Aspen Education Group

Farrell Named Ex Dir SUWS-Phoenix

Aspen Education Group, the leading provider of therapeutic education programs for struggling youth, is pleased to announce that Shawn Farrell, M.Ed., has been appointed Executive Director of SUWS of the Carolinas, SUWS Seasons and Phoenix Outdoor.

Farrell has been serving as Director of Operations and Special Projects for the Outdoor Division of Aspen Education Group since 2005. Prior to this, he was Program Supervisor at SUWS of the Carolinas for two years, and has worked within several Aspen outdoor programs since 1996.

"Shawn was clearly the best candidate for this position, with the capacity to guide these strong programs into the future," said Sue Crowell, Senior Vice President of Aspen's Outdoor Division. "His tremendous skill set, vast experience and dedication to helping youth and families are invaluable assets to the Outdoor Division and Aspen as a whole. We are confident that SUWS of the Carolinas, SUWS Seasons and Phoenix Outdoor will continue to grow, and more families will get the help they need, under Shawn's leadership."

SUWS of the Carolinas is a therapeutic wilderness program with a focus on clinical intervention and assessment. The program uses the outdoors as an alternative to conventional treatment environments, while engaging students using traditional therapeutic methods. The wilderness setting removes modern distractions, simplifies choices and teaches valuable lessons. As a result, students begin to accept responsibility for personal decisions, address individual and family issues, and become invested in their own personal growth. Since 1981, SUWS programs have provided essential guidance and support to thousands of misdirected and at-risk adolescents. SUWS of the Carolinas specializes in the assessment and treatment of students ages 13 to 17, while the SUWS Seasons program is for younger teens ages 11 to 13. Phoenix Outdoor is a licensed wilderness-based substance abuse and chemical dependency treatment program for teenagers ages 13 to 17. Phoenix conducts an in-depth assessment to determine the severity of substance use, identifies and works through issues that lead to the behavior, offers a specialized therapeutic curriculum, and introduces the Twelve-Step process.

Aspen Education Group is the nation's leading provider of therapeutic education programs for struggling or underachieving young people. Aspen's services range from short-term intervention programs to residential treatment, and include a variety of therapeutic settings such as boarding schools, outdoor behavioral health programs and special needs summer camps, allowing professionals and families the opportunity to choose the best setting to meet a student's unique academic and emotional needs. Aspen is a division of CRC Health Group, the nation's largest chemical dependency and related behavioral health organization. For over two decades, CRC Health has been achieving successful outcomes for individuals and families. For more information, visit www.aspeneducation.com.