In Balance Ranch Academy

This business is a built to build fear in parents about youthsThey promote a wilderness philosophy to scare parents into using their service The facility is unsafe - as it is in the desert in Arizona and is directly in the path of Mexican drug smuggling with drug smuggling armed personnel from Mexico moving among the property dailySomeone will be hurt someday on this property They claim to have certified licensed counselors but instead they are only recovered AA or NA personnel on staff without required credentialsThey secretly put children on prohibition without notifying the parents They promote equine therapy- which could be exceptional- but it is skipped regularlyThey promote trips away from [redacted] ranch but they are also rareThey skimp on the services they promote and promiseYouths are left in a sweltering desert environment daily unable to function from 9am to pm daily It is environment built to keep youths in their care at major expense to parents

After an A++ recommendation from our Educational Consultant and a site visit by me, we chose In Balance Ranch Academy (IBRA) for our son who was transitioning from a 3-month wilderness intervention in May Looking back, we knew very little before making this decision This was our first 'treatment rodeo' We trusted our advisers, our experiences and our gut It is now June and our son recently graduated after weeks at IBRA His life is changed forever.........for the good!! No treatment center or program is perfect, including IBRA Recovery everywhere is a messy business, especially with a group of adolescent boys aged 15-who (through substance abuse and/or other mental illness) are messed up one way or anotherAnd don't forget the contribution from us parent(s) who either enabled, ignored or did both to add to this messiness My wife and I fessed up to our role in our son's mess and (with the help of our sons' highly experienced and credentialed therapists) have been successfully working our own recovery Our son saw us working alongside of him and this encouraged him to work his own strong recovery program There were ups and downs throughout the past year (confusion, questions, consequences, disappointments), but it has been such a learning experience for each of us and for our family This is our first time to experience treatment We are SO FORTUNATE to have chosen a good program the first time All treatment centers are not good ones IBRA is a GOOD ONE!! There is no way we can know about or understand all that goes on at a remote ranch with a population of young men, from all walks of life and needing treatment for every conceivable disorderThese young men are supported by 40+ staff and professionals x x We have met most all of them during our ranch visits What a job these people performall to help our sons learn, grow, heal and get equipped for a long term sober future Our son went on every excursion, adventure, horse trek, hike, AA event, service assignment, level trip, group meeting, lodge trip and even an international trip to Africa plus the first ever Ranch Prom And these are just the highlights There is so much more WHAT A RIDE!! WHAT AN OUTCOME!! While this comes at significant $ cost, now looking back, we would not trade the experience for (and investment in) our son for anything He is changed! I am changed! We are changed! He is graduated from the ranch and now is enthusiastically moving forward through the next phase (In Balance Transitional Living) as he completes high school, prepares for college, learns life skills, learns about employment, learns about sober living in the real worldHe is earning what a strong recovery program looks likeIn Balance Continuum of Care has been and continues to be the PERFECT path for early recovery for our son Remember one thing............at its best, recovery is a messy business; we are messed up; our kid(s) are messed up; the world is messed up; but we do NOT have to sit or stay in this messiness There is a door and a road to recovery Walk through it Working together with experienced professionals, we can get on that road and move through the mess Following the well-worn path of successful long term recovery carved out by others, we and our sons (in the case of In-Balance) can work through all the messiness and have successful lives of joy and soberness.......long term recovery, one day at a time, one hour at a time, keep working it, keep coming back to it because it works We are living proof Learn to trust the process [redacted] **

Our son was at In Balance Ranch for months and in that time he absolutely THRIVED! The setting in the desert, surrounded by mountains is perfect for the immense amount of therapy, activities and studying that takes place (I have been there many times and aside from stopping at the local border patrol check point, I have NEVER seen people running around the desert with guns I believe if that were the case, my son would have been the first to tell me about what he would think is a most exciting event.) The *** Family and their staff are professional and compassionate and brought out the best in my sonThe Ranch also taught him how to ride and respect horses, which he completely loved! He also skied at their cabin in northern Azand traveled to Africa to help out at an orphanage He recently graduated from their Transitional Living program in Tucson, just got promoted in his job and will be starting college in the fall We could not be any prouder of him and we are equally proud of our family for supporting him but also for taking a look at our own behavior and then working together as a family We are so indebted to the folks at In Balance for bringing our son back to us

This business is a built to build fear in parents about youths. They promote a wilderness philosophy to scare parents into using their service.

