Eva Carlston Academy
| Eva Carlston Academy | |
|---|---|
| Location | |
| , | |
| Information | |
| School type | For-profit program, residential treatment center for adolescents classified as emotionally disturbed |
| Website | https://evacarlston.com/ |
Eva Carlston Academy is a residential treatment center in Salt Lake City, Utah, for teen girls ages 12–18.
Background[edit]
Eva Carlston Academy is a behavior modification program, which was founded by Kristi Ragsdale in 2013.[1][2] [3][4]
Program Structure[edit]
The academy uses a level system.[3] Girls progress through the levels by earning points in a merit/demerit-based system. The level system consists of main four levels, the first of which is called "Daily", the second called "Weekly 1", the third "Weekly 2", and the fourth level called "Achievement". A fifth level exists, a punitive level called "Focus" (previously sub-system). Students on this fifth level must 'earn' their way back to the normal system in set ways.
Each resident is required to carry a “point card” everywhere, on which they record positive and negative points awarded to them by staff members for their actions throughout the day.
Students on the Daily level earn 500 points for each positive interaction, and 250 points for half-interactions, which can be chores, volunteers (typically cleaning), roleplaying out their target skills, or lessons. Students on the Weekly levels earn 250 points for each interaction, and 125 points for half-interactions. Due to the differences in points awarded for interactions, it is more difficult for students on the Weekly 1 level to earn their daily privileges than it is for students on the Daily level.
Positive points (250 or 500) may be awarded for things like sharing something insightful, having a program-positive conversation with a peer, or assisting with a task. Negative points (-5,000-20,000) are most often awarded for minor mishaps such as being more than 1 second late for line up, leaving an item somewhere in the house, getting a bad grade on a school assignment, taking more than an exact portion size of food, or speaking too loudly or too quietly. Due to the imbalance of points awarded, one minor mishap is enough to loose privileges for days or weeks.[5][better source needed]
Allegations of abuse and mistreatment[edit]
According to former residents of Eva Carlston Academy, the facility uses attack therapy.[6] One former resident said that during a typical “hot seat” session at Eva Carlston, “one person gets up in front of the entire group and we all go around and tell them what is wrong with them. Typically what would happen in any therapy group, which would happen daily at both locations, is we would have some topic for the group, and normally one person or two people would share their story or experience, and once they’re done we basically all go around and berate them.”[6]
Former residents also say that Eva Carlston uses a technique called "sculpting" during group therapy sessions that involves teens acting out certain things in their lives.[6] One former resident said she was forced to sculpt her rape.[6]
Staff at Eva Carlston also restrain students.[6] One former student said that staff violently tackled a girl with autism who had to urinate on herself all the time because staff refused to take her to the bathroom.[6]
Eva Carlston Academy heavily censors and monitors all communication with residents, and residents are punished for speaking negatively about the program in any context. Students who cannot be trusted to say positive things about the program are hidden in the basement or removed from the house during parent tours. Program survivors have shared accounts of medical neglect, antisemitism, homophobia, transphobia, restriction of access to food, sleep, and bathrooms, blaming victims of sexual assault and violating privacy laws.
References[edit]
- ↑ Fisher, Daniel (July 26, 2021). "Beware Utahns: Your neighbor could win civil damages if you flip them off". Legal Newsline. Retrieved 16 May 2022.
- ↑ "Join Us Today". https://evacarlston.com. Retrieved 16 May 2022. External link in
|website=(help) - ↑ 3.0 3.1 "ECA". allkindsoftherapy.com. Retrieved 16 May 2022.
- ↑ "Daily Living at Eva Carlston". https://evacarlston.com. Retrieved 16 May 2022. External link in
|website=(help) - ↑ https://www.breakingcodesilence.org/eva-carlston-academy/. Missing or empty
|title=(help) - ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 Gulino, Elizabeth (June 29, 2021). ""I Was Forced To Sculpt My Rape": What Is Happening Inside The Troubled Teen Industry?". REFINERY29. Retrieved 16 May 2022.
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