Liahona Academy for Youth

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MY PERSONAL OBSERVATION & OPINION-
Liahona Academy breaks many laws and violations in adolescent behavioral therapy, medical fraud, harming students, permit violations and other State & Federal Regulations. The Therapy is malpractice; therapists give every adolescent/cliental "identical therapy" regardless of the student's previous behavioral issues. Therapist's don't follow medical guidelines or have an empathetic, unique and effective approach instead they demand, threaten, punish and use manipulative techniques such as gas-lighting on adolescents/clients to get them to comply and behave with the facility rules. Therapists also break client confidentially with other students and staff members. All so called mental health professionals have the lowest qualifications possible such as LCSW or CSW (which takes only 2 years to achieve). No mental health professionals hold doctorate's, perform, participate or publish research or have any specialization in abnormal adolescent psychology or adolescent treatment. So it's not the experience I necessarily question, it's the information and training going into the experience that I question. This facility ignores student medical needs and has had past experiences that have resulted in injury and death (do more research to acquire this information). Daily Group activities have included the "PROGRAM OWNER" have students put on boxing gloves and fight each other while the owner, students and staff watch for entertainment. This place is extremely dangerous and can not only physically harm students but can also emotionally traumatize students. The school is not at all that of a prestigious private academy and has no higher up accreditations, nor does it prepare students for future college/vocational planning. It has one of the lowest ranking accreditations that Utah High Schools can have. Please parents save your money and go somewhere else, investigate these places and do your research before wasting $6,000 a month on this kind of a place. I have seen families lose all their assets, savings, sell their houses and make unbelievable sacrifices in the hope of their children becoming stronger and making changes; in the end and I have seen horrific results with families losing their children to drugs, jail, gangs and the chaotic absurdity evil that life can bring (after students have completed this program). Liahona is not to blame for life's absurdity, but its treatment philosophy has very little effectiveness in my oppinion. There is no statistical or systematic empirical information that Liahona Academy has a high success rate, 8 years later and I am still waiting to see this information be released to the public about the so called substantial success rate (and Im not talking about the "Parent Testimonials", Im talking about "Real Statistical" data that was deductively measured).

I had two boys that we sent to Liahona Academy. They were there for 11 months. I staff was great. Our boys were 15 and 17 when we sent them to Liahona. They were transported from our home in the very early morning hours. Our boys were out of control, skipping school, drug use, disrespectful, no regard for authority and not listening. Our boys have been home for about one month and they are changed boys. They are now 16 and 18. Both of our boys have such respect for Parker, Rich, Brian, Taylor, Bear, Clay, Derrick, Mr. Mangelson and the list goes on... All of the employees at this facility care about the boys and just want them to succeed. They hold your son accountable for their actions. Thanks to Lianhona I have my children back. I would HIHGLY recommend this facility to anyone who if looking for help for their son. My boys are glad to be home, but miss their friends and the staff at Liahona. My boys will be Liahona boys for life. We are in Liahona's debt for bringing our boys back to us!!!!! THNAK YOU!!!!!