IAN AUGUST: Therapy Program Closed Over Violations
By Laura Hancock
Deseret News staff writer
While the state continues to investigate a teen
who died while participating in a wilderness-therapy program in
southwest Utah, a different program in the eastern part of the state
has been closed after investigators for the Utah Department of Human
Services found numerous violations.
An 8th District Court judge on Friday granted
the Department of Human Service's request to issue a temporary
restraining order against High Peaks Wilderness Inc., based in
Roosevelt. The department filed its case against the program July
30, court records state.
"They are closed because we gave them several
warnings and they just didn't comply," Department of Human Services
spokeswoman Carol Sisco said.
Officials from High Peaks Wilderness did not
return calls by press time.
The closing of High Peaks Wilderness comes less
than two months after the July 13 death of Ian August, 14, who died
near Marjum Canyon, 60 miles outside Delta. The final autopsy report
has not been released but an examining pathologist said August
likely died of heat stroke. The temperature of the mountainous
desert area where August died has been disputed; estimates range
from 90 to 110 degrees.
The Department of Human Services has not
determined whether wilderness program Skyline Journey violated any
state regulations in the August death. "We haven't finalized (the
investigation) yet. We're still waiting for toxicology reports,"
Sisco said.
But while investigating High Peaks Wilderness,
the Department of Human Services found the program violated rules
for hiring and training of its director and staff, as well as safety
rules, which led to the department ultimately pushing for the
program's closure, Sisco said.
High Peaks Wilderness officials hired a new
director this year but failed to notify the state, which is a
violation of regulations. Investigators then learned the new
director did not have the proper qualifications for the position,
Sisco said. None of the seven staffers had documentation of full
training required by the state, and High Peaks Wilderness officials
performed criminal background checks on just two staffers, and only
two staffers had training in first aid and CPR, Sisco said. Thirteen
participants have been sent home. Other participants have been sent
to other wilderness-therapy programs, Sisco said.
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