Trails Carolina Wilderness Camp Tragedy: What Happened In Cabin 6? Part 1 

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Any parent that willingly let's their child basically get kidnapped in the middle of the night is a part of the problem. How freaking traumatic.

The kidnapping part of this whole thing is sooo insane to me. I can not imagine being a parent thinking you’re getting your child help, but then watching the way they’re taken away and still being okay with moving forward. Imagine the fear of being taken from your home by big men while you’re sleeping and taken to a facility where you’re drugged and abused and can’t contact your parents to find out if they even know where you are. How could it not be traumatic

By the time my son was 5 he was a very angry and obstinate little boy. He would pull his own hair out in rage and emotion, trash his room, punch things or punch himself. I went to his kindergarten teacher and asked for help. The resources she provided me started my learning HOW to parent healthy. When my son got a parent who was armed with education and healthy strategies he become a different child. My son was NEVER the problem his environment was. He didn’t need help mom did. He is 28 married served 4 years active military and is a wonderful human.

I *know* everyone giggles at the clip where Paris Hiltons' serious voice comes out.... but she's genuinely making changes for the better because of her experiences.

My husband was sent to trails. I showed him this. He said THANK YOU for bringing awareness to trails!

I can tell you when my husband and I had our daughter hospitalized for mental health issues, we were given something like this as an option and really the only choice. We were strongly pressured to send her. We signed the paperwork having been told it was our only option. We never felt good about it. The day before she was supposed to leave, we declined for her to go, knowing that she needed her family with her to help through this time. Seeing this makes me grateful all over again that we chose not to send her and she is doing so well as an adult. This is not therapy, this is punitive. Thank you for bringing it to our attention.

I am glad to see someone covering this. I live in a nearby *county, not country autocorrect*, and I have been a 911 dispatcher for 2 decades. In that 20 years I have taken countless calls about panicked teens running out of the woods, all begging for help, all fleeing Trails Carolina. The staff there had a long history of not reporting missing children in their care for several hours. I was working when we received a call about Alec Lansing. A 17 year old high risk teen from Atlanta that fled into the WNC wilderness in freezing temps with snow on the ground. They waited several hours to report him. I know the responders that found his body days later, and I was working then too. When I tell you I hate this place, I mean I hate it with the burning of a thousand suns. I’ve wanted it to be shut down for 2 decades. I hate that another child had to die for it to finally happen.

These parents are acting clueless, saying they thought their child was getting “therapy”…. So you paid strangers to come to your house in the middle of the night to swear at and restrain your child in order to get them “therapy”?🙃 the amount of resentment i would have for my parents is inexplainable!

My mom couldn't even stand to see me in the local psych ward, man. She cried every visitation day because she wanted so badly to bring me home like I begged her to, but it really WAS for my own good at the time. I was scared THEN, I can't imagine what those children were feeling, and I can't imagine doing something like that to my child, especially having suffered from mental health issues from an early age.

I can’t imagine a world where my child is suffering from mental health issues and I pack them off for an extended period for someone else to ‘fix’ them. It just doesn’t compute for me.

As someone with major depressive disorder and generalized anxiety disorder, the thought of being locked in a Bivvy bag wrapped in a plastic sheet is panic-inducing in itself! And that was just one of the many things happening here. Horrific!

As a parent with a child, now an adult, with a very serious and severe mental illness, I always worried about her when she had to go to the hospital. I can't even imagine sending her to a camp. The hospitals were scary enough.

My parents put me in the troubled teen industry at 14. I didn't escape for 3 years. I'm 46 now, and I still struggle with what happened to me - the most painful part is the parental abandonment. Never do this to your children. Never. 💔

I am floored by Paris' testimony. Nearly in tears. We must be a voice for children forced into these torture camps.

I had a close friend in 8th grade who was a little bit depressed and got in some minor trouble with his parents a few times, they sent him to a wilderness “treatment” program across the world. They later did the same to his twin sister, they have both never been the same and completely missed out on a normal high school experience with their friends

I was a (normal, fun) summer camp counselor and staff member for years… seeing that baby’s 12 year old face breaks my heart. That age was a joy to work with. They were so energetic and up for anything. He deserved so much better.

