Falcon Ridge Ranch (2003-present) Virgin, UT

Residential Treatment Center

History and Background Information

Falcon Ridge Ranch (also known as “Falcon Ridge Ranch Academy”) is a Sequel Youth & Family Services behavior-modification program founded in 2003. It is marketed as a Residential Treatment Center for teenage girls between the ages of 12 and 17. They admit girls with a history of “emotional problems such as low self-esteem, ineffective coping skills, lack of anger management skills, depression, bi-polar, poor impulse control, or self-destructive behaviors, Disorders including attention deficit, attachment, and anxiety, Drug/alcohol abuse and/or addiction, History of educational problems including poor academic performance, behavioral issues, mild learning disabilities, and generally un-motivated, History of abuse, adoption, divorce, and trauma, History of failed attempts in less restrictive treatment, Actively suicidal, and Eating disorder as primary diagnosis”. The average length of stay is reportedly between 9 to 12 months, and their maximum enrollment (as of 2009) was 22.

The program is located at 633 UT-9, Virgin, UT 84779 on an 18-acre ranch. Falcon Ridge Ranch became a NATSAP member in 2008. However, it appears that it is no longer a member of this organization. FRR is also a sister program to Red Rock Canyon School, another Sequel Youth & Family Services program which, according to the Human Rights Organization HEAL, is confirmedly abusive.

Founders and Notable Staff

Carolle Bell is the Executive Director of Falcon Ridge Ranch.

Steve Barrick worked at FRR as a Therapist. He previously worked for Kolob Canyon RTC and Liahona Academy. He reportedly earned his degree from the fraudulent University of Phoenix.

Salesi Misinale Fakahua (aka Nale Fakahua) worked at FRR as the “Positive Peer Culture Coordinator”. According to HEAL, this program uses confrontation “therapy” (a.k.a. positive peer culture), which has been found to be psychologically damaging. He previously worked for Cinnamon Hills Youth Crisis Center. He no longer works at Falcon Ridge and now works at Ashcreek Ranch Academy.

David Allred is/was the Executive Director of Falcon Ridge Ranch. He previously worked as a Therapist at Logan River Academy. He currently works as the Executive Director of Lava Heights Academy.

Program Structure

Not much is known about the program structure at Falcon Ridge Ranch. It is known that the program includes a level-system.

Falcon Ridge Ranch is also known to incorporate the concept of “Positive Peer Culture” (PPC) into their program. This is also known as Confrontation Therapy, and has been found to be a pyschologically damaging practice.

During the first 21 to 30 days after being detained, there is only communication between parents and staff. The residents are not premitted to speak with their parents at all. After this period, phone calls are typically given allowed once every two weeks. However, these calls are highly monitored by staff. The parents are allowed to visit once their daughter has been at FRR for at least 30 days. However, the parents can attend family weekends six times a year. During the first visit, the child is not allowed off the campus during the family weekend. On the second visit off-campus visits are allowed but no overnight. On the third visit both overnight and off-campus visits are allowed.

If you attended Falcon Ridge Ranch and have additional information you would like to contribute, please contact u/shroomskillet.

Abuse and Neglect Allegations

Falcon Ridge Ranch is reported by many survivors to be an abusive program. Allegations of abuse that have been reported by survivors include physical abuse, sexual assault, forced manual labor, and medical neglect.

Falcon Ridge Ranch is among the programs that have been named and suspected of being abusive and neglectful by the #BreakingCodeSilence movement.

It is also important to note that Falcon Ridge Ranch, along with its sister school Red Rock Canyon School, are owned by Sequel Youth & Family Services. There have been many confirmed instances of abuse and neglect in Sequel programs, including the recent death of Cornelius Fredericks, who was killed at Lakeside Academy during a restraint for throwing a sandwich.

