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. 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. 54A District Court 124 W. Michigan Ave., #54A Lansing, MI 48933 (517) 483-4433 Court Website. It is run like a prison. Paris Hilton just came out with a documentary on her experience at another abusive program just down the street from DR. Its another long, tough, painful battle after you leave DR and I havent known one other person who didnt suffer after getting out. Until now I had remembered my experience there as a happy one- I literally only remembered what went on during the day. Also the staff there (although there were some that I liked) were extremely rude. While some people purchase land for views or for the prospect of building a property, Duane Ollinger 's family bought the massive 160-acre Utah plot known as Blind Frog Ranch to search for buried treasure. Terrible place dont send your child here. 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. Both boys have turned out well however, my brother has trauma from the experience. Also there were lawsuits against this place. discovery ranch lawsuit Any complaints about the program and the abuse kids witnessed would be brushed off by program coordinators and therapists. 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. The Clinical, Academic, Residential, and Experiential departments all work together. 2:14-CV-751-TC. 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. We were victims of abuse. The protocols here suck, and do absolutely nothing in the way of help. They dont want to discuss whats actually wrong. the licensed substance abuse counselor has obviously never touched a substance in her life. No one deserves what they really do to people. , family visits, and Parent Day Seminars. Happened several times to my friends. 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. He will have opportunities for growth through our experiential campus, by developing new skills and interests. You will also be able to observe your sons progress through our secure, password-protected parent portal. 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. My Mom says she wishes she had heard of that school at the time. 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. 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. I dont know why but when i was there I never wanted to leave. They want the parents to say only what they tell them to say. It wasnt until he left the program that people even found out about this happening!! I suggest seeking different options for your child. Discovery Ranch for Girls Reviews - Glassdoor 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. 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. His step-father (my Dad) told me not to discuss it around him. 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. We can help your family. Non-Verbal Learning Disability including High Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD/ADD). The protocols here suck, and do absolutely nothing in the way of help. It is NOT your fault and youre NOT a lesser being despite what DR drilled into you. discovery ranch lawsuit. 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. Please save your child from this place. Jason (Google Reviews), 6/10/2016: (SURVIVOR) Terrible place dont send your child here. 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. 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. 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. The school uses research to help create an individualized treatment plan for each teen. ages 13-18. discovery ranch lawsuit. They left me more broken than they found me. , Please do not send your child to this horrific and abusive program. 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. 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). The parties fought over depositions and the production of documents, among other things, in various states where witnesses were located. The trauma Ive witnessed, and seen other kids witness was unbearable. I was 15 years old. I am a victim of emotional and physical abuse by Discovery Ranch. Top Teen Residential Treatment Center | Discovery Ranch for Boys 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. Paris Hilton just came out with a documentary on her experience at another abusive program just down the street from DR. Listen to your child, what do they think they need? When Jack Stuef found a chest of gold and jewels in a Wyoming forest last year, he felt giddy. "Defendant White took the minor child on a hunting trip where he gave him alcohol . 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. 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. And it wasn't just because he was suddenly a millionaire . They will dream about it years after, waking up in the middle of the night from nightmares about being back there. 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. Are they just being a teenager? If anything, kids got worse from being here. Their motto is apparently Strength in the Struggle. He began his career working in Admissions at, , which is widely regarded as the birthplace of the. 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. Also a staff there named Matt polson threatened to restrain me several times. 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. 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. STOP DISCOVER RANCH they will play you out of so much money its unbelievable. They often cause way more harm than good. This investigative process is aptly named "discovery," because it often turns up facts and documents that were previously unknown -- to at . My cousin went to a place 2 years ago called Shortridge Academy and had a much better experience there. 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. 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. The teenagers at Discovery Ranch as forced to adhere to a strict set of rules at all time. It is run like a prison. 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. Those goals are helping your son learn, grow, and heal so that your family can be a family again. They often cause way more harm than good. 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. Also a staff there named Matt polson threatened to restrain me several times. NAAS is an organization that has accredited many notoriously abusive behavior-modification programs, including many WWASP programs. They emotionally and mentally compromise kids for fun. These programs are money makers. The kids come out shell shocked, traumatized and fearful. Michele (Yelp), 2012: (PARENT) As a father I was treated poorly. If this describes your family, let us help. 