Part of the definition of good parenting is that you don't give up on your child. I cannot imagine a healthy outcome when a child is completely removed from every single source of support, love and encouragement. If your child is having a problem, it is a FAMILY problem and the FAMILY needs to all dig in TOGETHER, receive therapy and support, figure out what is not working, acquire new skills and practice them together. These parents thought that by throwing money at the problem and shipping them off it would fix them? No, they were simply copping-out and abdicating their parental responsibilities, and one of the most basic is: Ensure your child's safety and well-being. I am so angry for these children!

I grew up in the late 90's/ early 2000s a "troubled teen." I was sent to a mental facility at age 13 that was later shut down for malpractice... I still have trauma from that place. I was made to participate in ROTC and was later sent to Christian School in attempts to control my behavior. I later got expelled, and one of these camps was the next step on my parents' list of ways to "fix" me. I'm thankful every day I didn't have to go, and as it turns out, my "troubled behavior" was actually due to underlying symptoms of my undiagnosed BPD.

I appreciate you covering this. Unfortunately, I’m unable to watch it at this time as I went to one of these programs which has since been shut down due to, well, abuse, neglect, “grape”, and so much more. I’m still affected by this 30 years later, the trauma is lifelong. Thanks again for covering this. ❤

This type of institutions sounds like something straight out of horror movie. As someone who's been struggling with mental health since being a teenager, this scares me so much. Not only is staying in such place traumatic as hell, I imagine it must have been difficult even to come back home to the people who actually sent you there. I honestly don't think I'd be able to forgive my parents and I definitely wouldn't be able to trust them ever again, no matter what their intentions were. I get the false advertising and stuff, but just having people come in the middle of the night to snatch an unknowing child should tell you that it ain't going to be exactly nice and terapeutic

Thank you for taking the time to educate people on this. I still struggle with the PTSD of being abducted by “the mountain men” (the term used in our treatment facility for the paid security they used to snatch us) and treatment. I would describe my experience as light in comparison and 15 years later I’m still unpacking feelings of Stockholm, I still have to let other adults know what I’m doing whenever I leave a room and developed agoraphobia. I will never understand how as children, our behavior was so overwhelming it was okay to strip us down this way.

Next Stephanie needs to do a deep dive on the Scentbird CEO and the Cult she’s in!!

Just a heads up in case you dont already know that Scentbird's CEO has said some unsavory things that you may want to look into and evaluate your relationship with them. I love your content!!

Hi Stephanie. I lost my darling cat and best friend a couple of weeks ago and 4 days ago I fell ill and tested +ve for covid. I'm in a dark and lonely place. I'm all alone at home & it's killing me. I hadn't been home since he passed but was forced to when I became ill. It was OK when my capacity to think was constricted because I felt so poorly but gradually feeling better and the sadness has re engulfed me. Anyway just wanted to say thank you, I really need this video right now ❤

I worked with a woman who had been subjected to a trouble teen program here in AZ. Her stories were absolutely wild… it’s true, they were in the wilderness so much and their supplies and support were basically nonexistent. She talked in terms of survival and resilience. The bond with the others of just trying to keep each other going through all the abuse. I’m so glad this industry is under fire now.

I have children with mental illness and behavioral problems. I would never have done this. We did counseling, psychological care etc....I was with them every time. I now have 4 successful adult children, some with children of their own and 1 in his last year of HS and taking college courses. Stick by them, support them, help them up when they fall and it can all work out. Wonderful job as per usual Stephanie! Love your videos!

I'm in shock that these facilities even exist. It has to be terrifying for these poor children.

Stephanie, I was abused in every way from the age of 9-18. I wasn't allowed to tell my mom and dad because, my abuser told me at 9 that I would not be believed and would be taken from my parents and that I would not see them again. This was a psychiatrist.. I had an anxiety issue so I was going to him. I wasn't able to tell them until I was 18. As I grew up, I have been abused by many who have been in an authority figure, I have severe PTSD and severe Anorexia Nervosa and Anxiety. I lost my mom and dad and I became a drug addict. I'm 1 year and 5 months Clean. I only wish that I had you to speak up for me! Thank you ❤️ always for speak up for All of the Victims

I’m so excited to see you touch on this subject !! Knowing how you don’t play about children, I’m sure this is about to be SCATHING. Can’t wait

I live here, and this story was huge when it came out. The surrounding community was shocked. I honestly had no idea a camp like this exsisted here. Thank you for covering this with so much detail.

My cousin went to “Boys Town” in Nebraska… he came out completely broken and years later still struggling to pick up the pieces. Unaliving attempts, runaway attempts… just disheartening.

