PARENTS, GUARDIANS, FAMILY MEMBERS, AND FRIENDS OF PROSPECTIVE STUDENTS BEING PLACED AT EAGLE RANCH ACADEMY

Below we have provided you a lot of information.  We hope you take the time to read it so you know who we are.  The information we have included is to dispute the allegations that Hate Groups have made against us and to show how deceitful, hateful, and manipulative these groups really are.  These Hate Groups want you to believe all these outlandish accusations without offering any proof of what they say.

This is OUR proof that we are who we say we are.  We are undeniably, one of the top and most respected RTC programs in the country.

Eagle Ranch Academy’s Response to Hate Groups

For the past several years Residential Treatment Programs, including Eagle Ranch Academy, have been under attack, without cause, by Hate Groups.  We have not responded in any fashion until now.  Because they continue to spread lies and make more unfounded accusations we felt it was now necessary to put the truth out there so everyone can come to their own conclusions.

We have included documents that will substantiate everything we say and will show how deceitful and unethical these Hate Groups are.

To give you some background information.  A few years ago we had a child enroll into our program from a family that the parents had been divorced for several years.  They were unable to resolve their differences on how to get their daughter the help she needed.  The dad contacted us.  Before we would accept this child into our program we requested that both parents must agree on the placement.  They had a hearing before the Superior Court of the State of California.  The court issued an Order requiring that both parents agree and that each of them had to sign an agreement placing their daughter in our program.  (See Document 1 – Sections 7-10.)

Note that the Order from the Court states that “neither parent shall attempt to remove the child from Eagle Ranch Academy earlier than recommended by the ERA team, unless both parents mutually agree.”  Unfortunately, the mom was in violation of the order within the first couple weeks of the placement.  The father had the right to press contempt of court charges against the mom but decided against doing so, and we agreed, hoping she would eventually come on board and be a part of the treatment.

A few weeks after the daughter arrived into our program, the mom made several outlandish accusations hoping to get her daughter released from our school.  Since she was under a court order, that did not work, so she contacted a Hate Group hoping they could help get her daughter removed from our program.  This forced the father to go back to Superior Court of California and he was awarded sole custody of his daughter.  (See Document 2.)

Item 2 of the court order stipulates that “the mother is not to contact ERA or allow others to contact us on her behalf to threaten or harass any employee of Eagle Ranch Academy.”  They put this in place since some of our employees had been harassed and threatened with physical harm by friends of the mother.

These Hate Groups NEVER contacted us, they have NEVER been to our facility, they have NEVER communicated with us.  We have had thousands of parents and hundreds of students come through our program and they never contacted any of them, nor have they tried to contact us.  The fact that they did not investigate exposes their real intentions.

They throw out all these accusations to see how much damage they can do.  If they knew we were abusing children, and involved in illegal dealings and fraud, you would expect them to file charges through the courts.  In fact, they would be under a moral and legal obligation to bring it to the attention of the police or other legal authorities.  The fact they have not pursued this through legal channels speaks volumes.  The reason is simple:  what these Hate Groups allege is false.

Several former students and parents found a hate website and sent them an email supporting our program and disagreeing with their allegations.  The owner of this hate website responded with nasty emails telling them they were terrible parents, and all the problems with their teen was their fault.  Then they accused them of being brainwashed and mindless disciples of Eagle Ranch Academy.  When other parents and students found this website and wanted to respond in support of ERA we advised them not to waste their time corresponding with the hate website because they have demonstrated you cannot have an intelligent conversation with them.

The intent of these Hate Groups is shown when they hear from parents or students defending and supporting our program and they turn it around and accuse them of being brainwashed and mindless disciples of Eagle Ranch Academy.

After the mother made her accusations we invited Child Protective Services, the State of Utah Licensing of Human Services, and the St. George City Police Department to come and investigate.  Each came and interviewed  not only the one student in question, but we also asked them to talk to our other students.  NOTHING of any negative, illegal, or unethical nature was determined.

*Please Note:  Attached are two letters.  One from the ex-husband/father and one from the daughter.  Both letters state everything the ex-wife/mother said were lies and there was absolutely no merit to her accusations.  Both the father and the daughter contacted the hate website in support of our program and to dispute the accusations that the ex-wife/mother made, but this Hate Group refused to take anything off their site.  Both the father and the daughter offered, and continues to be, references to parents exploring Eagle Ranch Academy.

