RedCliff Ascent

DO NOT SEND ANY LOVED ONES HERE!! This review is long overdue. I actually decided to see if this place was still in business and I couldn't believe it was still operating. I went here in 2005, I went straight from a hospital to this program. They lied to my parents at the time and told them it was a program that was lead with kindness and they would help people become stronger again that suffered from emotional challenges. I am someone that suffers from severe treatment resistant depression, anxiety, insomnia, and panic. I am not a person that has ever been jailed for hurting others, I would never hurt anyone. When I arrived, they stripped me down, did an anal cavity search, and then put me in standard issue clothes. They then blindfolded me and drove me in a Jeep into the Utah wilderness. When I arrived, there were two other guys there that were serving a sentence by a judge. They gave me a travel pack of toilet paper and told me that was all I would have to use for the entire month to wipe with. They made us sleep in the rain with no tarp. I was so sick at the time that they had to get me out of the environment to see the doctor that I think only came into the field every few weeks. They blindfolded me again, I was in a state of panic and couldn't be blindfolded. I was crying hysterically and they were treated me like a prison would treat an inmate. It was one of the most horrific experiences of my life. They would not refund our money and life went on. Please please please do not ever send someone you care about to this program. They just know people in high places in Utah to be able to get away with this type of punitive treatment of humans. Whether you are serving a sentence or not, you should never be treated like this. It was horrible and awful and anyone associated with this place should be ashamed of themselves.

I was sent to this program in the summer of 2016. There are many things I agree and disagree with but in the end, it benefitted me personally. I think the idea of being forced to go against your will is absurd, and should be illegal. I also think that individuals should be able to have more contact with family (at least parents) rather than a brief letter once every several weeks. I think the extreme isolation and complete solitude from humanity is overwhelming, and I can understand how it would traumatize certain individuals. When I first showed up, I was forced to do an intake and get completely naked. Upon being driven what felt like endless miles into the terrain, of course, I tried to escape. I was immediately put into a submissive army hold for the remainder of the time. (45mins or so.) There were many times we had no wells for water, and had to access it through cow trough!.. The staff literally brought our group to a trough, filled our bags with poo/bacteria water, and dropped our 2 drops of bleach into the water, waited 30 minutes until it was "good to drink". Although we were told it was clean after, I still vividly remember the taste of that! I still even remember the staff leader, "Cappy" (for Capuchin Monkey due to his apparent hiking abilities). My least favorite of the staff by far. Now, I would like to talk about some of the good things I recall and think are noteworthy.. 1st and most important- my therapist was fantastic. They called him, "Running Bear", and to this day, I still view the man like a second father in a way. Brilliant man. Full of wisdom. Extremely savvy. The man helped me find myself in my time out there. Regardless of the circumstances, he helped me at least try to maintain a level head. He did his best to be straight-forward and real with you. I remember I had finally finished all my phase work, and he encouraged me to read a book that he personally brought out to me called, "The Alchemist" 25th edition by Paulo Coelho. I read it within the first 3 days haha, still have it (with all my other RCA equipment / collections). Anyway, the staff out there is iffy. Some are way better than others. I heard of some other students that were not so lucky with their provided therapist which just prolonged their stay. I also have heard and been told students are typically sent to another program AFTER RCA, typically coordinated between therapists / parents. DO NOT let this place groom you into sending your kid off again. At the end of the day, if someone wants true change they will make it happen. I don't know how much of this context applies here but, I'm sure you've heard the quote, "fake it 'til you make it"... This place gave me a great push in the right direction but the rest was up to me. It gave me all the values I needed for success and prepared me with wonderful insights for how life really is.. However, within 3 months of being back, I was already getting back to my old ways. This time though, much less severe. I knew in the back of my head what COULD happen again. I ended up dropping out of Highschool and threw away an opportunity to play baseball at LSU / UofI.. BUT with a little faith in JESUS and a lot of lessons learned, I pulled it together and got a GED, I am now finishing my last semester for my bachelors in Political Science, I am healthy and have a very stable relationship with my family, I am full of life! I was sent to this place in 2016, so my story will not be the same as yours or your childs.. but with all being said, I will NEVER forget my experience at Redcliff Ascent. I hope to be back for a shindig one day. This place will always hold a special spot in my heart for the values it taught me and the spirituality that was brought to life. I still look back thinking it was all a dream sometimes. I still talk with my peers that I met out there (at least the majority). We became brothers! I still think Darkmoon has the coolest signature on my fire log. Hoping we can reunite and play some wow sometime.

I attended RedCliff Ascent more than 25 years ago, and the emotional trauma I experienced there still affects me today. The abuse—emotional, psychological, and at times physical—was real, even if it was never officially documented. Programs like RedCliff continue to thrive in Utah because the state enables them through weak oversight and systemic indifference. What’s most disturbing is that RedCliff has never taken any accountability. Instead, they consistently defend themselves and dismiss survivor experiences. If you’re a parent thinking about sending your child here, I understand you may be overwhelmed and desperate for solutions—but please, look elsewhere. There are better options. I promise you.