Welcome to Ascent Programs

Welcome to Ascent Programs, a trusted and compassionate network of mental health treatment programs nestled throughout Utah. With a legacy extending over 30 years, our family of programs has been a catalyst for transformation and healing in the lives of thousands of teenagers and their families. With a focus on holistic healing, personalized care, and experiential learning, we guide teenagers through mental health challenges toward a brighter future. At Ascent Programs, we understand that each teen's journey is unique, and we are committed to fostering growth, resilience, and lasting positive change.

Leveraging Outcomes for Attaining Results

3 Uses of Outcomes

Client Progress Tracking

Utilizing outcomes enables us to measure the advancement of clients and families, tracking their improvement journey.

Program Enhancement Assessment

Outcomes help us evaluate and enhance our program, ensuring its continuous improvement.

Informed Research

Employing outcomes for research purposes benefits both clients and the program, driving improvements informed by valuable insights.

Outcomes for 2022 v21024_1

Ascent Behavioral Health Annual Outcomes Report

Delve into this comprehensive report detailing our utilization of outcomes, summarizing our achievements, and outlining our forthcoming research pathways.

2024 Ascent Academics Outcomes

Ascent Behavioral Health Annual Academics Outcomes

Ascent Behavioral Health's students achieved an impressive 10.5 times greater academic improvement than the national average in 2023. Discover how we accomplish this feat by downloading our complimentary guide today.

Ascent Behavioral Health - Family of Programs

RedCliff Ascent@2x

redcliffascent.com

Teenage boys & girls ages 13 - 17

RedCliff Ascent is a short-term wilderness therapy program that provides support to teenagers facing significant emotional and behavioral challenges, such as depression, anxiety, trauma, tech addictions, ADHD, and other conditions. The program typically lasts 8 to 12 weeks, and its high impact and effectiveness make it a popular first step to longer-term therapeutic treatment.

Discovery Ranch@2x

discoveryranch.net

Teenage boys ages 13 -17

Discovery Ranch is a therapeutic school and residential treatment center designed for teenage boys who are facing significant emotional and behavioral challenges such as depression, anxious attachment issues, ASD, ADHD, and more. The program typically lasts 8 to 12 months, providing ample time for long-lasting change and growth.

Oxbow Academy@2x

oxbowacademy.net

Pre-teen boys 10-13 Teenage boys ages 13 -17

Oxbow Academy is a residential treatment center and therapeutic school that specializes in helping teenage boys with sexual behavioral problems and other compulsive behavior issues.They offer a 90-day comprehensive psychological evaluation to determine if the student needs long term sex-specific treatment, which they can further provide with an average length of stay of 11-13 months, providing a specialized and supportive environment for young men to develop healthy habits and overcome their challenges.

Discovery Ranch South@2x

discoveryranchsouth.com

Adolescent girls & teens assigned female at birth ages 13 -17

Discovery Ranch South is a residential treatment center and therapeutic school that specializes in supporting teenage girls and teens assigned female at birth who are struggling with severe emotional and behavioral issues such as depression, anxiety, trauma, school anxiety, ASD, ADHD, and more. With an average length of stay of 8 to 12 months, the program provides a nurturing and empowering environment for students to heal, learn, and grow.

Oasis Ascent@2x

oasisascent.com

Teenage boys & girls ages 13 - 17

At OASIS Ascent, we are committed to providing compassionate and holistic care for teens and their families as they face challenges like anxiety, depression, ADHD, trauma, suicidal ideations, and out-of-control behaviors. As a short-term (60-90 day) residential treatment center, we offer comprehensive mental health services, focusing on Observation and Assessment, Stabilization, and Intensive Therapeutic Support. Our holistic approach ensures that our assessments and personalized interventions are carefully designed to help teens heal and thrive, empowering them towards a brighter future.

WayPoint Academy@2x

waypointacademy.com

Teenage boys ages 13 - 17

WayPoint Academy is a residential treatment center and therapeutic school that specializes in supporting teens struggling with all forms of anxiety, including GAD, OCD, social anxiety, panic disorders, school anxiety, ASD & anxiety, ADHD & anxiety, and agoraphobia. With an average length of stay of 11 to 13 months, the program provides a nurturing environment for young people to develop the skills, tools, and self-awareness needed to manage their anxiety and thrive.

