This is the History of and Reporting Guide for Provo Canyon School 

(AKA UHS of Provo Canyon)

(we are working to acquire the complete records for ALL Years)

 

File a complaint with Utah Regulators Here (Last listed disciplinary action against Provo Canyon School in 2015): https://hslic.utah.gov/concerns-incidents

 

On this page you will find incomplete staff and complaint histories with sources cited (i.e. Progress Report), the general advisory against segregated congregate care with sources cited, and a reporting guide for those unlawfully harmed or firsthand witnesses to unlawful harm by or at this location to report violations of the law to the proper authorities/law enforcement.  The staff list itself will not be updated with additional names out of a sense of fairness where those providing the names ask for anonymity or confidentiality.  And, this program will remain eligible for merciful release if all criteria are met and no guest sermon (Rev. Angela Smith's sermon qualifies, but Rev. Smith wishes to show mercy) provided by a qualifying sponsor by that time.  In the meantime, it can graduate the COPE Conversion Program by meeting the Honesty In Marketing Standards (HIMS) or permanently close to be removed from the watch-list/released from the COPE Conversion Program.  If permanently closed prior to graduation or merciful release, it will be buried in the virtual graveyard.  

 

Name	Unit/Position	Description/Background Info
Brad Gerrard	Admin/CEO/COO in 2007
Bill Parkes	Admin/CFO
Elizabeth Allen	Psych/Ph.D.
Lorraine Davis	Nurse/R.N.
Nancy Betenson (with PCS at least since 1991)	Nurse/R.N.
Kerry Bush	Nurse/R.N.
Nancy Christensen	Nurse/R.N.
Jana Johnson	Nurse/LPN
Kathy Manley	Nurse/LPN
Jane McKenna	Nurse/RN
Sheryl McLean	Nurse/RN
Joann Prue	Nurse/RN
Isabel Reid	Nurse/LPN
Pat Schroeder	Nurse/RN
Mary Smith	Nurse/RN
Garold/Gary Barton (employed at Provo Canyon since 1977)	Therapy/Dir.	UHS, Inc acquired Provo Canyon School in June, 2000.  Source: https://opencorporates.com/companies/us_ut/4768612-0143 And, Barton remained on staff after UHS, Inc acquired it reportedly through 2004.
Dave Blackwell (with Provo Canyon since early 1990s at least)	Therapy
Janette (aka Jeanette) Brown	Therapy
Earl Cardon	Therapy
Ken Condie	Therapy
Sam Hill	Therapy
Hal McDanel	Therapy
Dianne Nelson	Therapy
Ralph Olsen	Therapy
Craig Smith (with Provo Canyon since 1970s)	Therapy/ Supervisor	UHS, Inc acquired Provo Canyon School in June, 2000.  Source: https://opencorporates.com/companies/us_ut/4768612-0143 And, Smith remained on staff after UHS, Inc acquired it reportedly through 2004.
Alan Springer	Therapy/ Supervisor	UHS, Inc acquired Provo Canyon School in June, 2000.  Source: https://opencorporates.com/companies/us_ut/4768612-0143 And, Springer remained on staff after UHS, Inc acquired it reportedly through 2006.
Gary Starr	Therapy/ Supervisor
Wendy Turnbow (with Provo Canyon since at least early 1990s)	Therapy	UHS, Inc acquired Provo Canyon School in June, 2000.  Source: https://opencorporates.com/companies/us_ut/4768612-0143 And, Turnbow remained on staff after UHS, Inc acquired it reportedly through 2005.
David Williams	Therapy