Have been going through some of my darkest days and its always such a pleasure to see stephanie upload a video ❤ its like having a bestie sit down and keke with me to distract me from my thoughts

When will parents wake up and realize, THIS IS NOT THE ANSWER. Getting your child actual therapy and giving them YOUR support is the right step in the right direction.

Im a playground monitor at an elem school that includes the special learning class in playtime and one of our kids calms down with gentle pressure around his shoulders and elbows. But that’s just PRESSURE. Not pain. Not holding. Gentle pressure. But ‘burrito’-ing where he has no way of getting free would absolutely send him overboard. He’s one of my favorite kiddos… there is a specific way to help him… specific to him… this whole video rips my heart out.

Stephanie !!! I’ve been watching your videos since 4 years now all the way from Germany and every time i see the RU-vid notification pop up I genuinely get so excited!!!! I love you so so much hope you‘re doing well, I’m thinking about you!

I am glad you’re helping to expose this terrible industry and the tragedies that occur. Even if just one parent changes their mind about sending their child to one of these programs, I consider that a win

I learned about TTI on TikTok. I had a friend who was excited to show me this awesome camp in Utah where she was going to send her troubled teen. I’m so grateful to have learned about it before that bc I saved her from sending her kid. She & the kid were grateful too.

So exciting when I get the notification that you have uploaded!! Thanks for all your hard work Stephanie ❤️

I was forcibly put in 13 different mental hospitals as an adolescent and put on medications so my mom could go on vacations. This video is so important so others can recognize that it’s not normal for a child to be gone for months at a time and people should ALWAYS speak up so it can be investigated. My mom is bipolar and told all doctors that I was also diagnosed with bipolar when I never was. I needed major surgeries due to physical birth defects and my mother used mental hospitals to avoid having to take responsibility or get treatment of my physical defects so she could enjoy her manic episodes and go to casinos or different states.

I’ve been fan girling Paris Hilton ever since I listened to her memoir ! So excited for this video from you! Looks like you’re doing well despite what you’re going through. I went through a divorce with a covert narc, 3 small kids he took from me, for 6 years. My adult daughter has been alienated from me…since age 9. I got the boys back after he messed them up pretty bad. I empathize with you. Hang in there ❤️❤️❤️

I am a behavioral technician and this case is so deeply upsetting to me. For my job, I and all my co-workers had to take a training course to become CPI certified (crisis prevention intervention). This course taught us how to safely perform physical restraints, but most importantly in my opinion we were taught that restraints are very serious and can cause long-lasting trauma. RESTRAINTS SHOULD BE A LAST RESORT AND AVOIDED AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. AT ALL COSTS. A scenario in which a physical restraint is needed is if someone is repeatedly banging their head against a wall and verbal intervention isn’t stopping them. In no world should a physical restraint be used on someone for walking away from where they’re supposed to be or not doing what they’re told. That is insane. Physical restraints should only ever be used in situations of physical danger. Not to exert control over someone else for not complying. Restraints can completely break someone’s spirit and traumatize them for life. Thinking about children being subjected to them so often for simply being non-compliant makes me sick to my stomach.

I have previously worked at a children's shelter that takes in teens and their social workers would often send them to places like this. The teens would be sent to our facility due to backtalking mom, truancy, car theft, gun charges, or sometimes just because they were in the foster system. We weren't like these wilderness camps - we were a 24/7 facility, but we had a whole shelter, took them to swim nearly daily, they got to go to the movies, go shopping, they had a chef, they could shower/go to the bathroom on their own, had an xbox, etc. Some of the kids were little jerks who would scream in your face or fight each other and some of them were absolute angels whose stories would break your heart. But it breaks my heart knowing that wilderness camps all over the United States have been exposed for this kind of abuse and malpractice, because none of them deserve to go to a place like that wilderness camp. No child does. I have a feeling that it's kind of like the Stanford prison experiment where staff gets put into a position of power over the children and feel superior. They're isolated in the wilderness themselves, they feel like they can get away with stuff. It's disgusting.

