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. They made me feel disgusting and quite hideous. 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. It wasnt until he left the program that people even found out about this happening!! 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. Overpriced, over rateddo not send your child there if you care about them. Craig Smith worked as the Clinical Director of Discovery Ranch. 9/17/2020: (SURVIVOR) Please do not send your child to this horrific and abusive program. 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. My personal experience here was horrible. Also if you notice, a large majority of the 5 star ratings are from former staff as opposed to parents/students. , Through my stay I personally witnessed: Two suicide attempts. There thieves taking advantage of parents dispositions and they should be shut down , After my daughter was here for here for 2 months her condition worsened and she started having suicidal thoughts which had never happened before.When I met with her Dr. He previously worked at, worked as the Residential Director of Discovery Ranch. Happened several times to my friends. Our parents (his Mom and step-father) regret sending him there even all these years later. Basically non-existent education. I still have insomnia and night terrors of being at that place. 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. I have maintained very close friendships with a handful of other patients that were there during my time (for a wide range of different reasons) and we even make it appoint to see each other each year. behavior-modification program founded on August 21st, 2005. 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. However, your teen is still troubled and your family is still in crisis. 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. (Blood sprayed on me). 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. They want the parents to say only what they tell them to say. We were indirectly expected to manipulate visiting parents of troubled kids who have not yet been sent to treatment. I wish I could give negitive stars! I had to raise a baby cow for the slaughter to learn to deal with loss, exercise until I threw up blood, pick up cow shit every day, I could go on and on. Leslie Glies worked as the Residential Director of Discovery Ranch. Aside from the obvious prejudice and discrimination, many of these conditions are not legitimate clinical impairments, and those that are require individualized care, which this facility does not provide.. Even though I have left the program, if I dont follow their horribly rigorous and reclusive aftercare rules I go back. They tear children apart, and they come out broken. 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. The kids come out shell shocked, traumatized and fearful. Michele (Yelp), 2012: (PARENT) As a father I was treated poorly. the licensed substance abuse counselor has obviously never touched a substance in her life. 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. 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. My Mom says she wishes she had heard of that school at the time. I am at a loss for what to do at this point. I had never done drugs, drank, or even smoked a cigarette at this point in my life. The boat bought with funds by Discovery Ranch was not once used for the kids, the owners just use it for personal use. Those goals are helping your son learn, grow, and heal so that your family can be a family again. He reportedly began working in the TTI because his brothers have worked at various other treatment centers. Yes, we have an amazing ranch!! It sickens me that even after the kid is out of this place they threaten to send them back to this horrible place. They will do everything to keep themselves looking like the best option at all costs just for money. discovery ranch lawsuit. He previously worked at the confirmedly abusive, organization. Also there were lawsuits against this place. Although you move on and mature, its a wound that never fully heals and cuts deep. In addition to taking part in the equine therapy and horsemanship programs, he will have access to the fully-equipped music studio. The reviews on their website are COMPLETELY weeded before theyre posted. Stay in touch with the other people you shared your time with during DR, reach out to them when things are tough, talk about your struggles. I was forced to do the most humiliating and degrading things possibly conceivable; I was forced to eat a girls used tampon, lick cow shit off a girls boots, unclog a toilet with my bare hands adult male staff would masturbate to me showering, changing, and using the toilet while masturbating (keep in mind I was 15. May their souls rest in peace. Discovery Ranch only wants to know and talk about their truth which is nothing close to reality. Research shows this is the best approach to help your son and family heal mentally, physically, and emotionally. However, it is also only 10 minutes from the urban hub of Cedar City, Utah. 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. However, in 2013 DR moved their girls program to Cedar City, UT and began makerting theis program as Discovery Ranch For Girls. Not a single one of us agree that this program helped us or our relationships with our families. 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! Discovery Ranch is accredited by the, Northwest Association of Accredited Schools (NAAS), , but it is important to note that neither the United States Department of Education nor the Council for Higher Education Accreditation recognizes NAAS as an accrediting agency for institutions of higher education. 