{"id":9747,"date":"2022-03-11T17:35:34","date_gmt":"2022-03-12T01:35:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.breakingcodesilence.org\/?p=9747"},"modified":"2022-03-12T16:09:47","modified_gmt":"2022-03-13T00:09:47","slug":"aspen-ranch","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.breakingcodesilence.org\/aspen-ranch\/","title":{"rendered":"Aspen Ranch"},"content":{"rendered":"

Aspen Ranch<\/b> (1995-2011) Loa, UT<\/span><\/h1>\n

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

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

Aspen Ranch was an <\/span>Aspen Education Group<\/span><\/a> behavior-modification program that opened in 1995. It was marketed as a Residential Treatment Center for teenagers (13-18) who struggle with a variety of emotional, behavioral, or academic challenges such as low self-esteem, academic underachievement, substance abuse, and family conflict. The program had a maximum enrollment of 80 teens, and the average length of stay was reported to be between 6 and 12 months. In 2005, the program’s tuition was reportedly arond $7,100 per month. Aspen Ranch was a <\/span>NATSAP<\/span><\/a> member from 1999 until its closure in 2011.<\/span><\/p>\n

Aspen Ranch was located at <\/span>2000 W Dry Valley Rd, Loa, UT 84747<\/span><\/a>. The campus included seven cottages: 3 for girls and 4 for boys. Each cottage had three bedrooms with bunk beds in them. It is reported that as many as 13 teens lived in each of the cabins at a time.<\/span><\/p>\n

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

Matt Alexander<\/b> worked at Aspen Ranch beginning in 2000 as an English Teacher, Academic Director, and the Program Director. In 2004, he was promoted to Executive Director. His prior and current employment is presently unknown.<\/span><\/p>\n

Melodie Rose<\/b> worked as the Executive Director of Aspen Ranch beginning in 2006. Prior to this, she worked as the Program Director of the notorious and <\/span>confirmedly abusive<\/b> Turn-About Ranch<\/span><\/a>, which is another <\/span>Aspen Education Group<\/span><\/a> program. Her current employment is unknown.<\/span><\/p>\n

Brandon Burr<\/b> worked as the Clinical Director of Aspen Ranch for five years. He previously worked for the Utah Department of Corrections where he designed and developed a residential substance abuse treatment program utilizing the Therapeutic Community Model at the Central Utah Correctional Facility. According to <\/span>HEAL<\/span><\/a>, “Working in correctional settings led to employment with the Utah Department of Corrections where he designed and developed a residential substance abuse treatment program utilizing the Therapeutic Community Model at the Central Utah Correctional Facility. The former director of the Utah Department of Corrections was responsible for the torture at Abu Ghraib. Therapeutic Community Model is a euphemism for cult-like behavior modification\/brainwashing and known to be psychologically damaging.” After leaving Aspen Ranch, he and two colleagues created <\/span>Equine Journeys Adolescent Residential Treatment Program<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Scott Andrew Peterson<\/b> worked as an Equine Therapist at Aspen Ranch for an unspecified period of time. After leaving Aspen Ranch, he created a therapy clinic called Therapy on the Fly in 2009. In 2013, he was <\/span>arrested<\/span><\/a> after he confessed to an LDS bishop that he had sexually abused a 14-year-old female client of his while working at Therapy on the Fly. He was charged with three count of felony sexual abuse and one count of lewdness. Peterson was <\/span>sentenced<\/span><\/a> to one to 15 years in prison in March 2014.<\/span><\/p>\n

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

Like other behavior-modification programs, Aspen Ranch used a level-system consisting of six levels. In order to advance through the levels, the residents had to complete packets and demonstrate certain behaviors. To get to the higher levels, the individuals had to show “leadership” and snitch on others in order to look good themselves. The levels are reported to have been:<\/span><\/p>\n