This is a staff list for Arivaca Boys Ranch in Arivaca, AZ
(we are working to acquire the complete records for ALL years)
We advise current and/or former staff to report any abuses you may have witnessed while working at Arivaca Boys Ranch. For information on your rights and how to take action, visit www.heal-online.org/blowthewhistle.htm. If you were fired or forced to resign because you opposed any illegal and/or unethical practices at Arivaca Boys Ranch, you have the right to take action.
If you were harmed (family or survivor) by Arivaca Boys Ranch, please contact [email protected] if you remember the long-term employees and from which years. This will help! Also, if you recognize any of these staff as having worked at another program, please send in any information about their past or present employment at other facilities and/or cults.
Please don’t place your loved one in Arivaca Boys Ranch and rescue them if they are there now.
|
Name |
Unit/Position |
Additional Information |
| Ron Searle | Managing Partner | Owner at The Diamond Consortium. Also formerly with LDS Church Education (Mormon). Searle is not a licensed mental health professional in AZ. Source: http://azbbhe.us/verifications.htm |
| D. Hyrum Wright | Clinical Director | Graduate of BYU (Brigham Young University--birthplace of abusive outdoor programs.) Formerly with the Tempe Institute (LDS). There is a David H. Wright that is a licensed professional counselor ONLY and has been since 2001 in AZ. It is unclear whether or not this is the same individual. And, it is disconcerting that someone with such a limited license would be placed in the position of Clinical Director, even if it is the same individual. Source: http://azbbhe.us/verifications.htm |
| Glenn Banks Jr. | Therapist | Formerly with the Anasazi Foundation. Also formerly with the Air National Guard. There is a Glenn L. Banks (no suffix) that is a licensed independent substance abuse counselor ONLY and has been since 2003 in AZ. Source: http://azbbhe.us/verifications.htm |
| Mike & Margaret Stroud | Directors | Educated at BYU. Mike and Margaret Stroud are NOT licensed mental health professionals in AZ. Source: http://azbbhe.us/verifications.htm |
| Boyd Anderson | Facilities | Facilities/maintenance workers are not expected to have mental health licenses, therefore, HEAL did not perform a license verification search on Anderson. |
| Luke Hallows | Interim Director/Administrator | Luke Hallows is formerly with WWASPS, specifically the Casa by the Sea program which is/was confirmedly abusive and closed as a result. Hallows also reportedly worked for WWASPS' High Impact program in Mexico. Hallows is not a licensed mental health professional in AZ. Source: http://azbbhe.us/verifications.htm |
| Phil Winch | Mentor | Graduate of BYU. Formerly worked at an unnamed "ranch" and unnamed wilderness program. Winch is not a licensed mental health professional in AZ. Source: http://azbbhe.us/verifications.htm |
| Ted Snow | Cattle Program Mgr. | Snow is not a licensed mental health professional in AZ. Source: http://azbbhe.us/verifications.htm |
| Allison Kellis | Wrangler | Kellis is not a licensed mental health professional in AZ. Source: http://azbbhe.us/verifications.htm |
| Don Conover | Wrangler | Conover is not a licensed mental health professional in AZ. Source: http://azbbhe.us/verifications.htm |
| Dallin Whipple | Wrangler | Whipple is not a licensed mental health professional in AZ. Source: http://azbbhe.us/verifications.htm |
| Carter Poulsen | CFO | Accountants are not typically expected to have mental health licenses, therefore, HEAL did not perform a license verification search on Poulsen. |
| Norm King | Partner | King is not a licensed mental health professional in AZ. Source: http://azbbhe.us/verifications.htm |
| John Poulsen | Partner | Poulsen is not a licensed mental health professional in AZ. Source: http://azbbhe.us/verifications.htm |
| Clif Pinckard | Partner | Pinckard is not a licensed mental health professional in AZ. Source: http://azbbhe.us/verifications.htm |
| Jennifer Weiss | Equine Director | Weiss is not a licensed mental health professional in AZ. Source: http://www.azbbhe.us/DaEngine.asp |
| Justin Gibson | Academic Director | Arizona does not regulate nor provide any oversight of private schools. This permits for rampant fraud and abuse. For more information, see: https://www2.ed.gov/admins/comm/choice/regprivschl/regprivschl.pdf (page 20) And, "Under Arizona law (ARS 15-161), private schools are free to operate as they see fit without the supervision of state or local education authorities." Source: http://www.azed.gov/private-schools/ Many private schools do not offer accredited academic services and credits "earned" and these programs do not transfer to legitimate schools and colleges in most instances. |
| Buirge S. Jones | Therapist | Jones is not a licensed mental health professional in AZ. Source: http://www.azbbhe.us/DaEngine.asp |
| Robert Stahl | Therapist | Stahl is not a licensed mental health professional in AZ. Source: http://www.azbbhe.us/DaEngine.asp |
