{"id":9595,"date":"2022-03-11T15:26:03","date_gmt":"2022-03-11T23:26:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.breakingcodesilence.org\/?p=9595"},"modified":"2022-03-13T17:40:45","modified_gmt":"2022-03-14T00:40:45","slug":"uinta-academy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.breakingcodesilence.org\/uinta-academy\/","title":{"rendered":"Uinta Academy"},"content":{"rendered":"

Uinta Academy<\/b> (2003-present) Wellsville, UT<\/span><\/h1>\n

Residential Treatment Center<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

History and Background Information<\/b><\/h2>\n

Uinta Academy (also called Uinta RTC) is a <\/span>Family Help & Wellness<\/span><\/a> behavior-modification program which opened in 2003. It is marketed as a Residential Treatment Center for teenage girls between the ages of 12 and 17. Uinta Academy claims to treat girls dealing with depression, anxiety, adoption issues, peer, child and\/or parent conflicts, low self-esteem, manipulation, school failure, attention deficit, physical or sexual abuse, reactive attachment, borderline personality traits, post-traumatic stress or intermittent explosive disorder, and substance abuse. The program has a maximum enrollment of 60 girls, and the average length of stay is reported to be between 11 and 18 months (typically around 16 months).<\/span><\/p>\n

Uinta Academy operates out of a number of houses near the area of Wellsville, UT. The original campus was located at <\/span>1981 S Main St, Lewiston, UT 84320<\/span><\/a>, which is currently used as the program’s “transition” campus for young adults aged 18-21. The main campus is located nearby at <\/span>3746 S 4800 W, Wellsville, UT 84339<\/span><\/a>. In addition, Uinta Academy also operates two other homes located nearby to the first two campuses, but their locations are unknown. One may be located in Logan, UT.<\/span><\/p>\n

Uinta Academy “partnered” with Family Help & Wellness in 2018. Prior to this, it was independently owned.<\/span><\/p>\n

Founders and Notable Staff<\/b><\/h2>\n
    \n
  1. Jeffrey Simpson<\/b> is one of the Founders of Uinta Academy. He is married to Becky Simpson. He later went on to help co-found <\/span>Waypoint Academy<\/span><\/a> with Jared Balmer and Mike Bulloch of the confirmedly abusive <\/span>Aspen Education Group<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Becky Simpson<\/b> is one of the Founders of Uinta Academy. She is married to R. Jeffrey Simpson. She also previously worked at <\/span>Utah Youth Village<\/span><\/a> and was responsible for staff training and evaluation there.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Russ Pryor<\/b> is the current Executive Director of Uinta Academy. He has worked at Uinta Academy since March of 2011. He previously worked as a Therapist and as the Director of Admissions at the <\/span>Aspen Institute for Behavioral Assessment<\/span><\/a>, an <\/span>Aspen Education Group<\/span><\/a> program which is now also owned by <\/span>Family Help & Wellness<\/span><\/a> and operating under the name <\/span>Viewpoint Center<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Adaleen Krambule<\/b> currently works as the Associate Executive Director of Uinta Academy. She has worked at Uinta Academy since 2006 in various positions, including as a Therapist and as the Clinical Director. She has reportedly worked in a variety on unnamed treatment centers.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Melissa Keller Adamson<\/b> works as a Therapist and as the Clinical Director of Uinta Academy. She previously worked at the <\/span>Aspen Institute for Behavioral Assessment<\/span><\/a>, an <\/span>Aspen Education Group<\/span><\/a> program which is now owned by <\/span>Family Help & Wellness<\/span><\/a> and operating under the name <\/span>Viewpoint Center<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Bryan Shores<\/b> works as a Therapist at Uinta Academy. He previously worked as a Therapist at <\/span>Outback Therapeutic Expeditions<\/span><\/a>, a reportedly abusive <\/span>Aspen Education Group<\/span><\/a> program.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Kristi Ragsdale<\/b> taught parenting classes at Uinta Academy. She previously worked as a Family Specialist at Families First. She then went on to work in Admissions at <\/span>Solstice RTC<\/span><\/a>, another Family Help & Wellness program in Layton, Utah. She then left to create the reportedly-abusive <\/span>Eva Carlston Academy<\/span><\/a> in Salt Lake City, Utah.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Sue Johansen-Hoffman<\/b> worked as a Therapist at Uinta Academy. She reportedly helped Kristi Ragsdale open <\/span>Eva Carlston Academy<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Hollie Archibald<\/b> worked as a Therapist at Uinta Academy. She previously worked as a Therapist at <\/span>Avalon Hills Residential Eating Disorder Program<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Program Structure<\/b><\/h2>\n

    Like other behavior-modification programs, Uinta Academy uses a level system consisting of four levels. The levels are reported to be:<\/span><\/p>\n