Grieving family questions early lift of new patient ban following son's death at Discovery Ranch 

SALT LAKE CITY — A Utah family wants answers after their 17-year-old son died at Discovery Ranch, a residential treatment facility. Despite state regulators issuing citations and placing the facility on a conditional license in November, the Utah Department of Health and Human Services lifted its new patient ban six weeks early.

Josh and Katy Silvers adopted Biruk from Ethiopia when he was 7 years old, along with his brother. His parents describe him as a bright, caring boy who loved good food, music, and spending time with family. However, as he got older, they say he struggled as unresolved issues from his early childhood surfaced.

"It was drug use, alcohol use, and we just knew, given Biruk's past, that although these are typical in the teenage world, and it's part of growing up, experimentation — we were more fearful for him," said Katy Silvers.

An education consultant recommended Discovery Ranch, a residential treatment facility in Mapleton, as the best option for helping him.

"He was ready to address his past so that it didn't have to be such a heavy burden as he entered into young adulthood," she said.

The Silvers said they spent around $17,000 a month, not including what insurance paid, trusting Discovery Ranch to take care of their son. On Nov. 5, Josh Silvers received a call that another boy found Biruk's body.

"It's the most hopeless feeling I've ever had," said Josh Silvers.

Days later, the Silvers said they received their son's medical records, which showed less than two weeks before his death, Biruk told his therapist twice that he was suicidal and had a plan — similar to the way he died. His mother said she couldn't believe what she was reading. She emailed his therapist, asking, "You spoke to me every day. I called you every day. How could you not tell me?" She told KSL she received no response.

The Silvers say it is unclear if Biruk died by suicide because weeks before his death he also told staff he had been playing the pass-out game multiple times a day.

Either way, the Silvers say the staff left their son unsupervised when he needed help the most.

"How could a high supervision facility not notice a child going unconscious 10 to 20 times per day?" asked Katy Silvers.

On Nov. 6, the Utah Department of Health and Human Services issued four findings against Discovery Ranch: not meeting client needs, compromising the health and safety of a client, violating the suicide prevention policy, and not reporting a critical incident within a 24-hour period. That incident involved physical restraint.

On Nov.18, the health department cited the facility again for not reporting a critical incident in the required timeframe, which also involved restraint. Since 2023, the health department has written up Discovery Ranch four times for not properly reporting its use of restraint. Additionally, the facility was written up for not properly reporting an allegation of misconduct on Oct. 30, 2023.

On Nov. 26, three weeks after Biruk's death, the health department issued a three-month conditional license, requiring extra inspections, staff training on suicide prevention procedures and a detailed plan on effective communication between staff when someone is suicidal. The facility also couldn't admit new patients.

On Dec.12, the Utah Department of Health and Human Services found Discovery Ranch was out of compliance for not providing licensing contact information to parents in the parent packet. The agency told KSL it considered that lack of compliance low risk, adding it "did not affect the health or safety of people being served by the facility and was not part of the conditional monitoring process."

The new patient ban was lifted on Jan. 13.

In response to the KSL Investigator's questions, the health department said the ban can be lifted after two inspections in a row without any issues related to the reason for their conditional license. However, it said increased monitoring of the facility would continue.

Records show the facility had four inspections in December prior to the ban lift. They've had two inspections in the last 50 days.

On Jan. 22, DHHS found the facility out of compliance for not reporting a critical incident within the required one business day.

Discovery Ranch's conditional license runs until Feb. 26.

Discovery Ranch declined KSL Investigators' request for an interview, saying it could not talk due to a pending lawsuit.

In a statement, it wrote it has served more than a thousand boys and girls since it opened almost 20 years ago.

"We consider each young person coming to Discovery Ranch to be a member of our family. Recently, we lost a member of our family when a young man committed suicide. This was a trauma to his parents but also to our staff and the young people we serve. We have extended our condolences to his parents and we are working to heal the pain and shock caused to them, our staff, and other residents," the statement said.

"Meanwhile, we are committed to continuing the important work of Discovery Ranch in raising the health and brighter future of the young people we serve," the statement continued.

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