{"id":9749,"date":"2022-03-11T17:36:41","date_gmt":"2022-03-12T01:36:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.breakingcodesilence.org\/?p=9749"},"modified":"2022-03-12T16:09:36","modified_gmt":"2022-03-13T00:09:36","slug":"aspen-institute-for-behavioral-assessment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.breakingcodesilence.org\/aspen-institute-for-behavioral-assessment\/","title":{"rendered":"Aspen Institute for Behavioral Assessment"},"content":{"rendered":"

Aspen Institute for Behavioral Assessment<\/b> (2007-2014) Syracuse, UT<\/span><\/h1>\n

Behavioral Assessment Facility<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

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

The Aspen Institute for Behavioral Assessment (also called “The Aspen Institute”) was an <\/span>Aspen Education Group<\/span><\/a> behavior-modification program founded in 2007. It was marketed as a “behavioral assessment” facility for teenagers aged 12-17. The program stated that they enrolled teenagers with a history of “suicidal ideation or past attempts, other self harm propensity such a cutting, deep depression, certain classes of obsessive compulsive disorders (OCD), anxiety disorders, emerging thought disorders, body weight issues, diabetes, cardiovascular issues, resistance to treatment, parental reluctance towards wilderness therapy or when wilderness therapy is not advisable, those requiring a Pre-Long Term Placement Assessment or In-depth Testing, or Medication Assessment and Management.” The program was shorter-term and usually lasted between 2 and 3 months. The Aspen Institute was a lock-down facility and it was used by other Aspen Education Group programs for residents who were resistant to their program or required a more intense, structured, “hospital-like” setting.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Aspen Institute was located at <\/span>2732 West 2700 South, Syracuse, UT 84037<\/span><\/a>, and it was actually located right next door to another <\/span>Aspen Education Group<\/span><\/a> program, <\/span>Island View RTC<\/span><\/a>. In fact, residents at the Aspen Institute were frequently taken on the short walk to Island View’s campus to use their gym and other facilities. In addition, many residents were transferred between Aspen and Island View as part of their “treatment” process.<\/span><\/p>\n

In April of 2014, the Aspen Institute was sold to <\/span>Family Help & Wellness<\/span><\/a> and immediately reopened under the name <\/span>Viewpoint Center<\/span><\/a>. However, other than the change of name and ownership, nothing about the program was altered in the slightest. Even most of same staff continued to work at Viewpoint after the Aspen Institute “closed”. It is also important to note that this change in ownership was also entirely superficial, as <\/span>Family Help & Wellness<\/span><\/a> is known to be simply a lazy attempt to rebrand <\/span>Aspen Education Group<\/span><\/a>. In fact, the Founder and Executive Board Chair of Family Help & Wellness, Tim Duppell, previously worked as the CFO and Executive Vice President of Aspen Education Group before leaving to start FH&W.<\/span><\/p>\n

Founders and Notable Staff<\/b><\/h2>\n

Jared Balmer<\/b> is one of the founders of the Aspen Institute. He also worked as the Executive Director of the Aspen Institute. He began his career in the TTI by helping Co-Found the confirmedly abusive <\/span>Rivendell of Utah<\/span><\/a>. He previously helped open several other <\/span>Aspen Education Group<\/span><\/a> programs, including <\/span>Island View RTC<\/span><\/a> and the <\/span>Oakley School<\/span><\/a>. In 2006, he was the recipient of the <\/span>NATSAP<\/span><\/a> Leadership Award. He is currently the Executive Director of <\/span>WayPoint Academy<\/span><\/a>, which he helped found in 2011 with Mike Bulloch.<\/span><\/p>\n

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  1. Kimball DeLaMare<\/b> is one of the founders of the Aspen Institute. Like Jared Balmer, DeLaMare also helped co-found <\/span>Island View RTC<\/span><\/a> and the <\/span>Oakley School<\/span><\/a>. In 2004, he was the recipient of the <\/span>NATSAP<\/span><\/a> Leadership Award. He was the previous director of the Utah KIDS, which was a reportedly abusive drug treatment program which was under investigation in 1989 for allegations of false imprisonment, unlawful detention and assault. Additional Information about Utah KIDS: <\/span>Tough Treatment For Problem Juveniles Under Investigation<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Mike Bulloch<\/b> is one of the founders of the Aspen Institute. He also worked as the Clinical Director of the Aspen Institute. He previously worked as the Clinical Director of the <\/span>Oakley School<\/span><\/a> for six years prior to working at the Aspen Institute. In 2013, he and Jared Balmer co-founded <\/span>WayPoint Academy<\/span><\/a>, where he still works as the Clinical Director and Assisstant Executive Director.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Kirk Simon<\/b> worked at the Aspen Institute a Psychiatrist. He has also worked at <\/span>Island View RTC<\/span><\/a>, where he served as Medical Director. He currently works as the Psychiatrist at <\/span>Solstice RTC<\/span><\/a> in Utah, which is a program founded by former Island View staff.<\/span><\/p>\n

    David Ericksen<\/b> began working at the Aspen Institute in 2008. He previously worked with Jared Balmer at the confirmedly abusive <\/span>Rivendell of Utah<\/span><\/a> in the late 80s, providing psychological assessment services.<\/span><\/p>\n

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

    Like other behavior-modification programs, the Aspen Institute for Behavioral Assessment used a level-system consisting of three levels. Unlike other programs, however, the residents were assigned a level each day by the “treatment team” based on their behaviors during the previous day. The levels were as follows:<\/span><\/p>\n