Youth Foundation Success Academy/ Youth Foundation Inc.

youth-foundation-inc

Youth Foundation Success Academy

Youth Foundation Success Academy or Youth Foundation Inc is the most recent reincarnation of the former Cross Creek Program and until 2011, the former Horizon Academy. Located on the former Cross Creek Center property, Youth Foundation Success Academy employs many former staff and owners of previously closed WWASP programs. From various sources of survivor testimony WWASP Survivors can conclude that Youth Foundations follows a very similar program model to its predecessors, and employs the same dangerous policies that have lead to abuse, medical neglect and mistreatment in previous years in WWASP affiliated programs. Many complaints regarding the lack of qualified staff, quality education, medical attention, and food quality have been reported, proving a pattern of negligence and incompetency. Furthermore, reports of unreasonable and violent restraints as well as an environment of intimidation and humiliation prove that the WWASP program model has not changed a bit. Youth Foundation Success Academy is not an academy, nor it is a “therapeutic” boarding school, and it certainly is NOT a legitimate treatment center. Rather, it is quite simply a behavior modification program designed to detain children indefinitely and subject them to unnecessarily harsh corporal punishment.
In programs like Youth Foundation, both parents and children alike are indoctrinated into a program designed to stimulate a change in behavior and family relationships. However, due to the conditions within the facility and its culture of bullying, intimidation, and manipulation, it is almost impossible for real change to take place. Rather, children are given a proverbial script to recite to their parents to make them think they have changed and that the program has “saved their life”. This practice is quite common and is referred to within the student community as “the game”. Many children will conform to the program in order to avoid the beatings and punishments they witness being dealt out to their peers. Upper levels will commit themselves to a culture of bullying the lower levels because they know that this is what the program demands of them in order to return home. WWASP boasts a success rate of 97%, a number not generated by any scientific means and seemingly pulled out of thin air. WWASP does not survey the whole of their patients, and they also do not take into account how many kids relapse after the program, how many have completely lost their relationships with their families and how many, after a year or more out of the program, truly feel they were mistreated. They certainly do not take into account how prevalent the diagnosis of PTSD is in survivors of the WWASP program.
Programs like Youth Foundation Success Academy are dangerous, ineffective at the very least and quite frankly, a scam. With owners and staff members who have such a long history of abuse allegations it is foolish to expect that much has or ever will change within the system originated by WWASP. To date, WWASP Survivors has received no sign of improvement nor willingness to change these patterns of abuse in the best interest of Youth Foundation Inc’s clients and students. Instead, we have received denial of abuse allegations, excuses for heinous acts against children and attempts at legal intimidation in order to silence their victims. If Youth Foundation, and its owners/staff were really intent on helping families and their children, they would listen to the survivors who speak out and make efforts to change. So far, all it seems they are willing to do is change their names to hide from their reputation.
In October, 2013 Youth Foundation Success Academy officially closed it’s doors. Sources indicate that the reasoning behind the closure was due to financial issues resulting from low enrollment and legal disputes between Youth Foundation Inc and the primary billing company for YFSA, Optimum Billing LLC.
Read more here: Youth Foundation Success Academy CLOSED
**If you are a parent looking into any program recommended by Youth Foundation Inc, please give careful consideration to all the information available on this website and the many others linked in our resources section. We highly advise against giving up 51% of your custody to a group of people who have been accused of child abuse, sexual abuse and malicious mistreatment. If your child is currently enrolled in this program PULL THEM OUT IMMEDIATELY! Your ability to see through this scam could very well save your child’s life. We do not warn you of this lightly. Several children have died in these programs, and many more currently live with anxiety, depression, PTSD and other negative effects occurring as result of their experience in WWASP programs. Do not let this happen to your child. Avoid Youth Foundation Inc and any other program that employs the tell-tale policies of an abusive program. For more information please read “What is a WWASP Program?”.
 

