{"id":9692,"date":"2022-03-11T16:43:10","date_gmt":"2022-03-12T00:43:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.breakingcodesilence.org\/?p=9692"},"modified":"2022-03-12T23:34:00","modified_gmt":"2022-03-13T07:34:00","slug":"heritage-schools-inc","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.breakingcodesilence.org\/heritage-schools-inc\/","title":{"rendered":"Heritage Schools Inc."},"content":{"rendered":"

Heritage Schools Inc.<\/b> (1984-present) Provo, UT<\/span><\/h1>\n

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

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

Heritage Schools Inc. (also called The Heritage School, Heritage RTC, Heritage Home, and The Heritage Community) is a behavior-modification program that opened in 1984. It is marketed as a Residential Treatment Center for adolescent girls and boys ages 12 to 17. The program claims to treat teenagers with a history of any of the following: Anxiety Disorders (Panic, Obsessive Compulsive, Post-traumatic Stress Disorders), Attention Deficit\/Hyperactivity Disorder, Mood Disorders, (Major Depression, Bipolar Disorder, Dysthymia), Impulse Control Disorder, mild Psychotic Disorders, Aspergers, Learning Disorders, Identity Disorder, Cognitive Disorder (functional) Attachment Disorder, Relational Disorders, Oppositional Defiant Disorder, and Substance-Related and Use Disorders. Heritage has a maximum enrollment of 115 (used to be 153) teenagers between its three programs. The average length of stay is reportedly between 12 and 14 months, but may be much longer if the teenager is deemed resistant. The program’s tuition is reported to be over $11,000 per month.<\/span><\/p>\n

Heritage Schools used to operate four programs, called Heritage for Boys, Heritage for Girls, Elevate Academy, and Peers Academy. It has since consolidated into three programs called Spark Academy, Elevate Academy, which are for teens with specialized needs, and Launch Academy, with is a transition program. All three programs are located on a 19-acre compound at <\/span>5600 Heritage School Drive, Provo, UT 84604<\/span><\/a>. Each of these are divided into Boys’ and Girls’ programs.<\/span><\/p>\n

Interestingly, one of the addresses given in the program’s <\/span>business license<\/span><\/a> is <\/span>246 E Fiddlers Canyon Rd, Cedar City, UT 84721<\/span><\/a>, which is the address of The <\/span>HOPE Group<\/span><\/a> and is also associated with <\/span>Havenwood Academy<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

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

Many staff members at Heritage have previously worked at a wide variety of notoriously abusive behavior-modification programs, including <\/span><\/i>Provo Canyon School<\/span><\/i><\/a>, <\/span><\/i>Utah Boys Ranch<\/span><\/i><\/a>, and the <\/span><\/i>Cross Creek Programs<\/span><\/i><\/a> (which was a confirmedly-abusive <\/span><\/i>WWASP<\/span><\/i><\/a> program).<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Jerry Spanos<\/b> is the Founder and CEO of the Heritage Community. He began his career in behavior-modification by working as the Director of Social Services at the <\/span>confirmedly abusive<\/b> Utah Boys Ranch<\/span><\/a> from 1974-1976. He then went on to work as a Supervising Therapist at the notorious and <\/span>confirmedly abusive<\/b> Provo Canyon School<\/span><\/a> from 1976-1984. He then left to create the Heritage Community, where he remains the CEO.<\/span><\/p>\n

Spark Academy Staff<\/b><\/h3>\n

Neil Wallace<\/b> is the Executive Director of Spark Academy. He previously worked as the Program Director of <\/span>Daniels Academy<\/span><\/a>. He began working at Spark Academy in 2017 as the Director Of Business Development before being promoted to Program Director in 2019. He has been the Executive Director since February 2020.<\/span><\/p>\n

George Ballew<\/b> is the current Clinical Director of Spark Academy. He initially began working at Heritage as a Unit Counsellor from 2006-2007. He then left to work as a teaching assistant at BYU, before returning to Heritage to work as a Team Lead from 2008-2009. He then left to work as a Clinical Team Intern at the Utah State DHS. He then worked in a variety of out-patient settings before returning to Heritage in 2014. He has working in a variety of roles at Heritage since his return, including Clinical Specialist, Residential Care Director, Training Director, and currently, Clinical Director.<\/span><\/p>\n

Rachel Steinberg<\/b> works as a Therapist and the Assistant Clinical Director of Spark Academy. She began working as a Youth Counselor at Heritage from April to August of 2015. She then left to work in several positions at BYU, Wasatch Behavioral Health, and Veritas Mental Health from 2015 until 2017. She then went on to work as a Clinician at the <\/span>confirmedly abusive<\/b> Provo Canyon School<\/span><\/a> from 2017 until 2019, when she returned to the Heritage Schools.<\/span><\/p>\n

Elicia Schwendiman<\/b> works as the Girls Program Manager at Spark Academy. She began her career in behavior-modification as a Trail Walker at the reportedly abusive <\/span>Anasazi Foundation<\/span><\/a> wilderness program. She then went on to work as a Youth Mentor at the reportedly abusive <\/span>New Haven RTC<\/span><\/a> from 2013-2014. She then went on to work as the Ropes Course Instructor at the <\/span>confirmedly abusive<\/b> Discovery Ranch<\/span><\/a> from 2013-2014, before joining Heritage.<\/span><\/p>\n

