Aspen Achievement Academy was a

wilderness therapy Wilderness therapy, also known as outdoor behavioral healthcare, is a treatment option for behavioral disorders, substance abuse, and mental health issues in adolescents. Patients spend time living outdoors with other peers. Reports of abuse, ...

program for

adolescents Adolescence () is a transitional stage of human physical and psychological development that generally occurs during the period from puberty to adulthood (typically corresponding to the age of majority). Adolescence is usually associated with ...

, based in

Loa, Utah Loa is a town in, and the county seat of, Wayne County, Utah, United States, along State Route 24. The population was 572 at the 2010 census. History A post office called Loa has been in operation since 1879. The town was named after Mauna ...

. It was operated as a part of Aspen Education Group. The program has been moved, in name only, and merged with another wilderness therapy program in Utah - Outback Therapeutic Expeditions - in March 2011. According to the program's promotional materials, Aspen Achievement Academy enrolled adolescent males and females, ages 13–17, with a history of moderate to severe emotional and behavioral problems, such as low self-esteem, academic underachievement,

substance abuse Substance misuse, also known as drug misuse or, in older vernacular, substance abuse, is the use of a drug in amounts or by methods that are harmful to the individual or others. It is a form of substance-related disorder, differing definition ...

, and family conflict. The program had a flexible length of stay, with a minimum of 35 days. Some parents use the services of a

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to transport their children to the site. The program's website state that the program was

JCAHO The Joint Commission is a United States-based nonprofit tax-exempt 501(c) organization that accredits more than 22,000 US health care organizations and programs. The international branch accredits medical services from around the world. A majori ...

certified and licensed as an ''Outdoor Treatment Program'' by the Utah Department of Human Services. It had memberships in the National Association of Therapeutic Schools and Programs and the Outdoor Behavioral Healthcare Industry Council.

In news media and popular culture

Aspen Achievement Academy has been a subject of several media reports and works of popular culture: *The 1999 book ''Shouting at the Sky: Troubled Teens and the Promise of the Wild'' by Gary Ferguson, recounts the author's experiences and observations during several months he spent in the wilderness with teens at Aspen Achievement Academy. *The third season of the UK

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Brat Camp ''Brat Camp'' is a reality television show. The first season, featuring RedCliff Ascent, won an International Emmy. Subsequent seasons saw declining viewership. The American version of ''Brat Camp'' was cancelled after its one-season run, but ...

was filmed at Aspen Achievement Academy, and aired in the UK beginning in February 2006. *In January 1996, six teenagers ran away from an Aspen group. They were found by law enforcement officials and returned to the program, but the incident raised concerns that future escapees might assault tourists, hikers or recreationists on the public lands that Aspen used. Afterward, the

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, which manages these lands, was reported to have conducted a review to determine whether to renew or terminate Aspen's access permit. *In April 2007 a 16-year-old male student died after hanging himself with a piece of seatbelt webbing.Four recent Utah deaths in treatment programs
, By Kirsten Stewart, ''The Salt Lake Tribune'', October 13, 2007

History

Aspen Achievement Academy (AAA) was founded in 1988 by Doug Nelson, Dr. Keith Hooker, Doug Cloward, and Madolyn Liebing, Ph.D. It was originally named Wilderness Academy. AAA is known for being the first wilderness therapy programs to have a clinician (Liebing) who provided individual therapy. AAA was also the first Utah State licensed wilderness therapy program.

References

* White, W. (2012) Chapter 2: “A History of Adventure Therapy” in Adventure Therapy: Theory, Practice, and Research by Gass, M, Gillis, L. Russell, K. Routledge/Bruner-Mazel Press.

External links

Aspen Achievement Academy program homepage
{{Bain Capital Behavior modification Troubled teen programs