Posted: May 25, 2005, 12:26 DISCOVERY RANCH New Perspectives

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Mapleton, Utah
Clinton Dorny, Executive Director
801-489-3311
info@discoveryranch.net
www.discoveryranch.net

Discovery Ranch is a co-ed residential estate for youth ages 13-18, with two homes on 20-acres. The program is set to open its first house on June 15, 2005 and the second home on July 1, 2005. One home houses 16 boys, the other home 16 girls. "Discovery Ranch is a licensed RTC that offers a complete clinical team with Psychiatric and nursing oversight."

The program accepts students struggling with one or more of the following issues: Depressive disorders, anxiety, suicidal ideation, self-injurious behavior, social incompetence, drug abuse, school/ADHD, family/relational issues and trauma/PTSD. The program says students presenting one or more of the following issues are not clinically appropriate: Actively psychotic, long-term gang involvement, sexual perpetration, acute medical illness, serious assaultive behavior or conduct disorder.

According to the program information, Discovery Ranch is based on the experiences learned at Discovery Academy and RedCliff Ascent, and is the first RTC in the industry to offer clinically intensive care with the foundation being experiential therapy. The program offers equine therapy in a "Kentucky Derby style facility," students grow vegetables, nurse day-old calves by hand, exercise in a "full gymnasium" and side-by-side with therapists and residential staff, students participate on high and low ropes course apparatus. At Discovery Ranch, students attend school in the late afternoon and evening to "allow therapists full access to the students during the day. This permits them the freedom and creativity to be involved with the students in therapeutic activities throughout the campus."

"Following the example of Discovery Academy where students score above the National Average on SAT and ACT scores, students at Discovery Ranch participate in a teacher driven, student paced school, which is not based on an independent study model." The program utilizes the State of Utah core curriculum in a classroom setting and students work from their IEP in each subject. The program says it encourages struggling students to learn at their individual pace and become proficient rather than discouraged.

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