I never planned on writing a review of this facility after I left mainly because I wanted to put everything behind me and leave all my traumatic experiences in the past but after recently finding out another person I know has taken their own life after attending Elevations I feel It is my responsibility to tell the truth about what I have seen at Elevations to possibly save the lives of more kids in the future. I attended Elevations RTC from January to August in 2018 when I was 15 years old at the time. I was sent there because I was struggling with depression, I was failing out of school, and I was abusing drugs and alcohol, and I did not have a good relationship with my parents, I was going down a bad road and my parents felt it was their only option to send me to a residential treatment center which was one of the hardest decisions they have ever had to make. Unfortunately they happened to fall victim to the clinical director Judi Jacques's deceiving marketing campaign which goes miles to cover up the history of "Island View" the program which was shut down in 2014 for "maintaining a prison like environment where physical and psychological torture were used against students. Judi knew very well the horrendous offenses that occurred at Island View given she worked there for more than 20 years and has done her best to cover up the atrocities she has been responsible for. She is a truly vile women and I don't know how she sleeps at night knowing she has the blood on her hands of countless kids who were not given the care they were promised and they that were led to believe they didn't deserve care or support. Elevations is so similar to Island view the booklet I was given on the operating procedures when I first arrived had "Island View" written across the top because the procedures were the exact same, the books in the library still have "Island View RTC" stamped across the bottom, and more than half of the staff members at Elevations previously worked at Island View. Elevations still uses the same restraint techniques and even solitary confinement (which has been banned in juvenile prisons since 2016) against their residents as punishment. I was even placed in solitary confinement for 48 hours for making an inappropriate joke, however I have seen residents spend up to weeks in solitary confinement and I specifically remember the look in one of my friends eyes when I snuck in a book for him (which was contraband for anybody in SC or IF as It was called at elevations) Seeing his blank stair into my eyes in gratitude is something I will live with my entire life with. I haven't even touched the other topics I was planning on mentioning like the inadequate medical care, the harassment from staff, the constant sedation of residents, or many more topics but Im running out of room to type and so I just want to end it with the two things I gained from elevations amidst all the chaos to which I am thankful for, the first being I have some of the closest relationships I have ever made from elevations because experiencing these things together at such a young age forms a true brotherhood between people. I also learned throughout all the pain and negativity around me that I was destined for greater things than surrendering my life to drugs or alcohol and that is a lesson I carry with myself to this day, almost 2 years later. read more

Previously Island View Academy (residential treatment center) was shut down due to child abuse and they were forced to rebranded under a new name, now Elevations. As an orphan sent there by foster care courts, I can tell you that many of the same people work here when I was there and it's pretty much a scam for vulnerable families and children. I mean I was only in there because my mom died in a car crash and my dead beat father was sexually and physically abusing me after my moms death and he was unfortunately given full custody. I told on my father after a couple years and by 12 I was in cps and passed around through "therapeutic boarding schools," "wilderness programs" and many Lock Down Facilities like Elevations ( island view) when there were no beds left in foster homes or shelters, my only option was being a resident of institutions like these ...more like an inmate from my perspective. I wanted to kill myself when my mom died and when I was living a nightmare with my father but this place made me take meds for illnesses I may not have even had by using my unfortunate traumatic past as an incentive to keep stuffing pills down my throat (some kids are part of placebo testing as well), so being their Guinea pig/lab rat just didn't sit right with me and I spoke out on those wrongs a lot. Ultimately to be punished over and over. Against their inhumane ways and ties of Mormonism & business especially because it is protected by religious rights and still is a problem. How are they given the freedom to quietly mistreat youth from all demographics of our country and even immigrant children from other countries? I was personally put in isolation, over medicated and my biological health of my thyroid and other physical Illnesses were neglected so severely that I am now disabled from that . Now my chronic thyroid disease, that without medication my heart would give out on me and I would die of a heart attack. So to put that in perspective for those who think this is their last resort to help their child, it took me having heart attacks for this business to take me to an actual endocrinologist. So in my opinion, trading one abusive environment for another was just me back at square one and yes I wanted to die, I wanted to slit my throat and kill my self there but it was the only way I knew how to respond to abuse. By the time I left I was 4 foot 7 inches and I weighed over 230lbs due to their negligence and money hungry commodity of preying on vulnerable people! read more

