Solstice West’s on-campus school, Fernwood Academy, combines traditional classroom instruction, individualized academic support, and close clinical collaboration for adolescents receiving residential treatment.
Solstice West is highlighting the Cognia-accredited academic programming available through Fernwood Academy, its on-campus school for adolescents receiving residential treatment in Layton, Utah.
Fernwood Academy is designed to help students continue earning credits while rebuilding the confidence, habits, and skills needed to succeed in school beyond treatment. The program combines a traditional classroom structure with small class sizes, licensed teachers, individualized academic planning, special education support, credit recovery, and coordination between academic and clinical teams.
“We want students to learn how to do school again,” said Jaime Murphy, Academic Director. “Through small classes and one-on-one support, they begin to understand how they learn, build relationships with their teachers, and regain confidence in their abilities. Our goal is for each student to leave Fernwood Academy better able to advocate for herself, use available resources, and take ownership of her education.”
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For many students, academic decline does not happen in isolation. School avoidance, missed classes, reduced motivation, and difficulty concentrating may be connected to trauma, anxiety, depression, substance use, compulsive behaviors, attention challenges, or executive functioning needs.
At Solstice West, teachers work alongside therapists, residential staff, families, and, as applicable, a dedicated substance use disorder counselor. This integrated approach helps the team address factors affecting each student’s academic engagement while reinforcing skills such as regulation, persistence, organization, accountability, and the ability to ask for help.
Individualized, Teacher-Led Academics
Fernwood Academy uses a block schedule with six academic courses and an advisory period. Classes are approximately 80 minutes long and emphasize direct, teacher-led instruction rather than relying primarily on independent packets or computer-based coursework.
The traditional classroom structure helps students prepare for the school environments they may return to after treatment. Small classes also allow teachers to provide one-on-one attention, identify learning gaps, and adjust instruction according to each student’s needs.
All teachers are Utah-licensed and teach within their subject areas. Special education support is available for students with learning differences, attention deficits, executive functioning challenges, or IEP and 504 accommodations.
Academic services may include:
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Individualized academic and graduation planning
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Credit recovery and remediation
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Special education services
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Direct instruction and one-on-one tutoring
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Daily study hall
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SAT and ACT preparation
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College application and college-track support
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Progress updates for families and school districts
Students are placed according to learning level and academic need rather than age alone. Teachers help students identify effective learning strategies, strengthen problem-solving skills, and communicate their needs to future teachers and schools. Fernwood Academy also supports students working to recover credits, remain on track for graduation, or complete coursework early when appropriate.
Supporting Academic Continuity
Cognia accreditation provides families, referring professionals, school districts, and receiving schools with an established indicator of educational quality and continuous improvement.
Fernwood Academy helps students progress toward graduation while receiving residential treatment, with support for transitions back to a home school, another educational setting, or college.
The school’s approach also aligns with Solstice West’s Believe, Begin, Become milestones and EnRICH framework. Growth is observed across school, therapy, relationships, adventure programming, and daily life rather than through compliance or time alone. Through Fernwood Academy, students develop the confidence, self-advocacy, problem-solving skills, and learning habits needed to return to school with greater stability and independence.
About Solstice West RTC:
Solstice West RTC is a residential treatment center for adolescents ages 12–18, specializing in substance use and process addictions: addictive or compulsive coping patterns rooted in trauma, attachment disruption, anxiety, depression, and loss. Our treatment approach is relationship-based, trauma-informed, and grounded in evidence-based modalities including DBT, CBT, EMDR, Brainspotting, Somatic Experiencing, experiential therapy, and family systems work.
Solstice West is fully licensed by the State of Utah, Office of Licensing, Department of Human Services, and accredited by Cognia, CARF, and recognized by California and Washington State for academic credit transfer.
Our campus is a private, gated community in Layton, Utah, with capacity for 22 students.
Contact admissions at: (866) 278-3345