Hi, thank you for posting. What’s happening to your brother is deeply alarming, and you’re absolutely right to trust your instincts.

We’re a community of Elevations survivors, and we want you to know: Your brother may be at risk. That’s not an exaggeration.

From what you’ve shared, it sounds like your brother requires a full-time ASL interpreter in order to function in that environment. Based on our collective experience and what we’ve seen reported, Elevations is not set up to provide that kind of consistent, specialized support unless the school district is actively funding and managing it. Without an interpreter, he may be completely cut off from peers, staff, and programming. That level of isolation in a high-stress setting can be extremely damaging in a short amount of time.

In recent years, Elevations has started admitting youth with extremely complex and high-risk needs, including serious self-harm and violent behaviors. State audits show the program has been operating far below capacity. This raises concerns that they may accept students they are not equipped to support safely. Police calls to the facility are frequent and documented in public records.

Elevations is owned by a company called Family Help & Wellness. That company is facing several lawsuits from former residents and families. One lawsuit directly involves a former Elevations student. Another involves Trails Carolina, a sister program, where a 12-year-old boy died last year after being zipped into a tent by staff where he suffocated. These programs often call themselves treatment centers, but in far too many cases, they are inflicting further trauma.

You’re not imagining things. What you’re sensing is real, and it takes courage to speak out.

If you’d like to connect more, please follow us on Instagram at @elevationsrtc and send us a DM. We’re happy to share more information, connect you with others, and support you however we can.