The Blog of P.U.R.E. and Sue Scheff

Don't get scammed because you are desperate for help. You are searching for a program for your struggling teen.  You have reached your wit's end and bumped into websites that seem to promise to help you.  After being stunned by the sticker shock, you start surfing the web a bit and suddenly realize everything isn't want it seems. Yes, River View Academy (Utah), River River Academy, Youth Foundation, Cross Creek, and even those sales people. Sigh.... And who am I. Well, if you ask these teen help "sales reps" they will tell you that I am a disgruntled parent that attempted to manipulate their referral system.  Okay, funny a jury trial didn't find that.  There has been many lawsuits filed against this organization, though many have been settled quietly, mine was the only one to go to a jury trial - in Salt Lake City.  I was not taking this sitting down. The Internet is a very deceptive place.  You see, there is Internet fact and Interne...

Stressed out about your at-risk teen? As a parent advocate I am always receiving emails and phone calls on a variety of schools and programs from parents and students that have first hand experiences. My personal experiences are with Carolina Springs Academy that is now closed, however was under the WWASPS umbrella that still has programs operating in the United States such as Cross Creek, Red River Academy, Horizon Academy and most recently I am hearing about River View located in La Verkin, Utah. Diamond Ranch Academy , sadly, though I don't have first hand experiences, I am receiving more negative feedback about them. This week I receive another negative call.  Usually after 3 complaints, that run similar, I raise a red flag.   They asked me to listen to Bipolar Nation Radio . It reminds me of the days when we were fighting against WWASPS - and I can hear the frustrations and the pain in the mother and know the pain the parents are going through when you fee...

Utah River View in La Verkin River View River View Academy Not exactly sure?  Neither was a parent when she called me after surfing the Internet and coming across a marking arm that attempted to tell her that her son was a perfect fit for this program. As a parent advocate for over a decade, I have certainly heard and visited many schools and programs in our country and this one really confused me.  Why? Well - La Verkin, Utah is very small and the home of Cross Creek which is part of the organization that harmed my own daughter years ago and defrauded me. They are also part of many allegations of abuse, fraud and currently involved in yet another lawsuit .  Are you looking for residential therapy for your at-risk teen?  I commend you for being proactive - don't give up your search.  There are actually more good programs than there are not so good.  However it is imperative you do your research and dig deep. Know the questions to ask . ...