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. BE CAREFUL OF THEM. James (Yelp), 2019: (SURVIVOR) This place is sickening. I had never done drugs, drank, or even smoked a cigarette at this point in my life. And before you tell me that was a long time ago, I am a part of multiple survivor groups online for former students from DR and other abusive programs in Utah. 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. 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. Our academic program meets your son at his level. He began his career working in Admissions at, , which is widely regarded as the birthplace of the. Plaintiff Diamond Ranch Academy, Inc. (DRA) operates a residential youth treatment facility in Hurricane, Utah. Also if you notice, a large majority of the 5 star ratings are from former staff as opposed to parents/students. William (Google Reviews), 6/1/2020: (SURVIVOR) Through my stay I personally witnessed: Two suicide attempts. The decision you make for your child will stay with them forever. He will have the support of well-trained and experienced clinical, academic, residential, and experiential staff members. The teenagers at Discovery Ranch as forced to adhere to a strict set of rules at all time. Parents wont know or understand the gravity of impact this experience has had until after you get out and have openly talked about it, and although its very hard not to blame or take your anger out on them, you have to realize they made their decision out of love and ignorance. I stopped feeling emotions and didnt for two years. The. Lawsuits, harassment then found him. Discovery Ranch strives to heal your family as a whole. Any complaints about the program and the abuse kids witnessed would be brushed off by program coordinators and therapists. Proof is attached as an image. 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. , 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. The Mystery at Blind Frog Ranch, which airs on Discovery Channel, is currently in its fifth season. You and your son will work to rebuild your relationship with weekly. Grand Ledge Courts. (Check glassdoor reviews) In return, we have lots of untrained, unequipped young adults who arent prepared to deal with seriously mentally ill children. NAAS is an organization that has accredited many notoriously abusive behavior-modification programs, including many WWASP programs. how to walk a human a dogs guide. Throughout your sons experience at Discovery Ranch he will have the support of caring, educated. After I graduated I was transferred to discovery ranch. This type of environment makes reporting abuse and neglect impossible for teenagers. In Season 1, Episode 2 ("Under Siege"), the Raneys went to Virginia to help couple Kim and Josh Zabec the owners of Revolutionary Roots Farm after pigs had ruined part of their homestead. Amy Golden. 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. If you are LGBTQ and need support, call the Trevor Project Hotline 1-866-488-7386, If you are having suicidal thoughts, call toll free 1-800-273-8255 or text HOME to 741741, If you are a child being abused or know of a child being abused call toll free 1-800-422-4453. The average stay is OVER a year not under like they love to say. This place did not save my life it scared me to have problems. H.A. DISCOVERY RANCH FOR GIRLS Ripoff Reports, Complaints, Reviews, Scams, Lawsuits and Frauds Reported Your Search: Discovery Ranch for girls. My parents spent over $200,000 here before they realized I was not getting the help I needed. I will never forgive Discovery Ranch for the damage they did to me, and the damage they continue to do to future generations. 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. 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. if I saw him today i would punch him in the face. I had no contact with the outside world except letters to my parents which were censored, and observed phone calls once a month. I will never forgive Discovery Ranch for the damage they did to me, and the damage they continue to do to future generations. This will provide him with the. They will dream about it years after, waking up in the middle of the night from nightmares about being back there. The parents believe discovery ranch and most kids have no hope of anyone listening to them because they think no one believes them and they wont talk and they lie about it. They gave all the kids the same level of trust, none. Discovery ranch was hell on earth for me. dont do this to your child We are all begging you. However, the abuse overshadowed it. This type of environment makes reporting abuse and neglect impossible for teenagers. Youre not. Im scared to mention my real name because Discovery Ranchs aftercare program still controls my life. 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). agolden@skyhinews.com. I posted this exact review several times spacing itself out several months. 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. 