranch In Montana That Is Home To Not only were surveillance cameras found pointing at their worksite, but military helicopters have flown over the Utah land and spy drones have been seen, too. I had been raped when i was 12 and was unable to tell my male therapist or parents about this happening because my family is very Catholic. Discovery Ranch is reported by many survivors to be an extremely abusive program. It does not represent any obligation. Teenagers at Discovery Ranch have extremely limited contact with the outside world. The program has a maxmimum enrollment of 60 boys, and the average length of stay is reported to be around 10 months, but this can be substantially longer if the boy is deemed resistant. (Blood sprayed on me). We Have Helped Struggling Teens To Learn The Skills They Needed To Heal, Thrive, And Reunite With Their Families. The protocols here suck, and do absolutely nothing in the way of help. Listen to your child, what do they think they need? I thought I was actually crazy, but it was all real. On top of that I was forced to study 7 hours straight on the weekends if I didnt meet academic requirements. Your son will experience the value of hard work through daily chores and responsibilities. Staff members are chosen at random, as the turnover rate is insanely high. We provide a safe, home-like environment for your son. I can still hear the screams of kids being restrained and having their arms pinned behind them and blood flow cut off because they didnt follow simple orders. They only allow astonishing ones to pass. Therapy was more like brainwashing than therapy. Reading these reviews it is obviously a place that needs to make some changes if the accusations are correct. Please reach out to me for questions, I will do my best to educate you on what is happening and get you current information. Sanoy (Google Reviews). I dont know why but when i was there I never wanted to leave. You get used to the screaming and pleading for help, it becomes background noise. The trauma Ive witnessed, and seen other kids witness was unbearable. Your community does not have the resources to help. If you are at all struggling and/or would like to talk to someone who can relate, please do not hesitate to contact me through this post and Id be happy to exchange information so we can talk. Teenagers can be punished for infractions as small as making an inappropriate facial expression, meaning they can be punished for crying or raising their eyebrows without permission. The lawsuit, filed Thursday in 6th District Court on behalf of Brenda Woolsey, claims Clay Brewer, then 17, should have never been at Turn-About Ranch on Dec. 6, 2016, when he woke up "feeling. We respect your privacy. I will never forgive Discovery Ranch for the damage they did to me, and the damage they continue to do to future generations. Grand Ledge Courts. No one deserves what they really do to people. I literally couldnt make this shit up. At Discovery Ranch for Boys, we hold ourselves to the, We maintain professional memberships in research organizations, such as, . We focus on healing the entire family. We were treated like we were in prison, and if we stepped out of line, we had our privileges taken away. He also is the Executive Director of, . I was 15 years old. Proof is attached as an image. Please reach out to me for questions, I will do my best to educate you on what is happening and get you current information. Sanoy (Yelp), August 2020: (SURVIVOR) Kinda like a prison that just focuses on external behavior. Staff parents "were expected to replicate a. please if you are thinking of sending anyone or know anyone who is considering to send someone here, keep the kid far away from them. The pain doesnt just stop, they dont forget what you did to them, regardless of your intentions. Although the system failed us, my peers and I have created somewhat of a little support group to cope and its helped us tremendously. Discovery ranch uses a merit system to punish kids. Its not just the kids too, sometimes there are good staff, but whenever there is that person never lasts long at all, they all literally quit because this place is so horrible. It is marketed as a Residential Treatment Center for teenage boys aged 13-18 with emotional and behavioral issues. DR does not accept transgender males. please if you are thinking of sending anyone or know anyone who is considering to send someone here, keep the kid far away from them. I literally couldnt make this shit up. Discovery ranchs idea of privileges is being able to sit on something other than hard wood chairs. Our parents (his Mom and step-father) regret sending him there even all these years later. I posted this exact review several times spacing itself out several months. To them, there is one way that every kid learns, and if you have learning disabilities thats too fucking bad and ask the doctor to raise your meds the next time he comes. In addition, survivors have reported that on the off-chance that they are able to inform their parents of abuse, their parents are manipulated by DR into believing that their child is lying and being manipulative in an attempt to be pulled from the program. Discovery Ranch is the Top Residential Treatment Center for Troubled Teen Boys 1318, Located in Utah. If