Diamond Ranch Academy (DRA) is a residential treatment center for youth between the ages of 12 and 17, and is licensed by the Utah Department of Human Services. Nestled in the shadows of Zion National Park, in Hurricane, UT, Diamond Ranch Academy is surrounded by two hundred acres of green grass, trees and ponds. DRA believes that work and service lead to high self-worth, greater self-control and more appropriate self-direction. For those reasons they operate the program on an actual ranch. The students at DRA stay for a minimum of eight months and extended stays are determined by individual needs.
Accredited by the Northwest Association of Schools and Colleges, all credits earned at DRA will transfer to any accredited educational institution in the United States or abroad. While at DRA, students can complete their graduation requirements and receive an accredited high school diploma. The “earn as you learn” academic program is a performance-based system with a self-designed rigorous course of study. The campus also has a fitness center complete with weightlifting and training as well as an indoor basketball facility.
Based on the philosophy of the “Real Life Transition Program,” the Diamond Ranch Academy allows teens to live in an environment where they learn real life skills and fully reap the rewards or consequences of their actions. Once component is a peer participant legal and judicial system with misdemeanors, felonies, citations and fines.
Diamond Ranch Academy offers four types of therapy to its students, and Milieu therapy is part of the program structure. The group therapy focuses on self-esteem and communication. The family therapy component includes phone calls between youth and family and encourages family workshops. There is also individual therapy between the student and therapist. Diamond Ranch Academy believes therapy is essential to the well being of their students.