I have been through this program twice and I can confidently say that under NO circumstances should a parent or guardian send their child there. The program is designed to break down its residents and build them up as "better people". This is a very abusive type of therapy if one can even call it that. Attack therapy is often used and bullying is encouraged between students. Elevations is also known for its frequent and improper usage of restraint, often resulting in injury to the resident who is being restained. Should you send your child here, you would be stripping them of all the rights that make one human. It is also my personal experience that this program cares not for actual therapeutic growth but for complete control over its residents. Even concepts such as the "level system" that are marketed as ways for residents to gain rights and freedoms are actually cleverly disguised methods to exact obedience and subservience from the adolescents housed there. Fortunately, during my second stay, I realized this. Escaping from the confines of the level system and other abusive and toxic methods of programming was the absolute best thing for my mental health and behavioral issues. Unfortunnently, this was not celebrated as a time of growth and healing for me but was met with great disdain from the majority of staff. I was punished greatly for refusing to conform to the point that my parents had to pull me from the program. Even if my personal story is not enough to prevent you from sending your child to elevations, please listen to the horror stories of other former residents. There are much worse stories than mine and in comparison to those stories, the trauma I have received from this facility looks like a walk in the park. Please, I beg you, do not fall for the marketing schemes presented by facilities like this one. Listen to the stories of survivors of abusive facilities, and then decide if it is worth the risk. Trick question! It is not and never will be worth this risk. If your care about your child's wellbeing in even the slightest, please, please, do not send them to residential treatment, especially Elevations. read more

Most horrible place to send a child who needs help. Kids dont get better they get traumatized. Girls screaming in the middle of the night, People stealing your belongings, attemped suicides and multiple running attemps. This school fills you with dessert so you feel slow and groggy. They make you eat horrible food in an attempt to make you to tired to fight back. And by fight back I mean have a clear head and your own thoughts to rely on. If you do anything that they might feel as a "Threat" they will PI-4 you. I think that PI-4'ing was made illegal in Us prisons but I cant be sure since this facility is run by insane power hungry fools who dont know what their doing and dont care. This isnt a place for Kids to get better its a place where they make money and the kids get worse. I remember the traumatizing moment of arriving and literally being strip searched and having to remove all my clothes and take a shower in front of them. It was horrifying and made matters worse when I started sobbing and they asked what was wrong like nothing happened. They also make you bend over if they percieve your top is to low. They sexulized my child-like body and leered in a disgusting way. When I wore a bra to Gym a staff asked me if I was wearing a bra. I sad yes and she said shes giving me a demerit for wearing the wrong bra. Everyone was scared and the learning enviorment was awful since some days girls would act out and the rest of the Group would get in trouble and not be able to go to class. Many fights broke out, physical and violent fights that were scary and traumatic making the Unit seem even more like a jail. If you love your kids (which Im assuming you dont since you sent them to Hell) dont ever consider this place an appropriate option. Living in the wilderness is a better option that Elevations RTC. read more

I'm a survivor of this program. I graduated in 2007 when it was called island view. I still have ptsd and nightmares about being sent to this place. It was psychologically abusive- they scrutinize everything about your child. If they so much as give them a wrong look, your child's character will be torn apart. This has lead me to try to be perfect, and hate and fear any kind of criticism from others. I claimed to be addicted to drugs and alcohol when I wasnt, so I could get out of there. I've been to countless AA meetings when I never had an addiction. They heavily medicated me and treated me for bipolar disorder, which I never had. I stopped taking meds the day I turned it 18. I'm almost 34 now. The most heartbreaking thing that still brings me to tears today, is I attempted to contact some of my "toxic" friends when I went home for the first time to visit. Shortly after my grandma, who was my favorite person in the world, took a turn for the worse and was given a very short period of time to live. They did not allow me to say goodbye to her or attend her memorial because of my "mistake" when I visited home. It still breaks my heart every single day Please do not send your child here. I know so many kids who have committed suicide because of the trauma from places like these. Their stories deserve to be told, and all I can do as a survivor is help other kids stay away from places like this. It's an industry that brainwashes parents and kids to believe it works so they can profit from it. read more

This place isnt going to help your kid with 1 therapy session a week with a therapist that's going to yell and curse at you, answer phone calls during your therapy session, accuse you of faking your eating disorders or mental illnesses that you've been diagnosed with for a long time for attention. This lockdown facility is not going to help your kid with their depression, wilderness is a much better alternative (aspiro is highly recommended by me). If your kid has a specific issue a la PTSD, OCD, BPD, etc., send them to a facility that specializes in this. If your thinking of sending your kid there because they are lgbtq+, then dont, because they will get called f*gs and tr***nies in front of staff and nothing will be done about it. If your looking for a place to put your actively suicidal kid to keep them safe, then this facility where kids have successfully killed themselves is not the place for your kid. If your kid is defiant and refuses to go to school, then dont send them here, because they dont need to be in a lockdown environment. This place did nothing for me and I'm glad my parents pulled me out. I'm doing much better now with a therapist who actually cares about me and my treatment. read more