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. Anonymous (Tales from the Black School), 7/8/2013: (SURVIVOR) DO NOT SEND YOUR CHILD TO DISCOVERY RANCH IF YOU CARE ABOUT THEM! While at Discovery Ranch, your son will participate in a variety of outdoor activities. I felt meaningless, worthless, like a pawn used to control my dads emotions, fishing out hundreds of thousands of dollars from him. Find out more about the assessment. Paris Hilton just came out with a documentary on her experience at another abusive program just down the street from DR. (only the higher rank kids would be allowed to do this). We respect your privacy. Discovery Ranch strives to heal your family as a whole. I am a victim of emotional and physical abuse by Discovery Ranch. Each part of his daily experience will reinforce his therapeutic goals. You might feel that you are all alone. ), 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. Staff refusing to let kid use the bathroom, and making him pee/poop himself. Now, other past guests on the show are coming forward with similar stories, including . One small slip up, and you have all privileges taken away from a day to sometimes even a week. After essentially being re-traumatized after remembering all this, I recently went on a five day bender started Wednesday where I got high and or drunk every waking moment, which culminated with me waking up on my bathroom floor on Monday morning covered in blood and vomit next to two empty bottles of wine and Xanax spilled across the floor with a five page suicide note on my computer that Id written in a blackout. 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. His step-father (my Dad) told me not to discuss it around him. We maintain professional memberships in research organizations, such as The Joint Commission and NATSAP. Listen to your child, what do they think they need? The tuition is reported to be anywhere between $6,500 to $12,000 per month. I didnt ask to see that.. And the horrible part? 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. Listen to your child, what do they think they need? Discovery Ranch is an Ascent Company behavior-modification program founded on August 21st, 2005. The decision you make for your child will stay with them forever. Before you would consider sending your son away, you need to know that he is going to a place you can trust. 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. 25 votes, 28 comments. Parents have no clue what they are getting themselves into by sending their children there. In other words, do not trust them. And before you tell me that was a long time ago, I am a part of multiple survivor groups online for former students from DR and other abusive programs in Utah. You have tried community resources or other programs. We support & vent to each other about how difficult and lonely it was for us to get back to normal life after we left, how it shaped us into the adults we are today, and what steps we took to try and heal from this horrible experience. Countless amounts of times seeing staff restrain kids in inhumane ways. They are very abusive and they will lie to you. Are they just being a teenager? He will receive consistent feedback. The civil lawsuit seeks a minimum of $350,000. First, let me begin by stating that sending your kid anywhere is a traumatic experience they will have for the rest of their life. Staff members are chosen at random, as the turnover rate is insanely high. No one deserves what they really do to people. Even when I started feeling feelings again I realized on Wednesday that I had been experiencing emotions with maybe 50-75% of the intensity that I normally should, which was put into perspective when I finally accepted that these things truly happened to me and felt for the first time in my life the appropriate pain and humiliation that corresponds to being treated in such a way for such an extended period of time. Allegations of abuse that have been reported by survivors include: forcing a resident to lick cow feces off another residents boots, forcing teenagers to unclog a toilet with their bare hands, adult male staff masturbating while watching underaged residents showering, changing, and using the toilet, teens being fed undercooked food and deprived of food, verbal abuse, include staff shouting and swearing at teenagers, widespread allegations of brainwashing techniques in order to force conformity, use of solitary confinement as punishment, published in 2015 by Catherine Kushan, Discovery Ranch, a treatment center located in Mapleton, Utah, provides an empirical example of how this industry rhetorically manipulates legitimate psychiatric conditions to solicit clients. There was never any you can do it it was you better do it or youre going to be put on mc and never get out of here. The pain doesnt just stop, they dont forget what you did to them, regardless of your intentions. My brother noted some of the staff was wonderful and he used their tips to get through challenges after his father died (my Moms 1st husband). They are left up to their own with limited to no help from the teachers. In May 2018, the family that owns Blind Frog Ranch in Moab, Utah, filed a lawsuit against the Bureau of Land Management (BLM . My mind sometimes uncontrollably cradles and turns to static when I hear the same radio noise as the staff used at DR. Your family is struggling. worked as a Therapist at Discovery Ranch. 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 parents believe discovery ranch and most kids have no hope of anyone listening to them because they think no one believes them and they wont talk and they lie about it. We were victims of abuse. The amounts of times I screamed out loud in physical/mental exhaustion from being undermined and unheard is uncountable. The kids come out shell shocked, traumatized and fearful. , As a father I was treated poorly.