Staff member accused of possible sexual assault at Hillcrest One girl tried running away and one of the staff members (a very large Samoan guy) sat on her for over an hour in the dirt. He was held down by other boys, he said, while they groped him and tried to penetrate him with a pencil. I feel like I should have been required to eat a smaller amount of food, but that was never considered. The level system is from 1-7, its extremely punitive. This level typically lasts 1-3 months. And there appears to be a pattern. When I expressed this, I was told, Lets up the dosage. I was regularly manipulated, lied to and told I was exaggerating. However that was just driving to Kolob Canyon (the equally bad sister school to Moonridge for older teen girls) and shoveling horse manure and moving hay bales for hours at a time. They used our coping skills as punishments. I worked my way back up to level 3, until one morning I had reached my emotional limit and found myself unable to get out of bed due to depression. In the past decade, there have been 37 lawsuits filed in Utah against troubled-teen facilities and 40% have involved allegations of sexual misconduct. Instead of giving me space like I requested, an adult insisted on sitting next to me. One of them did not think I showered for long enough in my 12-minute time frame. They did not have a solitary confinement room at Moonridge. She currently works as a Lead Therapist at Evoke Therapy Intensives. I could go on and on with the stories. I was sent to Moonridge in 2003 when I was 13 years old. Instead of letting a girl with a UTI use the bathroom, staff made her wear a diaper so they could have her continue working on cleaning or schoolwork. A very autistic girl was regularly restrained for spinning around. Individual therapy was usually fine, but I couldnt actually talk about things because my therapist would ask if I needed to be put on safety. Former Students At Utah Troubled-Teen Centers Say Their Our daughter was at Moonridge and management failed her on every level - with a fraudulent smile on their faces and the sing-song sound of their voices. Cedar Ridge Academy has a new owner now and a new name as of February, Makana Leadership Academy but reminders of the schools past loom throughout the remote, 109-acre campus that stretches over a large swath of the Uinta Basin. rules, Utes seeing transfer portals impact on college gymnastics, Avalon Hills Residential Eating Disorders Program, Catalyst Residential Treatment (Grey House), Discovery Academy (Discovery Connections), Pine Ridge Behavioral Health (FV Canyon)*, Utah Youth Village (Alpine Academy/Lakeview Campus/Cedar Creek Home), Utah Youth Village (Beverly Taylor Sorenson Home), Waterfall Canyon Academy (Oakgrove - Girls Program), Waterfall Canyon Academy (Oakgrove - North Campus), Waterfall Canyon Academy (Oakgrove - South Campus), Young Women's Empowerment Center (House #1), Young Women's Empowerment Center (House #3), Youth Health Associates (Cedar Valley Ranch), Youth Health Associates (Lakeside Academy), Provo Canyon School Intermediate Secure Care. Every year during National Prevention Week (NPW), the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) celebrates communities, organizations, and individuals that are working to promote substance misuse prevention and positive mental health. Male staff members participated in female students strip searches. Find a different boarding school for your daughter. Ava (Yelp), 2019: (SURVIVOR) I was a student here, the staff is extremely out of line. The doctor told her she would have died if she had come in even half a day later. This type of abuse, experts say, happens more often when there isnt enough staff to keep an eye on the kids and one another. Moonridge Academy Abuse Reports can come from parents, former staff members and also directly from facilities, which are required to report any time a student is injured or seriously ill. Please research alternatives for RTCs. I was taken from Second Nature Blue Ridge wilderness therapy in Clayton, Georgia to Moonridge Academy in Cedar City, Utah via transport service in March 2011. So please for me and every other kid that was hurt by this place, never send your kids here Wilson (Google Reviews), HEAL Program Information Moonridge Academy. Individual therapy was usually fine, but I could not actually talk about things because my therapist would ask if I needed to be put on safety. There was sexual, physical, and constant emotional abuse. This level typically lasts 1-6 months. On this level, the residents no longer have to stay within arms-distance of staff, but still cannot leave line-of-sight or earshot of staff. He pleaded no contest in 2010 