Saturday, April 25, 2009
Falcon Ridge Ranch Memories
To the Falcon Ridge people who have contacted me through E-mail, Youtube, etc... Some personal observations, opinions, and instead of nit picking FRR to death I'll give you one nasty fact.
-Obviously I won't name any names.
-I worked there a while ago so I can't speak to the Ranch as it stands today in any specifics. However, I think my experience is a testament to not only the character of the the Ranch, but the industry as a whole.
- I have also worked at a few centers besides FRR so I understand the culture well enough to confidently speak about it.
Now let me preface the below with a few common sense acknowledgments. I have no doubt that FRR has helped many families, and yes, of course some kids have severe behavioral problems that truly need professional help, and sometimes a facility is the best place for them. Those cases are far and few between, and if FRR takes your daughter under their requirements then your daughter does not even come close to being in that category.
I also understand that parents are often, or can easily become overwhelmed, confused, and make choices out of love they end up regretting. We are human after all. To those who sent your child to FRR and have a bad taste in your mouth please understand the last thing I want to do if make you feel guilty, or terrible in any way.
Also, those mothers who felt like writing me your justification/hate E-mails go on and talk to your friends about how terrible your child is to further excuse yourself from any responsibility or blame. Having your clearly unjustified, condescending, and comically superior attitude fools no one worth fooling.
NOW-
A brief overview
When I started working there a couple of things jump out at me. First, the majority of the floor staff were decent, honest, and fair people, hell a few were down right fantastic. Despite the lack of any type of proper training, and the absolutely dismal paycheck, students were generally in good hands. A few of the floor staff were without question more mentally unstable then any student enrolled, but that has been the case at every place I have ever worked.
A common topic of conversation with random staff was talking about how quite a few parents would rather pay a bundle of money to have FRR raise their child. I always found the idea of cooperating in such a conversation to be low class and beneath me, but unfortunately it was a very common thought. Take from that what you will.
After a few weeks of working there full time I was hit with the realization that at least half of the students, if not more, had absolutely no business spending a year of their childhood in that place. Your teenage daughter is difficult, dishonest, rude and gets into trouble you say? Wow, shocker.
If you do not know that a frightening percentage working a career in the mental health industry are at best socially retarded, and at worst, lunatics then you need to live a little life and understand the value of being observant. To those who think 8 or 12 years of school and a few extra letters next to their name makes a person smart I urge you to go and spend time with as many as you can find, but prepare to feel sick to your stomach.
In the same breath if you think that college kids and strangers will be better for you child rather then your stern and consistent discipline, along with unconditional love, you need your head examined. Remember kids are supposed to drive you crazy, and when the teen years come their job is to try to get away with as much as possible, your job is to stop them in their tracks. Sounds easy, I know it is anything but.
In case you are wondering, yes I am married with two children.
ONE PATHETIC STORY OF MANY ABOUT FALCON RIDGE RANCH, BUT BY FAR THE MOST IMPORTANT:
This is what you came here for so I will give you the readers digest version. The two main players involve a 16 year old that I'll call "Angie" and the grown man who ran FRR, we'll call him "Marcus" here. Rumors started to circulate that Angie and Marcus were involved in a sexual relationship. As a staff member it was my job to put a stop to talk like that. I spoke with several of the girls about it and assured them it wasn't true. I only started to become skeptical after this street smart and highly intelligent 13 year old from Las Vegas gave me some details. I approached the second person in charge and he was not able to ease my concern.
The rumor grew bigger and more elaborate, now involving pregnancy. Seemingly out of no where "Marcus" took a pregnant "Angie", yes Angie was pregnant, and left. No one was positive where they went but rumors circulated that they went somewhere east. Angie's father was a financial investor of sorts and showed up right away. I still remember the older man with his cane dearly concerned about his investment in Falcon Ridge, giving the staff a speech about how "everything will be fine" and so forth.
I think it took a day, maybe two before I quit. I wanted no part of the obvious cover up.
So yes, the grown man in charge of the place took advantage of a 16 year old, getting her pregnant then essentially kidnapping her. That is a fact. That is Falcon Ridge Ranch.
Posted by wtraywhite at 3:03 PM
