After more than 25 years of private practice and working in residential treatment centers for adolescents, John Schrom has been named the Executive Director of Northwest Academy in Bonners Ferry, Idaho, effective Feb. 9.

The former Clinical Director of the Ascent Wilderness Program in Naples, Idaho, Schrom has been the interim school director at Northwest Academy, a residential, co-educational high school that allows 17-year-olds to earn two years of core academic credits in one calendar year while receiving individual and group therapeutic support.

“We are excited about having John take on the role as NWA’s Executive Director,” said Paul Johnson, CEO of Idaho Educational Services. “He has brought safety and care to students at Northwest Academy as well as providing strong leadership while continuing to build NWA’s outstanding faculty team.”

Schrom replaces Ruth McKnight, who retired as NWA’s Executive Director in November 2006 after holding the position for eight years.

“I believe Northwest Academy is a golden opportunity for older adolescents to really launch themselves successfully into adulthood,” said Schrom, who has a Master’s from California State University at Northridge and an undergraduate degree in Psychology from the University of Notre Dame.

A licensed psychotherapist in both Idaho and California, Schrom spent 19 years working at the Rancho San Antonio Boys Home, a residential treatment center for level-12 adjudicated adolescents in Chatsworth, Calif., where he specialized in working with adolescent sex offenders and conducted multiple-family group counseling.

Married for 23 years with three children and two grandchildren, Schrom has had a life-long passion for working with teens and their families in making a significant impact on their lives.

He relocated to Montana in 2001 and served as Executive Director of Kids First, a non-profit, community-based center in Hamilton, Mont., which focused on developing community collations, substance abuse, child abuse and program-development before becoming Clinical Director at Ascent in 2004.

Although NWA has previously enrolled only 17-year-old students, Schrom said the school will now open its doors to 16 ½-year-olds as well.