Lynetta Martindale<\/b> works as a Therapist at Spark Academy. She began her career in the behavior-modification industry as a Youth Counsellor at the <\/span>confirmedly abusive<\/b> Cross Creek<\/span><\/a>, which was a <\/span>WWASP<\/span><\/a> program that is now well-known to have been extremely abusive. She worked at Cross Creek from 2004 until 2009. She left Cross Creek to work as a Unit Shift Manager at <\/span>Copper Hills Youth Center<\/span><\/a> from 2009 until 2014. She then went on to work as a Therapist at the confirmedly abusive <\/span>Provo Canyon School<\/span><\/a> from 2014 until 2015, when she began working at Heritage.<\/span><\/p>\n

Rachel Thornton<\/b> worked as a Therapist at Spark Academy from February 2019 until August 2020. She began her career in behavior-modification as a Recreation Therapist at the <\/span>confirmedly abusive<\/b> Provo Canyon School<\/span><\/a> from 2012 until 2015. She then worked in a variety of mental health organizations, before returning to Provo Canyon School as a Therapist in 2018, before joining Heritage.<\/span><\/p>\n

Lars Swenson<\/b> works as the Boys Program Manager at Spark Academy. He has worked at Heritage since 2013. He originally worked as a Campus Aide, before becoming a Home Lead, and then a Home Director, before taking the position of Residential Manager of the Peers Academy in May 2017. His prior employment is unknown.<\/span><\/p>\n

Steve Sommers<\/b> works\/worked as a Therapist at Spark Academy. He previously worked as a Therapist at the reportedly abusive <\/span>New Haven RTC<\/span><\/a> from 2014-2015. Heritage’s <\/span>website<\/span><\/a> still shows that he is a Therapist at Spark Academy, but his <\/span>LinkedIn Profile<\/span><\/a> states that he stopped working at Heritage in July of 2020. He currently appears to work as a Therapist at Bristol Health in Orem, UT.<\/span><\/p>\n

Elevate Academy Staff<\/b><\/h3>\n

McKaye Treanor<\/b> is the Executive Director of Elevate Academy. She has worked at Heritage since 2007. She has reportedly worked in the behavior-modification industry since 2005, but her prior places of employment are unknown.<\/span><\/p>\n

Kristi Naumann<\/b> is the Clinical Director of Elevate Academy. She has worked at Heritage since 2011.<\/span><\/p>\n

Blake Trythall<\/b> is the Girls Residential Care Manager of Elevate Academy.<\/span><\/p>\n

Annie Fagnant<\/b> is the Boys Residential Care Manager of Elevate Academy. She has worked at Heritage since 2006.<\/span><\/p>\n

Juliann Ogivile<\/b> has worked as a Therapist at Elevate Academy since 2018. She also has worked as a Therapist at the <\/span>confirmedly abusive<\/b> Provo Canyon School<\/span><\/a> since 2015.<\/span><\/p>\n

Donny Smith<\/b> works as a Therapist at Elevate Academy. He has worked in the behavior-modification industry since 2001 in several unnamed facilities.<\/span><\/p>\n

Francisco Ampuero<\/b> currently works as a Therapist at Elevate Academy. He has worked at Heritage since 1999. In 2010, he helped create the Abundant Life Institute, where he continues to work as the Clinical Director.<\/span><\/p>\n

John Nielsen<\/b> works as a Therapist at Elevate Academy. He has worked at Heritage since 1991.<\/span><\/p>\n

Marc McLain<\/b> worked as a staff member at Heritage. It has been reported by survivors that he was fired in 2020 after he broke a resident’s arm during a violent restraint.<\/span><\/p>\n

Launch Academy Staff<\/b><\/h3>\n

McKay Livingston<\/b> is the Clinical Director of Launch Academy. He previously worked at the reportedly abusive <\/span>Telos RTC<\/span><\/a> from 2011 until 2019 as an Advocate and later as the Program Director.<\/span><\/p>\n

Locations<\/b><\/h2>\n

Spark Academy<\/b><\/p>\n

Spark Academy is designed teenagers (12-18) for “neurodiverse students with deficits in emotional regulation, executive functioning, and adaptive life skills. This academy focuses on skill-development, promoting growth of neuro processes to help compensate for these deficits.”<\/span><\/p>\n

Elevate Academy<\/b><\/p>\n

Elevate Academy enrolls teenagers (12-18) who “suffer from depression, anxiety, or mood disorders. They might be self-medicating or self-harming as a result of a higher-than-average number of adverse childhood experiences. In the Elevate Academy, students learn skills to help manage their moods and emotions and to understand and appreciate their own intrinsic value.”<\/span><\/p>\n

Launch Academy<\/b><\/p>\n

Launch Academy is a short-term transition program for teenagers (16-17) who are “ready to begin the transition home or to independent living. As part of this academy, students can attend public high school, obtain jobs in the community, and spend individual time off campus.”<\/span><\/p>\n

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

Like other behavior-modification programs, Heritage uses a level-system consisting of 5 levels. The levels are <\/span>reported<\/span><\/a> to be:<\/span><\/p>\n