Aspen's Academy of Achievement is a juvenile wilderness therapy program, based in Loa, Utah.
It is operated as part of the Aspen Education Group.
This program has been moved, just name it, and joined another wilderness therapy program in Utah - Outback Therapeutic Expeditions - in March 2011.
According to the program promotional materials, the Aspen Academy of Registration enrolled male and female teenagers, ages 13-17, with a history of moderate to severe emotional and behavioral issues, such as low self-esteem, low academic achievement, substance abuse, and family conflicts. The program has flexible residence, with a minimum of 35 days. Some parents use the services of a juvenile escort company to transport their children to the site.
The program's website states that the program is JCAHO certified and licensed as Outdoor Care Program by the Utah State Department of Human Services. It has membership in the National Association of Therapeutic Schools and Programs and Outdoor Behavioral Healthcare Industry Council.
Video Aspen Achievement Academy
In the popular news and culture media
The Aspen Academy of Achievement has been the subject of several media reports and popular cultural works:
- The 1999 Book Shouting in the Sky: Troubled Youth and the Promise of Wild by Gary Ferguson, ISBN 0-312-20008-0 recounts the author's experiences and observations over the months he spent in the fields desert with teenagers at the Aspen Academy of Achievement.
- The third season of the British TV series Brat Camp was filmed at the Aspen Achievement Academy, and aired in the UK from February 2006.
- In January 1996, six teenagers ran away from the Aspen group. They were found by law enforcement officers and returned to the program, but the incident raised concerns that future escapees may strike tourists, pedestrians or recreations on public lands used by Aspen. Subsequently, the Land Management Bureau, which manages these lands, is reported to have made a review to determine whether to renew or terminate Aspen access permissions.
- In April 2007, a 16-year-old boy died after hanging himself with a seatbelt.
Maps Aspen Achievement Academy
History
Aspen Achievement Academy (AAA) was founded in 1988 by Doug Nelson, Dr. Keith Hooker, Doug Cloward, and Madolyn Liebing, Ph.D. Originally named Wilderness Academy. AAA is known as the first wilderness therapy program that has a doctor (Liebing) that provides individual therapy. AAA is also the first Utah licensed desert 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 Education Group
- Achievement Academy Program website at Aspen
- the company homepage of Aspen Education Group
Organization watchlist
- International Victims Action Committee
- The Community Alliance for Fair and Ethical Treatment of Youth
- Collation Against Institutionalized Institutional Violations
- Nospank Projects page on institutions
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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