Larry Winn (with Provo Canyon since 1970s)	Therapy	UHS, Inc acquired Provo Canyon School in June, 2000.  Source: https://opencorporates.com/companies/us_ut/4768612-0143 And, Winn remained on staff after UHS, Inc acquired it reportedly through 2009 (possibly still now).
Kelly Corey	Business Development
Carolyn Wetzel	Business Development
Denise Westman	Business Development
Wendy VanDivier	Business Development
Jared Weight	Group/Dir.
Linda Johnson	Student Svcs.
Sue Brady—Group Living renamed “residential coaches/coaching”	Group Living—Sue Brady has been with Provo Canyon since 1991, possibly longer.
Leslie Jepson (same person as Leslie Giles)	Group Living
Tom Kreth (Has been with Provo Canyon at least since early 1990s.)	Group Living/Residential Coach
Ron Wood (Reportedly with PCS as early as early 1990s)	Group Living
Steve Nielsen	Admissions/Dir.
Janette Benson	Admissions
Marlene Kendall	Admissions
Clinton Dorny	Admissions
Eric Landon	Recreational Therapy
Robert H. Crist (retired in 2008)—actually just went to other Crist program, Logan River Academy full-time.—Founded Provo Canyon School in 1971 and again in 1974	Medical Director/Co-Founder	UHS, Inc acquired Provo Canyon School in June, 2000.  Source: https://opencorporates.com/companies/us_ut/4768612-0143 And, Crist remained on staff after UHS, Inc acquired it reportedly through 2008.
Delbert Pearson	Medical/ Psychiatrist
Catherine Black	Medical/ APRN
Nick Pakidko	Ed. Director.
Kirk Farmer	Ed. Supervisor
Dianne Shields	Ed. Supervisor
Diana Anderson	Education
Patrick Bagley	Education
Wayne Bishop	Education
David Black	Education
Beth Boldman (with PCS from at least early 1990s--reportedly abusive)	Education	UHS, Inc acquired Provo Canyon School in June, 2000.  Source: https://opencorporates.com/companies/us_ut/4768612-0143 And, Boldman remained on staff after UHS, Inc acquired it reportedly through 2006.
David Campell	Education
Carrie Earl	Education
Paul Fowkes	Education
Bonnie Hate	Education
Ofa Ioane	Education
Cheryl Lindsey	Education
Kinzo Masuda	Education
Judy Miller	Education
Heidi Preece	Education
KathiJo Smith (started at Provo Canyon in early 1990s)	Education	UHS, Inc acquired Provo Canyon School in June, 2000.  Source: https://opencorporates.com/companies/us_ut/4768612-0143 And, Smith remained on staff after UHS, Inc acquired it reportedly through 2006.
Cheryl Stoner	Education
Sandy Tennysen	Education
Kammy Thompson	Education
Dianne Walker	Education
Barry Woodward	Admin CEO *Brad Gerrard now Director of Bus. Dev. 2001
Amber Davidson	Nurse/LPN
Ian Earl	Nurse/RN
Katherine Green	Nurse/LPN
Sarah Knight	Nurse/RN
Jeanette Price	Nurse/LPN
Carol Stratton	Nurse/RN
John Charles	Therapy
Mike Lind	Therapy
Tony Mosier	Therapy
Diane Nelson	Therapy ***could be same as Dianne Nelson in 2000
Jennifer Morgan-Smith	Therapy
Ryan Regis	Therapy
Greg Rush	Therapy
Sherry Sheffield	Therapy
Jennifer Wolley	Therapy
Lorna Hall (we have confirmation that Hall has been with Provo Canyon since 1991-1993)	Director (formerly Group Living/Residential Coaches)	UHS, Inc acquired Provo Canyon School in June, 2000.  Source: https://opencorporates.com/companies/us_ut/4768612-0143 And, Hall remained on staff after UHS, Inc acquired it reportedly through 2009 (possibly still now).
Leslie Giles	Group Living
Dave Perkins	Group Living
Bruce Robinson	Group Living
Megan Bailey	Education
Danielle Cousin	Education
Elizabeth Evans	Education
