Sorenson's Ranch School - Koosharem, Utah

Ben A.

I think it's funny that 95 percent of these five star reviews are from staff members or friends of the owners. This place helps you with the problems you show up with but you leave with a whole new set of them. The pressure to be perfect to keep your level was WAY too much for some people and some of the staff had Way worse tempers than some of the students attending! The staff where super unqualified to help some of the sensitive kids and told us we had no wrights. They would use us for manual labor that didn't relate to the ranch. We got punished for anything the staff deemed "not appropriate" such as taking a shirt off while swimming. The school was decent. So think twice before you send your kid here! Past student 2022-2024

Gayle H.

After a hard decision, I sent my son to SRS in 2020, 4 years ago. It changed his life for the better. It took him 2 years, but he did it. Was he 100% different, no, probably 80%, it's a work in progress. Your entire life you will work on your skills with your mental illness and behaviors, but he definitely came home so much better then when he left our family. Life was so much better, and we were able to have a relationship that we haven't had before and the sibling were too. The therapist was fantastic. He even did family therapy with one of the siblings at home that was having the most trouble with my son. He had a genuine interest in the entire family and having them be able to all work together. The entire staff at Sorenson's was wonderful and caring. His case manager would call weekly and update me with what was going on. They made sure he always had doctor and dentist appointments made when needed. If he was ever hurt, they would notify me and take him to the doctors. His favorite things were the campouts and the horses. Yes, you did have to earn them through your levels, which meant you needed to do your work and stay on task with your program. And if you weren't or got in trouble, you lost your points, and you started working on yourself again to earn them back. Things are a privilege and you learn that and you work for them. Yes there we're some people that may have been rougher than they needed to be with the kids but the kids figured out, don't misbehave, Get yourself in gear. My son made great friends while he was there. He even moved back and went to college in the area and was room mates with one of them. He also went back and wanted to work there to help the kids out, but wasn't old enough. Unfortunately almost a year after he graduated he was killed in a car accident. Some of the boys (friends) from the school came to his service, I didn't even know about them, and they shared wonderful stories about their experiences at the school with me. Some of them check in with me online just to see how I'm doing. There's a lot more good things that came out of the school then bad I can say. I highly recommend Sorensons Ranch School.

kelly A.

Former student. It’s interesting, because I recognize many of the 5 star reviews as staff member / family names🤔. No matter… here is some insight from my experience.

I was “troubled youth”. Criminal history along with other unglamorous, self destructive behaviors. I was transported straight from juvenile detention (Louisiana) to SRS with no knowledge of where I was being taken. When I arrived to a Utah winter I was completely unprepared with little clothing and no shoes. I walked barefoot in the snow until someone found me a pair (several sizes too large) that I could borrow until I could afford my own from the commissary (took several weeks).

I was often in trouble and experienced nearly ALL of the strange and sometimes brutal reprimands that this place had to offer. A great example is a memory that is seared into my brain forever. Myself and another student (love you Charlotte) in orange jumpsuits with no clothes underneath (flight risk) in sub zero weather… curled up together in a 30 gallon black trash bag to try and stay warm through the night. Both giggling and trying to make the best of it. The food that was brought out to where we were being kept, froze in transit so we didn’t eat that day. It seemed funny at the time.

Other unique treatment methods at SRS include (but not limited too):
- “The fence”
-“The bucket” (another form of solitary confinement)
-“Hiking” a 10 mile speed walk on a dirt road alongside a truck in single file. Yes. My feet bled. No. I was not allowed to sit in the truck for a while.
-“Picking rocks”
-Sexual relations between students and staff members. (This is not a speculation. This is based on actual events).
-Medicating. If you were clever, you would “cheek” your meds so you didn’t have to take them.

…The list is extensive.

For the sake of space, I’ll spare the details of the nearly two year stretch I spent surviving this nightmare. I just want to leave you with this one take away. It’s been two decades since I attended this facility. I still think back on some of my experiences and cannot believe that they were real. I’m and adult now with a daughter of my own. When I look at her and imagine her having to endure some of the things we went through here…. My emotions spike somewhere between heart ache and RAGE.

