My son died at discovery ranch academy on Nov 5, 2024. The program was cited by DHHS for failure to follow their suicide protocol and more and the therapist and pychiatrist by DCFS for severe harm to our son. We feel it is absolutely not a safe program for at risk teens. Our son should be here today.

Very corrupt and abusive program. Manipulates clients and families out of money. Do not recommend. Edit: I wish I could respond to your reply but I just have to edit my review. I defiantly went to your program in 2015-2016. I had Wendy turnbow as a case manager and was in the north house. But that probably won't ring a bell because you do not care about the clients enough to remember who goes through ur program. Ask Wendy. Y'all manipulated my parents out of their hard earned money. Shame on this program for taking advantage of struggling kids and their families for money. My parents r ashamed of what you do

Discovery Ranch therapist ARRESTED for child abuse to my son! First, it is worth noting that there are over 60 fake positive reviews on here! Over 30 staff left positive reviews, and Discovery Ranch knows this. They responded to several of the staff positive reviews. Plus, many other positive reviews are from friends of DR staff. This should be a red flag that DR lacks ethics and is dishonest to get business. The dishonesty doesn't stop just at fake positive reviews to get new clients. Regrettably I chose Discovery Ranch (DR) for my son. Utah’s Department of Child and Family Services (DCFS) conducted an investigation into my son’s therapist at DR and ‘substantiated’ the therapist abused my son. Utah’s Department of Professional Licensing (DOPL) conducted two separate investigations into the therapist regarding the abuses to my son. Both times DOPL issued informal disciplinary action against the therapist for what he did to my son. Informal discipline means it doesn’t go on the therapist’s public record but remains on DOPL’s internal records; the therapist was required to take additional training and received other action. This information regarding DOPL was provided to me from DOPL in an email. Mapleton Police Department ARRESTED the therapist for child abuse! Prior to the abuse being reported to authorities, I made multiple complaints to DR’s Executive Director and Clinical Director about the therapist and feel I was met with gaslighting. I feel they protected and defended the therapist. I elevated my complaints to the CEO of Ascent Program, the parent company of DR. The CEO wouldn’t talk to me about my concerns. Despite the fact that THREE different government agencies found fault with the therapist, this therapist continues to work at DR! The Executive Director, Clinical Director, and CEO keep the therapist deemed to have inflicted abuse to my son on staff. According to the records I have, the Executive Director and Clinical Director lied to authorities in a government investigation. The fact they did this is further evidence for my belief they will do what it takes to protect themselves and their abusive staff. I will give the Directors five stars at being convincing liars. They can fool and convince intelligent people of what they want them to believe, but after time I realized the manipulation. I am posting this review on NOVEMBER 5, 2025, on purpose.

My son Biruk was at Discovery Ranch last year. One internet search will tell you the details surrounding his passing at Discovery Ranch Academy. I have nothing to say positive about the staff or program. They should be ashamed of themselves for their negligence in his death that could have been so easily prevented. They claim to treat suicidal at risk teens but fail to do so. There are better programs with better safety records out there. Do your research.

Terrible place and terrible parent company. Do not send your child here.

Don’t support the troubled teen industry.

I went to DR from september 20th 2023 to november 24th 2024. And im here to say that there is so much mental and physical abuse that happens behind closed doors here. I almost never saw a restraint be executed correctly(they would just straight-up football tackle kids into concrete). And 3 weeks before i left, on november 5th of 2024, my friend, Biruk Silvers, committed suicide due to the way Discovery Ranch treated him. Yes, this was preventable. Yes DR knew about his ideations. No they did not tell his parents or anyone they were supposed to tell. I beg yall parents not to send your kids here

I went to the ranch from when I was 13-14 and it did more good for me then I could ever have imagined and even now in a weird way I find myself missing the people and the place that taught me so much even if it was very difficult.