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. 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. We were indirectly expected to manipulate visiting parents of troubled kids who have not yet been sent to treatment. Both boys have turned out well however, my brother has trauma from the experience. They are left up to their own with limited to no help from the teachers. I will never forgive Discovery Ranch for the damage they did to me, and the damage they continue to do to future generations. The ranch horse manager Jerry put a phone in my face showing horses having sex. The entire facility is designed to create a rich therapeutic and healing environment. One small slip up, and you have all privileges taken away from a day to sometimes even a week. They made me feel disgusting and quite hideous. You are a survivor of an abusive environment that is very similar to a prison. I was 15 years old. We would act like we loved the treatment center, and that there wasnt any abuse going on. We had a close friend that took her life during our time there, we lost a friend to drug addiction that spiraled after leaving DR, and we had another friend who lost her life to cancer, which could have been detected in the earlier stages if DR didnt fail to seek proper medical attention (she was actually punished quite often for complaining about the pain and was either made to do hard manual labor or the staff would put her in isolation for days on end. 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. 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. I am not the only victim. They often cause way more harm than good. 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. The school uses research to help create an individualized treatment plan for each teen. Although the system failed us, my peers and I have created somewhat of a little support group to cope and its helped us tremendously. The Mystery at Blind Frog Ranch, which airs on Discovery Channel, is currently in its fifth season. They dont let parents talk freely to their own child. Reading these reviews it is obviously a place that needs to make some changes if the accusations are correct. It began with a lawsuit filed by Hannah Archuleta, who appeared on Dr. Phil in 2019 and then went to the Turn-About Ranch. the licensed substance abuse counselor has obviously never touched a substance in her life. The staff often used abusive behaviors and were very rude to us. When Jack Stuef found a chest of gold and jewels in a Wyoming forest last year, he felt giddy. When you fail thats on you, dont punish your kids for your actions. We were victims of abuse. , family visits, and Parent Day Seminars. The trauma Ive witnessed, and seen other kids witness was unbearable. 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. We had a close friend that took her life during our time there, we lost a friend to drug addiction that spiraled after leaving DR, and we had another friend who lost her life to cancer, which could have been detected in the earlier stages if DR didnt fail to seek proper medical attention (she was actually punished quite often for complaining about the pain and was either made to do hard manual labor or the staff would put her in isolation for days on end. Staff unresponsive, administration unresponsive and kept to company line to detriment of my son. 2:14-CV-751-TC. We were treated like we were in prison, and if we stepped out of line, we had our privileges taken away. Id go on to say I have PTSD. (and have it be removed weeks later). 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. Learn about discovery -- the legal procedures used to gather evidence for a lawsuit. This website uses cookies and third party services. ), 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. His step-father (my Dad) told me not to discuss it around him. They are very abusive and they will lie to you. Family Alleges Bestiality at Alternative School 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. 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. They picked favorites and we were treated like garbage. DIAMOND RANCH ACADEMY, INC., Plaintiff and Counterclaim Defendant, v. CHELSEA FILER, Defendant and Counterclaim Plaintiff. 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. He reportedly began working in the TTI because his brothers have worked at various other treatment centers. 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. DO NOT RECOMMEND AT ALL! , The Troubled Teen Industry: Commodifying Disability and Capitalizing on Fear by Catherine Kushan. A kid was put in isolation for about 4 weeks before being moved to a different treatment center. Discovery is the legal term used to describe the different processes that require parties in a lawsuit to exchange information that each side possesses. We earned academic accreditation through Discovery Academy, Contact one of our well-trained representatives now. The pain doesnt just stop, they dont forget what you did to them, regardless of your intentions. The reviews on their website are COMPLETELY weeded before theyre posted. I suggest seeking different options for your child. This type of environment makes reporting abuse and neglect impossible for teenagers. Abuse at its finest.. we were totally and utterly underfed, one morning we were fed one mini bagel and one cream cheese. Happened several times to my friends. I stopped feeling emotions and didnt for two years. Your job as parents is to help your child, you guys are the problem not your kids. You might feel that you are all alone. 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. At Discovery Ranch we understand that when your teen is in trouble, your whole family is in trouble. They left me more broken than they found me. Jackson (Yelp), September 2020: (SURVIVOR) Please do not send your child to this horrific and abusive program. The boat bought with funds by Discovery Ranch was not once used for the kids, the owners just use it for personal use. Proof is attached as an image. Not a single one of us agree that this program helped us or our relationships with our families. 