The night staff was apparently fucked up on heroin, meth, pcp, etc the whole time and had virtually no training or qualifications, which I learned when a male staff member sexually propositioned me over Facebook when I was 18, so three years later, and told me what happened behind closed doors. Lawsuits, harassment then found him. We would act like we loved the treatment center, and that there wasnt any abuse going on. You are a survivor of an abusive environment that is very similar to a prison. This type of environment makes reporting abuse and neglect impossible for teenagers. A kid was put in isolation for about 4 weeks before being moved to a different treatment center. I will never forgive Discovery Ranch for the damage they did to me, and the damage they continue to do to future generations. DR also advertises their calf program heavily, where each new resident is given a baby calf to care for and raise. One small slip up, and you have all privileges taken away from a day to sometimes even a week. The men have also come up against many dangerous physical hitches in getting to the treasure. 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. They only allow astonishing ones to pass. I am not the only victim. We do all this so that you can know your son is safe with us. Dave Blackwell worked as a Therapist at Discovery Ranch. 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. I was told Control-freak parents often produce children who feel guilty and disloyal , fearing theyll disappoint their over-bearing parents. I couldnt believe he was blaming me for thisafter we could no longer afford to send her there she was abruptly released and told good luck. Also, I would sit there and talk to my therapist while he takes notes and this is a direct quote is that it? Then the session was over. In this, experiential, safe, and supportive environment. This merit system was easy for some kids to abuse, in one circumstance during my stay, a child was repeatedly raped, and was threatened with the merit system to get him to keep quiet. Isnt that tax evasion? I am a victim of emotional and physical abuse by Discovery Ranch. The decision you make for your child will stay with them forever. Your PRECIOUS child is NOT safe here! Caring, experienced professionals are ready to help your son. My son, although he enjoyed his stay, refused to be brainwashed, and therefore got nothing therapeutical out of his stay; only resentment and anger, and he gained knowledge how to manipulate therapists to his benefit. Discovery Ranch for Girls is a well run industry leader in residential treatment for adolescent girls. They made me feel disgusting and quite hideous. He will have opportunities for growth through our experiential campus, by developing new skills and interests. Seek other avenues for your child. Keith (Yelp), 6/28/2013: (PARENT) This is the worst place to send your child. If you want to send your kid to either wilderness or discovery ranch why dont you do us all a favor parents and send your child to Disney Land so theyll be happy rather then send them to whats pretty much a mental institution for parents that have no idea what the fuck there doing. 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. The decision you make for your child will stay with them forever. There is overmedicating (including putting kids to sleep for doing nothing wrong. We found a traditional therapist that proved to be far more effective. We focus on healing the entire family. Before you would consider sending your son away, you need to know that he is going to a place you can trust. I cannot even put into words the pain I feel even today when my experience gets brought up or when I read about other kids that are STILL suffering from having to go through this program. They dont give the children any hope of getting out whatsoever. They dont let parents talk freely to their own child. If they mention these sorts of things to parents (over heavily monitored phone calls and letters in the mail), contact between student and parent would be cut off. At Discovery Ranch we understand that when your teen is in trouble, your whole family is in trouble. We have all suffered enough, its time to heal and create a system that works. Carebear (Yelp), 2015: (SURVIVOR) This place is horrible. I wish I could give negitive stars! 25 votes, 28 comments. Those goals are helping your son learn, grow, and heal so that your family can be a family again. Once a lawsuit gets underway, parties to the lawsuit or their lawyers start gathering information related to the lawsuit. We have all suffered enough, its time to heal and create a system that works. , This place is horrible. The lawsuit filed by the staff parents said the couple joined Eagle Ranch as staff parents in April 2020 and ended their employment in January 2022. This type of environment makes reporting abuse and neglect impossible for teenagers. As I walked away in shock he was tackled by staff.This was after I had already seen two separate suicide attempts. When you try to induct real truths into the once a week, 1/2 hour, monitored phone call, the therapist redirects you to la la land. Leslie Glies worked as the Residential Director of Discovery Ranch. They often cause way more harm than good. Until now I had remembered my experience there as a happy one- I literally only remembered what went on during the day. 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. The moment I stepped foot on campus, I was treated like some sort of criminal. Parents have no clue what they are getting themselves into by sending their children there. 