Please feel free to contact the State of Utah Licensing of Human Services (801-538-4242), Utah Child Protective Services (801-538-4100), the Washington County Sheriff’s Department (435-656-6500), retired Sheriff Kirk Smith (435-669-2200), (the sheriff when we first opened), the St. George Police Department (435-634-5000), or any other agency you feel can provide you accurate  information.

The goal of these Hate Groups is to shut down all youth residential treatment programs in the world.  Their Parenting Guide indicates they do not believe parents have any parental rights concerning the welfare and raising of their own children.  (See Document 3, Parenting Guide.)

To quote their Parenting Guide…….. “Your children are not your children ….. they come through you but not from you.  And though they are with you, yet they belong not to you.  For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow, which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams.”

These Hate Groups believe you are not entitled to be parents to your own children.

WHAT FOLLOWINGS NEXT IS OUR RESPONSE TO THEIR ACCUSATIONS

We will respond to some of the accusations made about our program.  We will cut and paste Hate Groups own words so we can add comments and provide verification and proof of what we say.

THESE ARE COMMENTS TAKEN DIRECTLY FROM THEIR  WEBSITES

All of their comments and accusations will be in quotes and italic with ERA response in regular font.

1.   WHAT THEY SAY….. “Eagle Ranch Academy is another WWASP program.”

RESPONSE:  “I am one of the founders and co-owners of Eagle Ranch Academy.  Anyone who says Eagle Ranch Academy is a WWASP related program is absolutely wrong.  Eagle Ranch Academy never has been, is not, and never will be related or affiliated with WWASP, or any WWASP related entity.  Any website or person who says otherwise is intentionally lying or is grossly negligent in making false statements.  Either way, such conduct should call into question that person or website’s credibility.”   Paul Arslanian, Co-Founder and Owner of ERA

We purchased our property and facility in 2005 from the Woodbury Corporation.   It was originally designed and built for the State of Utah as a residential treatment facility.  WWASP had a program in this facility in the 1990’s.  Since we are on the same property which another program was in over 20 years ago, they accuse us of being affiliated with that program.  Just another example of the tactics used by these Hate Groups.

2.   WHAT THEY SAY ….. “Do you believe that a therapeutic program should have NO licensed psychologists nor licensed therapists on staff?”

RESPONSE: They are LYING when they make this statement.   All of our therapists are Master level and all are licensed through the State of Utah as Licensed Clinical Social Workers (LCSW), or equivalent.  (See Document 4, Licenses.)

3.   WHAT THEY SAY ….. “Do you believe that an academy should NOT be accredited by the State Office of Education?”

RESPONSE:  This is a misleading statement and misrepresents the truth.  There are two academic components of our program.  We have online classes and on-campus classes.  Our academic program is accredited (SACS-CASI) through one of the six nationally recognized accreditation commissions.  Most secondary schools, if not all, are accredited through one of these six commissions.  (See Document 5, Accreditation License and Information.)  The classes we teach on campus are taught by a State of Utah licensed instructor who has been teaching for over 30 years.  And they are not being honest when they say these organizations allow the members to self-regulate.

Here is what these Hate Groups say about two of the six nationally recognized regional accreditation commissions:

• Northwest Association of Accredited School (NAAS, now known as NWAC)
  “NAAS provides accreditation for notoriously abusive programs such as WWASPS and others.  Since their standards are so low they are not a legitimate accreditation agency.”

• Southern Association of College and Schools (SACS)
“SACS accredits 3DLearn (now Wilostar3D), the educational services provided by Eagle Ranch Academy.  In addition, SACS is not a regulatory agency and allows for members (those they accredit) to self-evaluate and self-regulate regarding practices.  Self-regulation is not a sound basis for accreditation.”

Check your own high school and see who they are accredited through.  If they are accredited through one of these 6 nationally recognized commissions, which I’m sure they are, these Hate Groups say they are not legitimate.  According to these Hate Group’s logic, any person who earned a high school diploma from a school accredited by one of these commissions, doesn’t have a valid diploma.

The credits students earned while in our program have been approved and accepted by every high school and college in the country where our former students have applied and enrolled.  The high schools include high schools in all 50 states.

The list of college and universities include:  Louisiana State University, San Diego State University, BYU, University of Washington, Washington State University, University of Utah, Cal State Long Beach, Oregon State University, Utah State University, Florida State University, University of Florida, Purdue University, University of Connecticut, University of Illinois, Dixie State University, University of Florida-St. Thomas, University of Minnesota-St. Paul, University of Massachusetts, Indiana University, just to name a few.