Staff

Jade Robinson
Jade Robinson started his career in behavior modification as a staff member of WWASP’s Cross Creek Manor in Utah and later  Spring Creek Lodge in Montana, until he left to help start Casa By the Sea in Ensenada, Mexico. As Administrator of both the girls and boys side of  Casa By the Sea, Robinson was in charge during the time period of several reported cases of  abuse and maltreatment of the students of CBS including violent restraints, rape and other forms of sexual abuse, refusing proper medical care and denying access to school by forcing kids to endure 8 hour stretches of detention for days, weeks, and even months in a row.  Jade was part of a staff team directly responsible for transferring kids from CBS to High Impact, a brutal boot camp co-owned by Dace Goulding. Around 2003 he attempted to open a program called Bell Academy in California which was swiftly shut down due to licensing issues. Casa by the Sea was shut down in 2004 citing issues with operating an illegitimate pharmacy. Robinson is the current owner and director of Horizon Academy, which was originally opened in the Amargosa Valley Nevada however is now re-opened on the Cross Creek Manor/ Cross Creek Center property, in La Verkin Utah (Owned by WWASP head, Robert Lichfield). In 2012 Horizon and Cross Creek merged and was renamed Youth Foundation Success Academy. Jade Robinson resigned from Youth Foundation shortly before it was closed in October of 2013.
Chaffin Pullan
Chaffin Pullan first worked for WWASP at Cross Creek in 1991 and 1992. In 1996, he moved to Montana to open Spring Creek Lodge along with his twin brother Cameron Pullan and Robert Lichfield’s brother-in-law, Dan Peart. Many allegations of abuse, as well as Social Services complaints and lawsuits have been leveled at Chaffin Pullan and his brother Cameron Pullan. The Pullan’s served as owners and administrators of the SCL facility until 2009, when the school was closed. The Pullan’s were also involved in Camas Ranch, an apparent attempt to remake a portion of the facility into an 18+ program, which failed. Currently, Chaffin serves as administrator of Horizon Academy in La Verkin Utah
 
Jason Finlinson
Jason Finlinson first became involved with WWASP when he served as Director of Casa By The Sea. During his tenures at both Casa and Ivy Ridge, Jason was known for his harsh, strict, disciplinarian style. As Administrator of the boys side of CBS, Finlinson was responsible for running a brutal program that systematically abused, deprived and tormented children. He has been accused of rape of a teenage girl on and countless incidents of assault and battery. In 2001, he left CBS in order to move to New York and open the Academy at Ivy Ridge. Ivy Ridge was closed in 2009. Currently Finlinson works as a day staff at Horizon Academy in La Verkin Utah. He also worked for the RiverView Camp located on the same property, however reports indicate that RiverView was only open for a few months.
Brian Vaifanua
As owner, this man ran one of the most notorious WWASP programs, Paradise Cove in Samoa, a facility where children were subject to miserable conditions, denied proper food and medical care and systematically tortured, assaulted, neglected and broken.  Vaifanua started his career with WWASP at Cross Creek, La Verkin Utah, Then in 1994 he opened Paradise Cove. After Paradise Cove was shut down he moved back to Cross Creek and then went on to become director of Midwest Academy, in Keokuk Iowa. In 2012 Vaifanua was reported to the St. George school district superintendent with a long list of alleged human rights abuses commiteed by him and urging the Board to have Mr. Vaifanua banned from working with young children. Currently works as night staff at Horizon Academy in La Verkin Utah.
 

Survivor Testimony

New York Times: Students Recall Special Schools Run Like Prisons
 
Testimony of horizon Academy Survivor  Former students of Horizon Academy share their experience with Reddit
Redditor/ Horizon Academy Survivor – Raped, Bullied, Isolated and in Fear of Being Sent Back
Youth Foundation Success Academy – Concerned Parents
 
 

9 Comments

  1. Anon

    Chaffin Pullan mentioned at the last Parent/Child Seminar that they were thinking about moving these kids to Riverview in Montana (riverviewmt.com). This unregulated facility is owned by Michelle (Mickey) Manning and operates under Riverview Academy Inc. (a Montana corporation). Also listed at 88 Steamboat Way, Thompson Falls,MT, by Manta and posted by Kaitlan Manning, is SafeWay LLC (this LLC is not listed on Montana’s secretary of state business search). SafeWay LLC has a facebook page and states that they are transportation of behavioral youth.
    IMO these people are trying to re-invent themselves once again. Since Montana can’t seem to pass legislation to protect these kids, they are extremely dangerous.
    This is the same nest of vipers that operated Spring Creek Lodge. Michelle Manning is the President of the failing Youth Foundation Inc. in La Verkin, Utah. Their corporation license has not been renewed to date.