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. My parents (his Mom and step-father) note sending him away added to his sense of rejection started by peer abuse even though they were desperate due to his issues at home and school. These programs are money makers. The chidren cant even have open discussions with other inmates there for fear of being punished and losing privileges. The reviews on their website are COMPLETELY weeded before theyre posted. They love tossing kids emotional and mental state around for worse, or they will lie about problems that a kid doesnt have just to keep kids there longer.They will try to keep kids from telling you from what is really going on, the use their security measures as a punishment Instead of safety and they can, have, and will threaten kids. My parents (his Mom and step-father) note sending him away added to his sense of rejection started by peer abuse even though they were desperate due to his issues at home and school. Its funny, almost all of the kids that left as a level 5 or 4 ARE DOING DRUGS AND ARE DOING WORSE AT HOME, goes to show how little the program works. NAAS is an organization that has accredited many notoriously abusive behavior-modification programs, including, The program is affiliated with several other, is the Executive Director of Discovery Ranch. (Yelp), 11/10/2013: (SURVIVOR) Link to Anonymous Survivor Testimony, 10/13/2013: (SURVIVOR) I attended Discovery Ranch 5 years ago when I was 15 years old. My parents sent me there because I was depressed, doing poorly in school instead of getting straight As, got caught shoplifting a pack of gum from 7-11, spent too much time on the computer, and was too angry and defiant. We found a traditional therapist that proved to be far more effective. The reason for posting this is that this is cathartic for me and nice to have a group of people who have at least a basic June 7, 2022 . 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. Also a staff there named Matt polson threatened to restrain me several times. It brought everything back because I lived that experience, except for ten months and it was real. They dont give the children any hope of getting out whatsoever. Listen to your child, and dont fall into the traps that programs make which lead parents to think their child is untrustworthy, a liar, manipulator, etc. Like other behavior-modification programs, Discovery Ranch utilizes a level system based around a merit/demerit structure. Discovery Ranch combines the power of traditional and experiential therapies to create a clinically sophisticated, relationship-based residential treatment center for boys ages 13-18. They would restrain kids to the point the kids arm was almost broken. Clinton Dorny is the Executive Director of Discovery Ranch. While enrolled at Discovery Ranch, your son will experience a safe and structured environment. My first treatment center was Redcliffe ascent, and I did really well there. 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. I am not the only victim. Even though I have left the program, if I dont follow their horribly rigorous and reclusive aftercare rules I go back. I had never done drugs, drank, or even smoked a cigarette at this point in my life. 54A District Court 124 W. Michigan Ave., #54A Lansing, MI 48933 (517) 483-4433 Court Website. If anything, kids got worse from being here. The boat bought with funds by Discovery Ranch was not once used for the kids, the owners just use it for personal use. He previously worked at Provo Canyon School, which is widely regarded as the birthplace of the WWASP organization. They would arbitrarily lock me in a tiny pitch black closet devoid of food, water, a bathroom, or human contact for days, usually because I made an inappropriate facial expression like crying or raising my eyebrows when they screamed at me that I was worthless and no one could ever love me. I was there almost ten years ago, and it feels like yesterday because of my PTSD. The entire facility is designed to create a rich therapeutic and healing environment. At Discovery Ranch for Boys, all the professional departments work together. I am at a loss for what to do at this point. Basically non-existent education. I was told Control-freak parents often produce children who feel guilty and disloyal , fearing theyll disappoint their over-bearing parents. I couldnt believe he was blaming me for thisafter we could no longer afford to send her there she was abruptly released and told good luck. We were victims of abuse. (only the higher rank kids would be allowed to do this). discovery ranch lawsuit. Reading these reviews it is obviously a place that needs to make some changes if the accusations are correct. You have tried community resources or other programs. DIAMOND RANCH ACADEMY, INC., Plaintiff and Counterclaim Defendant, v. CHELSEA FILER, Defendant and Counterclaim Plaintiff. DO NOT RECOMMEND AT ALL! , The Troubled Teen Industry: Commodifying Disability and Capitalizing on Fear by Catherine Kushan. No one deserves what they really do to people. If youre a troubled teen thats reading this that just recently got out, or its been years and its still effecting you, please believe me when I say that YOU ARE NOT ALONE. I still hear screams from my friends being restrained in the back of my mind. My mind sometimes uncontrollably cradles and turns to static when I hear the same radio noise as the staff used at DR. I ended up running away from this program and deciding on a much better program that