Sending their troubled kids off to "camp" seems to be a fad that started in the 1990s. Definitely money based instead of healing based. Can't wait for part 2. Thanks Stephanie 😊

I used to work as a wilderness guide, and yes, bivvy sacks can be dangerous. I tried one out once but hated it because of what happened here - it almost suffocated me. It was very cold and rainy so I zipped it up most, maybe all, of the way. I was having a very hard time falling asleep, and had a headache. After a couple hours of not being able to fall asleep I got up to pee. I was stumbling like I was drunk! Had I fallen asleep and the headache from the lack of oxygen not keep me awake I easily could've died. After that trip I returned it and kept with my hammock system. Bivvy sacks work great for some people, and in some weather. But I never heard of anyone else having suffocation problems beforehand, not did anyone warn me. Imo although it's a great lightweight and simple shelter, it needs to be practiced and people need to know the risks before they use them.

Oh my god!! I’ve been watching you for YEARS and you’re finally talking about something I lived through!! I was in two WWASP programs back-to-back, from ages 16 to 18.5 -Carolina Springs Academy (South Carolina) 8/1999 to 3/2000 -Tranquility Bay (Jamaica) 3/2000 to 12/2001

My husband was a troubled teen and the state sentenced him to boys homes and a couple boot camps starting when he was 13, and he still has PTSD from this. He’s almost 30. He has recognized so many signs of PTSD and traced it back to his time at these facilities. I feel for him everyday, it’s a struggle to get the screaming out of the back of his head, and he always thinks he’s a failure if he doesn’t get it on the first try and punishes himself in a way like they used to. I try to help him, and he heals more and more everyday, but it’s still a struggle for him. These facilities need to be addressed, the workers, the treatment, EVERYTHING because these are dangerous places.

This is the content I needed today! And I already know Stephanie is going to be no holds barred cause she does not play when it comes to the children! LYF Stephanie! ❤

I'm so with you Stephanie on the claustrophobic thing, I cant think of anything worse than the thought of being restrained makes me feel...like having no breath...this is so so bad, these poor kids..scared for all their life...thank you so much for covering this...as parents, we feel for all kids...love from UK xx

Yay! So glad for a new video. Thank you for putting this one together for us!

Stephanie, I appreciate your deep insight into this video💜 I did not want to send my child to a camp like this because of their (the camps) allegations of all types of harm. She ended up spending her high school years in a detention facility and has been released. However she has moved out and is still continuing her behavioral issues, despite how I have raised and guided her. All I can do is love my child and help wherever I can to keep my sanity.

I'm less than 15 mins in, and have two immediate thoughts. 1. If these places are unregulated, then put laws and regulations in place! 2. The only parents who send their children to these places are the ones who can't be arsed to put the effort into raising their children properly any more. In effect, they've given up, which tells the child A LOT.

There is nothing that can make me comprehend how these parents thought sending their children off to places like this, especially the ones who allowed their children to appear like they were being kidnapped the horror and the fear that you’ve just instilled in them. WTF I cannot comprehend what these people were thinking. Shame on them.

Hi Stephanie. Thank you for covering this case. I was not surprised at what you reported. I worked for a company for 15 years where I supported people who had severe brain injuries. Almost daily the staff were required to implement NVCPI ( non violent crisis prevention intervention) moving from least invasive to most. many of the staff who ended up at this particular faculty were just bullies who couldn’t get away with their behaviour in a public setting , so they got a job at this place and took out all their anger on fellow staff and clients. Not much good comes these places. Too many high need high behaviour people cannot be housed together safely. Some of these people need one on one specialized care. I’ve seen too much over too many years to believe that anything concrete in terms of rehabilitation can occur. I’ve learned that CEO’ S and Executive Directors and Managers were making well into the 6 $$$ figures , doing nothing but pacifying parents and schmoozing with other agencies while the front line staff was paid minimum wage and always short staffed. There is ALOT of money to be made from these programs. It’s a business and the troubled youth are the commodity. I’m so saddened by the death of this child.

No. The parents didn't hire "transporters" they hired "kidnappers". Say the words. Don't reinforce their verbal veil. Say. The. Words. These veils are how things get passed over.

When I was looking for summer camp jobs (nc teacher) a few years ago, I saw an ad for this camp. A few Google searches confirmed that this was a troubled teen camp. I yoinked that Indeed fast-apply real fast, but they still kept emailing me for at least a year. Edit: I'd like to add as I approach the end of the video- I absolutely believe the parents need to take responsibility. It took me less than 5 minutes of googling to find testimony from previous patients about the abuse. Even without these big news stories, it doesn't take much digging at all to find these conversations unless it's a brand new facility. I cannot imagine placing my child in a daycare without serious research, never mind a residential mental health facility. Either the parents couldn't be arsed to do a moment's research, or they didn't give a damn.

