Diamond Ranch Academy
Diamond Ranch Academy is a world-class therapeutic residential program for troubled teenagers, located in Utah. The superlatives are aplenty when parents, students, and educational consultants talk about their experience with Diamond Ranch Academy. It is truly the “diamond standard” in therapeutic boarding schools. DRA is non-religious and non-sectarian.
In six age-appropriate and gender-appropriate teen treatment programs on the incredible DRA campus, customized care and therapy are provided for the students according to their gender and age. Students have significantly more resources at Diamond Ranch than at any other therapeutic school or residential treatment center nationwide. From the beautiful and state-of-the-art facility to the division-leading sports program, students enjoy a world-class boarding school experience while also being immersed in the therapeutic milieu. This elite therapeutic boarding school has helped more than 3,932 families over the last two decades.
DRA helps youth work through issues and realize their true potential. Students become their best selves in a structured elite private school environment with a personalized therapeutic approach.
The DRA powerful Real Life Transition Program provides an opportunity for each child to practice living real-life skills in a safe environment rich with opportunities to learn, earn, work hard and play hard.
The Diamond Ranch staff make all the difference; they change lives. All of the teachers have Bachelor’s or Masters’s degrees in their related areas of expertise and meet strict licensing requirements. All therapists are Doctorate or Masters’s level, professionally licensed with the state as Mental Health Professionals.
The Diamond Ranch Academy experience begins with a week-long orientation. During this phase, key people on staff spend time getting to know each new student on an intimate level. Every department is showcased, giving the child an introduction to the many possibilities available to them.
The professionals on staff work closely together to educate students and parents with the essential tools and techniques geared toward healing individual and family relationships. These methods and practices are tried and tested, and have proven successful time and time again.
Outstanding Academic Program at DRA
Diamond Ranch Academy understands that there is no “one size fits all” when it comes to learning. That’s why so many young people can become disinterested in school – they aren’t learning at the correct speed and either feel overwhelmed or under-stimulated. Diamond Ranch Academy’s goal is to tailor learning to students’ individual abilities, allowing them to maximize their learning potential and thrive in the classroom.
The COGNIA accredited academic program empowers students by providing individual support from certified teachers in a traditional classroom environment. Mastery-based learning helps students develop the academic skills and confidence needed for success in the classroom. Special Education personnel can help identify a student’s learning disabilities and provide services to those with existing Individual Education Plans (IEPs).
Students have access to the following: transcript preparation, college test preparation, assistance with the college application process, and academic planning. Competitive athletics and extracurricular clubs are essential to the student’s daily life. These opportunities allow students to improve individual talents and abilities while learning valuable lessons regarding teamwork, sportsmanship, respect, and humility.
The academic approach at Diamond Ranch Academy is unlike that of most other institutions. They utilize a personalized instruction system, promoting student ownership in the learning process. They want students to take charge of their learning and feel empowered by being able to do so. With the support of certified teachers in a traditional classroom setting, students leave Diamond Ranch Academy having gained the knowledge and skills to pursue what they are passionate about while at the same time feeling confident in their abilities to master the things that are difficult to them.
Core credit is granted when a child masters content, not when they’ve merely spent time in class, as students must pass tests and assignments with 80% or better. This allows teachers and students to focus on learning techniques, test preparation strategies, and study skills. As students apply these tools and retake tests, their scores will improve. As study skills and ability increase, student confidence in the learning process also improves, allowing students to develop newfound positive attitudes toward school.
Top Therapy at Diamond Ranch
Newly enrolled students quickly learn that therapy is different at DRA, and they engage in the process and open themselves up to the possibilities of change. Your child will be assigned an individual therapist to guide the treatment process. The highly skilled therapists are adept at understanding teenage behavior and will build a trusting relationship with your child. Your child will receive individual, group, and family therapy, individualized to their needs. Through their therapy, students learn to take accountability for their choices and work through emotional and behavioral challenges.
DRA hires the best therapists and pride themselves in their excellent clinical team. They use research-based therapy models in working with the students. They continually research cutting-edge practices in therapy to provide their students with the best therapy available.
Some of the models of therapy they use include: Cognitive Behavioral (CBT), Dialectical Behavior (DBT), Experiential, Narrative, Rational Emotive Behavior (REBT), Motivational Interviewing, Structural Family Therapy, Smart Recovery 12-Step Addiction for Teens, Art Therapy, EAGALA Equine Assisted Psychotherapy
An Unmatched Sports Program at DRA
DRA is totally unique with regard to competitive, sanctioned athletics. No other treatment center compares to what we offer in their athletic program. The students play football underneath the Friday night lights. They have competitive teams for both boys and girls in basketball, soccer, golf, baseball, volleyball, soccer, wrestling, and more.
Diamond Ranch Academy provides an opportunity for student-athletes from all over the country to increase their chances for athletic scholarships. While at DRA, normal everyday distractions are reduced and student-athletes can dramatically improve their academic scores, refine their abilities on the field or court and focus on achieving their goals. Every year, many of their students earn athletic scholarships to attend colleges and universities and compete at the next level.
Coaches instruct students who have never played together and, in some cases, have little or no experience in a particular sport. They mold these young athletes into competitive, well-respected, champions. Diamond Ranch Academy is also dedicated to providing all students, regardless of age, gender, skill level or past experience, opportunities to participate in city league sports in a fun and safe environment. Their program accommodates a wide range of both team and individual activities aimed at maximizing student participation.
Athletics play a valuable part in the journey of personal improvement. It isn’t all about winning, though they like to do that too! It is about building character. Student-athletes are consistently complimented on their excellent sportsmanship by opposing coaches, fans, and officials. The opportunity to participate in sports will someday fade away, but the lessons learned will remain forever.
Therapy Day In and Day Out
DRA believes the best therapy often happens outside of the office. Their therapists spend hours with the students playing basketball, going on hikes, and doing other activities. The therapists are with the students day in and day out. They get to know them well across multiple settings. This allows them to design therapeutic interventions that directly target specific challenges. As students learn to trust, they let their walls down. They can then work through their challenges without power struggles and resistance.
Your son or daughter will form a close relationship with their therapist. Under the care and guidance of their trained professionals, your child will flourish.