and was WebUtahs Office of Licensing inspects and regulates each facility, and sometimes finds neglect, child abuse or sexual misconduct. It was tedious and humiliating. Moonridge Academy was not a healthy place for anyone, much less adolescents with mental health issues. This is possible because of the donations from more than 100 people. Robert said that even if workers found out what was happening, no one told the authorities like they were required to do. Group therapy included either talking about how you felt or getting a Consequence and having no Free Time. Ross recently sent lengthy emails, some including graphic and violent threats, to Utah legislators demanding they investigate, which. Even when I was crying. She only said she was worried I still felt that way. He pleaded no contest in 2010 and was sent to prison. It was humiliating. There was sexual, physical, and constant emotional abuse. The program was traumatic for her as well." He had groped some of them during unapproved medical procedures in a small room after covering the only window with butcher paper so no one could see. TeenLife is passionate about teen success. He has also previously worked as the Clinical Director of the resportedly abusive programs, worked as the Executive Director of Moonridge Academy. Another girl would frequently act out and the staff got sick of it so they told us to gather around her in a circle and chant your parents are never coming to get you at her until she laid on the floor in the fetal position crying. A staffer, one who had worked with kids daily for 10 years at the troubled-teen facility, had made sexually charged comments to the boys. I still have nightmares about this place. . Parents who are considering sending their child to Moonridge Academy, please look at different residential or outpatient centers. I feel like I should have been required to eat a smaller amount of food, but that was never considered. abuse Missed Our Virtual Fairs? Moonridge Academy services younger teens who are struggling with depression, anxiety, trauma, attachment/adoption issues, emotional dysregulation, poor peer relationships, social withdrawal and school refusal. Making sure that two staffers are always with the children, she said, is a safeguard that could prevent one employee from sexually abusing a child. I could go on and on with the stories. They need deep treatment and staff and the counselors there, are not equipped to deliver what the girls need. A detailed analysis by The Salt Lake Tribune shows that Cedar Ridge had sex crimes reported to police at a rate 4.5 times higher than the average Utah youth treatment center. (5) That any program that tries to make you believe your child is manipulating you by raising complaints against the program is very likely to be an abusive program. All rights reserved. Well continue to report on this industry, including our own findings from this trove of records. Find a different boarding school for your daughter." Tawny Thomas worked as the Executive Director of Moonridge Academy. So please for me and every other kid that was hurt by this place, never send your kids here" - Wilson (Google Reviews), Unknown Date: (SURVIVOR) "I was sent to Moonridge Academy in 2016 at age 12, which focused a lot on school and therapy. 9450 W 2400 S, Cedar City, UT 84720 United States, Specialties It is not considered a penalty. Over 90,000 businesses use Birdeye everyday to get more reviews and manage all customer feedback. The Tribune created a crowdfunding campaign that raised more than $11,000 from 136 donors. Its about whats going on today. Utah has centers with only a dozen beds, and some that house several hundred children. These behaviors might include school refusal, self-harm, eating disorders, withdrawing from others, angry outbursts, poor peer and family relationships, and low-level substance abuse. And her research has shown that the staff members in facilities often have their own history of traumatic events, which can affect their work. Press J to jump to the feed. Utahs Office of Licensing inspects and regulates each facility, and sometimes finds neglect, child abuse or sexual misconduct. sltrib.com 1996-2023 The Salt Lake Tribune. This database includes only critical incidents where the facility is found to have violated a rule. Moonridge Academy states that it enrolls girls, including transgender girls, with a history of attachment issues, depression, anxiety, self-harm, school refusal, family conflict, sexual boundaries, computer addiction, attention issues and low-level substance abuse.

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moonridge academy abuse

moonridge academy abuse

moonridge academy abuse