I was sent to a “reformative school” when I was a teenager. Very much word for word of Paris Hiltons experience. When finally getting released from the program I came home with much worse mental and physical health suffering from PTSD. A few girls in my group passed over the years from drug overdoses. Long story short these facilities do more harm than good and as happy as I am that these are getting exposed it is also very triggering.

As someone that spent all of summer 2015 in one of these in Alaska, thank you for covering this

Thank you for bringing this to light. It's about time.

I'm only 16 minutes in, and I already have a massive issue with this place. I'm 50, and my parents put me in a few different places after a rough transition in high school, followed by a traumatizing event. I went willingly. Every kid in those programs went willingly in order to get away from everything, including our parents and family. Right off the bat, the whole kidnapping aspect of this program is as wrong as wrong can be, and I already know it only goes downhill from here. How disorienting and frightening for every child subjected to this!

We can’t even trust our local doctors and hospitals, let alone “camps” that don’t even have certified therapists or professionals.. I’m sure a lot of these parents mean well, but research is SO important. Thank you for speaking on this Stephanie!!

Can't wait for part 2. Thanks for covering this.

I was sent to a wilderness camp when I was a teen. It consisted of hiking, as many as 10-15 miles per day. I was with a group of boys, but there was a female “counselor” along with another man. We carried everything on our backs, were required to start our own fires, etc. The boys had smuggled in lighters, so they were able to start fires. I couldn’t start my own fire, so I didn’t eat. The boots my mom bought were too small, causing massive blisters so I would take my boots off and walk barefoot in the snow. Eventually I fell behind, and this angered the counselors, and they would drag me on the ground by my hair. They would talk about what a loser I was, and wouldn’t amount to anything. It was a 4 week program, and I suffered greatly. I did have a spiritual experience there, that probably saved my life. On the way home, I was in so much pain, it turns out I had frostbite on my feet and hands, and had bleeding ulcers in my stomach. I was in the hospital for over a week. After that, I would have nightmares that they were coming for me. The reason I was sent was I was hanging out with the wrong crowd, drinking and staying out late. My mom holds a lot of guilt for sending me there. Now starting the video to see what it’s about. I wasn’t kidnapped in the middle of the night, but was awoken by my mom and her friend that drove me to the program. The last night we made it back to our vehicle, and they provided food. I drank as much apple juice as I could, because I had not had food or water for the majority of the time. We were in a huge tent, and in the middle of the night I had diarrhea. They wouldn’t let me put, so I shit all over myself and couldn’t change. They wanted me to be humiliated.

I was sent to Spring Creek Lodge in Montana, all of what was said here I also experienced. Literally hell on earth. I was there for 11 months, I left a few months after my 18th birthday. The place was thankfully shut down a few years after I left. There’s a lot more that happened, but I’ll keep it short.

Thx for covering this case, Stephanie! I can’t believe these “therapy camps” are still able to operate. Appreciate your deep dive on this❤

I live in North Carolina and haven't even heard of this case. Thank you for bringing attention to it!

I work in an inpatient facility for adolescents on the autism spectrum and it’s heartbreaking to see how many parents just don’t want their children.

Omg Stephanie, you are the best!! I’m so glad you are covering this. These places do not help. They do nothing they say they will do!! They lie to parents and tell you your kid will get so much therapy and will do so many fun and wonderful activities daily and will graduate from high school too. It’s all BS!! My kid was going through so much and I no longer knew how to help. Abusive relationship, drugs, suicide attempts galore. It was really bad. So we decided to send our kid to go to wilderness, after wilderness they used scare tactics to get us to send our child to a TBS because my child was diagnosed with autism at wilderness. This place was worse than wilderness. The things they did to my kid was disgusting and all the things these kids say are true. After I pulled my kid out due to being afraid for my child another student self exited. I’m so broken that this happened. The kid had been begging to go to a mental hospital because they were suicidal. Luckily that school is now closed but the people who run these places just go and open a new one. It’s terrible. All their descriptions are BS. Total BS. I am broken because I believed them and sent my kid here. I don’t know how I will ever make it up to my child. It’s the worst. I will always speak out against these places!!

All of those establishments should be dismantled. Troubled teens should be in the home of loved ones, working with therapists which also includes parents involvement. This is heartbreaking to hear how Paris was treated at such a young age. It is a testament to her strength that she grew up to be a healthy adult.

