Aspen Education Group
Cerritos, CA

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Aspen Education Group
Returns To Its Roots

Aspen Education Group, the leading provider of therapeutic education programs for struggling young people, has announced the consolidation of some of its outdoor behavioral health programs in what the company has referred to as "returning to its roots."

Under the new structure, Aspen Achievement Academy (AAA) and Passages to Recovery, neighboring programs in Loa, Utah, will be under the leadership of Gilbert Hallows, current Executive Director of AAA. The programs will remain two separate treatment options, with AAA serving youth ages 13-17 and Passages serving young adult men. The consolidation will affect the administration level only, with Passages' current Executive Director moving to the Program Director role, one Clinical Director serving both programs, and accounting, human resources and logistics all under one department.

"We hope these changes will help streamline administrative costs in this current, difficult economy, and are certain that with proven leadership, 20 years of treatment results and the commitment and dedication of our staff, we will maintain the highest quality of care for our students and families," said Hallows.

In addition, Aspen is integrating Phoenix Outdoor into SUWS of the Carolinas, both North Carolina-based programs for youth, under one common management structure on the scenic SUWS campus. The programs will be led by Shawn Farrell, current Executive Director of SUWS. Jennifer Fazzolari, current Executive Director for Phoenix, will transition into the role of Phoenix's Program Director under this plan.

"SUWS of the Carolinas has a beautiful campus, and I am thrilled to welcome our Phoenix Outdoor program back to the primary campus," said Farrell. "We are proud of the rich continuum of services and dedicated staff we can offer students and families."

"Our company started out with Aspen Achievement Academy and SUWS, and we really see this consolidation of programming as a return to our roots," said Jim Dredge, President of Aspen Education Group. "The integrity and the culture of the current programs will be maintained since this really is just a back office management restructure that will not affect the design or delivery of the programs. We believe this will be a seamless transition for families and students."

In addition, Aspen has announced that LoneStar Expeditions will cease operations effective April 6, 2009. The closure will take place after all current students have graduated from the program and completed their originally planned track so that no students will be displaced.

"This was a difficult decision to make, and ultimately rested on the uncertainty of our current economy and our belief that consolidating programs would allow us to best serve our students and families," said Dredge. "Executive Director Melvin Cates has done a tremendous job leading this program, and unfortunately LoneStar just takes its place as one of the many victims of this dismal economy as companies consolidate services to manage costs."

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.