Evoke Entrada (2015-present) Santa Clara, UT
Wilderness Program
History and Background Information
Evoke Entrada is a behavior modification program that was created in 2015. The program was formerly known as Second Nature Entrada until it was rebranded in 2015 following many years of abuse and neglect allegations. It is marketed as a Wilderness Therapy Program for teenagers (13-17) and young adults (18-28+) who are struggling with a wide variety of issues such as depression, anxiety, attachment disorders, ADHD, autism spectrum disorder, adoption, eating disorders, bipolar disorder, computer/internet addictions, family conflict, gender identity issues, grief and loss, low self-esteem, OCD, oppositional defiant disorder, personality disorders, pornography addiction, PTSD, school refusal, self-harm, suicidal ideation/attempts, substance abuse/dependence, and trauma. The program has a maximum enrollment of 50 residents, and the average length of stay is typically between 8 and 10 weeks. The cost of the program’s tuition is $545 per day plus a one-time enrollment fee of $2,950 (totaling $33,470 for 8 weeks). The program requires a minimum initial payment of $25,840 which covers the first 42 days of the program and includes the enrollment fee. Evoke Entrada has been a NATSAP member since 2005, when it was still being marketed as Second Nature Entrada.
The address associated with Evoke Entrada is 2711 Santa Clara Drive, Santa Clara, UT 84765. However, because Evoke is a wilderness program, the teenagers actually spend the duration of their stay backpacking through southwest corner of Utah within high desert mountains near the Grand Canyon, Zion and Bryce National Parks.
In addition to traditional wilderness programs, Evoke also operated several specialized “instensive” programs for individuals, couples, and families. These programs are:
- Finding You: This program is offered both in-person and online for indivduals struggling with issues such as trauma, grief and loss, low self-esteem, depression, anxiety, crisis in faith or spirituality, guilt/shame, and more. During the program, the clients participate in group processes, meditations, experiential work, and psycho-education discussions guided by an Evoke therapist. Online programs are two-and-a-half days, while in-person programs are four-and-a-half days.
- Finding Connection: This program is geared towards couples who are struggling in their relationships. The program focuses on rediscovering love and intimacy, navigating conflict, practicing healthy communication, clarifying boundaries, codependency, healing betrayals, repairing trust, and parenting or co-parenting issues. The length of this program is presently unknown.
- Finding Family: This program focuses on families struggling with various types of family conflict. The length of this intensive is presently unknown.
The Evoke company also operated an identical wilderness program, Evoke Cascades, which was located in Bend, OR. Like Evoke Entrada, Evoke Cascades was formely marketed as Second Nature Cascades until it was rebranded in 2015. Evoke Cascades closed in November 2021.
Founders and Notable Staff
Rick Heizer is the current Co-Owner and Executive Director of all Evoke Therapy Programs. He began his career in April of 1996 as a Field Instructor at Aspen Achievement Academy, a confirmedly abusive program that closed in 2011. In 1999, he became the Field Director of the allegedly abusive Second Nature Uintas. He rose through the ranks at Second nature, serving as the Program Director and Partner of Second Nature beginning in 2004 to 20015. In 2004, he purchased Second Nature Entrada and, in 2015, rebranded it Evoke Entrada. He does not mention Aspen Achievement Academy nor his involvement in Second Nature on his bio posted on the Evoke web site, but does list it on his LinkedIn Bio.
Brad Reedy is the current Co-Owner & Executive Clinical Director of all Evoke Therapy Programs. He began his career in the TTI in March of 1996 as the Clinical Director of the confirmedly abusive Aspen Achievement Academy and Aspen Ranch. Beginning in January 1999, he was the Co-Owner of the allegedly abusive Second Nature Uintas. In 2005, he helped purchase Second Nature Entrada and rebranded it as Evoke Entrada. Like Rick Heizer, he does not mention that he was deeply involved with controversial Troubled Teen Industry facilities on his LinkedIn profile. Brad Reedy is an actively practicing member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.
Matt Hoag is the current Co-Owner, Clinical Director & Therapist at Evoke Entrada. Previously, he co-founded Second Nature Entrada and also worked at Second Nature Uintas. Prior to joining the Second Nature franchise, he worked at the confirmedly abusive Aspen Achievement Academy and the reportedly abusive RedCliff Ascent.
Katelyn BeVard is the current Program Director of Evoke Entrada. She began working at Evoke Entrada in 2009 (when it was still marketed as Second Nature Entrada) as a Field Instructor. She then worked in several positions at the program, including Parent Coordinator, Assistant Field Director, Field Director, and eventually Program Director beginning in 2017.
Steve Kirk is the current Director of Admissions & Outreach of Evoke Entrada. He has worked at this program since 2006, when it was still marketed as Second Nature Entrada. Steve graduated from Brigham Young University where he studied Communications and Business. Prior to joining Second Nature/Evoke, Steve worked in account relations and customer service capacities in the software industry.
Trina Grater is the current Assistant Clinical Director & Therapist of Evoke Entrada. She began her career in the Troubled Teen Industry career in March of 2009 when she began working as a Field Mentor at Second Nature Entrada. In June 2013, she was promoted to Assistant Therapist. At this time, she was not a licensed mental health practitioner, nor was she enrolled in an appropriate degree granting program at that time. In October 2014, she became a Field Therapist at Whipporwill, an apparently closed residential trauma treatment center in St George, UT. In May 2017, she received her master’s degree in counseling from Saybrook University in Pasadena, CA. This is considered a highly questionable institution, with very low admissions standards known for promoting highly questionable, pseudoscientific health practices under the rubric of ‘integrative medicine’. In August 2016, she began working at the reportedly abusive Discovery Ranch for Girls. In 2018, she returned to Evoke, as a wilderness therapist and was later promoted to Assistant Clinical Director and Therapist.