4.   WHAT THEY SAY ….. “Do you believe a residential treatment center/school should be founded and run by two brothers that are NOT mental health professionals and have NO credentials in the field of mental health?”

RESPONSE:  The CEO and President of one of the most prestigious and well respected medical facilities in the world, the Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital at Stanford University, California, is NOT a medical doctor, but a successful businessman.  (See Document 6, Executive Team for Stanford Medical School.)

He does what any competent and successful administrator does, he hires and surrounds himself with talented and qualified people.  Many hospital administrators are not doctors.  In the eyes of these Hate Groups this makes those hospitals illegitimate.

5.   WHAT THEY SAY ….. “Eagle Ranch Academy is NOT ACCREDITED by the state of Utah, the City of St. George, NATSAP. nor the Joint Commission.”

RESPONSE:  More LIES.  They say we are not licensed through the State of Utah or the city of  St. George.  (See Document 7, State of Utah License and St. George Business License.)

Here is what they say about Joint Commission.

• Joint Commission on Accreditation of Health Care Organizations (JCAHO)
“The Joint Commission (JCAHO) is in trouble with Congress for not insuring patient safety at facilities/programs they accredit, therefore, it is not creditable.” 

The Mayo Clinic and the Lucile Salter Packard Children’s Hospital at Stanford, two of the most prestigious and well known hospitals in the world are accredited through the Joint Commission. (See Document 8, Joint Commission.)

According to these Hate Groups we should not trust the Mayo Clinic or the Stanford Medical School.  Wonder how many other hospitals are JCAHO approved that we cannot trust.  Probably most of them since JCAHO is the standard for medical hospitals.

6.   WHAT THEY SAY ….. “ERA provides assistance in billing your Insurance Company.  (Eagle Ranch Academy Admissions/Enrollment Information, page 3).  ERA accepts health insurance for payment. However, it is a wonder if the health insurance companies that cover ERA understand that it is not a medical facility and not regulated as such.  It is highly recommended that all health insurance providers remove any unregulated facilities from those they cover.  Why is Eagle Ranch Academy being paid by Health Insurance when it is not a recognized medical facility?  What insurance carriers are being scammed here?”

RESPONSE:  Here they are saying we are defrauding insurance companies.  They also say that insurance companies should not cover any of your costs, even if your coverage provides for Residential Treatment and/or counseling.  Don’t you think the insurance companies are a better judge of who and what they cover in their policies.

7.   WHAT THEY SAY ….. “They also use Solutions Financial as a resource for financing the program for parents. Solutions Financial is an off-shore brokerage firm in New Zealand.  It is all very suspect and suggests illegal and unethical business dealings.”

RESPONSE:  FALSE.  Once again, another LIE.  This company is located in Arizona.  If these Hate Groups actually did any investigation, or if they were at all concerned with the truth, they would know this.

8.   WHAT THEY SAY ….. “Hyrum Smith serves on the board of Smith Henderson & Associates (a/k/a Soltis Advisors/Soltis Investment Advisors).  Soltis Advisors is the contact name for a “charity” called Virgin River / Santa Clara River Flood Relief, Inc. Smith has assigned his rights to DI Ranch LLC which assigned its rights to Zions Bank. Zions Bank makes very large donations to the Virgin River / Santa Clara River Flood Relief, Inc.  This appears to be a very convoluted money-laundering scheme in violation of federal RICO laws.  We recommend the FBI investigate immediately.”

RESPONSE:  Here the Hate Group is  making a connection of Eagle Ranch Academy to Hyrum Smith.   Hyrum Smith is the former owner of the DI Ranch who sold the ranch in the 1990’s to a partnership unrelated to him.  He is the founder and owner of the Franklin Day Planner.  They try to make this connection since we have used the DI Ranch for a variety of service and recreational activities.  However, ERA was founded in 2005, not pre 1990’s.

The Santa Clara Flood Relief Fund, referenced by the Hate Group, is a non-profit 501(c)(3) charitable entity that was created to help the victims of the worst flooding in the history of St. George and Santa Clara, Utah.  (See Document 9, Virgin River Santa Clara Flood Relief.)

