WARNING!!! MOST OF THIS IS COMPLETE BULLSHIT!
Heritage House (aka The Heritage Schools) is located in Provo, UT and is highly suspected of being an abusive behavior modification program. HEAL downloaded the Heritage House admissions forms. Things they consider to be extreme behavioral problems in need of immediate intervention include: "cursing, challenging authority, homosexuality--but, they call it "sexual identity distress", sad/unhappy, argues, noncompliant, impulsive, overreacts, secretive (shows a need for privacy), stubborn, does not accept criticism, etc." These are all normal parts of growing up, establishing independence, and growing into one's own individuality/self. Heritage House uses physical restraints. In the contract, Heritage House explains that they control teen's contact with outside world including telephone privileges and monitoring incoming and outgoing mail (this is a civil rights violation, it violates the 4th, 8th, and 14th, amendments according to the Federal Court who has placed federal injunctions against this practice at other programs.) In the contract, "You have the right to refuse to participate in any research project". This is the parent's right, but, it does not apply to the teen. It suggests, and HEAL has other paperwork that confirms, that many of these programs are experimenting on the youth in them. Heritage House also uses "seclusion" as a punishment/disciplinary tool. Seclusion is solitary confinement and in many programs can last for months and permanently disable the child/teen mentally. Heritage House identifies their inmates by number, not name, like Provo Canyon School and like Nazi Germany. We recommend you do not subject your child to Heritage House. If you were abused or had your rights violated at Heritage House, please contact us and we will share your story here as a warning to others.
FIRST OF ALL IT SAYS IT'S HIGHLY SUSPECTED OF BEING AN ABUSIVE BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION PROGRAM. NOT THAT IT IS ONE.
SECOND OF ALL IT DOESN'T MATTER TO ME WHAT THE ADMISSION FORMS SAY. A LOT OF THIS THEY HAVE HAD TO PUT INTO A LEGAL CONTRACT TO COVER THEIR ASSES IN CASE THEY HAD A TEEN THAT WAS TOTALLY OUTTA CONTROL, AND NEEDED TO USE RESTRAINTS! THEY WERE NEVER RESTRAINT HAPPY! I NEVER WITNESSED, OR HEARD OF ANYONE BEING PUT IN JACKETS OR TIE DOWNS! IT DOES NOT MEAN THAT THEY DID NOT HAVE THEM, THEY DID. BUT, THE WHOLE 3 1/2 YEARS I WAS THERE THEY NEVER USED THEM.
THIRDLY, SO THEY USED ISOLATION AS A FORM OF PUNISHMENT? THEY DIDN'T WANT OUR NEGATIVE OUT OF CONTROL BEHAVIOR TO AFFECT THE OTHER KIDS IN THE PROGRAM THAT MAYBE HAD A PAST HISTORY OF ABUSE, AND THEY DIDN'T NEED TO BE SUBJECTED TO OUR OUTBURSTS! THEY NEVER GOT OFF ON HAVING TO PUT US IN CRISIS, OR ISOLATION.
FOURTH, SO WHAT IF THEY WENT THROUGH OUR MAIL? HELLO, THEY DID NOT WANT DRUGS MAKING IT THROUGH. SOME KIDS WERE FLIGHT RISKS, AND SOME MAIL WAS READ. BUT, THEY DID THIS ALL TO PROTECT US. HELL, AT LEAST WE WERE TO RECEIVE MAIL FROM FRIENDS! THEY NEVER READ OUT GOING MAIL! AS FAR AS THE PHONE THING WENT, IT'S TRUE WE WERE ONLY ALLOWED TO TALK TO OUR PARENTS, AND FAMILY MEMBERS ONCE A WEEK.
AND LAST, BUT NOT LEAST, MY FAVORITE! WE WERE NEVER REFERRED TO BY NUMBER. WE WERE REFERRED BY NAME. THE KIDS THERE STILL ARE. THAT IS SUCH A GOD DAMN LIE. HOW PATHETIC TO MAKE UP SUCH BULLSHIT ABOUT A PLACE LIKE THAT!
GO AFTER PROGRAMS THAT ARE ABUSIVE, NOT ONES THAT ARE NOT!
