Are they just being a teenager? At Discovery Ranch for Boys, all the professional departments work together. Discovery ranchs idea of privileges is being able to sit on something other than hard wood chairs. And the horrible part? This is not just a couple of resentful people. 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. The schooling they provide is a joke. You might feel that you are all alone. Regardless of what they were there for, NO ONE SHOULD EVER BE TREATED AS INHUMANELY AS CHILDREN SUCH AS MYSELF WERE. Working at Discovery Ranch for Girls: 25 Reviews - Indeed 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. Parents have no clue what they are getting themselves into by sending their children there. 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. 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. 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. 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. In comparison, most of the other residents had serious drug problems, were in gangs, were extremely violent, etc. discovery ranch lawsuitshaun thompson elmhurst Consultation Request a Free Consultation Now. departments all work together. DIAMOND RANCH ACADEMY, INC., Plaintiff and Counterclaim Defendant, v. CHELSEA FILER, Defendant and Counterclaim Plaintiff. They will do everything to keep themselves looking like the best option at all costs just for money. You get used to the screaming and pleading for help, it becomes background noise. I suggest seeking different options for your child. No one deserves what they really do to people. Anyone is free to fact check this, and contact me with further questions [redacted]. He said that he was abused by a staff member while there. They gave all the kids the same level of trust, none. In this experiential, safe, and supportive environment, your son will confront his personal challenges with the goal of healing and increasing his capacity which builds his self-confidence and self-esteem. 10 Discovery Ranch for Girls reviews. They are there only to try and give the staff (who by the way have no training in psychology at all) an easier time. At Discovery Ranch we understand that when your teen is in trouble, your whole family is in trouble. Even though I have left the program, if I dont follow their horribly rigorous and reclusive aftercare rules I go back. The reviews on their website are COMPLETELY weeded before theyre posted. Yeomans v Discovery Ranch | 2:17-CV-00768 | Court Records - UniCourt As part of the therapeutic learning process, all boys participate in weekly ropes activities that build character and help develop lifelong skills. They emotionally and mentally compromise kids for fun. As I walked away in shock he was tackled by staff.This was after I had already seen two separate suicide attempts. DISCOVERY RANCH - 20 Photos & 27 Reviews - 1308 S 1600th W, Mapleton, UT - Yelp Restaurants Home Services Auto Services Discovery Ranch 27 reviews Unclaimed Counseling & Mental Health Edit Write a review Add photo Save Photos & videos See all 20 photos Add photo Location & Hours 1308 S 1600th W Mapleton, UT 84664 Get directions Edit business info He also worked for a time as the Director of NATSAP. 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. Its heart wrenching to see how many families were deeply financially destroyed as well as personal connections being permanently damaged. While at Discovery Ranch, your son will participate in a variety of outdoor activities. They dont let parents talk freely to their own child. They lied and were mainpulative, and power tripped all the time. I posted this exact review several times spacing itself out several months. Your son will experience the value of hard work through daily chores and responsibilities. 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 wasnt until he left the program that people even found out about this happening!! The chidren cant even have open discussions with other inmates there for fear of being punished and losing privileges. I have constant dreams where bugs are crawling all over my skin and I wake up screaming from anxiety. 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. We have created this bond because unless you went through a detention center such as DR, you will not understand. Are they just being a teenager? 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. (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. Therapy was more like brainwashing than therapy. "Defendant White took the minor child on a hunting trip where he gave him alcohol . My first treatment center was Redcliffe ascent, and I did really well there. 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. 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. I will never forgive Discovery Ranch for the damage they did to me, and the damage they continue to do to future generations. 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. BE CAREFUL OF THEM. James (Yelp), 2019: (SURVIVOR) This place is sickening. (During my stay, a kid in a different house was repeatedly raped by another kid for days until he was caught.) What Is Discovery in a Lawsuit? - FindLaw 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. 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. Discovery Ranch only wants to know and talk about their truth which is nothing close to reality. May their souls rest in peace. A kid was put in isolation for about 4 weeks before being moved to a different treatment center. For example, in an employment law case, a fired employee will want to see their personnel file, and through discovery, an employer would likely be required to provide those documents. 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). I had no contact with the outside world except letters to my parents which were censored, and observed phone calls once a month. 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. Those goals are helping your son learn, grow, and heal so that your family can be a family again. Learn about discovery -- the legal procedures used to gather evidence for a lawsuit. This website uses cookies and third party services. . 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. 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 . Until now I had remembered my experience there as a happy one- I literally only remembered what went on during the day. I had no contact with the outside world except letters to my parents which were censored, and observed phone calls once a month. I am a victim of emotional and physical abuse by Discovery Ranch. First, let me begin by stating that sending your kid anywhere is a traumatic experience they will have for the rest of their life. Our academic program meets your son at his level. survivors to be an extremely abusive program. 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. , family visits, and Parent Day Seminars. It does not represent any obligation. 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. In addition, survivors have reported that on the off-chance that they. Is 'Mystery at Blind Frog Ranch' Fake or Scripted? What We Know Overpriced, over rateddo not send your child there if you care about them. I am a victim of emotional and physical abuse by Discovery Ranch. If any of you also went there shoot me a pm id like to hear about it. Non-Verbal Learning Disability including High Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD/ADD). 2:14-CV-751-TC. His step-father (my Dad) told me not to discuss it around him. 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 would act like we loved the treatment center, and that there wasnt any abuse going on. 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. Teenagers at Discovery Ranch have extremely limited contact with the outside world. The staff often used abusive behaviors and were very rude to us. 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. The civil lawsuit seeks a minimum of $350,000. We found a traditional therapist that proved to be far more effective. After discovery ranch I couldnt even talk to my parents for months because of the trauma it caused me. Proof is attached as an image. DISCOVERY RANCH FOR GIRLS Ripoff Reports, Complaints, Reviews, Scams, Lawsuits and Frauds Reported Your Search: Discovery Ranch for girls. The location grew in popularity after rumors swirled that the land . 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. 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. We were indirectly expected to manipulate visiting parents of troubled kids who have not yet been sent to treatment. I am not the only victim. You have tried community resources or other programs. They would restrain kids to the point the kids arm was almost broken. Chad Ollinger and his brother, Duane, are gold prospectors in the Uintah Mountains of Utah. 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 said that he was abused by a staff member while there. 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). The reviews on their website are COMPLETELY weeded before theyre posted. Isnt that tax evasion? 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. 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. 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.