ThreePeaks Ascent@2x

threepeakstreatment.com

Teenage boys & girls ages 13 - 17

Immersed in a serene natural setting, ThreePeaks Ascent is a short-term residential treatment center, where teens can disconnect from the noise and distractions of urban living, and instead focus on self-exploration, personal growth, and building a brighter future. Our specialized program is tailored for teenagers struggling with technology addictions, ADHD, trauma, depression, anxiety, social anxiety, panic disorders, and more. Through a holistic approach, we provide comprehensive mental health assessment and stabilization, engaging therapeutic interventions, and empowering skills training, all within a supportive and nurturing environment.

Introducing the Leadership Team
Ascent Behavioral Health - Family of Programs

Steven DeMille, Ph.D. LCMHC

Steven DeMille, Ph.D. LCMHC

Executive Director - RedCliff Ascent and ThreePeaks Ascent
Clinton Dorny

Clinton Dorny

Executive Director - Discovery Ranch
Shawn Brooks

Shawn Brooks

Executive Director - Oxbow Academy
Andrea Burgess

Andrea Burgess

Executive Director - Discovery Ranch South
Brent Esplin, LMFT

Brent Esplin, LMFT

Executive Director - OASIS Ascent
Bryan Wilde, LCSW

Bryan Wilde, LCSW

Executive Director - Waypoint Academy

Steven DeMille, Ph.D. LCMHC

Executive Director - RedCliff Ascent and ThreePeaks Ascent

When a teen’s life gets off track due to significant emotional distress or dysfunctional behaviors, it is not uncommon for their life and their family’s life to unravel. My passion is to bring families the healing experiences they need to reconnect as a family and help their child put their life back together. Using nature and outdoors as our setting, we help struggling teens reconnect with their families. We also help them find happiness, and develop the maturity to handle the challenges ahead of them. Growing up in Las Vegas, Nevada, I spent much time in the outdoors of Southern Utah. Whether hiking in Zion or rock climbing in Veyo, the outdoors was a place of peace and growth. Hence as a Mental Health Professional, I believe that the best environment for healing individuals and relationships is in the outdoors. I am a Licensed Mental Health Counselor and have worked with teens in various capacities. I began working with adolescents as a field guide at RedCliff Ascent in 2000. Subsequently, I’ve held numerous positions at ThreePeaks. These include Senior Field Instructor, Field Support Manager, Assistant Medical Coordinator, Primary Therapist, Research Director. And I am currently the Executive Director for ThreePeaks Ascent. As a clinician, I bring a wealth of experience. This experience includes Experiential Therapies, Narrative Family Therapy, Adlerian Therapy, and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. I have also worked with adolescents and families in many different settings over the years, including residential treatment, community mental health, and foster care.My educational experience includes an MA in Mental Health Counseling and a PhD in Counselor Education and Supervision. My research focus is on Nature-Based Short-Term Residential Treatment, nature, adolescent development, and counseling ethics. I am actively involved in the counseling and psychology profession and hold regional and national leadership positions. I publish and present on Nature-Based Short-Term Residential Treatment and the use of the outdoor. This is done around the world at the national and international conference level. When not working, I enjoy spending time with my wife (who was also a field staff at ThreePeaks Ascent) and four children. Living just outside of Zion National Park, I enjoy spending time in nature with the family. I also like history and art, and enjoy visiting fine and contemporary art museums when I travel.

Clinton Dorny

Executive Director - Discovery Ranch

At a very young age, Clinton realized that he could have an impact on others’ lives through service and being involved. He is happiest when he is making a difference in other’s lives. Clinton is married and has five children. He loves spending time with them doing just about anything. They are his life. Clinton uses the same principles that they teach at the Ranch at home with his kids. It works. Clinton started in this industry in 2000 and has worked in Wilderness, Therapeutic Boarding and Residential. Residential is where his heart is. He started out his career in admissions and helped start the ranch as the Executive Director in 2005. He loves his work and feels blessed to have found something that he loves to do and gets paid to do it. Discovery Ranch has been a passion for him in that he helps create experiences for others the way his parents did for him when he was young.

Shawn Brooks

Executive Director - Oxbow Academy

Shawn is the Executive Director of Oxbow Academy. Shawn earned a Bachelors degree in Psychology from Brigham Young University. He began his career in residential therapy in 1992 and since that time has served as program director to three facilities, two of which specialize in treating teen boys with sexual issues. A native of Utah, he spent two years living in South America before settling down to become a family man. He and his wife are the parents of three children. He loves coaching little league football, playing the guitar and working with wood. Shawn’s passion for life and personal excellence drive his determination to help his boys at Oxbow discover the same.