    Reply
  2. Chaffin Pullan of Youth Foundations is Racist

    See: http://www.flickr.com/photos/101109433@N08/
    http://youtu.be/F8hTfZH4vuc
    Chaffin Pullan Pictures in “Blackface” not an isolated incident of insensitivity but a pattern of his bigoted manners and behaviors. Listen to Chaffin Pullan in his own words rant about black people and children under his care. He calls them “Assholes” he says he can’t get the “ghetto out of them” and other ridiculously racist remarks. In addition to being racist Youth Foundation in Utah is a licensed mental health facility and is subject to the civil rights act. Mr. Pullan’s comments on the video make it clear that they are in violation of these laws. Why anyone would want their child in his care, why he is allowed to work with youth is beyond belief!
    Must See the Video of Chaffin Pullan as well as the pictures of he and his wife that they posted publicly to facebook. In the pictures Chaffin Pullan is in “blackface”.
    Michele Manning the President of the Board of Youth Foundations should terminate Mr. Pullan immediately to protect the children. The state of Utah should investigate this thoroughly!

    Reply
    • desiree

      i went to horizon and chaffin did use to call mi ghetto and nappy headed and desiree when are you getting new weave Jason was very abusive when i went there he use to beat on a kid name kennidy all the time and litterly hurt him very bad they emotionally abused him i attended horizon for 9 months if have any question yall may contact my email The kids there are in danger

      Reply
      • Link Murthon

        Maybe he was just making fun of your poor grasp of the English language?

        Reply
  3. Anonn

    Youth Foundation Inc’s website has changed once again. If you click on the “Youth Foundation Inc official website” it takes you to the Youth Foundation Success Academy site. The home page is a broken link. I wonder what they’re up to this time.
    They are moving to the old Diamond Ranch building and have apparently leased/rented it because it is still for sale.

    Reply
  4. Anon

    Youth Foundation Inc. is seeking a Preliminary Injunction (aka restraining order) http://www.utcourts.gov/cgi-bin/cal/display.cgi?fn=3 against Optimum Billing Services/Derrick Esplin for the letter they sent the parents warning them to pull their kids from the abusive facility. The hearing is on 9/17/13 at 1:00 in District 5 court.
    Optimum is gone. Their license with the Utah Secretary of State is gone and their building at 50 S. State Street, La Verkin, Utah, is empty and for sale according to LoopNet.
    These characters cut and run the minute they’re caught, even when they tattle on each other.
    Hopefully, Youth Foundation will close. They have been evicted, their enrollment is down to less than 80 prisoners and they reduced their “tuition” to $2,500.00 per month. I wonder how much the lawyers get out of the tuition each month.

    Reply
  5. Anon

    Youth Foundation Success Academy (which is one of the names they use for Youth Foundation Inc.) is supposedly moving this weekend to the old Diamond Ranch compound- per a letter to the parents. The new phone number on their website (owned by Brande Ridd) is 855-631-4442. Searching this number on Google, there are many hits and most of them point to Riverview (DBA of YFI but the location is empty and for sale).
    Their license expires tomorrow, 9/30/13. No new name or license can be found. Maybe Utah Human Services will be on this one and shut them.

    Reply
  6. Anon

    Youth Foundation Inc. is closing for sure on 10/13/13. They sent a letter to the parents explaining that they cannot get bonded to be able to settle their lawsuit against Optimum Billing Services.
    This means that they have no money to pay back all the tuition they have circumvented from Optimum by having the parents pay YFI directly. They cannot defend their so-called lawsuit and they are broke. They must have stashed and/or tithed all the millions they have made off of these kids troubles. So be it.
    Another abusive facility bites the dust. Let’s just pray they don’t re-invent themselves – again! They are recommending other programs, such as Diamond Ranch, to the parents to move the kids into. Most of them are in Utah, of course. Who knows how much of a “kickback” they’ll get, but who cares as long as the last of the WWASPS is gone!
    Drying up the money is the only way to get these abusers to tuck their tails and get a real job – oh yeah, they’re not qualified to do anything. Rest in Pieces Cross Creek/Horizon/Youth Foundation Inc./Youth Foundation Success Academy! May God have mercy on your souls!

    Reply
  7. Bryan Gerson

    I remember multiple times one of us, “inmates” would say we’re gonna report or sue for something they illegally did and I remember the time chaffin and Jason (different times and on multiple occasions) would say there is no owner you can’t sue or report cause there is no owner, I never knew who ran it, it seemed as Jason played the role of owner.

    Reply

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