Each part of his daily experience will reinforce his therapeutic goals. They tear children apart, and they come out broken. They will dream about it years after, waking up in the middle of the night from nightmares about being back there. 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. If anything, kids got worse from being here. My brother was at the Ranch over a decade ago. John (Yelp), 10/28/2019: (SURVIVOR) There are plenty of articles that prove why Discovery Ranch is dangerous for the mental development of children. 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. (Check glassdoor reviews) In return, we have lots of untrained, unequipped young adults who arent prepared to deal with seriously mentally ill children. The reviews on their website are COMPLETELY weeded before theyre posted. The Residential Treatment Program is located on a beautiful 60-acre ranch. 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. The entire facility is designed to create a rich therapeutic and healing environment. Therapy was more like brainwashing than therapy. Listen to your child, what do they think they need? I dont know why but when i was there I never wanted to leave. Discovery Ranch strives to heal your family as a whole. In other words, do not trust them. They later sued the show, saying . 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. The civil lawsuit seeks a minimum of $350,000. Dave Blackwell worked as a Therapist at Discovery Ranch. Discovery Ranch South offers the perfect healing environment for troubled teens with mental health or behavioral issues. 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. Craig Smith worked as the Clinical Director of Discovery Ranch. 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. 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. They dont let parents talk freely to their own child. As I walked away in shock he was tackled by staff.This was after I had already seen two separate suicide attempts. Discovery ranch uses a merit system to punish kids. The teenagers at Discovery Ranch as forced to adhere to a strict set of rules at all time. 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. 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. Please do not send your child to this horrific and abusive program. Plaintiff Diamond Ranch Academy, Inc. (DRA) operates a residential youth treatment facility in Hurricane, Utah. Staff parents "were expected to replicate a. 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. Discovery Ranch for Girls - BREAKING CODE SILENCE . Although the system failed us, my peers and I have created somewhat of a little support group to cope and its helped us tremendously. Our parents (his Mom and step-father) regret sending him there even all these years later. Seek other avenues for your child. Keith (Yelp), 6/28/2013: (PARENT) This is the worst place to send your child. (and have it be removed weeks later). No one deserves what they really do to people. ), 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. They made me feel disgusting and quite hideous. 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 am not the only victim. Allegations of abuse that have been reported by survivors include: According to a Thesis 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. Once a lawsuit gets underway, parties to the lawsuit or their lawyers start gathering information related to the lawsuit. 2023 Discovery Ranch Residential Treatment Center for Teen Boys |. Any complaints about the program and the abuse kids witnessed would be brushed off by program coordinators and therapists. 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. Please. 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. My mind sometimes uncontrollably cradles and turns to static when I hear the same radio noise as the staff used at DR. 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 are very abusive and they will lie to you. Mysterious intruders throw a spanner into the works at Blind Frog Ranch Duane and his son, Chad Ollinger, are trying to finish a goal set by Duane's own father. Please reach out to me for questions, I will do my best to educate you on what is happening and get you current information. . We believe that teens are more than their diagnosis. A court has maintained a number of claims the Granby Ranch Metropolitan District has made in a lawsuit against the owners of Granby Ranch. I would estimate their rate of rehabilitation around 20%. 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. 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. Education was packets and computer testing only poor. We do all this so that you can know your son is safe with us. I didnt ask to see that.. I suggest seeking different options for your child. Although you move on and mature, its a wound that never fully heals and cuts deep. 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. 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. Anyone is free to fact check this, and contact me with further questions [redacted]. Who Owns Blind Frog Ranch? All About the Tourist Attraction discovery ranch lawsuitshaun thompson elmhurst Consultation Request a Free Consultation Now. We were victims of abuse. 1308 South 1600 West, Mapleton, Utah 84664, . 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. 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 I was there almost ten years ago, and it feels like yesterday because of my PTSD. Are they just being a teenager? Its another long, tough, painful battle after you leave DR and I havent known one other person who didnt suffer after getting out. Im scared to mention my real name because Discovery Ranchs aftercare program still controls my life. 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. They tear children apart, and they come out broken. THATS WHEN YOU KNOW THE PLACE IS TERRIBLE. , Beware the evil behind their smiling eyes! Also there were lawsuits against this place. 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. At Discovery Ranch we understand that when your teen is in trouble, your whole family is in trouble. 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. The Mystery at Blind Frog Ranch, which airs on Discovery Channel, is currently in its fifth season. I was a student and am a survivor of Discovery Ranch, Utah. AMA! 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.. 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. Blind Frog Ranch 2022 lawsuit update In season 2, we see someone come onto the ranch and serve the gang some sort of paper. 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. the licensed substance abuse counselor has obviously never touched a substance in her life. 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. I had no contact with the outside world except letters to my parents which were censored, and observed phone calls once a month.