Name

Unit/Position

On page 1, HEAL finds it a concern that the program asks to see your current 1040 Tax Return.  No other program HEAL has reviewed, up to this point, has required families submit this information.  Since the application is only the very beginning of the enrollment process, this seems intrusive. 

On page 2, the program states, "We accept males 14-17 years old and of average intelligence.  We will not accept homosexuals...or chronic drug user referrals....Minimum Stay: 18 months....The focus of this program is primarily on character development as defined by Biblical standards....Respect for authority..."  What does Flying H mean by "average intelligence"?  And, it is a concern that Flying H discriminates against homosexuals and asks if the young men are having "sexual identity" issues in other areas of the application (p. 18).  If Flying H claims to be a Reparative Therapy program, parents should understand that Reparative Therapy is harmful and ineffective.  It would be better to contact P-FLAG (Parents and Families of Lesbians and Gays) to inquire about how families and loved ones can ethically support their child.  18 months is an extremely long minimum.  Most programs have a minimum of one year and state that the program can be completed in less than a year.  Who interprets the Biblical standards?  How are these standards applied?  Does Flying H use the methods endorsed by St. Augustine who believed you could "save a soul" through torture until the will is broken and the person submits?  This would be a concern.  Mutual respect of brother to brother, etc. is preferred to a deference to authority.  If young men do not learn to demand fair treatment and respectable working conditions, than they will be doomed to the servitude of wealthy men and unable to do God's work.  This is also a concern.

On page 3, additional "qualities" this program looks to instill are "Using your abilities to...serve" and "Persevering".  This again suggests the imposing of a slave mentality that only serves the wealthy and not the pure of heart.  This is a serious concern.  Also, Flying H states, "The Flying H Youth Ranch, Hope Academy/Nile Christian School admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school.  It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin in administration of its...school administered programs."  Readers may notice that they did not include religion or sexual orientation and that this implies Flying H does discriminate on those bases.  Also, stated in the application, "Anti-social behaviors are addressed generally through our highly structured Relational/Behavioral/Consequential treatment program...Classes are held on the Ranch....Program activities offered include....an eight (8) day survival hike."  Parents should ask about this highly structured program.  Since everything occurs on site, HEAL thinks it sounds more like a cult than a treatment program.  Later on, there is a brief description of the "token system" which will highlight the reason for our concerns.  For information on behavior modification and the "token system", click here.  What is meant by a "survival hike"?  In many wilderness situations, children die due to the elements, dehydration, heat-stroke, and more.  This is a serious concern and more details about the hike and any accidents or deaths that have occurred in the program due to such hikes should be disclosed prior to enrollment.

On page 4 of the Flying H application, "Facility maintenance projects provide residents opportunities to receive vocational training."  Basically, Flying H uses the students as free/slave labor.  This is a serious concern.  And, "Here residents are encouraged to give their best through  daily grading system designed to critique the whole person.  We operate under a "token economy" where privileges are assigned a token value."  As mentioned above, a "token system" and the other methods implied by the application amount to cult-like behavior modification which is harmful to participants.  And, on page 4, "Visits are encouraged.  Visitors are limited to your son's close relatives.  Your son must purchase this privilege with earned tokens."  This is wholly unacceptable.  Families should be allowed to visit their sons whenever they see fit to do so and their sons should not be denied contact with the outside world, including their families, through any sort of coercion as is implied by the fact that to earn "tokens" children must provide free/slave labor that benefits the program. 

Based on the above and other issues throughout the application, we highly suggest you do not place your child in Flying H Youth Ranch.

From: [removed]
Sent: Wednesday, May 17, 2006 6:24 PM
To: heal@heal-online.org
Subject: I was abused at Flying H Youth Ranch in WA