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. If you have a child with attention deficit disorder do not send your son here BECAUSE it is like water boarding to have a kid sit in a room for 7 hours straight and have them study all day even though they are trying. I had an IEP at my old school because I cant learn that easily but the program directors convinced my parents I was too lazy to do work that I had trouble doing. His step-father (my Dad) told me not to discuss it around him. However, it is also only 10 minutes from the urban hub of Cedar City, Utah. At Discovery Ranch for Boys, all the professional departments work together. Both boys have turned out well however, my brother has trauma from the experience. Parents have no clue what they are getting themselves into by sending their children there. Education was packets and computer testing only poor. Your attorney should explain each step, but here you can learn basics on Complaints, Answers, and other motions involved at the beginning of a lawsuit. They tear children apart, and they come out broken. However, your teen is still troubled and your family is still in crisis. Case No. 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. 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. 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. agolden@skyhinews.com. This is my real name, as Im no longer afraid to write my review under an alias. 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! It sickens me that even after the kid is out of this place they threaten to send them back to this horrible place. Fact-Finding and Discovery Find out about "discovery" -- the process by which opponents in a lawsuit get information from each other to establish facts in the case. I ended up running away from this program and deciding on a much better program that actually wanted to help people. Stages of a Personal Injury Case - FindLaw Therapy was more like brainwashing than therapy. STOP DISCOVER RANCH they will play you out of so much money its unbelievable. I was a student and am a survivor of Discovery Ranch, Utah. AMA! The location grew in popularity after rumors swirled that the land . They often cause way more harm than good. Although you move on and mature, its a wound that never fully heals and cuts deep. I literally couldnt make this shit up. (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. Please do not send your child to this horrific and abusive program. He can participate in various sports teams, such as basketball, flag football, wrestling, and cross-country running. He said that he was abused by a staff member while there. You will also be able to observe your sons progress through our secure, password-protected parent portal. 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. Listen to your child, what do they think they need? In comparison, most of the other residents had serious drug problems, were in gangs, were extremely violent, etc. We were victims of abuse. My first treatment center was Redcliffe ascent, and I did really well there. They will do everything to keep themselves looking like the best option at all costs just for money. Children sexually abused by other children at Eagle Ranch, lawsuit I still have insomnia and night terrors of being at that place. When I came back to real life I had forgotten how to smile and had to train myself to make facial expressions that corresponded to the emotions I should have felt in various circumstances. We earned academic accreditation through Discovery Academy. My cousin went to a place 2 years ago called Shortridge Academy and had a much better experience there. Discovery Ranch is reported by many survivors to be an extremely abusive program. Its another long, tough, painful battle after you leave DR and I havent known one other person who didnt suffer after getting out. 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. 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. The schooling they provide is a joke. 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. (and have it be removed weeks later). We maintain professional memberships in research organizations, such as The Joint Commission and NATSAP. Regardless of what they were there for, NO ONE SHOULD EVER BE TREATED AS INHUMANELY AS CHILDREN SUCH AS MYSELF WERE. The pain doesnt just stop, they dont forget what you did to them, regardless of your intentions. Lawsuit, warrant allege abuse at southern Utah ranch for troubled girls Are they just being a teenager? 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. They do a terrific job at keeping kids quiet. Discovery Ranch only wants to know and talk about their truth which is nothing close to reality. . "Defendant White took the minor child on a hunting trip where he gave him alcohol . I suggest seeking different options for your child. While at Discovery Ranch, your son will participate in a variety of outdoor activities. Chad Ollinger and his brother, Duane, are gold prospectors in the Uintah Mountains of Utah. They dont want to discuss whats actually wrong. They do a terrific job at keeping kids quiet. After I graduated I was transferred to discovery ranch. Rose v. Aaron (In re Rose), CASE NO. 17-42053 - Casetext In February of 2015, a former resident at DR and his family filed a lawsuit against the school reporting that the boy was violently and repeatedly sexually assaulted by another resident at the program. Is 'Mystery at Blind Frog Ranch' Fake or Scripted? What We Know In addition, your son will experience many opportunities to explore Utah. I ended up running away from this program and deciding on a much better program that actually wanted to help people. Once a lawsuit gets underway, parties to the lawsuit or their lawyers start gathering information related to the lawsuit. Your community does not have the resources to help. Dave Blackwell worked as a Therapist at Discovery Ranch. They emotionally and mentally compromise kids for fun. 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. Our academic program meets your son at his level. In comparison, most of the other residents had serious drug problems, were in gangs, were extremely violent, etc. We have created this bond because unless you went through a detention center such as DR, you will not understand. 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. While at Discovery Ranch, your son will participate in a variety of outdoor activities. You will also be able to observe your sons progress through our secure, password-protected parent portal. Every part of Discovery Ranch, from the amazing campus to the nationally accredited Academic Program, helps to promote growth and healing. Discovery ranch uses a merit system to punish kids. I stopped feeling emotions and didnt for two years. They gave all the kids the same level of trust, none. They tear children apart, and they come out broken. 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. No one deserves what they really do to people. Every part of Discovery Ranch, from the amazing campus to the nationally accredited Academic Program, helps to promote growth and healing. They would yell at us and use excessive force. Please. 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.