| Cecilia Graham | Therapist | Graham is a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) in Arizona and has been since 2008. Her license number is: LCSW-12572. Source: http://www.azbbhe.us/ProDetail.asp?ProfID=42942 You can file complaints against this professional here: http://www.azbbhe.us/pdfs/Complaint%20Form%20Revised%2015-1212%20PDF%20Fillable.pdf Or, click on "Complaint" link here: http://www.azbbhe.us/node/20 |
| Jessica Lathen | Adminstrative Director | HEAL does not perform background or licensing checks on office, maintenance, cleaning, and/or food preparation staff unless they have unsupervised contact with minors in the program. |
| Jon Sharp | Ranch Chef | HEAL does not perform background or licensing checks on office, maintenance, cleaning, and/or food preparation staff unless they have unsupervised contact with minors in the program. |
| RD Ayers | Field Projects Director | HEAL requires RD Ayers full name, including first and middle, in order to determine whether Ayers holds any professional licenses in Arizona. |
| Tom Farrington | Maintenance | HEAL does not perform background or licensing checks on office, maintenance, cleaning, and/or food preparation staff unless they have unsupervised contact with minors in the program. |
| Amy Hamilton | Equine Teacher | Arizona does not regulate nor provide any oversight of private schools. This permits for rampant fraud and abuse. For more information, see: https://www2.ed.gov/admins/comm/choice/regprivschl/regprivschl.pdf (page 20) And, "Under Arizona law (ARS 15-161), private schools are free to operate as they see fit without the supervision of state or local education authorities." Source: http://www.azed.gov/private-schools/ Many private schools do not offer accredited academic services and credits "earned" and these programs do not transfer to legitimate schools and colleges in most instances. |
| Austyn Henretta | Supervisor | Henretta is not a licensed mental health professional in AZ. Source: http://www.azbbhe.us/DaEngine.asp |
| Josh Munn | Wrangler | Munn is not a licensed mental health professional in AZ. Source: http://www.azbbhe.us/DaEngine.asp |
| Sam Lammi | Wrangler | Lammi is not a licensed mental health professional in AZ. Source: http://www.azbbhe.us/DaEngine.asp |
| CJ | Wrangler | HEAL requires CJ's full name, including first and middle, in order to determine whether CJ holds any professional licenses in Arizona. |
*(Arivaca Boys Ranch, like many other programs in this industry, keeps a "tight lid" on any specific information regarding their staff, qualifications, and practices. Please contact us with the names of any staff of which you have firsthand knowledge or experience. Thank you for your help.)
| HEAL UPDATE: June 21st, 2017 Today we added new staff names to the staff list and ran licensing searches on new staff. As you can see above, there is definitely false advertising happening here. Two of the new therapists are not even licensed mental health professionals. HEAL has received over 10 complaints about this program. This program has nearly replaced all its staff since we last updated in 2012. High staff turn over, lack of proper licensing, and lack of oversight make this program one to avoid. |
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THE TRUTH: All segregated congregate care providers, including those on our watch-list, are welcome to contact us to correct any information or provide additional data that may assist with delivering the whole truth to the public. We've found in many cases where this offer has been abused or resulted in revealing additional basis for our concerns. For some examples see: http://www.heal-online.org/tcfl.htm, http://www.heal-online.org/bolthouse.htm and http://www.heal-online.org/abundant2.htm. Now, we are willing to look at the facts and may have questions or require documentation backing up any claims. We do verify licensing, academic backgrounds, and other qualifications when investigating and researching programs on our watch-list to assist consumers seeking additional information on such programs or victims requiring assistance with getting corroborating evidence of their claims. We do that in order to make sure the information we provide is accurate and verified and cite our sources. In the event any information we've posted is in error, we're happy to make a correction. And, for information on how such requests are handled and have been resolved historically, see: http://www.heal-online.org/requests.htm. HEAL does not support segregated congregate care for many reasons which include that many such facilities are abusive, exploitative, fraudulent, and lack effective oversight often as a result of fraudulent misrepresentation coupled with the ignorance of those seeking to enroll loved ones in such facilities, programs, schools, or centers without a valid court order and involuntarily. In the United States such involuntary placements done without a court order are apparently illegal as they either violate the Americans with Disabilities Act community integration requirement or due process rights of those involuntarily placed. Now, in regards to parents, in the United States parents have the right to waive their own rights, but, not the rights of their minor children. See http://www.heal-online.org/legalarguments.htm for more information. Now, most facilities on our watch