Jana King	Education
Bonnie Kokowa	Education
Nathan Powell	Education
Mary Talbot	Education
Shelly Windsor	Education
Tamara Winterton	Education
Bonnie Young	Education
Kreg Gillman	CEO
Katie Jochum	Director of Bus. Dev.
Ken Huey	Therapy (2005 became Director of Bus. Dev.)
Carol Strallon	Nurse/RN **** Could be same person as Carol Stratton from 2001
Janett Benson	Admissions ***** Could be same person as Janette Benson from 2000-2001
Court Hansen	Admissions
Tracey Bjarson	CTRS/TRS
Melissa Clater	CTRS/TRS
Kara Ohlsen	CTRS/TRS
Nancy Bowen	CTRS/TRS
Jennifer Clifton	Med/APRN
Rachelle Frost	Med/APRN
Laura Maw	Med/APRN
Barry Stone	Med/PAC
Sally B. Hill	Admissions
Rita Hoyle	Admissions
Emily McKnight	Admissions
Karen Stevens	Admissions
Darlene Adams	Nurse/LPN
Royene Aiken	Nurse/RN
Tim Bartell	Nurse/RN
Susan Byerly	Nurse/LPN
Megan Davidson	Nurse/LPN
Rebecca Greener	Nurse/LPN
Roxann Gull	Nurse/LPN
Roger Hiatt	Nurse/RN
Laurie Holland	Nurse/RN
Travis Hunter	Nurse/RN
Sherry Johnson	Nurse/LPN
Jessica Todd	Nurse/RN
Jude Rudolph	Director of Bus. Dev.
Rachel Barth	Education
Steve Barton	Education
Jerry Carpenter	Education
Marshall Christensen	Education
Amie Jo Cook	Education
Diana Cornaby	Education
Kevin Dexter	Education
Brett Haderlie	Education
Kathleen Hagerty	Education
Don Hunter	Education
Christian Jensen	Education
Donnel Johnson	Education
Doug Kotter	Education
Eleanor Laflamme	Education
Stacy Leak	Education
Misty Lindgren	Education
Danielle Mills	Education
Vivian Mitchell	Education
Anna Mortimer	Education
Coy Nedesky	Education
Mary Norton	Education
Shantell Oler	Education
Allyson Perkins	Education
Kela Shimp	Education
Stephen Biddulph	Director of Clinical Svcs.
Christine Berry	Rec. Therapy
Kara Crofts Fisher	Rec. Therapy
Robb Shirley	Rec. Therapy
Melissa Sprague	Rec. Therapy
Ron Albert	Residential Coaches (new title/div.)
Leslie Anderson	Residential Coaches
Codi Barnes	Girls Lead Coach
Antoine Few	Inventory
Matt Flake	Residential Coaches
Jason Harrington	Residential Coaches
Joe McCloud	Residential Coaches
Justin Uale	Residential Coaches
Laura Willis	Inventory
Moroni Alvarez	Therapy
Matthew Bradley	Therapy
Aaron Cothran	Therapy
Eric Fawson	Therapy
Patrick R. Fisk	Therapy
Sara Fonnesbeck	Therapy
Russell Gaede	Therapy	Gaede reportedly no longer works for Provo Canyon School and would prefer not to be associated with it in any way.  He reportedly disapproves.
Michael Higbee	Therapy
Drew Hirsch	Therapy
Eric Jenkins	Therapy
Jennifer Morrill	Therapy
Daniel J. Musto	Therapy
Cheryl L. Neville	Therapy
Adriana Ottonelli	Therapy
Kevin Raff	Therapy
Marcie Remington	Therapy
Wade Taylor	Therapy
Daniel Woodbury	Therapy
Kristina Zeidner	Therapy
David Melear	Admin/CEO
Rebekah Cook	Admissions
Jody Levicki (Jodi Lavicky) (with PCS at least as early as 1991)	Admissions	UHS, Inc acquired Provo Canyon School in June, 2000.  Source: https://opencorporates.com/companies/us_ut/4768612-0143 And, Levicki remained on staff after UHS, Inc acquired it reportedly through 2007 (possibly still now).
Kate VandeKraats	Admissions
Megan Burgin	Nurse/RN
Jan/Janna Hopkins	Nurse/RN
Natalie Hurley	Nurse/LPN
Sherri Johnson	Nurse/LPN ******May be same person as Sherry Johnson in 2005
Wade Roskelly	Nurse/LPN
James Murray	Director of Bus. Dev.
Tere Snodgrass	Business Dev.
Nadean Armstrong	Education
