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. They left me more broken than they found me. , Please do not send your child to this horrific and abusive program. 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. Research shows this is the best approach to help your son and family heal mentally, physically, and emotionally. Also the staff there (although there were some that I liked) were extremely rude. I wish I could give negitive stars! I am a victim of emotional and physical abuse by Discovery Ranch. Duane and his son, Chad Ollinger, are trying to finish a goal set by Duane's own father. There are over 600 people in 2 different groups put together, and we are all in contact with many kids that just left. In comparison, most of the other residents had serious drug problems, were in gangs, were extremely violent, etc. Although the system failed us, my peers and I have created somewhat of a little support group to cope and its helped us tremendously. They do a terrific job at keeping kids quiet. Until now I had remembered my experience there as a happy one- I literally only remembered what went on during the day. Your PRECIOUS child is NOT safe here! You Have Questions, We Have Answers. Residential Treatment is an Intensive Healing Experience, Individual, family, and group therapy all take place within a residential treatment setting. My Mom says she wishes she had heard of that school at the time. Youre not. The website is misleading. Discovery Ranch for Girls is a well run industry leader in residential treatment for adolescent girls. One small slip up, and you have all privileges taken away from a day to sometimes even a week. Discovery Ranch has been a NATSAP member since 2005. The main issue I have with this place is that it literally fucked up my education so bad that Im 17 and still in freshman English. 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. Also MAY I NOTE THAT THEY ARE SO DESPERATE THAT THEY NEED THEIR OWN STAFF MEMEBERS TO WRITE REVIEWS. Your community does not have the resources to help. I highly suggest people look it up, one of the most disgusting things Ive ever read in my life: . My parents spent over $200,000 here before they realized I was not getting the help I needed. This is my real name, as Im no longer afraid to write my review under an alias. The main issue I have with this place is that it literally fucked up my education so bad that Im 17 and still in freshman English. No one deserves what they really do to people. 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. NAAS is an organization that has accredited many notoriously abusive behavior-modification programs, including many WWASP programs. I ended up running away from this program and deciding on a much better program that actually wanted to help people. The chidren cant even have open discussions with other inmates there for fear of being punished and losing privileges. In addition, your son will experience many opportunities to explore Utah. 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! Now, other past guests on the show are coming forward with similar stories, including . He previously worked at Provo Canyon School, which is widely regarded as the birthplace of the WWASP organization. They often cause way more harm than good. When you fail thats on you, dont punish your kids for your actions. My first treatment center was Redcliffe ascent, and I did really well there. 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. They dont let parents talk freely to their own child. It is run like a prison. Discovery Ranch is an Ascent Company behavior-modification program founded on August 21st, 2005. They later sued the show, saying . He reportedly began working in the TTI because his brothers have worked at various other treatment centers. The kids come out shell shocked, traumatized and fearful. Michele (Yelp), 2012: (PARENT) As a father I was treated poorly. Their motto is apparently Strength in the Struggle. My first treatment center was Redcliffe ascent, and I did really well there. DISCOVERY RANCH FOR GIRLS Ripoff Reports, Complaints, Reviews, Scams, Lawsuits and Frauds Reported Your Search: Discovery Ranch for girls. 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. In other words, do not trust them. It brought everything back because I lived that experience, except for ten months and it was real. Learn about discovery -- the legal procedures used to gather evidence for a lawsuit. We were indirectly expected to manipulate visiting parents of troubled kids who have not yet been sent to treatment. Your son will have the opportunity to build the strength and resilience he needs to thrive at home. dont do this to your child We are all begging you. 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. Are they just being a teenager? I was 15 years old. 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. I would estimate their rate of rehabilitation around 20%. 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. I literally cant live with these memories. agolden@skyhinews.com. The program is located at 1308 South 1600 West, Mapleton, Utah 84664. 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. I am not the only victim. Please do not send your child to this horrific and abusive program. I posted this exact review several times spacing itself out several months. This place did not save my life it scared me to have problems. H.A. Feel free to ask anything about my stay I'm an open book. 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. 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. 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. Listen to your child, what do they think they need? Any minor infraction is punished severely. 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. My mind sometimes uncontrollably cradles and turns to static when I hear the same radio noise as the staff used at DR. (Blood sprayed on me). May their souls rest in peace. ! Jack (Yelp), 5/28/2020: (SIBLING) A family member of mine attended this school so everything I have heard is 2nd hand. A free inside look at company reviews and salaries posted anonymously by employees. 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). 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. 25 votes, 28 comments. He previously worked at the confirmedly abusive Provo Canyon School, which is widely regarded as the birthplace of the WWASP organization. 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. This is not just a couple of resentful people. discovery ranch lawsuit. If anything, kids got worse from being here. 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. Anyone is free to fact check this, and contact me with further questions [redacted]. I am not the only victim. 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. This investigative process is aptly named "discovery," because it often turns up facts and documents that were previously unknown -- to at . 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. It sickens me that even after the kid is out of this place they threaten to send them back to this horrible place. I dont know why but when i was there I never wanted to leave. My brother was at the Ranch over a decade ago. , There are plenty of articles that prove why Discovery Ranch is dangerous for the mental development of children. Each part of his daily experience will reinforce his therapeutic goals. 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. We would act like we loved the treatment center, and that there wasnt any abuse going on. The decision you make for your child will stay with them forever. 