Cascade Academy announces enrolling their first students on March 23, 2020. This new adolescent girls treatment program focuses on girls suffering with severe anxiety. The residential treatment program's approach utilizes traditional outcomes-based treatment like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Exposure Response Prevention (ERP), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Acceptance Commitment Therapy (ACT), and Motivational Interviewing (MI). In addition to using evidence-based therapeutic approaches, Cascade Academy uses a parallel medical assessment to address genetic issues related to anxiety. Bekah Schuler CMHC, Director of Clinical Services, said “Research shows that 30-70% of anxiety is genetic. We can’t change genetics but by understanding each girl’s genetic profile, we can treat the biological causes of her anxiety.” Cascade Academy works with a local geneticist to determine which diet, exercise, and medical interventions will work best for each girl and her genetic profile. (Cascade Academy is licensed by the State of Utah as a residential treatment facility to provide theraputic treatment to teenage girls 13-18 years old.)
Executive Director Brad Gerrard said “Anxiety is the number one mental health disorder in teenagers, and girls are twice as likely to suffer with severe anxiety as boys. By focusing on anxiety, we are treating the root cause of many other mental health disorders a teenage girl may be experiencing.”
Cascade Academy offers a unique approach to treatment and transition home:
Ongoing community engagement and electronic devices are introduced at the beginning of treatment. This allows students to practice what they will experience in their home environment and allow for healthy teen development.
Clinical and medical teams work in conjunction to assist in the creation of assessment and treatment planning.
Holistic approach to treatment includes diet, exercise, nutritional supplements, and additional genetic testing specific to the genes associated with anxiety.
Transition Home: Students graduate from Cascade Academy only after they have been able to demonstrate success in their family's home. They will practice their new skills at home for a period of 6-8 weeks. While practicing at home, students are still enrolled at Cascade Academy and their spot in the program is reserved. If a student struggles while practicing at home, she can come back to the to the Cascade Academy campus for additional treatment. This process continues until a student is able to navigate the transition to their family's home.
There are two families enrolling their daughters the first week of operation. For any questions about the treatment program or admissions please contact Alta Swarnes (Director of Admissions) at (801) 301-1935 or aswarnes@cascadeacademy.com.
About Cascade Academy
Cascade Academy, located in Midway, Utah, an hour from Salt Lake City International airport, enrolls their first students March 23, 2020. This residential treatment center is licensed by the State of Utah and will be working towards national accreditation within the first year. The founding onsite management team is comprised of professionals with a total of over 40 years in the Family Choice Behavioral Healthcare industry. Brad Gerrard (Executive Director), and Caleb Cottle, MBA, TRT (Director of Business Development), and Carol and John Probst are the owners and founding members.