Merill Black	Education
Ben Francis	Education
Kathleen Wilson	Education
Carol Stockin	Education
Ray Zentz	Education
Cheryl Demarco	Rec. Therapy
Sadie Perkins	Rec. Therapy
Laura Wagstaff	Rec. Therapy
Ann Waldrom	Rec. Therapy
Brent Esplin	Therapy
Chris Gauger	Therapy
Jeremy Hilton	Therapy
Jennifer James	Therapy
Aislinn Kelly	Therapy
Kimberly Martin	Therapy
Vjollca Martinson	Therapy
Susan Peterson	Therapy
Ian Smith	Therapy
Jenny Taylor	Therapy
Emily Wilson	Therapy
Jeremy Cottle	CEO
Susan Clyde	Nurse/RN
Brian Mattews	Nurse/LPN
Tina Patterson	Nurse/RN
Deirdre Butte	Bus. Dev.
Caretia A. Fernandez	Bus. Dev.
Ann Bowen	Rec. Therapy
Amanda Beal	Therapy
Christopher Knox	Therapy
Lana Wren	Therapy
Al Jessop	Group Living
Jo Porter	Education	Worked for PCS in early 1990s.
Alan Pontius	Education	Worked for PCS in early 1990s.
Heather Hammond	Staff	Worked for PCS in early 1990s.
Cathy (Kathy?) Hurley	Staff	Worked for PCS in early 1990s.
Phil Westbrook	Staff	Worked for PCS in early 1990s.
Megan L. Hamblin	Staff	Worked for PCS in early 1990s.
Deanna Gerdes	Education	Worked for PCS in early 1990s
Laura Wiggington	Education	Worked for PCS in early 1990s
Susie Black	Staff	Worked for PCS in early 1990s
Chris Holbrook	Staff	Worked for PCS in early 1990s
Maureen Rowe	Investment Staff	Worked for PCS in early 1990s
Brenda Walker	Investment Staff	Worked for PCS in early 1990s
Craig Winters	Therapist	Worked for PCS in early 1990s
Larry Adams	Education	Worked for PCS in early 1990s
Kirsten Bastian	Staff	Worked for PCS in early 1990s
Barbara Young	Staff	Worked for PCS in early 1990s
Melissa Ricks	Recreational Therapist	Worked for PCS in early 1990s
Sandee K. Fruhling	Staff	Worked for PCS in early 1990s
RusCene Porter	Staff	Worked for PCS in early 1990s
Eileen Turner	Investment Staff	Worked for PCS in early 1990s
Brent Facer	Staff	Worked for PCS in 1970s--Later worked for WWASP
Earl Taylor	Staff	Worked for PCS in 1970s
Frank Purviss (or Purvis)	Staff	Worked for PCS in 1970s
Robert Lichfield	Staff	Worked for PCS in 1970s--Founder of WWASP
Shirley Robb	Recreational Staff	Worked for PCS from 2005-2007
R. Zentz	Education	Worked for PCS in 2005
Todd Orchard	Resident Artist	Worked for PCS in 2001
A. Allred	Sandwich Artist	Worked for PCS in 2006
C. Demarco	Staff/Intern	Worked for PCS in 2005
David Campbell	Education/Director
Steve Nielsen	Admissions	Worked for PCS in 2003--Confirmed
J. Williams	Recreational Staff	Worked for PCS as Intern in 2007 (related to Jack?)
Laurie Harrop	Education	Worked for PCS in 2004
Douglas Conrad Winkelman	Parent Seminar "Specialist"	Worked for PCS in 1986.  Winkelman has been involved in government planning for children and education since 1967.  He is an "Elder" with the Mormon church.  And, he is involved with another cult called Brighter Minds.  He has also worked on a number of "research" projects in US prisons and education on behavior modification.  Click on his name to the left and jump to page 11 (enter 11 in the box where it says page (box) of 43.
Dennis Eugene Thorne (D. Eugene Thorne)	Psychologist	DEAD.
Kiersten Brostrom	Unit Staff
Chad (Last?)	Unit Staff
Brandon (Last?)	Unit Staff
Clara Bell	Unit Staff
Craig Rodabaugh	Therapist (Former)	Reportedly worked at Provo Canyon in 1990 and has since went on to work at Kolob Canyon.