They are accusing us of laundering money, when in fact it is a charitable cause to benefit those who lost their homes.  Shame on them for attacking a charitable entity for helping reduce the pain and suffering of people who lost their homes and  all of their possessions.  This is another example of their deceit and their blatant disregard for the truth.

9.   WHAT THEY SAY …..”Some programs farm children out to work at local farms or hotels. What are these off campus activities? What proof is there that your child is participating in the off-campus activity suggested to you by the program?  Also, being farmed out as free/slave labor.”

RESPONSE:  More LIES.  They are referring to ERA’s off-campus activities.  We have several types of off-campus activities:  Educational field trips; volunteer service projects; and recreational outings.  Volunteer Service projects involved such groups as local food bank, homeless shelters, Huntsman Senior Games, St. George Marathon, Iron Man competition, adopt a highway, visiting assisted living centers, Walk for Life Cancer Drive, Toy’s for Tot’s and other similar worthwhile causes.

10.   WHAT THEY SAY ….. “What is the hotel visit?  Is it similar to the strange travels of program directors/staff with children to local hotels for overnights outside the program?  And, what happens at this hotel?  Some programs in Utah have reportedly participated in sex-trafficking of minors under their control at hotels they also own in Utah.”

RESPONSE:  Did they really accuse us of sex-trafficking?  Yes they did!  Here the Hate Group is alluding to approved activities when a student reaches a certain point in the program.  Eagle Ranch Academy’s program does NOT include ERA personnel staying with students overnight outside our facility.  We do not own a hotel.  Our program does involve the student and his/her parents spending 2-4 days and nights in the area together.  Parents take their child on a several day visit and they stay in a hotel.
Sex trafficking? NO —- Bringing families back together? YES.

11.   WHAT THEY SAY ….. “Utah as it is the fatherland of abusive behavior modification programs and provides unregulated sanctuary to child-torture facilities.  Many residential program in Utah defraud health insurance companies by representing themselves as medical and mental health providers.  However, most of these programs are licensed only as Residential Treatment.  Utah allows the entire industry to self-regulate.  There is absolutely no oversight.”

RESPONSE:  More LIES.  They say the state of Utah does not regulate the Residential Treatment Center (RTC) industry, and allows them to self-regulate.  Again, they are deceiving everyone by making this statement.  The fact is, Utah is one of the most regulated states in this industry.  Many states have asked Utah to consult with them on how to strengthen their own states regulations.  (See Document 10, Regulations Governing RTC’s in Utah.)

As you read the pages of regulations it is clear the State of Utah regulates this industry very closely. To renew our state license, we have yearly site visits by officials from the Utah Office of Licensing, Department of Health and Services to insure we are abiding by all the state policies, procedures and laws. State authorities also do unannounced site visits. When they visit our facility state officials interview both students and staff. We also have yearly inspections by the Fire Department and quarterly visits from the Food and Health Department.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS FROM THESE HATE GROUPS
CONCERNING RESIDENTIAL TREATMENT CENTER’S

“Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, and George W. Bush have long been affiliated with and supportive of fraudulent and abusive programs.”

“The state of Utah has manipulated the laws to cover up the abuse and cults in their state. And, since children are often forced to confess to drug abuse and sexual exploits that would shock Howard Stern, and programs can masquerade as drug treatment while operating as brainwashing cults.  According to the rules, a program that is a social detoxification program is not required to provide many services programs deceptively state they offer under state law.  (i.e. proper education schooling).”

“Money flows from industry leaders like Robert Crist, Robert Lichfield, and Mel Sembler directly into the campaigns and dealings of the Bush family, Mitt Romney, and others.  The programs get a return on their investment.  The industry faces no regulations or in Utah is allowed to self regulate.”

“We stand by our position that Utah is the most corrupt State in the Union and that it should either secede or be kicked out of the United States for failure to uphold the rights guaranteed to all U.S. citizens by the U.S. Constitution and, specifically, the Bill of Rights.”

“It is apparent that Republicans leaders and frontrunners are knee-deep in the defrauding of American families and the torture of American children.”

“These are cults masquerading as treatment programs.”

“The third reason for the support of the behavior modification industry by elites is that it provides a pool of children from which sex slaves and hostel-style torture and murder victims can be harvested.”

