Since 1992, we have worked with thousands of families, not unlike your own, that have a troubled teen aged 13 to 17 who is not living up to their potential. Our program features:

Extensive therapeutic care

Therapists create individualized intervention and treatment plans for your child. They provide individual and group therapy and report directly to you on your child's progress.

Assessment

Your child will spend their initial two weeks in our permanent base camp facility where a licensed clinician and our nursing staff assess your son or daughter to ensure the program is individually structured to best address their needs and to provide you with valuable insight to help chart your child's course after they have completed our program.

Testing

Upon request, our psychologist can provide a full battery of psychological and educational testing.

Base Camp model

Your child's first weeks are spent in our permanent base camp where they receive clinical and health assessments and adjust to the new structure and outdoor life-style. This creates a level of emotional and physical safety for your child that is not found in traditional wilderness programs where your child would be immediately sent on a wilderness expedition. Twenty-four-hour staff presence, including awake staff during night hours provides accountability and constant oversight of your child.

Experienced field staff

When your child departs on their two-week backpacking expedition, experienced field staff will lead them. Our wilderness instructors have a minimum of five years of experience that includes at least 300 days in the field with children. They also complete an 80-hour medical training course and receive a Wilderness First Responder certification.

Nursing

Nursing provides a comprehensive health evaluation for each student at enrollment. Ongoing interventions include medication management and continuous health assessments including the coordination of health care needs with family and program activity. The nursing department will provide referrals to health care professionals as needed. Safety is always a main consideration. Nurses are at Ascent during the day and on call at night.

 

Intensive parent component

Parents are involved in our three-day Family Workshop, which creates an emotionally safe environment for reconciliation and reunification with your son or daughter.

Time tested

ASCENT was founded in 1992 and in our first decade we have worked successfully with more than 1,500 families. Please ask our admissions counselors to put you in contact with the parent of an ASCENT graduate.

You can begin the process quickly and easily with our four-step pre-approval Easy Enroll Application