This program was designed to capitalize on your family’s pain. It is NOT designed to help heal/repair your loved one or your family . This is NOT an affective program and even less so, a place for someone you love. Find God for your troubled family and keep them the he11 out of here.

Gabriel S.

I went here from 94 to 95. Court ordered. This place is no place for children. I won't mention names. But the physical workouts on the weekends were incredibly brutal for some kids. I remind you any form of discipline which consists if squats, push ups, or any repetitive physical activity is against the Utah code of conduct. While I agree discipline is needed. What I witnessed far exceeded what would be considered normal. Kids left on the "fence" during winter storms. Only with a blanket sometimes forced to sleep on the fence with a sleeping bag. Absolutely ridiculous. I saw staff members push kids to harm other kids when they couldn't keep up with us in the workouts , some of these kids had developed mental disorders. I strongly caution any parents thinking of sending their children here. I will say there were staff there that cared and didn't agree with the abuse. Thank God.

Charles B.

I’ve had both my children at Sorenson ranch school and I have to say that it has been a positive experience and has helped both my kids. My son has graduated and is doing well at Job Corp. my daughter is still there and is doing well. The Teachers and Therapist hold the kids accountable which is so important for them. The program is set up with positive reinforcement as opposed to punishment. It’ allows the students to shape their behavior around accomplishments and goal setting. They can move at their own pace. Amber Lee was my son’s therapist and she was great with him and not allowing him to manipulate and split staff. I strongly recommend Sorenson ranch. It saved my children’s lives and brought us back together.

Lisa S.

I was just watching a documentary that reminded me of when I went the Sorensen Ranch in 2000. 23 years ago. It changed my life for the better. My parents and I are best friends now, I’m a business owner and have two children of my own. I was a destructive teenager and this school taught me respect and guided me to complete High School. I went on to graduate from college. I worked the program and have fond memories of camping and making lifelong friends while I was there. I wouldn’t hesitate sending my own child if ever necessary.

Carrie E.

I went to school here in 96-97 and it was.. quite an experience to say the least. There were very few staff that seemed to actually care about the kids. Beverly was my counselor and she was very kind and actually cared about me. Melinda Torgerson was my choir teacher who I ended up being able to move into her house with. She was like a mom to me and I’ll always remember her kindness. Her family took me in and treated me like one of their own.

As far as most of the other staff.. let’s just say I saw a lot of very cruel things take place. I even had one of the female staff members make up a lie about me which got me in trouble so Tom Baldwin made an example of me for something I didn’t even do. I definitely wasn’t a saint, but I also wasn’t liar. Right after I turned 18, the day before I went home, I told Tom that I really was telling the truth and he called me a liar again and told me he didn’t care.

If you’re a parent thinking about sending your kid here, please think long and hard about it. It’s been 27 years since I left that place and I still have bad dreams about it.

Lori J.

I wish I could give NO stars. We sent our son to Sorensen's Ranch School in Utah for his jr year. 2005. We felt we had tried every possible way to control him and were afraid of the direction he was headed. We were told this school was a great place. Horseback riding. Camping. Full on accredited school. Therapists. Loving, caring. Grrr... 😠 None of that ended up being true. I still don't know what all happened to him there. When he got him home we sent him to a therapist because he was exhibiting signs of PTSD. He only went 1 or 2 times and wouldn't go again. Years later we became estranged for 3 years even though he had become a VERY successful insurance broker, married and had a child. In a family therapy session, I found out he's still harbored great resentment toward me. We have reestablished a relationship again but I will never ever get over the fact that I was so snowed by these people. I tried to research but it was right at the beginning of the internet so I found nothing negative. $45,000 in 8 months to allow someone to abuse and torture my son. I am SO angry!!! Thank heavens he is a responsible person these days but it's no thanks to them. Also, we picked him up against their wishes. They fought very hard to keep him there. We had found out about some abuse so we drove from WA St. to Utah to pick him up. They stole a bunch of his stuff and would not return it to us even though they admitted they had it.
DO NOT SEND YOUR CHILD HERE!!! These places should be shut down!!!!