 

Link: Lawsuits Against Provo Canyon School

Link: Provo Canyon School Truth Exposed!

REPORTING GUIDE FOR VICTIMS, SURVIVORS, & WHISTLEBLOWERS In Utah, the criminal statutes of limitation are 2 years on misdemeanors, 8 years on many felonies, and no statute of limitations on child sex trafficking or murder.  For civil suits in Utah, the statute of limitations is 4 years. Here are your options: 1.  Report crimes such as assault, battery, labor trafficking, and child abuse to law enforcement in Utah.  You can call the Orem Police at (801) 229-7070 and/or Provo Police at (801) 852-6210  to inquire about filing an official complaint which may provide the probable cause needed to get a warrant for investigation and/or prosecution.  You can also file a complaint with Utah regulators by visiting https://hslic.utah.gov/concerns-incidents and clicking on "Submit A Concern" and completing and submitting that online form. 2.  File a consumer complaint with your home state's attorney general against Provo Canyon School and include your request for compensation for any harm done to you.  If you live in Utah or would like to file a consumer complaint with the Utah Attorney General as a nonresident, visit: https://attorneygeneral.utah.gov/contact/complaint-form/  3.  If you do not wish to file a consumer complaint, you can contact a private personal injury attorney and look into suing in tort/civil court.  However, if you can't afford the retainer, you should expect to settle out of court with a non-disclosure agreement which may bar you from speaking publicly about the incident because you've agreed (even if with a grumbling assent) to the terms of the settlement.    4.  You may send a new e-mail to rev@cope.church with subject "Post My Feedback" and we will post your feedback (e-mail printed to .pdf disclosing your name and e-mail address and any information in your e-mail with that subject) to https://www.cope.church/feedback.htm  and add a direct link to those .pdf files to this page .   5. You may also wish to provide a guest sermon.  Guest sermons are posted at https://www.cope.church/sermons.htm , under Progress Reports/Guest Sermons at https://www.cope.church/conversion.htm where appropriate, and on program info pages when applicable.  So, one provided by you on your program would also be placed on this page .  Guest sermons should be written into the body of an e-mail and sent to rev@cope.church . Your first and last name will be disclosed (contact info will not be unless you expressly request disclosure).  For sermons available on our site see https://www.cope.church/sermons.htm  (and sermon archives linked on that page).  If you have questions about this option, please contact rev@cope.church. Please see https://www.cope.church/givetoday.pdf  to get an idea what your sermon may be worth.

External Link: Aaron Ross sues Provo Canyon for Sex Abuse and Torture, Filed 2021

August 15th, 2021: A #TaoFu Sermon on Provo Canyon School (which declined to comment)

 

File a complaint or leave a review at the Better Business Bureau here: https://www.bbb.org/us/ut/provo/profile/youth-organization-center/provo-canyon-school-1166-22293449

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.  The HEAL Mission of COPE (HEAL) found in many cases where this offer has been abused or resulted in revealing additional basis for our concerns. For some examples see feedback.  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-lis/enrolled in the Conversion Program 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.  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 https://www.cope.church/legalarguments.htm for more information.  Now, most facilities on our watch list include waivers, indemnity clauses, and sworn statements legal guardians must sign assuring the program that the parents/legal guardians 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 https://www.cope.church/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".

