{"id":9599,"date":"2022-03-11T15:30:12","date_gmt":"2022-03-11T23:30:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.breakingcodesilence.org\/?p=9599"},"modified":"2022-03-13T17:40:24","modified_gmt":"2022-03-14T00:40:24","slug":"turn-about-ranch","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.breakingcodesilence.org\/turn-about-ranch\/","title":{"rendered":"Turn-About Ranch"},"content":{"rendered":"

Turn-About Ranch<\/b> (1989-present) Escalante, UT<\/span><\/h1>\n

Residential Treatment Center<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

History and Background Information<\/b><\/h2>\n

Turn-About Ranch is an <\/span>Aspen Education Group<\/span><\/a> behavior-modification program founded in 1989. It is marketed as a “high-impact” Residential Treatment program for teenagers aged 13-17. TAR states that it enrolls teenagers with the following diagnoses\/behaviors: “Abuse (physical, emotional, or sexual), Adjustment Disorder, Anxiety Disorder, Attachment Disorder, Attention\/Hyperactivity Disorders, Bipolar Disorder, Depression, Eating Disorder, Impulse Control Disorders, Oppositional Defiant Disorder, Parent-Child Relational Problem (including adoption), Personality Disorder, Sleep Disorder, Somatoform or Factitious Disorders, Substance Addictions or Related Disorders, Tourette\u2019s and Tic Disorder, Trauma including PTSD, Learning Disabilities, Diabetes, Anger, Low Self-esteem, Poor Academic Performance, Truancy, Adoption Concerns, Authority Problems, Manipulative, Promiscuity, Rebellion, Isolation, Irritability, and Family Problems.” The average length of stay is reported to be around 100 days, but may be much longer if the child is deemed resistant to the program. The tuition for these 100 days is reported to be more than $40,000. Turn-About Ranch has been a <\/span>NATSAP<\/span><\/a> member since 1999.<\/span><\/p>\n

The main office of Turn-About Ranch is located at <\/span>280 N 300 E, Escalante, UT 84726<\/span><\/a>. However, the program actually takes place at two seperate locations just a short drive up the road from this address. For the first part of the program, the teens are taken to <\/span>“Roundy Camp”<\/span><\/a>, which is located about a mile from the main campus. The main campus is located on a <\/span>ranch off of Pine Creek and Posey Lake Road<\/span><\/a> in the small town of Escalante, UT.<\/span><\/p>\n

Turn-About Ranch was originally marketed as a “Christian” program and included this intent in their old mission statement: “The program mission is to empower our students with traditional Christian values of honesty, openness, respect, teamwork, and accountability in order to instill a positive, responsible, cooperative attitude that will prepare them for successfully living within their family, community, and society.” However, they were advised to change that term in order to avoid to offend detainees with other kind of beliefs. It is reported by survivors that students with other religious beliefs were not tolerated at the program.<\/span><\/p>\n

Turn-About Ranch is accredited through the <\/span>Northwest Accreditation Commission (NWAC<\/span><\/a>, but it is important to note that neither the United States Department of Education nor the Council for Higher Education Accreditation recognizes the Northwest Accreditation Commission as an accrediting agency for institutions of higher education. This organization has been known to “accredit” many of the more abusive and least educational troubled teen “schools”, including many <\/span>WWASP<\/span><\/a> programs.<\/span><\/p>\n

In 2014, Turn-About Ranch <\/span>announced<\/span><\/a> that it would no longer be owned by <\/span>Aspen Education Group<\/span><\/a> but would instead be taken over by employees of the program.<\/span><\/p>\n

Founders and Notable Staff<\/b><\/h2>\n

Michelle Lindsay<\/b> is the current Executive Director and Clinical Director of Turn-About Ranch. She began her career in the TTI working as a Therapist at <\/span>Aspen Achievement Academy<\/span><\/a>, a reportedly abusive <\/span>Aspen Education Group<\/span><\/a> program, from 2001 until 2003. She then went on to work as the Assistant Clinical Director of <\/span>SunHawk Academy<\/span><\/a> from 2003 until 2007. She briefly worked as a Transition Coach at Homeward Bound from 2007 until 2010, before joining TAR as the Clinical Director in August of 2010. She was promoted to Executive Director in 2014, and continues to work in that position at the program.<\/span><\/p>\n

Luke Hatch<\/b> was the previous Executive Director of Turn-About Ranch. Prior to his promotion, he worked as TAR’s Program Director. He left TAR in 2010 to create his own program, <\/span>KW Legacy Ranch<\/span><\/a> in Nevada. He continues to work at KW Legacy Ranch as the Co-Founder, Executive Director, and Clinical Director.<\/span><\/p>\n

Max Stewart<\/b> worked as the Ranch Director of TAR from 1993 until 2007.<\/span><\/p>\n

Myron Carter<\/b> is the current Program Director and President of Turn-About Ranch.<\/span><\/p>\n

Myron Cottam<\/b> previuosly worked as the Executive Director of TAR from 2007 until 2010.<\/span><\/p>\n

Shane Young<\/b> is the current Admissions Director of Turn-About Ranch.<\/span><\/p>\n

Program Structure<\/b><\/h2>\n

Like many other behavior-modification programs, Turn-About Ranch uses a level-system consisting of four levels. The levels are:<\/span><\/p>\n