I was placed in Heritage School at the age of fourteen from UCLA because I had horrible verbal Tourette's. It was a choice my father made, who still does not believe my story, so we have very little contact. I was put onto ISU (Intense Support Unit), there I was repeatedly kept in complete isolation for up to 8 months at a time, and near-isolation until I was 17. I hadn't responded to any meds, or should I say, all the meds they tried. I just got worse from isolation, I couldn't even ask why anymore. I created friends, imaginary friends, to stay alive; that is how to survive long-term isolation. Their names were Corey (a girl), Andy and Jenifer. It's so weird, sometimes I miss them, I think they would never hurt me. I did all their voices, it must have looked so strange. ISU was A violent hostile environment. A place to witness the dirty stuff that went on. Stuffing kids away from view to "treat" my therapist came down once a week for 10 mins. The rest of the time I was with untrained staff just doing shifts for money. There were times when there was no supervision and it was in those times it abuse from other kids would happen abuse so intolerable and unspeakable. Tyler comes to mind. Tyler was 14 he had massive mental health problems so big that they could not tolerate him on the unit she would backtrack is every five steps meaning that he could not sit for long periods if they stuffed him in isolation room for six months the kid was abuse so badly by other kids and Staff would just snicker and laugh as it happened. After I turned 17, like most Tourette's cases, I lost my Tourette's. I had spent two birthdays in the dark and hadn't seen my reflection in years. My whole life was smashed. Then I was in the 'mainstream' program at Heritage that came with pain also. The level system is a trap. One false move and you are shunned. Your levels and all progress dropped. It's just madness. And many times students would become violent simply from the frustration. I stayed until I turned 18 and legally able to leave, except my last two months were spent in ISU again. You see, they can't have Tourette's on a unit; not with precious Mormon staff's ears and the disruption it caused on the units. When I arrived, my Tourette's caused a stir instantly. I spent my first full day in a chair facing the corner, writing 5 words per line, front to back, on why I shouldn't swear. It was like they knew nothing about ticks or me. On the second day, I was introduced to ISU. It was the place they put kids short-term, usually when they misbehaved, got into fights or needed to be restrained. Club Med. I never was violent, I saw what that got you, and I was terrified. The unit consisted of 5 PSR's (Personal Safety Rooms) and three rooms with beds; so at 8:00 if the unit wasn't full, I'd be moved from a PSR to a bunk. Sometimes a mattress would be brought into the PSR, sometimes I had to sleep on the floor. Now, what you have to understand is that the PSR's were right next to each other, so I heard everything. I heard the sounds of the other kids. What was I hearing all night? It sounded so bad. Sometimes I was isolated all night for 8 months straight, after that would frequently visit Club Med, maybe 2-3 times a week. If you do not follow the program, that is where you go, and so I never really left--it wasn't continuous isolation, but it was constant. Like most Tourette's cases, I lost my Tourette's at age 17. I then learned that manipulation and faking your way through the program is the only answer, not actually working on your issues. Lying and sneaking. They have a very tough level program (or reward and punishment system) that promotes lying your way through it. Do you think if I told my therapist or staff what I was actually thinking, I would have gotten anywhere? No. I learned nothing of real life, maybe Wall Street lying. But when I went home two days before my age-out, I wasn't told that I'd be affected for this long--11 years later. I just wonder sometimes who I am and if I have a personality at all. The level system is very important to understand. It is a 1-5 system; at Level 1 you have zero privileges. That means you don't get to watch a movie or tv if that's what the unit is doing. You don't get to go of campus on the unit's weekly trip. You get nothing. Level 2 gets a little better, but not by much. Each week, there is a treatment team meeting with your therapist, the unit manager, and two of the staff. It is completely secret and nothing is discussed with the patient. At the end of that day, on the board, next to your name, is your fate and life for the week that it was written. I never made it past Level 2 until I got better, because going to ISU is an instant level drop to Level 1, no matter how perfect you have been. Even if you're a level five and you have been immaculate for months. How I got my level 4 was hilarious--I convinced all the staff that on a visit with my dad I became a Mormon. It was a fat lie, but instantly made me more popular among staff, and changed a lot in terms of small favors and getting away with stuff. They claim to be a multi-religious campus, but everyone who worked there was LDS, so that is a flying bag of lies. I lost my level and privileges and favors two months before I left, when I was caught masturbating. They called a resource team, which is a group of staff that come pull you from bed, and explain how damaging it is to your roommates and the unit if you touch yourself. In absolute frustration, I let it slip that I wasn't Mormon and that masturbation was normal and natural. So, at 11:40 pm, I went back to ISU. This resource team caught people daily; soooooo humiliating for all of us. When I was released, I came home to a surprise celebration. The banner read 'Welcome Home [my name]'. I sat in silence as people tried to talk to me, after an hour my mom told everyone to leave--it just wasn't happening. The first few weeks I spent curled up in the corner. Where were the level 5's to tell me what to do? Where were the staff to ask to go to the bathroom? I was totally dependent on the program, they were right, I was nothing; without it I was a mess. Interestingly enough, all of the kids from only three places: Alaska, Chicago or Cali. All of the Chicago kids were first-time felons or sent by court and it was the same two judges. I can't remember their names, wish to god I could. Anyone who sends their son to Heritage is only sending him to a place where he will be schooled in all the ways the others misbehaved. He'll learn about drugs, sex and gangs. He will not come back pure and fixed; he be polluted and confused. I had to choose whether I wanted to hate or love people. It took awhile, but my girlfriend introduced me to the Beatles and John Lennon; that helped. The answer is love, I am love and forgiveness. I don't want Heritage to burn, or for certain staff to die; I'd rather they change their program. I don't want to live a life of hate. I could speak for hours of torture done to others that I witnessed. ISU should not be part of any program. And staff willingness to remove a child from the units so easily.. Only to be placed in ISU is appalling. I watched such violent take down happen. None necessary and none therapeutic. The divide in communication between staff and therapist, therapist to doctor was so frustrating. The therapist completely oblivious to unit interactions. If I had a problem like I was being assaulted or raped the time it would take to get from staff to therapist who the could ask the doctor to move us could be months. Heritage will medicate your child on entry. Big part of heritage is pushing pills on the undeveloped brain. Most not needing a thing are forced to take them. Or they go to isolation. Phone calls are monitored and impossible to make due to the need for a phone card. I lost contact with all of my friends in the four years I was there. I really was completely alone, and this killed a huge part of my returning home process also. It would have been nice to have that support I needed from home. As someone who survived heritage school and proactively is fighting them. They <- professionals sell a tight clean package to parents then leave underpaid Staff to work With your child. Theses are not licensed mental health workers they are students and locals who needed jobs. So know this going in.