list include waivers, indemnity clauses, and sworn statements parents must sign assuring the program that the parents have the right to make the placement involuntarily and without due process in a segregated congregate care environment, however, California and federal prosecutors as well as settled law appears to suggest that is not the case. In fact, in the David Taylor case found at http://www.heal-online.org/provocases.htm, Taylor sued Provo Canyon School and his mother as co-defendants. His mother was found liable for 75% of the damages awarded to Taylor as a result of multiple complaints including false imprisonment, while the program was found only 25% liable because the mother owed a duty of due diligence to investigate anyone to which she would entrust care of her child and she failed to do so. Now, HEAL opposes segregated congregate care and we find most placements are happening illegally in the USA which if the youth understood their rights would result in unfortunate outcomes for the parents, particularly when they don't exercise good judgment and support the fraud and abuse rather than their own children when they need remedy and justice. And, HEAL supports all victims of fraud and abuse in seeking remedies at law for any crimes or torts committed against them. And, that's true whether or not the program or victims are in the USA. HEAL has a 5 point argument against segregated congregate care we'd like you to consider: a. Segregated care is unconstitutional and a civil rights violation. It is only permissible if a person is unable to survive independent of an institutional environment. For more on this, watch the HEAL Report at https://youtu.be/C4NzhZc4P0A. Or, see: http://www.ada.gov/olmstead/ which includes in part: "United States v. Florida – 1:12-cv-60460 – (S.D. Fla.) – On April 7, 2016, the United States filed an Opposition to the State of Florida’s Motion for Partial Summary Judgment. In the Motion, the State had asked the Court to rule, on a variety of grounds, that the United States could not recover damages for unnecessarily institutionalized children to whom the State had been deliberately indifferent." b. Institutionalization is always dehumanizing and coercive. Institutionalization always harms the institutionalized and deprives them of protected civil rights. Dr. David Straker, Psychiatry Professor at Columbia University's School of Medicine (Ivy League) explains this in detail at http://changingminds.org/disciplines/sociology/articles/institutionalization.htm. "Many institutions, from prisons to monasteries to asylums, deliberately want to control and manage their inmates such that they conform and do not cause problems. Even in less harsh environments, many of the institutionalization methods may be found, albeit in more moderated form (although the psychological effect can be equally devastating)." (See website linked in this paragraph for more info.) c. Institutionalization is not in the best interest of children. Institutions are not ever better for a child than living with a loving family. Source: http://www.unicef.org/cambodia/12681_23295.html d. Reform schools, residential treatment programs, and other segregated congregate care settings have been shown to be ineffective and harmful. Best source on this currently is: https://www.acgov.org/probation/documents/EndoftheReformSchoolbyVinny.doc e. Boarding Schools, even the "good ones", result in a form of social death, isolation, and cause both anxiety and depression. Therefore, it is clearly not in the best interest of the youth subjected to those environments. Sources: http://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/jun/08/boarding-school-syndrome-joy-schaverien-review and http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/secondaryeducation/11662001/The-truth-about-boarding-school-syndrome.html Beyond the above arguments against segregated congregate care, we have reports from the NIH, Surgeon General, Yale University Studies, and much more showing the methodologies of behavior modification are damaging, harmful, and ineffective. You can request these documents via e-mail. In addition, for such programs offering academic services or claiming to offer diplomas, certifications, or the like, it is important to check to see if it is a diploma mill with no accredited academic services. Please see article: "Avoiding Scams: What You Need To Know" for important information on how to avoid education/training scams. If you'd like to see what HEAL suggests rather than segregated congregate care (i.e. committing a crime or tort against your child if done against their will without a court order), please see articles: "Fix Your Family, Help Your Teen" and "Emancipation Guide". If you have a complaint against any facility, please file a complaint with the appropriate law enforcement agency or your home state's attorney general. For reporting resources see: http://www.heal-online.org/report.htm. (Reporting guide is for USA only at this time.) |
| July 30th, 2020: Conversion Program Progress Report: Arivaca Boys Ranch |
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REPORTING GUIDE FOR VICTIMS, SURVIVORS, AND WHISTLEBLOWERS:
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