ABOUT DR. PHIL MCGRAW....  (This was formerly featured at https://www.cope.church/breathless.htm and has been relocated as more appropriate to this page in some ways...) For those who have been unduly influenced by false advertising, slick salespeople, and promises that all your problems will be solved if you sign an agreement you don't read and pay a lot of money who find that too tempting, even if all lies, due to feeling vulnerable, overworked, and overwhelmed, we're here to help educate you and inform you that anyone offering to solve all or most of your major issues for cash while pressuring you not to question their methods or read the contracts as they manipulate and exploit you for money and free promotion of their bullshit, is not someone with whom you should do business nor trust your private information because such tactics are used by criminals and not those with any legitimate services to offer regardless of what you may hear from those already misled or profiting themselves off of mutual referrals which at this time is now criminal and against federal and many state laws.  So, if someone recommended a cult/scam to you, even a celebrity like Dr. Phil (not licensed to practice) who was sued for it but continues to recommend these places/cults anyway, it is best to think for yourself and not believe the hype.  And, now you should also report any such celebrities or referrers to the FBI for violating federal kickback laws and/or state law enforcement where exchanges in kind are understood to be considered compensation for such referrals and illegal.  So, if you have evidence of it, turn them in immediately and you can sometimes gather all the evidence for probable cause for such an investigation by doing a little research since they brazenly break laws on tv, online, and in your face knowing most people won't take the time to bother with reporting to law enforcement, filing suit, or even filing consumer complaints with Attorney General's office(s).  Such reporting resources can be found above.  And, the reason these criminals are still operating is as a result of many victims being too intimidated to report in a timely fashion or they feel since they now know and are out of it they prefer to "move on" rather then do anything remotely responsible that requires any time or effort on their part to make sure they get justice and other people don't fall victim to the same or similar crime/criminals.  So, don't blame law enforcement or regulation unless they actually fail to do their jobs after you've effectively done your civic duty.  And, if you've been a victim of undue influence and brainwashing, we have compassion for you and hope even when we may be unpleasant in tone or language that it helps with your deprogramming needs.  We are survivors and consumer advocates, not mental health nor medical professionals.  But, our team is made up of people of good faith, ecumenical, and politically diverse.  Don't blame victims and make sure anyone making recommendations is getting paid and not just an active victim of the cult/scam before jumping to conclusions regarding guilt or innocence.  Dr. Phil* is definitely in on it. *ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON DR. PHIL MCGRAW (SOURCES CITED): "Dr. Phil McGraw is not a licensed professional.  His license was revoked in TX after he had inappropriate relations with a 19 year old patient in his care.  He refused to take an ethics course or do any of the requirements for his reinstatement.  Source: http://forensicpsychologist.blogspot.com/2008/01/dr-phil-controversy-highlights-public.html In fall of 2004, Angela Smith of HEAL was notified that Dr. Phil McGraw was recommending Provo Canyon School on his program.  She is a victim of Provo Canyon and was tortured at that facility.  She and other victims of Provo Canyon wrote the show, called the show, and the production company in charge of the show (HARPO Productions, Oprah Winfrey's company) with great concern and alarm.  We received no response. Parents tried posting about their family experiences on Dr. Phil's message board on his own website and none of the posts were ever made public.  Only positive statements about the programs he recommended were allowed or permitted on his message boards.  After getting stone-walled, we contacted the National Enquirer hoping to shame Dr. Phil into stopping his recommendations of abusive facilities, including Provo Canyon.  They ran the story in January, 2005, here is that link: http://www.nationalenquirer.com/celebrity/dr-phil-caught-child-abuse-scandal/. Even after all of that, Dr. Phil continues to recommend Aspen Education Group and other abusive programs through his show.  Oprah owns her own abusive programs and she recommends these facilities as well.  That's Dr. Phil's boss.  We set up action alerts to tell Dr. Phil to stop and all of our efforts were ignored.  But, considering the type of man Dr. Phil is, it isn't surprising.  Deaths at multiple Aspen programs.  Forcing girls to give lap dances at Mount Bachelor Academy (now closed), an Aspen facility in Oregon.  Dr. Phil only cares about money and doesn't give a hoot about ethics, morality, or justice.  Since that time, HEAL has had an ongoing action alert to boycott Dr. Phil. In January of 2013, Jodi Hobbs of SIA and Nick Gaglia appeared on the Dr. Phil Show to discuss institutional abuse.  Source: http://piecesofvictory.com/?page_id=983.  We begged them not to do it because it would only become a comparison to say these old now closed programs were awful and not something Dr. Phil would recommend while he continues selling equally abusive programs to his audience, programs that include where Angela Smith and other HEAL coordinators were abused. In January of 2014, parents and victims filed suit against Dr. Phil and programs he had recommended claiming he had exploited their families and sent their children into harm's way.  That case is linked above and one in which we assisted the lawyer and the families. But, it is clear that Nick and Jodi were unable to persuade Dr. Phil in 2013 to stop doing it and stop placing kids.  And, media shaming and lawsuits haven't stopped him either. To this day, February 25th, 2017, Dr. Phil continues to promote Aspen Education Group on his website: http://www.drphil.com/show-pages/laureenshannon/.

For those interested in Rev. Angela Smith's background, stay, and/or attempts to report the issues at PCS to someone in a position of arguable authority (though not really, legislators are not law enforcement nor regulators), see https://www.cope.church/pcshistory.pdf .  Rev. Angela Smith was enrolled and interned at PCS in 1989.  #308.  Please support efforts to rescue other children currently being abused in segregated congregate care.  Spread the word and please consider donating to support the church and mission.  For more info, visit https://www.cope.church/mission.htm and https://www.cope.church/support.htm.  Thank you.

Feedback: January 24th, 2022: Ann R. K., Survivor of Provo Canyon School in UT, click here for feedback.

 Last updated:  February 28th, 2023

 

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