Survivor/Parent Testimonials

11/1/2020: (SURVIVOR) “I entered Falcon Ridge on my 17th birthday. 23 other girls sang me happy birthday and we had cake. After that, I was told to deep clean the entire house. Cleaning was a way to punish and control. Nothing was ever clean enough. Each morning a girl was assigned a cleaning task and it was checked by another girl. If that girl did not like you, you got a mark and possibly missed out on any semblance of fun for that day. Soccer, maybe a Mormon feature film. They forced me to believe that I had been raped, was an alcoholic, and a Mormon. Yes, you read that right. I drank alcohol once before being admitted to this program, as most teenagers do. They forced me to believe that when I lost my virginity, I was actually raped. They made me file a police report which ruined this teenage boy’s life. They then attempted to indoctrinate me into Mormonism. They made us watch films, sing hymns, and attend Mormon church. I learned that the only way to beat this and leave was to succumb and pretend. I learned to adapt, and to make them believe they changed me. They did change me, but not in the way they intended. I will always save myself, protect myself, and always have eyes in the back of my head now.” – Emily (Breaking Code Silence)

10/15/2020: (SURVIVOR) “if you’re thinking of sending you’re kid here. i’m just gonna kindly redirect you to learn how to talk to you’re kid and understand them before sending them off to get physically and sexually abused by the staff that work there. kids got sexually abused when i was there a little over a year ago. i got restrained for going out into the hallway. my wrist is still not okay till this day. Falcon is NOT a place for teenage kids. It is owned by Sequel, which also owned Red Rock. which was recently shut down for many many many reports of physical assault and sexual assault. hmmm same thing happening at Falcon. so the same shit is happening at the other “Sequel” owned places, we could assume. If i had a gun pointed to my head, i would still not send my kid to any type of treatment like this. Scarred me for life. Staff falsely accuse you for situations and over exaggerated everything. You send you’re kid here, get ready for them to come back 50 times worse as they were before they went there.” – [Redacted] (Yelp)

8/4/2019: (SURVIVOR) “When I was 16 in the middle of the night, I was taken from my bed, by 2 strangers. I had found out a week beforehand that my parents had planned on sending me off to, what they called an RTC center. The night before I was taken, I pleaded with my mother to change her mind. My parents then agreed and promised I would not be taken away. So when the strangers did come, I knew I had been lied to. The strangers, a male and female told me I was to go to Utah and that my parents had already packed all the belongings, I would need. I remember as they ushered me off to their car, my parents approached me, I spit right in my dad’s face and called him and my mother liars. As they pushed my head into the vehicle they told me it could go two ways. I could comply and be good and take a plane to Utah or I could resist and they would drive me there. If they had to drive me there, it was a 22 hour car drive and I would not be fed or allowed to use the bathroom. If I chose to take the plane and made a scene, the male stranger told me he would not hesitate to choke me out and then he would give the airport his credentials. I was terrified at this point and promised I would be good. I chose to take the plane to Utah. On the airplane I was dead silent. I kept thinking about, how I should have known my parents would lie and deceive me at the last moment. I should have snuck out and slept in the park and none of this would have happened. The airplane landed in Vegas and we had to make the drive to Virgin Utah were Falcon Ridge Ranch was located. When I got there, the strangers told the intake lady I was polite and not a hassle. Her name was Karen and she asked me a bunch of questions. She asked me if I did drugs, if I was sexually active and a whole lot of other questions. At that point in my life I had never done drugs and I had never even tasted alcohol. I was actually a pretty good kid but I was incredibly suicidal. That year I had tried killing myself 4 times and I dropped out of school because of all the absences , from going in and out of the hospital. My parents were incredibly abusive and controlling and I lost it. At 16 I thought living under their roof would be my forever reality and I chose death. Anyways I feel like Falcon Ridge was more equipped with dealing with troubled teens and not with kids who were severely mentally ill. While I was on cleaning duty I drank half a bottle of bleach and had to get my stomach pumped. They ended up sending me to Red Rock Canyon school once I was out of the hospital.” – deleted user (Reddit)

8/14/2018: (SURVIVOR) “They are a joke they force kids to work the horses. They will not let you talk to you girl. They took all my rights away. Now they hurt kids that i talk to student that just got out and they made her take 16 pills aday” – Jaimie (Yelp)

2016: (SURVIVOR) “Speaking from experience being there, they brainwashed me. Made me believe I was in the wrong. NEVER let me talk to my family. Made me think I deserved to have everything thats happened to me, happen to me. Made me feel believe that I was unloved, unwanted, and unloveable by my own family. NEVER SEND YOUR CHILD HERE!!!!!” – Jacqueline (Google Reviews)

2014: (PARENT) “I would highly recommend never sending your child here!!! They gave my daughter a drug that caused her to become ill. It was approximately one week before they got her appropriate medical care. She was placed in the hospital and in I.C.U., It could have cost my child her life!!! They are terrible in communication. The staff directory seems to be wrong and they do not allow children to call home outside of family therapy (15minutes) once per week.” – Tony (Google Reviews)