Phil Bryan currently works as a Therapist at Evoke Entrada. As a teenager, his parents sent him to three different Outward Bound schools in Maine, Minnesota, and Canada. He has been working in the field of wilderness “therapy” since 2001. He initially worked as a Field Staff at the confirmedly abusive Aspen Achievement Academy in an unknown position. He then worked for about 6 months as a Field Staff at Summit Achievement in Stow, ME. After this, he spent 10 years working in a variety of positions, from intern to Program Manager, at the Voyageur Outward Bound School. He has also worked at the reportedly abusive Outback Therapeutic Expeditions and at Elements Wilderness Program. He was even featured in season 3 of the UK series Brat Camp while he was working at Aspen Achievement Academy.
Program Structure
While the specifics of the program structure are not described on the program’s website, it is believed that the program’s structure is very similar to the structure used at Second Nature Entrada. According to All Kinds of Therapy, Evoke Entrada uses a level system consisting of four phases, which is the same number as Second Nature. The following is a description of the four phases at Second Nature, which are likely the same (or at least very similar) to the phases at Evoke.
- Earth Phase: On this phase, the teenager has to accept their placement into the program and learn to comply with its rules. They are isolated from the other teenagers in order to increase pressure. The keywords for this phase are Orientation and Acceptance. The teenager is not allowed to talk to anyone and must complete a set of assignments before moving on to fire phase, including a ‘life story’ assignment. This phase typically lasts about a week.
- Fire Phase: During this phase they are slowly being integrated into a peer group and given assignments within the daily framework. They have to share life story with their group and also write accountability letters to their parents. They also had to read Man’s Search for Meaning. The keywords are Accountability and Engagement. They are also given more responsibilities and privileges.
- Water Phase: During this phase they have to show leadership skills while they continue their own work. The keywords are Investment and Insight. On this level, the teenager is deemed responsible and mature enough to handle additional privileges and responsibilities. They are also given a metal water bottle.
- Air Phase: The student are given leadership assignments such as using a compass and a map. The keywords are Insight and Responsibility. It is reported that the staff are allowed to give these residents extra food if they choose. It is also reported that very few teenagers are actually able to achieve this phase.
It has been reported that very few teenagers are allowed to return home after they complete the program. Most are sent off to other longer-term placements such as Residential Treatment Centers and Therapeutic Boarding Schools.
Abuse Allegations
Many survivors have reported that Evoke Entrada is an abusive program. Allegations of abuse and neglect that have been reported by survivors include brainwashing techniques, medical neglect, unqualified staff, unsanitary conditions/practices, communication restrictions, and emotional abuse.
In September of 2020, an incident occurred at Evoke Entrada in which a female resident attempted to leave camp and was restrained by two staff members until she was compliant. The resident was placed on “run watch”, which meant that she lost certain privileges including being allowed to wear pants at night. Before bed, she was asked to give the staff members her pants and she refused, became escalated, and tried to walk away. She was then restrained for 20 minutes until she agreed to give the staff members her pants. The DHS, following their investigation, reported that “the licensee is violating clients’ rights by having them remove their pants (while in their sleeping bags) when the client is a run risk or at risk for self-harm.”
Survivor/Parent Testimonials
March 2021: (SURVIVOR) “Parents of whom may be considering Evoke as a placement option for your child, please heed this notice: Evoke is not what it seems. In its pictures that you may have already seen, people are shown laughing, joyous, and filled with an almost unnatural sense of jubilance. However, the aforementioned benevolent characteristics cannot possibly be farther from its actuality. This place will not help your child. Although, it will abuse its ability to confiscate your child of all their rights, of all their friends, of all their academics, and of all their family in an effort to deprive them of all hope and thereafter seemingly “brainwash” your child into believing that they are therapeutically healed. I thank God to this day that I survived this program both mentally and physically. I cannot not implore you enough to abstain from your child’s enrollment here.” – Sam (Google Reviews)
March 2021: (SURVIVOR) “so i went there around 3-4 months ago as a client. its not what you think at all. the parents might be happy but while you are there its a living nightmare. their philosophy is to make things hard there so when you come out better and life is easier. i can admit it helps in some ways but there were times it was close to life and death. there were kids so sick they were throwing up and passing out on hikes and the staff just wanted us to keep going. they didn’t show any concern to the kids dropping like flies. we the students finally had to pick up kids and packs and haul them back to the site. you would’ve thought some of these kids were zombies. the hygiene is horrible and so is the food and lifestyle.” – Christian (Google Reviews)
1/28/2021: (SURVIVOR) “I wish I could give 0 stars. Abusive and unregulated. Should be shut down.” – Marshall (Yelp)
2017: (SURVIVOR) “What is said on the website is nothing compared to the harsh realities that are faced in the program, especially towards adolescents. The idea of a wilderness setting is a great form of therapy but not at Evoke. The staff are all unprofessional, hippie, ex-drug addicts themselves that are in their early twenties. Most of them live out of their cars. The therapist only visit the patients once a week and the sessions are no longer than 45 minutes. All communication is cut off from the outside world and information you write in the letters about what is going on may be intercepted. You live in dirt and never see, much less visit a shelter. At this program what they do is BREAK YOU. You find yourself doing things you would never do normally and are forced to go along with the “group culture” even if it is against your morals. It is completely unhygienic, at the beginning of my stay I wasn’t allowed to use TOILET PAPER after peeing and got an infection. Many of the girls with me had never self harmed before but began to cut themselves while being in this program. Their last concern is your physical and mental health. Their aim is to keep you there for as long as possible and milk you until your last cent.” – Elena (Google Reviews)
Related Media
Evoke Therapy Programs Website Homepage
