Elements Wilderness Program
Huntington, UT

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Elements Welcomes Two New Members To Partnership

Elements Wilderness Program founders and owners Karen Scrafford, Lynn Smith, and John Karren welcome Neal Christensen, PhD, and Andrew Powell, MBA, as new owners. Since its establishment in 2008, Elements has been committed to owner involvement at every level of the program. This culture will continue as Neal will continue in his role as the primary therapist of Group 2 and Andrew will continue in his role as Executive Director. We believe the addition of Neal and Andrew to Elements will further solidify its place as a leader in Outdoor Behavioral Healthcare.

As an active member of the Outdoor Behavioral Healthcare Council (OBHC), serving as the co-chair of the research committee and a major contributor to OBHC Accreditation Standards, Neal Christensen has wilderness therapy in his blood. In Neal's pursuit of his doctoral degree, he completed his dissertation at a wilderness therapy program as a primary therapist and later served as its Clinical Director. He evaluated the effectiveness of wilderness therapy on increasing hope and motivation, enhancing personal agency, and reducing problematic behavior and emotional symptomatology. Neal is passionate about the wilderness and we have seen his passion at Elements every day since he joined us in 2013 managing his group of boys. Neal brings over 10 years of experience in Outdoor Behavioral Healthcare, along with 5 years of experience as a clinical director. He is excited to join the leadership team, as a new owner, and assuming this additional role as he has always felt the responsibility to provide the best experience for his clients and families.

After three powerful years on the trail, Andrew moved into field and program administration. Seeing the need for better organizational management in Outdoor Behavioral Healthcare (OBH), Andrew sought and completed his MBA at the University of Utah with the goal of helping OBH become the most professional and effective mental health care and substance abuse intervention available. Now as an owner at Elements, Andrew has found the best blend of professionalism and fun inside a specialized, intimate, and effective program. His favorite part of the job is the ability it gives him to get involved on every level and in every department, with great people who are as passionate as he is about giving kids and their families the most meaningful experience possible. Andrew is also excited to take on the additional role of being a new owner of Elements.

Elements has earned a reputation as an innovative, progressive leader in Outdoor Behavioral Healthcare. The program emphasizes individualized attention and clinical interventions, thoughtfully tailored to every client. Elements is fortunate to have Neal and Andrew join our team as owners. They are great additions to our leadership team and will continue to help develop Elements Wilderness Program into the most powerful and effective program in the industry.

Elements Wilderness Program is therapy-based wilderness program that helps adolescent boys (13-17) overcome emotional, behavioral and substance-abuse issues.