Elevations RTC
Residential Treatment Center
Elevations RTC in Syracuse, Utah, is an all-gender residential treatment center that offers personalized, interdisciplinary care to youth ages 13 to 18. Elevations provide students with histories of trauma, depression, anxiety, mood disorders, suicidality, and self-harm with psychiatric care, specialized and intensive clinical groups, accredited academics, and experiential therapy.
Programs Available
Elevations RTC opened its doors in 2014 and offered intensive psychiatric care, personalized care, and accredited college preparatory academics.Personalized clinical programs include therapist-led interactions, peer groups, staff groups, and recreational therapy. Specialized clinical groups focus on specific issues. Elevations RTC supports families through new parent orientations, parent seminars, visits, and weekly family therapy.
Elevations RTC assists with various mental, behavioral, and academic issues. The following diagnoses are possible:
A history of trauma
Learning disabilities and ADHD
Depression, anxiety, and mood disorders
Impairment of function
Identity issues
Use of drugs
Self-injury
In dedicated classrooms, accredited teachers provide in-person academic instruction. The class size ranges from eight to twelve students. A team teacher is a treatment team member who guides students through the academic program. An advisor also assists students in achieving academic success. Experiential learning is also included in the program.
Elevations RTC's treatment approach is distinct in two ways.
The first is that the campus has purpose-built facilities for a therapeutic community. It's intended to be nurturing and supportive. The center includes a traditional academic space, a cafeteria, and a space for daily exercise, all of which contribute to the normalization of the student experience. The second distinguishing feature of Elevations RTC is its acceptance of students of all genders. This normalizing experience reflects what young people encounter in the real world and allows them to practice these relationships in a safe, supportive environment with staff trained in diversity and inclusion.
Elevations RTC, unlike many other teen residential treatment centers, does not separate genders in the classroom or therapeutic sessions. Elevations RTC, on the other hand, aims to demystify interactions with students of different genders. Students attend class, eat lunch, and participate in activities with students of different genders. Elevations RTC strongly believes that developing skills across genders in a nurturing environment is a more beneficial approach than risking students' ability to adjust to life outside of the program.
Experienced clinicians, medical doctors and psychiatrists, teachers, recreational staff, program specialists, residential staff, and marketing and administrative staff comprise the 50-member team.
Senior Management
Jennifer Wilde and Judi Jacques share the position of Executive Leadership. Wilde is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with over 25 years of experience working with adolescents. She is trained in dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), a type of talk therapy for people with strong emotions. She graduated from the University of Utah with a master's degree in social work.
Westminster College awarded Jacques a master's degree in special education. Before transitioning to residential education, she taught history in public junior high schools. She has since expanded her role to become Elevations RTC's coadministrator.
Jennifer Maddock and Wilde share the position of Clinical Director. Maddock is a licensed family and marriage therapist who is also DBT certified. She specializes in family therapy with troubled teens. She has previously worked in public mental health and with foster families and children.
Dr. Michael Connolly serves as the Medical Director. He is board certified in general and child and adolescent psychiatry. After completing his general psychiatry residency at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center and his medical studies at the University of Oklahoma, he earned his fellowship in child and adolescent psychiatry at the University of Utah.
Ryan Mortensen serves as the Academic Director. Mortensen graduated from Weber State University in Ogden, Utah, with a bachelor's degree in psychology and a master's degree in mathematics education. He is also certified in physics and financial literacy. He has a wealth of experience in mental health care and has been with Elevations RTC since its inception.
Eric Flores serves as the Program Director. Flores earned a master's degree in psychology from Capella University in Minneapolis, focusing on mental skill development and group dynamics. His philosophy is to promote success, uniqueness, and human-to-human commitment.
Recreational Director Erica Yaeger is in charge of recreation. Yaeger previously worked with adults in addiction recovery, adolescents with autism, and crisis management before joining Elevations RTC. Yaeger received the Most Outstanding Program award from the Utah Recreation Therapy Association in 2018 for her work at Brighton Recovery Center and published research on positive psychology and substance use disorder. She studied at the University of Utah.
Memberships, Awards, and Accreditations
Elevations RTC participates in the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System, a U.S. Department of Homeland Security program. It also belongs to the National Association of Therapeutic Schools and Programs.
Elevations RTC has received accreditation from Cognia, a nonprofit supporting elementary and secondary schools, and the Joint Commission's Gold Seal of Approval.