As we reach the end of 2019, we at the CERTS Programs are so incredibly grateful for this year. With new buildings, new staff, new training and new directions we feel that we continue to provide the support and services needed for families in need. This year two of the CERTS Programs added new buildings to their campuses to enhance treatment. In January 2019 Mountain Springs Preparatory Academy officially completed building and opened up the Bridge House for their female students to add to the Bridge House for male students that we completed in 2018. This beautiful new residence is on the Mountain Springs Campus, but is separate from the other dorms allowing for more autonomy. The Bridge Program allows students to live more independently learning how to transition into college or living on their own. Students living at the Bridge Houses need to be at least 17 years old, have jobs or actively volunteer, take classes both at Mountain Springs and often at the local university, receive a monthly stipend and create a monthly budget, shop for their own groceries, make their own meals, make their own appointments, and have greater opportunities to make their own decisions. It is really a true opportunity to practice “adulting”. Mountain Springs also broke ground on our new Student Recreation Center!!! Scheduled to be completed in 2020, this incredible new building will bring so much to our campus with a theater, recording studio, art room, computer area and places for students to hang out and socialize. We are excited as the building process moves forward!
Moonridge Academy, another CERTS Program completed construction on their new Academic and Clinical Building. This amazing new space added classrooms, a conference room, study hall, therapist offices and administrative offices to their campus. In turn, this opened up space in the lovely farmhouse used as a residence allowing Moonridge Academy to add an additional 8 beds. We are thrilled to be able to provide support and a healing environment to even more students and their families. As the program has grown this year, Moonridge Academy welcomed two new therapists Annette and Ashley to their staff and will be adding another new therapist in January 2020. With the addition of these amazing therapists, Moonridge Academy has focused more on trauma informed care and somatic therapies such as Brainspotting and EMDR. Moonridge Academy and her big sister school Kolob Canyon introduced their new Admissions Director Wendy Penrod in September 2019. We are thrilled to have her on our team!
With their new breeding program, Kolob Canyon, a CERTS Program that focuses on Adventure Therapy and Equine opportunities added three new baby horses to their campus in 2019. There is literally nothing more cute than little foals and colts frolicking on campus. Kolob also started a horse fostering program working in conjunction with a local horse rescue. The students at Kolob Canyon have especially loved working these often ill and undernourished horses, nursing them back to health. It can however be hard when the horses leave Kolob to be adopted by caring families. The students are happy for the horses, but so sad to see them go. Kolob Canyon and Moonridge Academy clinical teams spent time this fall training in Natural Lifemanship which is a trauma focused equine psychotherapy. Natural Lifemanship concentrates on establishing a connection between the student and the horse. This is so important for students who have struggled with trauma and attachment issues.
CERTS Program, La Europa Academy officially moved into their new Expressive Arts, Clinical and Academic Building in early 2019. This building was completed at the very end of 2018. This impressive building hosts space for all of the expressive arts including body movement, sand tray, art, music and ceramics that are so essential to the program at La Europa. Our clinical team is thrilled to have lovely new offices that are now located directly on our campus and the academic team is excited about their new classrooms. La Europa also welcomed two new therapists–Leslie and Jameson–to their clinical team. The impressive clinical team at La Europa received extensive training in RO-DBT which will help students who struggle with over-control. Some of the most exciting news at La Europa this year is the addition of the On-Point Program which will specifically meet the needs of a student who needs the clinical support of residential treatment, but doesn’t need the same degree of scaffolding.
Wow! It has been an exciting year at CERTS Programs. We can’t wait to see what 2020 brings!