actually wanted to help people. After I graduated I was transferred to discovery ranch. I didnt ask to see that.. The boat bought with funds by Discovery Ranch was not once used for the kids, the owners just use it for personal use. This isnt how we should treat precious children The staff have no idea how much damage theyre doing as theyre just following orders This is a mess it needs to be shut down.. Please. The reviews on their website are COMPLETELY weeded before theyre posted. I understand that people need to help themselves and I cannot blame Discovery Ranch for my decisions but this environment definitely did not promote positive change in my life. The night staff was apparently fucked up on heroin, meth, pcp, etc the whole time and had virtually no training or qualifications, which I learned when a male staff member sexually propositioned me over Facebook when I was 18, so three years later, and told me what happened behind closed doors. As I walked away in shock he was tackled by staff.This was after I had already seen two separate suicide attempts. survivors to be an extremely abusive program. Plaintiff Diamond Ranch Academy, Inc. (DRA) operates a residential youth treatment facility in Hurricane, Utah. This creates a streamlined experience for your son. But I fucking wasnt. They would yell at us and use excessive force. the licensed substance abuse counselor has obviously never touched a substance in her life. (Check glassdoor reviews) In return, we have lots of untrained, unequipped young adults who arent prepared to deal with seriously mentally ill children. Staff care about one another and take a genuine interest in the girls. On top of that I was forced to study 7 hours straight on the weekends if I didnt meet academic requirements. Parents have no clue what they are getting themselves into by sending their children there. They are left up to their own with limited to no help from the teachers. If you absolutely need mental support for your child, I suggest something that is close to home, and something that does not limit their ability to see and interact with the outside world. It is degrading and disrespectful and I will forever hate this program as they manipulate people into spending hundreds of thousands of dollars to not help there kids. (and have it be removed weeks later). It sickens me that even after the kid is out of this place they threaten to send them back to this horrible place. With the help of a REAL rehab and AA, I had achieved 14 months sober. how to walk a human a dogs guide. Both boys have turned out well however, my brother has trauma from the experience. Paris Hilton just came out with a documentary on her experience at another abusive program just down the street from DR. Overpriced, over rateddo not send your child there if you care about them. If you have any logic in your brain in the slightest then you should realize how goddamn stupid it would be to send your kid to this shit hole. Derek (Yelp), 8/21/2015: (SURVIVOR) Its been about 8-9 years since I left DR; Im now 25 and although I dont dwell on what happened so much anymore, this place has had such a negative impact on my life. And the scariest part was that it was fantastic during the day; we would do ropes courses and go skiing and horseback riding and talk to a truly kind therapist every day who genuinely though I was insane or a pathological liar and convinced me I was hallucinating or having nightmares. Phil McGraw is wrapped up in a new scandal after sending multiple young guests to a treatment facility that has been accused of abuse. Reading these reviews it is obviously a place that needs to make some changes if the accusations are correct. First, let me begin by stating that sending your kid anywhere is a traumatic experience they will have for the rest of their life. I literally cant live with these memories. I posted this exact review several times spacing itself out several months. She currently works as the Residential Director at, is reported by survivors to have run the facility. Privilege to them is being able to sit on a couch, to be able to speak out loud, to be able to eat a single apple. You can find much better treatment for a better price. Are they just being a teenager? Your child will be put in with kids that are older than their age group, that were in gangs, that are addicted to drugs, etc. 9/17/2020: (SURVIVOR) Please do not send your child to this horrific and abusive program. And the horrible part? At Discovery Ranch for Boys, we hold ourselves to the, We maintain professional memberships in research organizations, such as, . However, in 2013 DR moved their girls program to Cedar City, UT and began makerting theis program as Discovery Ranch For Girls. Youre parents will love that, Ha!). You can find much better treatment for a better price. 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 website is misleading. He since has shut down and will not discuss it so no idea if it was accurate or something he said when first home to avoid being sent back. Please save your child from this place. Jason (Google Reviews), 6/10/2016: (SURVIVOR) Terrible place dont send your child here. 0. 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 would arbitrarily lock me in a tiny pitch black closet devoid of food, water, a bathroom, or human contact for days, usually because I made an inappropriate facial expression like crying or raising my eyebrows when they screamed at me that I was worthless and no one could ever love me. After I graduated I was transferred to discovery ranch. 