Steph you said "this fabric coffin" and girl you SOOOOO nailed it. (no pun intended). This is nothing more than a fabric coffin. How horrible and sad and just plain WRONG!!!!

I’m a behavioral health professional who works at an early intervention facility for students with various diagnoses including Autism or ADHD. They have different proprioceptors than someone who is neurotypical and may interpret light/deep touch differently. So, in certain cases (with client consent ALWAYS) you can use tools like weighted vests or blankets, joint compressions, etc. to help with regulation. But this is FAR DIFFERENT than what you had described occurred at this facility. Absolutely horrific!

Hey Steph - I haven't had a chance to watch this yet but just from your teaser I'm thinking of going to bed early tonight cause I'm hooked (I actually sleep better on nights when I listen to you, crimeweekly and a couple other channels while drifting off to sleep. You're like the best relaxer out there so as one who suffers PTSD with a side of anxiety finding something that relaxes me is a rare treasuer indeed. You look AMAZING!!!!

I hope you know how much support you have from afar. I don’t always agree with your views on things but I have massive respect for you and what you do. I hope things are going better or heading that way for you. ❤

Just saw an interview with one of the freed russian opposition leaders where he was talking about how he was psychologically abused during his time in prison. He tried to explain what all that does to your brain. And hearing Paris Hilton speaking about these camps, these are the same tactics, these are things that the international community considers to be torture, breaking human rights. And we are talking about kids here, teens, this is the most vulnerable time period in their lifes anyway. How can grown up people think it is ok to treat kids like that?

Thank you for talking about this. I live near there and I heard he was outside not inside and his pants were beside him. It’s all so sad I hope the parents get justice and answers. They are keeping this very quiet.. again thank you for bringing awareness to this..

Please release part two soon♥️♥️♥️ I’ve had this case on my mind for a while hoping someone would dig into it so thank you!

I read an article in Rolling Stone about one of these places. There was a case when two boys tried to escape; a staff member tried to stop them, and they killed him in the ensuing fight. I'm not surprised.

It's places like this, and their treatment of children that scares me. I have two non verbal asd boys. My eldest has a seizure disorder, my youngest is a type 1 diabetic. We live here in NC. I can't depend on a treatment facility. I can't work bc I don't have family. My car is sitting with a broken transmission now. We travel all over for treatment for my boys bc we live in a very rural area. There aren't programs to help. Life just isn't meant to be this hard. And no body listens or our state, government, or programs that should help... care. Im so sorry to his family. I just can't imagine their pain.

My childhood was absolutely beautiful! My dad was a little strict but he protected us with his life! Literally! It’s as a grown adult that I see that not all children had the same luck that I had growing up! It literally breaks my heart when I see cases like this! It saddens me that there is so much hurt and hatred that is used on kids to discipline!

Stephanie saves the day with an upload! I love you so much. ❤

Just what I needed on this stressful day❤. Always happy to see a Stephanie Harlow upload.🎉

i was lucky enough to be in the small minority that was actually helped in the troubled teen industry and it breaks my heart that most kids experience the opposite. even though i received the help i needed, there were still days where i felt uncomfortable but overall my school was good for me. i knew girls who ran from my program who were dragged back, strip searched, and sent to isolation for weeks. it’s wild to me that we were in the same program and had such different experiences. sometimes i look back and feel like maybe i ignored some red flags due to my anxiety but so glad im safe.

These places are terrible! One of my kids was really terrible as a teenager and at times would become extremely abusive. I would never have sent her to a place like this. I just kept plugging along and getting her to therapists and drs that could help her. I couldn’t have lived with myself if I had sent her somewhere to be abused. I just can’t imagine why a parent would knowingly do this. It’s terrible and all of them need to be shut down!

Imagine listening and hearing another very familiar voice, then looking up to see Luke from The Outdoor Gear Review - a longtime favorite channel of mine! Stephanie, this proves your expertise in research.

These parents obviously had the money for traditional therapy and close to home hospitalization yet they chose to just not deal with it. Every single one of those parents are neglectful & selfish

i work at a DV shelter and have worked with clients who have been to places like this. it breaks my heart hearing their stories. 💔

I have known parents who’ve put their kids in these places. I’ve also known people who worked in them. One guy I knew got kicked out for sexual misconduct, my families pastor hired him as a youth pastor and he molested and carried on a relationship with my 14 year old best friend until she was 17, my pastor didn’t believe the many concerned people and parents who felt their relationship was not appropriate and some thing was going on (including me). Finally they got caught in sexual behavior by police in the youth pastors car. My frustration is how many people look the other way, trust strangers, don’t look deep enough or do any research at all! These are our children!