Enough said …….. We are not making this up.  These are all statements Hate Groups have made and posted on their website.  They are saying all programs in the United States are abusive, illegal, fraudulent, and are supported and protected by the top leaders in the United States government.  You can not find one program that they do not condemn and that they say is not abusive.  As stated before, these Hate Groups erroneously allege this industry faces no regulations or in places like Utah are allowed to self-regulate.  The reality is, these Hate Groups are the ones with no regulations to follow,  no over-sight, and are not accountable to anyone.  They say the most hateful and deceitful things they can think of trying to cause as much harm as they can.

— IN CONCLUSION —

Innocent people can be hurt by the deception and lies of these Hate Groups.  It is a sad practice to prey on parents and families at a time when emotions are the most fragile. During the time of family crisis, and while the parents are most vulnerable and desperate, these Hate Groups put out all this false, misleading and erroneous information trying to convince parents not to seek proper help for their teenage son or daughter.

HERE’S THE SCENARIO:  A parent realizes they need help to save their child.  They reach out and find a quality residential treatment program who will keep the child safe while helping the child develop tools and skills for overcoming the issues which have brought on the negative destructive behavior.  The parent has made a decision and is ready to act, but then they run across a hate website, operated by one of these Hate Groups.  They see all the negative information about teen programs in general or maybe even specific to the program they are planning to enroll their child.

The child is in crisis, but the parent hesitates due to the negative information.  Although, it is fictitious and outlandish it can still seem so convincing.  Or maybe one parent uses the negative information as an excuse to stop the other parent from doing what really needs to be done.  Instead of placing the child into a program to keep them safe and get them on the road to recovery, the parent second guesses themself and hesitates.  Their struggling child acts out again, and lives are tragically changed forever.

Anyone landing on one of  these hate sites will quickly come to the conclusion these organizations have a very one-sided point of view toward the troubled teen industry.  It becomes obvious these Hate Groups believe every school, program, or service for troubled teens is evil and should be shutdown immediately.

I am not here to justify and defend every program in this industry since I do not know every program.  What I will do is defend our program against unfounded and slanderous allegations.  We have spent the past many years developing a quality program and have earned a great reputation nationally in this industry and we will defend it aggressively.

There are numerous websites maintained by people who are disgruntled and angry and apparently have nothing better to do than invent stories and conspiracies that drag good people and programs through the mud.  For them to appoint themselves the protector of all children, and then turn around and spew their hatred and lies is self-serving and hypocritical.  As we all know, once you realize that you will not be held accountable you can say and do whatever you want, without concern for the truth.

I do know this, if you lie and misrepresent about one thing, you lie and misrepresent about other thingsWhen you lie and are dishonest you have lost all credibility, so anything you say cannot be trusted.  We have provided evidence proving the Hate Groups have lied and misrepresented the truth when describing Eagle Ranch Academy.  THESE HATE GROUPS CANNOT BE TRUSTED.  Their stated intentions may be honorable, but their actions and methods are slanderous and borders on criminal.

If you find a website professing to be the protector of teens from residential treatment centers we encourage you to take some time to review all of what they have to say so you can get a good idea of who and what these people really are.  Google them, do research on them, just like you did on Eagle Ranch Academy.

If not abused, the internet is a wonderful thing.  Unfortunately, all too often we see people hide behind computer screens to slander and attack others while offering no proof or documentation.  This is called cyber bullying, and we have all seen the damage and hurt that can result from this type of negativity.

To verify what we have stated here we encourage you to do your due diligence before placing your child in our program.  If you are a parent of a prospective student who has been accepted for admission into Eagle Ranch Academy, we encourage you come visit.  Meet us face-to-face, see our facility and get a feel for Eagle Ranch Academy.  If you are unable to visit before enrolling your son or daughter, we have many former parents and students you can talk to.  They are more than happy and willing to talk to you since they went through the same thing you’re going through now.  Getting your son or daughter the help they desperately need is so important.  We encourage you to do your part in determining if ERA is the right program for your son/daughter.

Sincerely,

Paul Arslanian
Executive Director
Eagle Ranch Academy.

A DAD’S STORY:

Our counselor received a call from a dad of a 15-year-old boy. After a few weeks of discussion and information trading, the dad was ready to enroll his son. Two days before the dad was going to bring his son to the program, he called the admissions counselor and told her that he was reconsidering. He said he read a negative review online about the program.

