{"id":9631,"date":"2022-03-11T16:00:10","date_gmt":"2022-03-12T00:00:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.breakingcodesilence.org\/?p=9631"},"modified":"2022-03-13T17:38:27","modified_gmt":"2022-03-14T00:38:27","slug":"redcliff-ascent-wilderness-program","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.breakingcodesilence.org\/redcliff-ascent-wilderness-program\/","title":{"rendered":"Redcliff Ascent Wilderness Program"},"content":{"rendered":"

Redcliff Ascent Wilderness Program<\/b> (1993-present) Enterprise, UT<\/span><\/h1>\n

Wilderness Program<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

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

Redcliff Ascent Wilderness Program is an <\/span>Ascent Company<\/span><\/a> behavior-modification program which has operated since 1993. It is marketed as a Wilderness Therapy Program for troubled teenagers aged 13-17. Their website states that RCA enrolls teenagers with a history of one or more of the following: Adoption Issues, Anxiety, Attachment Issues, Attention-deficit\/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Compulsive Disorder, Depression, Emotional Disorders, Failure to Launch, Family Issues, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD), Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), School Refusal, Substance Use Disorders, and Trauma. The program has a maximum enrollment of 83 teenagers, and the average length of stay is reported to be around 75-90 days. The tuition is <\/span>reported<\/span><\/a> to be roughly $545 per day, or $49,050 for 90 days. However, this cost does not include additional services such as psychological testing, psychiatrist visits, and one-on-one supervision. Redcliff Ascent has been a member of <\/span>NATSAP<\/span><\/a> since 1999, and it is also a member of the <\/span>Outdoor Behavioral Healthcare Industry Council (OBHIC)<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

The address associated with the program is <\/span>709 E. Main St, Enterprise, UT 84725<\/span><\/a>. However, because Redcliff Ascent is a wilderness program, the program does not have a central campus and instead takes the teens on backpacking trips throughout the area of the Escalante Desert in Southern Utah.<\/span><\/p>\n

Redcliff Ascent is part of the <\/span>Ascent Company<\/span><\/a>, and is a “sister program to various other Ascent institutions such as <\/span>Discovery Academy<\/span><\/a>, <\/span>Discovery Ranch<\/span><\/a> and the <\/span>Oxbow Academy<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Redcliff Ascent also has a sister-program for young adults (18+) called Medicine Wheel at Redcliff Ascent.<\/span><\/p>\n

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

Steven DeMille<\/b> is the current Executive Director of Redcliff Ascent and has been since 2012. Prior to this, he worked as a Therapist at <\/span>Falcon Ridge Ranch<\/span><\/a>, the sister-school of <\/span>Red Rock Canyon School<\/span><\/a>, from 2011-2012.<\/span><\/p>\n

John Buckener<\/b> is the current Clinical Director of Redcliff Ascent. He began his career as a Milieu Therapist at the <\/span>confirmedly abusive<\/b> Abundant Life Academy<\/span><\/a> from 2010 until 2011. He then worked as a Therapist at the reportedly abusive <\/span>Moonridge Academy<\/span><\/a> from 2011 until 2013. He then went on to work as a Lead Advisor at <\/span>Mountain Springs Preparatory Academy<\/span><\/a> from 2013 until 2019, when he began working at Redcliff.<\/span><\/p>\n

Fotu Soliai<\/b> currently works as a Therapist at Redcliff Ascent. Prior to this, he worked as the Executive Director of the reportedly abusive <\/span>Ashcreek Ranch Academy<\/span><\/a>. He also previously worked as the Executive Director of the <\/span>confirmedly abusive<\/b> Diamond Ranch Academy<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Dan Sanderson<\/b> worked as the Clinical Director of Redcliff Ascent from 1994 until 2012. He currently works as the Co-Founder and Clinical Director of <\/span>Star Guides Wilderness Therapy<\/span><\/a>, which is a program for teenagers with sexual issues that he founded with Matt Bulkley in 2013. His prior employment is unknown.<\/span><\/p>\n

David Hillstead<\/b> worked as a Therapist at Redcliff Ascent. He previously worked at <\/span>Aspen Achievement Academy<\/span><\/a>, a reportedly abusive <\/span>Aspen Education Group<\/span><\/a> program.<\/span><\/p>\n

Matt Bulkley<\/b> previuosly worked as a Therapist at Redcliff Ascent from 2001 until 2012. He also worked as a Therapist at <\/span>Sunrise RTC<\/span><\/a> from 2002 until 2003. He currently works in private practice. Like Dan, he also currently works at <\/span>Star Guides Wilderness Therapy<\/span><\/a> as the Executive Director and Co-Founder. He also runs an LDS program for teenagers with pornography addiction called “Mending the Armor”.<\/span><\/p>\n

Darren Jensen<\/b> formerly worked as a Therapist at Redcliff Ascent. While working as a Therapist at Redcliff in 2011, he published a <\/span>blog post<\/span><\/a> in which he admits to calling one of the residents a “piece of crap” and telling him “Nobody likes you… Not even your parents.” He currently works as a Staff Director at <\/span>Star Guides Wilderness Therapy<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

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

Like other behavior-modification programs, Redcliff Ascent uses a level-system consisting of 8 levels. The names of all of the levels are unknown, but they are each reportedly named after a basic characteristics for a human- such as courage, love, strength, etc. Each level is also color-coded, and the teens have a number of tasks to complete and therapists must approve before they move onto the next phase.<\/span><\/p>\n

Prior to this, Redcliff Ascent’s program only had 4 levels. The levels are reported to have been:<\/span><\/p>\n