Andrea Burgess

Executive Director - Discovery Ranch South

Andrea has always known that she would be involved in some aspect of therapeutic services. While pursuing her Bachelor’s Degree in Family Science at Brigham Young University, she volunteered at The Women’s and Children’s Crisis Center as well as the Utah Valley Crisis Line. Once she graduated from Brigham Young University, she completed a graduate certification from the University of Utah as a certified addictions counselor. Her 22-year journey in the adolescent treatment industry began as a direct care staff and then a supervisor in a Residential Treatment Center for adjudicated adolescent males. She was then promoted to the Director of Individual Residential Treatment, a program that is tasked with placing adjudicated males from a Residential Treatment Center setting into the homes of approved and trained families. Andrea then transferred to Redcliff Ascent, a premier therapeutic wilderness program for struggling teens. She began her role as a member of the Redcliff Ascent Management Team as a Parent Liaison and was promoted to Assistant Executive Director. In 2002, Andrea became the Executive Director of Redcliff Ascent and served in that capacity for 12 years. During her tenure as Redcliff Ascent’s Executive Director, she served as vice-chair for the Outdoor Behavioral Health Council from 2011 – 2013, an industry association that promotes program standards, ethics, and risk management as well as facilitating outcome research of the efficacy of wilderness programs. In the fall of 2011, Andrea co-founded Evolving Women, an industry association for women in the adolescent therapeutic industry. Evolving Women’s mission is to provide networking opportunities, professional development, and service. The organization continues to grow in membership and influence for some of the industry’s most talented women. In April of 2013, Andrea left her beloved post at Redcliff Ascent and was given the remarkable opportunity to lead a dynamic team as the Executive Director of Discovery Ranch for Girls. Set on a 66-acre ranch with a lake, riding arena, barn, and homey living spaces, Andrea began learning more about the intricacies of providing outstanding treatment a Residential Treatment setting. Andrea is dedicated to providing a program that is safe, therapeutic and effective for students and families. She and her husband have two boys, two dogs, and two cats and enjoy the outdoor life in Southern Utah.

Brent Esplin, LMFT

Executive Director - OASIS Ascent

Brent has spent his career of almost 20 years working with teens and their families in a variety of different settings including long and short-term residential treatment, acute care, and home based services. He has served in various leadership capacities over the years including clinical director, utilization review director, admissions/business development director, and executive director. Brent relates comfortably and professionally with families and teens alike. He finds great joy in guiding families out of crisis situations and into peaceful solutions. Brent’s experience working within the field of mental health in admissions allows him to have a breadth of knowledge when assessing the needs of clients in acute situations, as well as less critical circumstances. He played an integral part in creating an operational psychiatric facility and most recently helped start a short-term residential treatment program. Brent is passionate about providing more families with quality mental health treatment by accessing their insurance benefits. Brent is an active member of his community and finds the most joy spending time with his family. His wife, Julie, and their three young adult/teenagers enjoy all sports along with hiking, camping and other outdoor activities. Julie is a competitive marathon runner and Brent rides his bike along side her to keep up.

Bryan Wilde, LCSW

Executive Director - Waypoint Academy

Bryan is a proud Utah native. He received a Bachelor of Science in Interpersonal Communication and a Master of Social Work from the University of Utah. He began his career in therapy as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) serving adolescents at Island View Residential Treatment Center. Bryan was the Co-founder and Clinical/Program Director of Pathways to Healing, a therapy clinic in Bountiful, Utah. He has also worked in private practice with adolescents and families where he treated clients with mood disorders, anxiety, obsessions and compulsions, trauma, and addiction. His approach is multi-faceted but grounded in a relational approach. Bryan’s foundational beliefs lie in establishing rapport and trust to help students and families regain their alignment. Students describe Bryan as genuine and fair, but firm. The gentlemen at WayPoint view him as an advocate who assists them in their journeys to health and well-being. WayPoint is fortunate to have Bryan as a gifted clinician and a hands-on administrator. He utilizes his relational approach while overseeing multiple departments, and his leadership, commitment, and unwavering support are woven into the heart of WayPoint. Bryan possesses an extensive administrative and operations background. He served as the Vice President of Human Resources for Franklin Covey for over 20 years. There, he led a team of talented professionals and together they developed strategies to provide the talent and human resources that contributed to the company’s success. Bryan also served as the Vice President of Human Resources for Call Assistant and Winder Farms. In his free time, Bryan enjoys spending time with his family and running to stay fit.