He told the admissions counselor that what he read was pretty outlandish, and since he knew a former student wrote it, he didn’t believe it. However, it gave him pause, so he decided to keep his son at home and give him another chance. The admissions counselor called him a few weeks later to see how they were doing. The dad broke into tears and said about two weeks prior that his son had snuck out at night, stole a car with some friends, they were all drinking and had a severe car accident. His son and one other boy died in the accident. Not sure what to say to this grieving dad; there was silence. The dad finally said, “I can only hope that other parents do not make the same mistake I made.”

* * * * * * * *

There are literally hundreds of success stories from parents and their teenagers that have been enrolled in treatment programs.  Success?  You be the judge.

“If I would not have attended your program, I would not be the person I am today. I reflect on my experiences there and smile. I believed then that my parents were taking away everything. They were uncertain if what they were doing was too much. Looking back, they did not take… they gave me everything.”

“It made me a better person, and I wouldn’t be in the great place I am with my life if I hadn’t have learned the things I did there. I got in a lot of trouble there, hurt quite a few people who didn’t deserve it, but also made some lifetime bonds. I love my family there and always will.”

“ When I enrolled my daughter into your program – Wow…that was hard!  But today I write to you as our family has reunited and are enjoying being together. We had such a great time as we said our goodbyes to everyone, and I am so thankful for all of you guys and you faithfully praying for us as we went through this valley. As I was going through our papers, I am happy to let you all know that our goals were met, and I am so thankful for this second chance with my daughter. She has grown so much, and I am no longer afraid of what she might do. She is busy looking for an apartment and will try to see if she can swing that. If not, she will be living here until she can swing it. She will be attending Community College in the fall. She is happy that she graduated from the program… She said she never would think that she would admit to that. She has made some lifelong friends!!” 

“What a gift God has given us in having found your program for our daughter. She is doing great! We are so thankful. One of the things that were so evident to my husband and me is the love and dedication all the staff has for all the kids. The “BIGS” are there in the trenches, as one parent put it. I know all the staff would appreciate hearing from us, but the BIGS live life with the kids 24/7, as do the other staff. The girls shared their love and appreciation for the staff over and over again during our family sharing time. It was also cool to hear them share their love and appreciation for one another.”

“I will never forget the hardships and great times that I had spent at your program. It helped me turn my life in the right direction surrounding me with great people and great counseling. Thanks.”

“Eight years ago today, I returned home from your program. As hard as it is to admit, it truly did make me who I am today. It probably took all eight years for me to give you guys credit, but looking back, it wasn’t so bad. You guys run a great program. Keep up the good work.”

“I am a former student from early 2008. I want to say that your program made a huge difference in my life.  I kept meaning to write over the last few or so years, but you know how time flies and seems to get away from you, especially given the occupation I had a few years ago. See a few years after graduating, I started a family of my own and was inspired to do the right thing in my life and for my family, so I joined the United States Marine Corps. I believed and still believe that was the calling God had for me. Unfortunately, I was wounded and disabled in Iraq and was medically retired from the military. I had many hardships because of this, but I still believe this was God’s will, and without the tools learned at a young age, it would have been a nearly impossible mountain to overcome.

“After seeking help from numerous other sources, we sent our son to your program.  He was there for 9 months, and then he was pulled out. It was too soon! He has since spent several months in the juvenile justice system, but he is finally on a good path. He acknowledges now that he wishes he could have stayed at your program and finished the program. Looking back, he can now see its benefits. I know it’s not an easy decision, but we would do the same thing and enroll him again.”

“I believe that the sooner you intervene, the better it will be for both your family’s sake and your son’s. It will be a roller coaster ride, but you support other parents who will encourage you and pray with you through the process. Our daughter is still at your program, but we continue to hang in there. We believe it is the best thing we’re doing for her.”

 “Your program did not perform any miracles with our daughter, but it did provide a place when we had nowhere else to turn. She was kept safe. Her self-esteem was nurtured. And, she was able to achieve a diploma, which she had to have to gain entrance to the University of Colorado.”

“Your program provided support when we needed it most. I’ve been an educator for almost 40 years, including 10 years in various principal positions, and been a school superintendent for 23 years. I’m well acquainted with the challenges (and benefits) of leading organizations that work with young people. All that to say that my appreciation is knowledgeable and deep.”

“I graduated from your program back in 2006. I was 14 and extremely angry. Today, I am 24 and am living life. Thanks to my big Sis at your program.  I am a changed person. It was a long 11 months that I spent, but I think it was very well spent. I’m not sure where I would be today if it had not been for my experience. The relationships that I developed that year have lasted and will last a lifetime.”

