The Aspen Difference
Aspen Achievement Academy has set itself apart from other programs by combining the best in therapeutic care, experiential activities, counseling, education, and group therapy. Therapists and field counselors join the students in the field along their path of discovery. They provide support and encouragement to help students deal with conflicts and learn to solve problems on their own.
Families benefit from the program as well. In addition to receiving weekly progress updates and phone sessions from Aspen therapists, they also have the opportunity to attend their own family therapy sessions and complete a family growth book that includes weekly reading and writing assignments.
At the end of the program, families attend a 2½-day workshop that includes a parenting seminar, family therapy, and experiential family activities. Through this workshop, parents develop communication and relationship-enhancing skills, and learn strategies that will help their child successfully reintegrate into their family, school, and community. The workshop also meets the needs of parents whose children will be transitioning from Aspen into a residential boarding school or other long-term placement.
Aspen Achievement Academy’s nationally recognized program has earned contracts with a variety insurance companies, employer groups, and managed care organizations. Letters from parents and referral sources praising the Aspen program are abundant, and Aspen's ability to correct behavior and effect students’ successful return to the school environment is outstanding.
Recent data indicate that more than 80% of adolescents who were treated at Aspen demonstrate better family relations, fewer legal problems, reduced abuse of drugs, and improved performance in school. To ensure the continued quality and success of the program, ongoing satisfaction surveys and outcome studies are conducted on all students.
About Aspen
Aspen Health Services acquired Aspen Achievement Academy in 1990 to help meet the increasing demand for an intensive, short-term alternative to traditional treatment programs. Aspen's outstanding program combines an extensive diagnostic evaluation with therapy and experiential learning in a challenging outdoor setting. The goal of the Academy is to provide "at-risk" and troubled adolescents with experiences that promote the development of self-discipline, confidence, problem solving skills, and a healthy lifestyle.
The key components of the Aspen program include the following:
- A thorough diagnostic assessment.
- A four-tiered level system.
- Individual, family, and group therapy.
- A credentialed school curriculum.
- Recreational and experiential activities.
- A 2 ½-day parent workshop during which parenting and relationship skills are strengthened and the students are reunited with their families.
All of these services are provided by a caring and supportive team of highly trained, experienced mental health professionals.
Aspen Achievement Academy is licensed as an outdoor youth program, and is recognized as a special needs school by the Utah State Department of Education.
The academy is headquartered in Loa, Utah, which is located in the south-central part of the state. The program operates year-round on hundreds of miles of Bureau of Land Management and Forest Service land, where staff and students reside in temporary, self-constructed shelters for the duration of their stay.
To ensure the continued well-being of students and staff members, Aspen employs a rigid safety program that features ongoing radio communication, highly trained instructors, and an emergency response team.