Im in the car with someone and they make a wrong turn or something I will flip out and start having a panic attack because all I can think about it oh my god where are they taking me theyre locking me up again. His step-father (my Dad) told me not to discuss it around him. Discovery ranchs idea of privileges is being able to sit on something other than hard wood chairs. Are they just being a teenager? Its sick and I hope in the future these places will be illegal and I will NEVER send my kids to one of these places. For a year I was put down and felt stupid and inadequate and my opinion didnt matter and if I decided to express it I would be put on some protocol that restricted me from doing anything but sitting at a fucking desk and staring at the god damn wall. (only the higher rank kids would be allowed to do this). ), I witnessed a 15 year old boy be sodomized by a broom handle and have the living shit beat out of him because he tried to run away and watched a girl punch a window and slit her wrists in front of me because she couldnt take it anymore. First, let me begin by stating that sending your kid anywhere is a traumatic experience they will have for the rest of their life. They have the same goals in mind. They strip you of everything, even contact with your own parents, and dangle it in front of you as motivation to do/act how they want. Renewed Hope Ranch seeks "to provide unsurpassed residential care to troubled teenage girls who significantly struggle to overcome their mental, emotional, behavioral and educational challenges," according to its website. Their website lists the following conditions the program claims to treat: various mental illnesses including anxiety, depression, mood disorders, ADHD, and oppositional defiance the last of which is no longer listed in the DSM substance abuse and other addictions, eating disorders [] learning disorders and nonverbal learning disability [] social struggles, low self-esteem, adoption/attachment issues, and grief and loss The unadvertised conditions that I witnessed among detainees included being LGBT, Internet addiction, and one girl in particular was sent there for having a black boyfriend. Get Confidential Help Today, Call Us Anytime, Internationally-recognized Residential Treatment Center for Teen Boys Ages 13-18 Located in Utah, Top Residential Treatment Center For Teens, Discovery Ranch combines the power of traditional and experiential therapies to create a clinically sophisticated, relationship-based. In January 2104, the boy was placed in a dorm at Discovery Ranch with three other boys, one who began grooming him and another resident for "sexual victimization" until he was "violently sodomized," the family says in the lawsuit. We have created this bond because unless you went through a detention center such as DR, you will not understand. The representative will help connect you with resources that can help your family--even if that help is not from us. I had never done drugs, drank, or even smoked a cigarette at this point in my life. It is reported by survivors that these calfs are later slaughtered, apparently in an attempt to teach the residents how to deal with loss. This practice is extremely cruel, and is reported to be very traumatic to many survivors. When she was given her home visit, her mom took her to the doctor and was diagnosed, although we have tried to find the outcome of the lawsuit, none of us have been able to track her family down to share our sympathy). You have been warned and I still have ptsd and Ive been going to therapy for 2 and a half years and more to come. It is reported that they are only allowed to communicate with their parents through heavily censored and monitored letters, as well as a once-monthly phone call, which is also monitored by staff. Non-Verbal Learning Disability including High Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD/ADD). Completing the assessment is free. Ripoff Report | Discovery Ranch for girls complaints, reviews, scams Is 'Mystery at Blind Frog Ranch' Fake or Scripted? What We Know He said that he was abused by a staff member while there. The amounts of times I screamed out loud in physical/mental exhaustion from being undermined and unheard is uncountable. They dont want to discuss whats actually wrong. , family visits, and Parent Day Seminars. We have all suffered enough, its time to heal and create a system that works. , This place is horrible. NAAS is an organization that has accredited many notoriously abusive behavior-modification programs, including many WWASP programs. It is run like a prison. Plaintiff Diamond Ranch Academy, Inc. (DRA) operates a residential youth treatment facility in Hurricane, Utah. When we have the opportunity to get together, its a very special and meaningful time for all of us, we reminisce about the little funny stories that helped us get through the day during our time, we think about about all the suffering we endeared and how we survived, and we always take the time to honor our close friends that didnt and have passed. Discovery Ranch - BREAKING CODE SILENCE Each part of his daily experience will reinforce his therapeutic goals. I had never done drugs, drank, or even smoked a cigarette at this point in my life. In addition, survivors have reported that on