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. There thieves taking advantage of parents dispositions and they should be shut down Derek (Google Reviews), 1/12/2014: (SURVIVOR) Link to Anonymous Survivor Testimony, 12/1/2013: (PARENT) 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. departments all work together. You are a survivor of an abusive environment that is very similar to a prison. This creates a streamlined experience for your son. 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 . ORDER AND MEMORANDUM DECISION. 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. 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 didnt ask to see that.. Their motto is apparently Strength in the Struggle. 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%. They lied and were mainpulative, and power tripped all the time. However, your teen is still troubled and your family is still in crisis. Every part of Discovery Ranch, from the amazing campus to the nationally accredited Academic Program, helps to promote growth and healing. 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. Plaintiff Diamond Ranch Academy, Inc. (DRA) operates a residential youth treatment facility in Hurricane, Utah. The Mystery at Blind Frog Ranch, which airs on Discovery Channel, is currently in its fifth season. You have tried community resources or other programs. My first treatment center was Redcliffe ascent, and I did really well there. Also there were lawsuits against this place. For many parents, this focus on parental participation is the reason they choose our program. We provide a safe, home-like environment for your son. 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 representative will help connect you with resources that can help your family--even if that help is not from us. 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. While at Discovery Ranch, your son will participate in a variety of outdoor activities. 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. One small slip up, and you have all privileges taken away from a day to sometimes even a week. I am not the only victim. This creates a streamlined experience for your son. 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. 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 boat bought with funds by Discovery Ranch was not once used for the kids, the owners just use it for personal use. I posted this exact review several times spacing itself out several months. The chidren cant even have open discussions with other inmates there for fear of being punished and losing privileges. The decision you make for your child will stay with them forever. Once a lawsuit gets underway, parties to the lawsuit or their lawyers start gathering information related to the lawsuit. You and your son will work to rebuild your relationship with weekly family therapy, family visits, and Parent Day Seminars. 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 representative will help connect you with resources that can help your family--even if that help is not from us. Education was packets and computer testing only poor. I had no contact with the outside world except letters to my parents which were censored, and observed phone calls once a month. 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.. I will never forgive Discovery Ranch for the damage they did to me, and the damage they continue to do to future generations. He previously worked at, worked as the Residential Director of Discovery Ranch. With the help of a REAL rehab and AA, I had achieved 14 months sober. The average stay is OVER a year not under like they love to say. I have constant dreams where bugs are crawling all over my skin and I wake up screaming from anxiety. ), 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. 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. 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. 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. Your community does not have the resources to help. 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. A kid was put in isolation for about 4 weeks before being moved to a different treatment center. ), 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. This place did not save my life it scared me to have problems. H.A. Not a single one of us agree that this program helped us or our relationships with our families. I attended Discovery Ranch for 6 months Ama! : r/troubledteens Discovery Ranch is an Ascent Company behavior-modification program founded on August 21st, 2005. worked as a Therapist at Discovery Ranch. The men have also come up against many dangerous physical hitches in getting to the treasure. Kids are constantly getting restrained and put on drugs to keep them under control. They made me feel disgusting and quite hideous. It is NOT your fault and youre NOT a lesser being despite what DR drilled into you. Regardless of what they were there for, NO ONE SHOULD EVER BE TREATED AS INHUMANELY AS CHILDREN SUCH AS MYSELF WERE. 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. Education was packets and computer testing only poor. Mystery at Blind Frog Ranch stars confirm return for season 3 I had never done drugs, drank, or even smoked a cigarette at this point in my life. 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. 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. First, let me begin by stating that sending your kid anywhere is a traumatic experience they will have for the rest of their life. The pain doesnt just stop, they dont forget what you did to them, regardless of your intentions. 10 Discovery Ranch for Girls reviews. Allegations of abuse that have been reported by survivors include malnutrition/food deprivation, verbal abuse, sexual abuse, physical abuse, and solitary confinement used as punishment. 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. Research shows this is the best approach to help your son and family heal mentally, physically, and emotionally. My personal experience here was horrible. I literally cant live with these memories. A court has maintained a number of claims the Granby Ranch Metropolitan District has made in a lawsuit against the owners of Granby Ranch. Dave Blackwell worked as a Therapist at Discovery Ranch. They will do everything to keep themselves looking like the best option at all costs just for money. I dont believe that the people who tortured me were innately evil; i think it was a situation similar to Abu Ghraib. 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. They do a terrific job at keeping kids quiet. Research shows this is the best approach to help your son and family heal mentally, physically, and emotionally. Amy Golden. 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 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.

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