This place may be slightly better than others, but it is still a prison environment for controlling teen boys who have problems. If your son is not a completely compliant, cooperative and obedient to authority, he will fail. If he sometimes has an attitude and it shows, he will be punished by having his privileges completely stripped away. In other words, if your son has some normal teenage resistance, he will drown here. Some of the therapists mean well, and are decent. The school staff and teachers are wonderful. Part time staff are treated poorly, and the parent retreats are like EST. If your son’s getting too comfortable, they will encourage other students to confront him, make up something, just for the sake of therapy.
They have transgender students here, but still refer to students as “the boys”. They have students with extreme anxiety and force them to do things they are terrified of, like rock climbing, with the idea it is all therapy. Parents beware. There is a lack of choices in the industry for truly troubled kids. It is a mini prison like so many others with lots of control and lots of homophobia. Owners will go on and on about how they are so diverse and inclusive, while avoiding your direct questions. What we need are trauma informed teachers counselors and staff in public schools not these expensive programs which are available only to a few. He will get a good education here, and as I said before there are some very good people who work here, but the place is overall bad news.
If he is trying to deal with sexual orientation or gender identity, run as fast as you can. Just because the owners are gay does not mean it is safe for the students. And if he mouths off one time for having to line up like a prisoner he might just be kicked out with nowhere to go. Students are kicked out often on a whim. The owners will tell you the first time you meet with them about how they care about kids who want to run, and how they deal with this situation. What they do is let them run. Or look for reasons to expel them saying it just isn’t a good fit for your son. The problem is with the owners. They set the tone. They make the rules. They are shrewd in running their for profit business.

Could you help me understand the tactics that this facility used? I am looking for examples to help me understand. Please don't provide me with names or such.

Feel free to email me directly. ;)

Jason