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. 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. If you want to send your kid to either wilderness or discovery ranch why dont you do us all a favor parents and send your child to Disney Land so theyll be happy rather then send them to whats pretty much a mental institution for parents that have no idea what the fuck there doing. Please do not send your child to this horrific and abusive program. We have created this bond because unless you went through a detention center such as DR, you will not understand. (Blood sprayed on me). The staff often used abusive behaviors and were very rude to us. the licensed substance abuse counselor has obviously never touched a substance in her life. It is run like a prison. My cousin went to a place 2 years ago called Shortridge Academy and had a much better experience there. 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. He reportedly began working in the TTI because his brothers have worked at various other treatment centers. Are they just being a teenager? With the help of a REAL rehab and AA, I had achieved 14 months sober. discovery ranch lawsuit. Staff unresponsive, administration unresponsive and kept to company line to detriment of my son. The ranch has the best of both worlds: a small-town atmosphere with access to world-class skiing, outdoor activities, surrounded by beautiful mountains, and close to two major universities and hospitals. And the horrible part? However, the abuse overshadowed it. Your Call is Confidential. The lawsuit was filed in Eaton County Circuit Court more than four months after Hultberg initially "asked the district to provide mask exemptions that had been approved," in a Sept. 7, 2021, FOIA . Happened several times to my friends. It got heated on the ranch and Duane kept referring to this person as a "freeloader." The ranch hasn't been short of intruders, in many forms including surveillance cameras and spy drones. We were treated like we were in prison, and if we stepped out of line, we had our privileges taken away. They report that 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 attacker used threats of violence, coercion, guilt, and the merit system of Discovery Ranch to manipulate (the boy) to avoid reporting increasingly deviant sexual behaviors, including discussions about sex, pornography, masturbation, and sexual violence. According to the complaint, Discovery Ranchs merit system also prevented (him) from reporting the assaults because he believed that his inferior status and past interactions with Discovery Ranch staff and administrators would result in him being punished if he attempted to disclose the assaults. The family claims the sexual assaults went undiscovered and unchecked throughout the months of January and February and were only revealed when he [the assailant] was transferred from Discovery Ranch after being discovered engaging in bestiality with a horse. The family says that Discovery Ranch failed to adequately investigate the assailant for psychosexually deviant and violent tendencies before admitting him to Discovery Ranch and placing him in the dorm. Additional Information: Discovery ranch seems to actively try to remove as many negative reviews as they can, many were mine being removed over and over. For many parents, this focus on parental participation is the reason they choose our program. Completing the assessment is free. san andreas fault, palm springs. Discovery Ranch strives to heal your family as a whole. Id go on to say I have PTSD. Seek other avenues for your child. , This is the worst place to send your child. . He will be expected to maintain a healthy lifestyle which includes daily exercise and well-balanced meals. Please reach out to me for questions, I will do my best to educate you on what is happening and get you current information. , Kinda like a prison that just focuses on external behavior. The reason I am writing this now is because I ended up becoming an alcoholic and drug addict once I went to college and had finally had complete freedom. Until now I had remembered my experience there as a happy one- I literally only remembered what went on during the day. I will never forgive Discovery Ranch for the damage they did to me, and the damage they continue to do to future generations. I understand that people need to help themselves and I cannot blame Discovery Ranch for my decisions but this environment definitely did not promote positive change in my life. A friend of mine stabbing his arm 15+ times with a pencil. Listen to your child, and dont fall into the traps that programs make which lead parents to think their child is untrustworthy, a liar, manipulator, etc. 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 still have insomnia and night terrors of being at that place. Sure, we said all the things our parents wanted to hear once we got out, it was certainly drilled into us every single day, but that faded into a deep anger/depression that raised months, sometimes even years later, & you find yourself in worse condition than you were before entering DR; battling a demon 98% of people will never know. I wish I could give negitive stars! Your son will have the opportunity to build the strength and resilience he needs to thrive at home. My parents spent over $200,000 here before they realized I was not getting the help I needed. I attended Discovery Ranch in Mapleton Utah from November 18th 2015 to May 15th 2015. Staff unresponsive, administration unresponsive and kept to company line to detriment of my son.