I was a student here from 2013 to 2014 when Island View transitioned to Elevations. My stay here was single handedly the thing that has ruined my life up until now. I've seen countless kids get injured including myself by staff using aggressive holds. I have personally watched a staff member break a child's arm for cussing. It didn't take much to trigger the abuse, sometimes all it took was refusing to leave your room. The abuse that happens here isn't just physical, I'd even dare to say it's mostly mental abuse and manipulation, mixed in with gaslighting the parents. The way they turned getting out of there into a game of how much can you put down and criticize your peers is frankly disturbing. I'm almost 30 now and the physical and emotional scars from this place still haunt me. Sometimes I wonder how different and amazing my life would've been if I hadn't been kidnapped in the middle of the night and literally dragged to this place. Please, please I beg of any parents, do not send your children here. It might rob them of the life they were meant to live and leave a permanent scar in your relationship with them that can never be healed. read more

death at rtc by common practices: http://www.residentialtreatmentcenterabuse.com/deaths-at-residential-teen-programs.php what is normal everyday rtc life/ what we are exposed to/ the truth about corrupt ed consultants - transporters -therapists- rtcs ect "professionals" (at taking your money) http://www.residentialtreatmentcenterabuse.com only deregulated/religious based states HAVE THE LEGAL RIGHT to harbor children against their wills at rtcs/wilderness http://www.residentialtreatmentcenterabuse.com/religious-programs.php truth on ed consultants http://www.residentialtreatmentcenterabuse.com/educational-consultants.php transporters ( which i continuously have nightmares almost every night for over a year - they woke me in the middle of the night and dragged me away - i didn't know who they were. they said if i cried i would get in more trouble- they gave me 3 xanax tablets and held me down in the backseat of a car) http://www.residentialtreatmentcenterabuse.com/teen-transport-services.php how they continue to even exist in a country with "civil rights" http://www.residentialtreatmentcenterabuse.com/government-views.php read more

This place and places like this are just places that abuse your child. They're out for your money not your child's health. Sexual abuse is common. Please before I send your child to a place like this do your research. Listen to the podcast " Something was Wrong." Job corps is a FAR better option. Places like this should BE SHUT DOWN!!!!! They've taken it so far as to have kids die. Strip searches on female students done by men. No. Please don't send your child here or a place like it. read more

I'm a former resident, and I can tell any parent looking at this, DO NOT send your child here. Look up "Island View RTC abuse". The facility is full of the same sadistic staff members. I still have nightmares from this place, after getting out I was sent down a much darker path than before I went there. Unless you want your child to be abused, traumatized, and have them suffer from PTSD for the rest of their lives, don't send them here. read more

Elevations is one of the best residential treatment centers I've come across. It seems like the staff truly care about changing the lives of struggling youth. The therapists and psychiatrists I got to meet were knowledgable and obviously passionate about what they do. Their campus is in a beautiful area with fantastically designed facilities made to keep their students safe and secure. Overall, Elevations is a really wonderful program. read more

Elevations RTC is a top notch residential treatment center for troubled teens. In my years in the behavioral health industry, I have seen few programs that can match Elevations RTC's ability to assist struggling teens with their evidence-based treatment program. In my experience, the staff at Elevations shows a genuine care for each of their students. Keep up the good work that you're doing for these teens that need your help! read more

I beg of you, DO NOT take your children here. There are better options, I promise you. They put on a nice little facade for you during greeting tours. What they will not show you are the biohazards, abuse, and tortures that happen behind the scene. It has been since 2018 since we last dealt with Elevations. Since 2018, FIVE people that also suffered at elevations have killed themselves. Do not come here. read more

Former resident here. This program is abusive, uses solitary confinement and restraints and punishes kids who ask their parents for help. To parents who still have kids in the program, please get them out before its too late. For kids in the program. I see you, I support you, and there's thousands of people who have your back and are fighting to get these places shut down. Don't give up hope. read more

I was a resident here. I got sent here to get better at doing my homework and to be able to communicate with my parents. when I got there all the kids were there for serious drug abuse problems. It was crazy. please do not send anyone here. it is a huge hoax. there are much better places than there. I would rather have been in jail. read more

Are you serious? Do you not see what's been coming out? They're ABUSERS!!!! They abuse these CHILDREN and deprive them of food and water, and only allow their photos taken if they're smiling and it's forced. Ridiculous!!!! Absolutely DISGUSTING!!!!!! Even those that are owned by the DOC aren't treated this way in prisons!!!! read more

Elevations is a private prison where children are abused. Notice a common trend from the reviews of people who survived this program: nightmares. This place is a nightmare. The staff are all nightmares. The methods are nightmares. The facility is a nightmare, and only result of the program is nightmares. read more

Our family was changed for the better by Elevations. Our son made friends with deep relationships and his therapist Anna Chauncey is simply awesome and amazing. She is skilled at holding boundaries and worked with our family to improve our skills without being overbearing. Thank you! read more

When I toured Elevations I was very impressed with the front line staff. They are authentic and show compassion in their interactions with the students at Elevations. The therapy provided is really second to none. Elevations gets my highest rating! read more