| At the time of its inception Burnell worked as a | | | | to today's SRS. Along the way Sorenson's Ranch |
| teacher in the Whittier Unified School District in | | | | School decided it would be beneficial for families to |
| Southern California, and used his spare time | | | | get a hospital certification so we became |
| recruiting for youth in and around the area for the | | | | accredited with JCAHO. Originally many insurance |
| summer program. Some of the original facilities | | | | carriers would provide some assistance to the |
| also served as a deer camp through the early | | | | families for in-patient care, but since the popularity |
| 1960's. During the 1970's Burnell was the principal | | | | of managed care it has become increasingly |
| owner with Carrol and had several years | | | | difficult for our families to get assistance. With the |
| representing the Youth Conservation Corps, which | | | | addition of many buildings the facilities have |
| was a newly formed organization to provide | | | | blossomed, having a school building, a gymnasium, |
| youth from various backgrounds teambuilding, | | | | a library/administration building, a lodge, industrial |
| educational, and outdoor experiences while doing | | | | arts building, and the largest wood barn built in |
| projects with the Bureau of Land Management | | | | Utah in the last 50 years. Troubled teens seem to |
| and Forest Service. Many of the projects the | | | | respond well with the animals that our barn |
| youth did during those years still exist to this day | | | | houses. With the consolidation of the farms, |
| in the surrounding outdoors of Grass Valley. It | | | | Shane Sorenson also assists in the sowing and |
| was in 1984 that Burnell and Carrol retired from | | | | harvesting of the crops, which are needed for the |
| their teaching careers in Southern California to live | | | | many animals on the ranch. Currently, the animals |
| full time in Koosharem. That same year | | | | are comprised of horses, cattle, bison, sheep, pigs, |
| Sorenson's Ranch School started to give | | | | chickens, turkeys, peacocks, rabbits, and goats. |
| year-round assistance to adolescents needing help. | | | | The progression of the dormitories has been quite |
| SRS quickly formed the basics to become an | | | | drastic during the 40-plus years youth have been |
| accredited school and a licensed treatment facility. | | | | here in Koosharem. In the early 1960's the cabins |
| Because Sorenson's Ranch School was one of the | | | | all had no bathrooms or running water, only had |
| first in its field, the State of Utah did not have a | | | | one common bathroom on each side of the |
| clear way to oversee and inspect our facilities to | | | | cabins for each specific gender. Also, indoor |
| care for troubled youth, so the State initially did | | | | heating was placed in the individual cabins in the |
| our license through Youth Corrections to provide | | | | 1970's, which consisted of small wood burning |
| treatment. Later this was done directly with the | | | | stoves that the students/staff had to keep |
| Department of Licensing. Wayne Holland, who is | | | | stocked in order to keep the cabins warm. With |
| the current Chairman for the Utah Democratic | | | | the 1980's brought the advent of indoor plumbing |
| Party, was the original licensor. Later it became | | | | into each cabin along with central heating. Just this |
| Ken Stettler, who is now the Director of Utah's | | | | last year the dormitories received an overall |
| Office of Licensing. Because of the declining health | | | | renovation with very nice appointments and an |
| of Burnell, Shane and Jill Sorenson took over the | | | | outside facelift with lodge-pole siding. The last 40 |
| helm of the school around 1998. Burnell remained | | | | years have seen a total transformation in the |
| actively involved up to the time of his death on | | | | comfort and coziness for our students' dormitory |
| December 27, 2004. Layne Bagley took over as | | | | living. In summary, Sorenson's Ranch School has |
| the primary admissions person around the same | | | | from its inception had the goal of continuing to |
| time. Today the Clinical Director is Dave Neslen, | | | | improve its services for its clients. Rather than |
| who has specialty training in Reactive Attachment | | | | become a static institution, SRS has chosen to be |
| Disorder, ADD, ADHD, Asperger's Syndrome, | | | | a facility that is ever improving, growing, and |
| along with his extensive experience with | | | | changing with the times. We look to the future |
| behaviorally challenged adolescents. Dave | | | | with excitement and hope for our staff and the |
| coordinates his efforts with our other primary | | | | clientele they serve. |
| therapists who bring a vast array of experience | | | | |