The facility is unsafe - as it is in the desert in Arizona and is directly in the path of Mexican drug smuggling with drug smuggling armed personnel from Mexico moving among the property daily. Someone will be hurt someday on this property.

They claim to have certified licensed counselors but instead they are only recovered AA or NA personnel on staff without required credentials. They secretly put children on prohibition without notifying the parents.

They promote equine therapy- which could be exceptional- but it is skipped regularly. They promote trips away from ** ranch but they are also rare. They skimp on the services they promote and promise. Youths are left in a sweltering desert environment daily unable to function from 9am to 3 pm daily.

It is environment built to keep youths in their care at major expense to parents.

After an A++ recommendation from our Educational Consultant and a site visit by me, we chose In Balance Ranch Academy (IBRA) for our son who was transitioning from a 3-month wilderness intervention in May 2015. Looking back, we knew very little before making this decision. This was our first 'treatment rodeo'. We trusted our advisers, our experiences and our gut. It is now June 2016 and our son recently graduated after 54 weeks at IBRA. His life is changed forever.........for the good!!

No treatment center or program is perfect, including IBRA. Recovery everywhere is a messy business, especially with a group of 50 adolescent boys aged 15-18 who (through substance abuse and/or other mental illness) are messed up one way or another. And don't forget the contribution from us parent(s) who either enabled, ignored or did both to add to this messiness. My wife and I fessed up to our role in our son's mess and (with the help of our sons' highly experienced and credentialed therapists) have been successfully working our own recovery. Our son saw us working alongside of him and this encouraged him to work his own strong recovery program. There were ups and downs throughout the past year (confusion, questions, consequences, disappointments), but it has been such a learning experience for each of us and for our family. This is our first time to experience treatment. We are SO FORTUNATE to have chosen a good program the first time. All treatment centers are not good ones. IBRA is a GOOD ONE!!

There is no way we can know about or understand all that goes on at a remote ranch with a population of 50 young men, from all walks of life and needing treatment for every conceivable disorder. These young men are supported by 40+ staff and professionals 7 x 24 x 365. We have met most all of them during our 9 ranch visits. What a job these people perform.... all to help our sons learn, grow, heal and get equipped for a long term sober future. Our son went on every excursion, adventure, horse trek, hike, AA event, service assignment, level trip, group meeting, lodge trip and even an international trip to Africa plus the first ever Ranch Prom. And these are just the highlights. There is so much more. WHAT A RIDE!! WHAT AN OUTCOME!!

While this comes at significant $ cost, now looking back, we would not trade the experience for (and investment in) our son for anything. He is changed! I am changed! We are changed!
He is graduated from the ranch and now is enthusiastically moving forward through the next phase (In Balance Transitional Living) as he completes high school, prepares for college, learns life skills, learns about employment, learns about sober living in the real world. He is earning what a strong recovery program looks like. In Balance Continuum of Care has been and continues to be the PERFECT path for early recovery for our son.

Remember one thing............at its best, recovery is a messy business; we are messed up; our kid(s) are messed up; the world is messed up; but we do NOT have to sit or stay in this messiness. There is a door and a road to recovery. Walk through it. Working together with experienced professionals, we can get on that road and move through the mess. Following the well-worn path of successful long term recovery carved out by others, we and our sons (in the case of In-Balance) can work through all the messiness and have successful lives of joy and soberness.......long term recovery, one day at a time, one hour at a time, keep working it, keep coming back to it because it works. We are living proof. Learn to trust the process.

[redacted]

I found In Balance to be the perfect program for my son who is struggling with addictions. The specific location; grounds and environment are beautiful, serene, peaceful safe place. They provided everything they said they would and more. The therapist we worked with was a masters level therapist. He as well as all the other counselors at "In Balance" helped our family navigate the journey of addiction. My son learned to be respectful, self sufficient, and follow rules. His stay at the ranch turned him into the man he is today, the man we are so proud of. The equine experience was something my son was terrified about, but he worked at it, learned to ride and care for his assigned horse and others. The accomplishment of this was so powerful in his sense of self. He attended many off campus excursions and events that made memories; and experiences he will never forget, and forged friendships he will hold near forever. They saved my sons life.