“I graduated from your program in ’09 and am a better woman thanks to all the caring people there! Thank God for this place!”

“Despite this painful period, we would make the same decision again because not only has our son benefitted, but each one of us has grown as a result of participating in the process. We are, without a doubt, a better, happier family.”

 “Hi, it’s Lisa, 2012.   I have meant to write you for a long time but time slipped by. I am married but no kids yet. I have always wanted to say Thank you for what you did for me. When I first came to your program, I was really shy and did not express myself. I have many fond memories of the people I meet while I was there. It turned me into a great person. …the program really helped me. I know this is 7 years late in saying thank you, and I am glad to hear that it is still helping troubled kids out! Thanks again!”

“Your program saved our daughter’s life, gave her back to us renewed.”

“Without your program, I am not sure that I would be alive today.”

“To be honest, I thought that I didn’t like the place, but now that I’m gone, I can’t believe how much I learned and the friendships I made with the other kids.… unfortunately, I didn’t get to finish the program…but I still think it’s a great place for guys and girls to get our acts together.”

“Teenagers are not especially well-behaved when they are not getting what they want, and I was no exception. I was an abrasive and dishonest teenager who stopped at nothing to get what I wanted. I wanted to graduate with my class, be in the senior theater production, call my best friend, and none of those plans included a flight to your program. However, my parents knew what I needed, and I thank them every day for providing me with it despite my efforts to make them miserable in their decisions. I wonder now how long I would have lasted without their guidance. (Not very long.) I will always aspire to show love as they did, and I can only hope that I can reciprocate the incredible caring that I found there, even when I least appreciated it. I only wish I could give the “If I knew then what I know now…” speech to every struggling teenager I see. Your program has given many teens an amazing opportunity to learn these life lessons in a safe environment instead of learning the hard way in their adult life. While this seems like a hard decision in high school, it has the potential to save so much pain and heartache. I cannot tell you how much I love and respect my parents for making the hard choice to put me on that plane. (Really, I promise.)

“God has blessed my life now with incredible healing that I could never imagine nor deserve. I love telling people about how my life has changed since leaving. I graduate college next year, and I can’t wait to work as a therapist and change lives to the extent that mine has been changed.”

“Our son’s time at your program left an indelible memory and improved his career trajectory. He went on to earn his BA in Sociology from the University of Oregon, worked for Big Brothers Big Sisters, and is now in a dual program studying to earn a Master of Public Health (MPH) and Master of Business (MBA).”

“I can testify that there is an enormous need for programs like yours and a need for public understanding of their benefits. Being placed at your program gave me tremendous opportunities. I lived in a stable environment where there were three meals every day, household chores to teach me responsibility, and staff that consistently showed me they loved me. I earned my HS diploma, took the SAT, and even got accepted into a university.  I lived in a safe environment without fear of verbal, physical, or emotional abuse.”

“Having my son go through your program, I learned invaluable parenting skills. My son has never been hungry, unloved, unwanted, nor has he doubted that he could fulfill his dreams because of a limited education level. Because I have cared for my son has what it takes to make his dreams become a reality. Residential education programs may not always produce CEO’s, but they do produce happier families. From those families come even more successful individuals, like my son.”

“I remember when I first arrived at your program – this came after my stay at the emergency behavioral hospital the summer before my junior year of high school.  It took me a while to adjust to this new environment and realize that I could trust the people who would become my new family. I was surrounded by staff who taught me how to be cared for and care for others. Having never lived in a functional family environment, I needed to experience a healthy family life. While we received unconditional love, we were also taught discipline. This had a huge impact on me as I had never experienced a form of discipline that was consistent, predictable, and done in love. As far as my education, I received individual attention that later helped me attain my college diploma.”

“I currently am finishing my freshman year where I am studying international affairs. I would not be where I am today without the help and influence of the caring staff.  What is so amazing is that there are roadblocks to the things I have done and want to do for any other person. For me, these roadblocks just disappeared, and I am free to go where I want to go. It gave me these opportunities.”

The following are letters from the daughter of the mother that accused us of many of these accusations and the father of the daughter, (ex-husband of the accuser).  These letters were voluntarily written two years after she left our program.  They wanted to set the record straight to prospective parents that came across these Hate Groups.  Who better to respond to this than from the daughter of the mother, and the father of the daughter, making these accusations.