{"id":9753,"date":"2022-03-11T17:40:15","date_gmt":"2022-03-12T01:40:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.breakingcodesilence.org\/?p=9753"},"modified":"2022-03-12T16:09:18","modified_gmt":"2022-03-13T00:09:18","slug":"ashcreek-ranch-academy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.breakingcodesilence.org\/ashcreek-ranch-academy\/","title":{"rendered":"Ashcreek Ranch Academy"},"content":{"rendered":"

Ashcreek Ranch Academy<\/b> (2012-present) Toquerville, UT<\/span><\/h1>\n

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

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

Ashcreek Ranch Academy (also called “Ashcreek Academy”) is a behavior-modification program founded in 2012. It is marketed as a residential treatment center for teenage boys aged 13-17. They state that they enroll boys with a history of the following: “ADD\/ADHD, Depression, Anxiety, Academic Problems, Parent\/Child Conflicts, Poor Choice of Friends, Drug and Alcohol Use, Anger, Low Self-Esteem, Peer Conflict, Poor Impulse Control, Lying, Cheating, Isolation from Family and\/or, Friends, Family Conflict \/ Disrespect, Poor Decision-Making, Sneaking Out \/ Running Away, Lack of Boundaries, Poor Social Skills, Manipulative, Self-Centered, Obsessive \/ Compulsive, Feeling Abandoned, High-Risk Behavior, Lack of Empathy, Lack of Organization, Underachieving, Unmotivated, Lack of Focus, Excessive Gaming and Pornography.” They also state that their typical student has a dueal diagnosis, one of which is typiclly an “addictive” disorder (such as “drug, alcohol, pornography, virtual social networking, gaming, etc”).<\/span><\/p>\n

As of 2020, the program has a maximum enrollment of 35, which has increased from just 24 in 2016. The average length of stay is reported to be between 10-12 months, but may be much longer if the teenager is deemed resistant. Ashcreek Ranch Academy’s tuition is reported to be around $10,000 per month, meaning this program could be making over $4,000,000 each year. Ashcreek Ranch Academy has been a member of <\/span>NATSAP<\/span><\/a> since 2012.<\/span><\/p>\n

The program is located at <\/span>652 Shady Ln, Toquerville, UT 84774<\/span><\/a>, on the appropriately-named Shady Lane. It is located just outside of a remote town in Southern Utah, close to the border of Arizona and Nevada. It is also directly across the street from another behavior-modification program, <\/span>Lava Heights Academy<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

While Ashcreek Ranch Academy is not technically owned by <\/span>WWASP<\/span><\/a>, it is considered a WWASP-affiliated program. This is due to the fact that Ashcreek Ranch Academy employs many former <\/span>Cross Creek<\/span><\/a> staff and therapists, and its program model, rules, structure, and methodology is extremely similar to the program model used by WWASP programs.<\/span><\/p>\n

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

Tammy Prince Berhmann<\/b> is the Co-Founder and current Executive Director of Ashcreek Ranch Academy. She previously founded another notoriously abusive <\/span>Aspen Education Group<\/span><\/a> program, <\/span>Copper Canyon Academy<\/span><\/a>, which is now operating under the name <\/span>Sedona Sky Academy<\/span><\/a> under <\/span>Family Help & Wellness<\/span><\/a>. She got her start in the troubled teen industry working at <\/span>Spring Ridge Academy<\/span><\/a>, a <\/span>WWASP<\/span><\/a>-affiliated and confirmedly abusive behavior-modification program. She is also the sister of Darren Prince.<\/span><\/p>\n

Darren L. Prince<\/b> is the Co-Founder of Ashcreek Ranch Academy and has worked as the Admissions Director and, more recently, as Executive Director of the program. He is the brother of Tammy Berhmann. Like his sister, Darren is also involed with founding <\/span>Copper Canyon Academy<\/span><\/a>, which is now operating under the name <\/span>Sedona Sky Academy<\/span><\/a> under <\/span>Family Help & Wellness<\/span><\/a>. He does not appear to work at Ashcreek Ranch Academy anymore. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of <\/span>NATSAP<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Boyd Prince<\/b> is also reported to have been a founding member of Ashcreek Ranch Academy and is related to Tammy Berhmann and Darren Prince. He also worked as the Athletic Director and Principal of ARA.<\/span><\/p>\n

Dave Archer<\/b> is the current Clinical Director of Ashcreek Ranch Academy. He previously worked as a Family Teacher at <\/span>Alpine Academy<\/span><\/a> and <\/span>Utah Youth Village<\/span><\/a>, a Therapist\/Assistant Clinical Director at <\/span>New Haven RTC<\/span><\/a>, and a Therapist\/Clinical Director at <\/span>Equinox RTC<\/span><\/a>. He has worked at Ashcreek Ranch Academy since November of 2019.<\/span><\/p>\n

Garth Lasater<\/b> worked at Ashcreek Ranch Academy as the Clinical Director and Executive Director from 2012 until around 2015. He previously worked as a Therapist at the notoriously abusive (and now-closed) <\/span>WWASP<\/span><\/a> program, <\/span>Cross Creek<\/span><\/a>, for 14 years. He currently works as the Assisstant Program Director at <\/span>Three Points Center<\/span><\/a>, a WWASP spin-off behavior-modification program that originally opened in the former campus of Cross Creek and employs many former CC staff.<\/span><\/p>\n

Salesi Misinale Fakahua (aka Nale Fakahua)<\/b> was the Program Director at Ashcreek Ranch Academy from February until July of 2015. He previously worked for <\/span>Falcon Ridge Ranch<\/span><\/a> as the Residential Director. He also previously worked at <\/span>Cinnamon Hills Youth Crisis Center<\/span><\/a>, which is a reportedly abusive and now-closed behavior-modification program located in Utah. After he left ARA, he went back to work at Falcon Ridge Ranch, where he appears to currently still be employed.<\/span><\/p>\n

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

Like other behavior-modification programs, Ashcreek Ranch Academy uses a level-system consisting of four levels. These levels (as of 2012) are:<\/span><\/p>\n