Admission Information
We are pleased to offer a complete, secure, online application for admission to Aspen Achievement Academy.
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 If you are filling out an application for the first time, or filling out an application for a new student, click the button below. |
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Aspen Achievement Academy operates year-round; and application for admission may take place at any time. Acceptance is based on a review of the student's current and past history of behavior, psychological and educational testing when appropriate, and consultation with parents and professionals.
Appropriate candidates are adolescent males and females, ages 13-17, with a history of moderate to severe emotional and behavioral problems, low self-esteem, academic underachievement, substance abuse and family conflict.
Admissions occur typically Monday-Friday, however students can enroll on Saturday and Sunday in cases of crisis. Adolescent escort services are available if needed.
For further information you can call our admissions office at: 800-283-8334 or E-mail us.
Admissions Criteria
The admissions criteria are the basic guidelines used to determine appropriate admissions. Because most diagnoses can be treated effectively in the home community given a motivated patient and strong family involvement model, the least restrictive program appropriate to the patient's need should be the first choice for treatment. However, multiple failures at outpatient interventions, inpatient stays or a combination of both are often indicative of different treatment needs.
Aspen is experienced in treating resistant adolescents who are marginally involved in treatment, manipulative, and for whom traditional outpatient individual and family therapies have been ineffective. Additional criteria used in making admissions decisions are numbers and types of previous interventions, family dynamics, aftercare orientation, specific incidents leading to treatment, legal system involvement, chronicity of symptoms, likelihood of positive outcome, and safety of each student.
Admissions Exclusions and Program Failures
There are a number of psychiatric, emotional and behavioral conditions which preclude admissions at Aspen. The first and most important consideration in these cases is the safety of the applicant, the other patients and staff. The second consideration is the inability of the program to effectively work with the present issue(s). Aspen's admissions exclusions are:
Psychiatric signs/symptoms:
- Severe and extreme Depression or Chronic Severe Depression
- Acute suicidal risk
- Severe and chronic personality disorders
- Psychosis
- Severe Antisocial Behavior and/or Antisocial Personality Disorder
- History or potential for repeated violent or sexual abuse to others
- Intermittent Explosive Disorder
- Mental Retardation
- Multiple Personality Disorder
- Severe Dissociative Disorder NOS
- Bi-polar Disorder not fully stabilized on medication
- Need for anti-psychotic medication
- Severe and active self mutilation
- Moderate to severe Anorexia or Bulimia
Physical signs/symptoms:
- Diabetes or extreme hypoglycemia
- Epilepsy: Grand Mal Seizures
- Renal disease
- Arthritis which will interfere with hiking
- Pregnancy
- Sometimes students are admitted into the program, seemingly appropriate, yet tend to be unable to benefit or complete the program. These include:
- Severely depressed youth who initially appear to be more functional than they are
- Youth more anti-social than initially seen, with no ability to connect, no conscience or remorse
The admissions and clinical team will give final approval of admission and has the authority and responsibility to reject admissions deemed necessary for the safety and integrity of the patients, staff and program.