the off-chance that they. In other words, do not trust them. Please save your child from this place. . (Check glassdoor reviews) In return, we have lots of untrained, unequipped young adults who arent prepared to deal with seriously mentally ill children. You and your son will work to rebuild your relationship with weekly. We all cope in our own ways, but if we can help by sharing our experiences and what we learned, theres not a single one of us that would turn down a younger DR peer that is currently battling our same battles. Lawsuits, harassment then found him. Your family is struggling. And the horrible part? This type of environment makes reporting abuse and neglect impossible for teenagers. The chidren cant even have open discussions with other inmates there for fear of being punished and losing privileges. If you are at all struggling and/or would like to talk to someone who can relate, please do not hesitate to contact me through this post and Id be happy to exchange information so we can talk. , your son will confront his personal challenges with the goal of healing and increasing his capacity which builds his self-confidence and self-esteem. Privileges to some might sound like being able to talk to friends, or having free time. survivors to be an extremely abusive program. In fact, the administration at discovery ranch intentionally delayed my high school graduation by refuting me the right to do my classes in order to keep me there longer. Top Teen Residential Treatment Center | Discovery Ranch for Boys ), There is a significant lack of professional supervision/lack of training, There is a high turnover rate for employees, There is parent manipulation/lies on the programs part for $$, There is lack of necessary medical care to avoid the girls telling a doctor they are being abused, and they are never alone when with a doctor, Run like a bootcamp, zero free time for the kids, every day feels like a punishment, Mormons are running it and very religiously biased, Please. You have tried community resources or other programs. Staff care about one another and take a genuine interest in the girls. He will receive consistent feedback. The discovery process was contentious, especially with respect to the Aaron Ranch Lawsuit, and went on for years in state court. The program has a maxmimum enrollment of 60 boys, and the average length of stay is reported to be around 10 months, but this can be substantially longer if the boy is deemed resistant. Who Owns Blind Frog Ranch? All About the Tourist Attraction This will provide him with the experience of a lifetime because Utah has a natural landscape that is second to none. They gave all the kids the same level of trust, none. Also they lie to the kids about the effects of marijuana, such as the claim that you can withdrawal from it, but I know that isnt true. There is not enough research of the negative effects places like DR have on a young person, people dont like to talk or hear about places like DR, the system is extremely flawed, its a corporation that works very hard to keep you there as long as possible for obvious financial reasons while hiring unqualified staff. This will provide him with the. This creates a streamlined experience for your son. Not a single one of us agree that this program helped us or our relationships with our families. If any of you also went there shoot me a pm id like to hear about it. I still maintain close relationships with both girls and boys who are around my age (23-27) that have gone through exactly what you are going through now; so whether its easier to talk to a guy or girl or someone with a similar case to yours, I can put you in contact with them if youd like (Free of charge too! They made me feel disgusting and quite hideous. The Residential Treatment Program is located on a beautiful 60-acre ranch. It makes me fucking sick that this place, along with HUNDREDS of others, still exists, quietly protected under the umbrella of the state government of Utah, and that parents are paying hundreds of thousands of dollars for their children to be tortured and driven insane or into obedient, soulless sociopaths. , DO NOT SEND YOUR CHILD TO DISCOVERY RANCH IF YOU CARE ABOUT THEM! Staff refusing to let kid use the bathroom, and making him pee/poop himself. Like other behavior-modification programs, Discovery Ranch utilizes a level system based around a merit/demerit structure. 'Dr. Phil' Ranch Abuse Scandal: What to Know - Celebrity They strip you of everything, even contact with your own parents, and dangle it in front of you as motivation to do/act how they want. Stages of a Personal Injury Case - FindLaw The program is affiliated with several other Ascent Company programs, such as RedCliff Ascent, Discovery Academy, Discovery Connections, and Oxbow Academy. I felt like i somehow deserved to be treated like this and I think a part of me knew I could never stand living in the real world after all this happened. We were indirectly expected to manipulate visiting parents of troubled kids who have not yet been sent to treatment. Im happy to say that she is leading a normal life and leaving DR was the best thing that happened. , I try to think positively about it but honestly this shithole gave me PTSD. worked as a Therapist at Discovery Ranch.