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. The location is part of a dispute between the city and one tow truck company that filed a federal lawsuit on Dec. 2, 2020. The Residential Treatment Program is located on a beautiful 60-acre ranch. The reviews on their website are COMPLETELY weeded before theyre posted. Teenagers at Discovery Ranch have extremely limited contact with the outside world. The school uses research to help create an individualized treatment plan for each teen. Reading these reviews it is obviously a place that needs to make some changes if the accusations are correct. They made me feel disgusting and quite hideous. worked as the Clinical Director of Discovery Ranch. 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. Throughout your sons experience at Discovery Ranch he will have the support of caring, educated, experienced professionals. the villa pacific palisades, ca. You get used to the screaming and pleading for help, it becomes background noise. 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. 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. 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! You are a survivor of an abusive environment that is very similar to a prison. Once a lawsuit gets underway, parties to the lawsuit or their lawyers start gathering information related to the lawsuit. One small slip up, and you have all privileges taken away from a day to sometimes even a week. We respect your privacy. I had never done drugs, drank, or even smoked a cigarette at this point in my life. There is a culture of caring and respect, but also of excellence and high expectation both for staff and students. They dont give the children any hope of getting out whatsoever. 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 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. 19K views, 49 likes, 17 loves, 159 comments, 10 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from FOX 13 News: UTAH RANCH LAWSUIT - A teen is filing a lawsuit against a Utah ranch where she says she was sexually. We were victims of abuse. 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. 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. Happened several times to my friends. You will also be able to observe your sons progress through our secure, password-protected parent portal. Happened several times to my friends. He will take part in equine therapy and horsemanship programs and will have the responsibility of caring for a rescued baby calf. We found a traditional therapist that proved to be far more effective. At one point during my stay, I saw my friend stab his arm repeatedly with a pencil, spraying blood all over me and the windowsill we were sitting on. Dave Blackwell worked as a Therapist at Discovery Ranch. In addition, survivors have reported that on the off-chance that they. 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. 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). The amounts of times I screamed out loud in physical/mental exhaustion from being undermined and unheard is uncountable. 10 Discovery Ranch for Girls reviews. Both boys have turned out well however, my brother has trauma from the experience. I had never done drugs, drank, or even smoked a cigarette at this point in my life. DIAMOND RANCH ACADEMY, INC., Plaintiff and Counterclaim Defendant, v. CHELSEA FILER, Defendant and Counterclaim Plaintiff. The reviews on their website are COMPLETELY weeded before theyre posted. I am not the only victim. Privileges to some might sound like being able to talk to friends, or having free time. I had repressed memories of the physical, sexual, and psychological torture i endured for five years until I watched a documentary on the stanford prison experiment in my psychology class. 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. 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. Also there were lawsuits against this place. The protocols here suck, and do absolutely nothing in the way of help. Are they just being a teenager? how to walk a human a dogs guide. First, let me begin by stating that sending your kid anywhere is a traumatic experience they will have for the rest of their life. My personal experience here was horrible. 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. Your Participation Is Key To Success 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. Although the system failed us, my peers and I have created somewhat of a little support group to cope and its helped us tremendously. Please save your child from this place. Jason (Google Reviews), 6/10/2016: (SURVIVOR) Terrible place dont send your child here. After discovery ranch I couldnt even talk to my parents for months because of the trauma it caused me. This will provide him with the experience of a lifetime because Utah has a natural landscape that is second to none. They only allow astonishing ones to pass. The decision you make for your child will stay with them forever. 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. This will provide him with the. Discovery Ranch is reported by many survivors to be an extremely abusive program. We earned academic accreditation through Discovery Academy. Please save your child from this place. . 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. 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. The pain doesnt just stop, they dont forget what you did to them, regardless of your intentions. And the horrible part? They tear children apart, and they come out broken. 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. The representative will help connect you with resources that can help your family--even if that help is not from us. Basically non-existent education. Any complaints about the program and the abuse kids witnessed would be brushed off by program coordinators and therapists. 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. There are over 600 people in 2 different groups put together, and we are all in contact with many kids that just left. We also understand that every teen and every family is unique. 02-17-2016. 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. 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. 54A District Court 124 W. Michigan Ave., #54A Lansing, MI 48933 (517) 483-4433 Court Website. My mind sometimes uncontrollably cradles and turns to static when I hear the same radio noise as the staff used at DR. They would yell at us and use excessive force. Id go on to say I have PTSD. We have created this bond because unless you went through a detention center such as DR, you will not understand. dont do this to your child We are all begging you. 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: Family Alleges Bestiality at Alternative School, 9/20/2020: (SURVIVOR) Discovery ranch seems to actively try to remove as many negative reviews as they can, many were mine being removed over and over. In addition to taking part in the equine therapy and horsemanship programs, he will have access to the fully-equipped music studio. 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. At Discovery Ranch for Boys, we hold ourselves to the, We maintain professional memberships in research organizations, such as, . TENA CAMPBELL U.S. District Court Judge. Not a single one of us agree that this program helped us or our relationships with our families. With the help of a REAL rehab and AA, I had achieved 14 months sober. 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. 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. My personal experience here was horrible. Discovery Ranch is reported by many survivors to be an extremely abusive program. These experiences will teach your son values like Responsibility, Grit, Honesty, Respect, Courage, Kindness, and Accountability. Although you move on and mature, its a wound that never fully heals and cuts deep. He can participate in various sports teams, such as basketball, flag football, wrestling, and cross-country running. We were victims of abuse. Regardless of what they were there for, NO ONE SHOULD EVER BE TREATED AS INHUMANELY AS CHILDREN SUCH AS MYSELF WERE. He reportedly began working in the TTI because his brothers have worked at various other treatment centers.