I recommend that Paris Hilton documentary. It was way more in depth and interesting than one might think at a passing glance. And the documentary itself evolved as it was being filmed.

I was just checking yesterday to see if you uploaded. Thanks & Happy Tuesday everyone 💞

I recently relocated to North Carolina and had a job interview with this exact company, but before accepting we talked on the phone for a bit and I was not able to accept the job offer as I couldn’t do a week on week off schedule. I applied for the job and in fall of 2023. Never been so happy to have a job not work out 😅

Love you so much Stephanie 🫶🏼 You do it like no one else can!! 👊🏼

My husband was in Elan from 97-2000. What he went through was worse than SOME prisons. It’s disgusting and traumatic!

no evidence they failed to supervise or they caused harm? a child died my dudes

My Heart 💔's for all children who were unlucky enough to be sent to any place like this .I was placed on a P.I.N.S Petition when Iwas 14 and I thank god I was Placed in a caring ,concerned ,and loving facility of staff and programs.I learned so many skills to increase my own self worth and confidence to step back out into the world and be a positive force not only for my sake but for everyone I came into contact with .RIP🙏😢❤

Unrelated: Your hair looks gorgeous and glasses are beautiful 🩵

I often worry that I’m making my son too soft and then I realize that he comes to me for everything. I’m his safe space. He’s 10 and often tells me he can’t fall asleep unless I lay with him a few minutes before bed, I can’t imagine how awful it must feel to know that the one person who’s suppose to love you more than anything betrayed you and dumped you off in the middle of nowhere with no regard about your feelings and wellbeing. That changes a person. I could never do that do my child or any child. This is so upsetting

North Carolina winters are Beyond Cold. The temperature often drops into the low 20s or colder ( ferenheit). I could see why a bivvy bag would be used. Trying to climb a tree in NC February is incredibly frightening/ that child was trying to escape something that had no business happening

All we need to know is Ruby Franke sent her oldest son to one of these places. That’s the kind of parents many of them are.

As someone who came from a very abusive background from a parent who abandoned me repeatedly and tried to send me to these places often...thank you for covering this! I had only heard a small smidge of some of this from watching Paris' documentary. I always had my dad to run to or I simply ran away when my mom tried. She did eventually get me thrown into a mental/drug rehab the day before my 16th birthday bc I had a bad trip from a joint I bought that someone laced. All I was doing was smoking weed to help control the PTSD and anxiety her abuse and the physical abuse her ex husband had left me with. I remember the night my granny took me to the house to tell her goodbye (I wasn't living at home at the time). I begged her to not make me go, to just let me come home. I told her I loved her and asked her for a hug and she turned her nose up at me and said she was disgusted to have a worthless drug addict for a daughter. It broke me. I went without fuss then. I spent my 16th birthday in a room with folks my age+ who had heroin addictions or schizophrenia. It was terrifying. The place was eventually shut down and reopened under a different name. They watched us shower. MEN watching LITTLE GIRLS shower with no curtain and the door wide open. They would duct tape our doors together at night down the hall. One door taped down and a few layers of the tape stretched to the next door handle, taped down and repeated. How this was allowed pisses me off so much today bc what tf would have happened if there was a fire?? Our rooms held one bolted (to the floor) chair, one bolted round corner desk and one bolted single cot style bed with a pillow with no case, no sheets and a tear away thin blanket. No blinds or curtains or anything. We weren't even allowed to keep toilet paper in the bathroom attached to our rooms. I got my hair tie taken away from me the first day bc I fell asleep with it around my wrist instead of in my hair and they tried to say I was self harming. 🙄I made friends with a couple of people from there but most were violent and should not have been there with the rest of us who were tossed in there by parents who no longer wanted to deal with the products of their abuse. My moms dead now so I can't tell her this but too all of you other parents out there...don't give up on your kids. Don't send them to places like this. Listen to them. Help them. 9 times out of 10 they just really need their mama or daddy or both to take them by the hand and help them through whatever they're going through. ❤‍🩹

I moved from NY to Carolina as an adult and my mom regularly asks when I’m coming home and that I’m too far away for her. As a mother myself now I can not imagine knowing my child is struggling and thinking ambushing them and shipping them off to a stranger in the woods was what was going to fix them! What a tragedy.