Aspen Ranch
Aspen Ranch is a co-ed wilderness treatment camp for at-risk youth who need an opportunity for positive life changes. The licensed long-term teenage treatment facility is located amid the towering green mountains and the incredible red rock desert, about three hours south of Salt Lake City in Loa, Utah. Capitol Reef National Park is just twenty miles away. Aspen Ranch's residential treatment center is a co-ed wilderness treatment program for adolescents 13 -17.5 years of age.
Some of the issues teens at Aspen Ranch may be struggling with when they first arrive:
- low self-esteem
- academic underachievement
- drug / alcohol abuse
- mood disorders
- anger
- family conflicts
At Aspen Ranch adolescents can develop, practice and improve healthy interdependence, social accountability, responsibility and self mastery through principle-based decision making, value-oriented behavior, and honest achievement. Aspen Ranch provides teenagers with a supportive structure. Its therapeutic, goal-oriented activities emphasize core values of respect, responsibility, relationships, and integrity.
Academics
Aspen Academy is fully accredited by the Northwest Association of Accredited Schools, licensed by the State of Utah for residential treatment, and a California Approved Non-Public School. All academic classes are taught by Utah Certified Teachers. Aspen Ranch combines the rigorous academics of a private boarding school with the intensive therapy of an adolescent residential treatment facility in a Ranch setting.
Clinical Therapy
At Aspen Ranch, each student is being treated respectfully and regarded as an individual. Here are some of the treatment components offered at this residential treatment center for troubled teenagers:
Individual and Family Therapy
A primary therapist is assigned to each student at Aspen Ranch. The therapist is responsible for communicating the progress made with family members, on a weekly basis.
Depending on the individual needs of a teenager enrolled at the program, individual therapy may consist of a 50-minute session or several short sessions during the week. Upon arrival, an individual assessment determins the treatment plan that establishes goals and objectives for the stay at Aspen Ranch.
Therapy focuses on personal responsibility, addictions, anger management techniques, family dynamics, emotional injury, and any other issue that may arise. The general therapeutic approach is to assist each student in identifying core issues, resolving conflict, and developing new attitudes and coping skills.
It is no secret that the biggest predictor of success in treatment is the involvement of the family, and parent participation. It is extremely important for the resident to feel supported in the treatment process. For most of the residents at Aspen Ranch, working to resolve family issues is a key reason for placement. All staff work hard at trying to facilitate growth and change in attitudes about the family so when the resident returns home the situation will be significantly improved.
Family Involvement
Family involvement includes phone calls, letters, visits, and family therapy. Furthermore, parents will be invited to come to the Ranch at specific planned times for education and family work with their children. Therapeutic site visits with residents are encouraged and can be arranged with the advice of each resident’s primary therapist.
Four times throughout the year, all parents are invited to attend Parent Week, which includes parent education and support groups, parent-teacher conferences, and experiential activities with residents.
Group Therapy
Research has shown that group therapy is the most effective type of therapy, and it creates more change than any other form of therapy used in treating adolescents. Therefore, emphasis is placed on the frequency of group therapy at Aspen Ranch. Several models of group therapy are utilized, including treatment groups, issues groups, skills groups, equine assisted learning sessions, recreational initiatives sessions, addictions groups, psycho-educational groups and peer mediation sessions.
Equine Therapy
What makes Aspen Ranch unique and effective is the phenomenal Equine Program. Equine Therapy combines the power of the horse with effective teaching philosophies, experiential learning, therapy, and discussion groups. Aspen Ranch offers the ultimate horse program - founded on the principle that, through working with horses, students can learn life skills that initiate change. Here, students can first experience success and rediscover a sense of mastery and self worth.
All aspects of horses and horsemanship are used in the program, from bareback riding, to jumping, to overnight off-site trail rides, to barrel racing, to team penning, to young horse training. Horsemanship skills are integrated with team building activities, experiential learning, and therapy groups to create a unique program with endless possibilities.
Accreditation
Aspen Ranch is a Member of National Association of Therapeutic Schools and Programs (NATSAP)
To speak with an Admissions Counselor call toll-free 877-830-7020
