After doing some more research, I would have to say that Eagle Ranch Academy is in all likelihood WWASPS through and through. The preponderance of SunHawk Academy personnel is most likely explained by the mere fact that
it is located in the same city. People that like to work in this industry... well, there are only so many employers in town.
Here is an intriguing -- and convoluted -- tangle of info taken, in part, from the Caring4Youth site...
Caring4Youth is a huge directory of Programs and EdCons, and one transport company, that posits itself as helpful info for desperate parents...but is, in fact, actually a marketing tool for
USA Guides, a transport company. I started to detail much of this info in a thread titled "CABALS of the TTI," which was most unfortunately lost in the large DB crash earlier this year. These are all part of a pustule of interconnecting enterprises (transport company, ed con network, website creation and management, insurance company, loan "facilitation" for TTI programs, private investigators, GPS tracking, and personnel surveillance, etc.) that are run by the COWDELL family and friends. The insurance company, Caring4Youth website, USA Guides, and the website stuff are all located at the same address in St. George (1150 S. Bluff St.; St. George, UT 84770), all in Suite #5 (along with some shared phone numbers), but the other enterprises are located nearby, not necessarily in St. George.
Anyway, I found the following brief bio of a Mr. Justin Nielson from the
White River Academy section on the Caring4Youth site, which contains mention of
SunHawk Academy and Red Rock Academy,
as well as work at "
an adolescent hospital for troubled youth in St. George, Utah" in 1995. Could this be Brightway Hospital?
Justin Nielson joins our team of professionals with 12 years experience in working with troubled teens and their families.
Justin began working with at risk youth in 1995 at an adolescent hospital for troubled youth in St. George, Utah. He served as a Psychiatric Technician and an Assistant Recreational Therapist. Duties were mainly direct care of students as they progressed through psychological testing, counseling, and academics. In November of 1996 Justin started working for the SunHawk Academy, a school for troubled teens in St. George Utah. Justin and his wife Jennifer signed on as Proctor Parents for the school and had up to four youth living at their home during non-school hours learning positive work habits and structured living.
In 1997 Justin was asked by OFFA, a state contracted private organization for adjudicated kids, to take on a case load of troubled youth. Justin began in coordinating home life and educational opportunities between Foster Parents, the State of Utah and OFFA. Within six months Justin and Jennifer had began foster parenting for OFFA. Justin and Jennifer had several struggling teens in their home between 1997 and 1998. While working with the State of Utah Justin became certified in Targeted Case Management through a series of courses required by the state. In 1998 Justin was a key player in the establishment of Adolescent Services Inc., a marketing service for programs all over the world. His services were in the area of Office Manager in establishing ASI as a reputable service for assisting families to find boarding schools for their troubled teen.
Justin was asked to direct the Red Rock Academy in Southern Utah in early February 1999. His responsibilities included all facets of establishing and running the day to day requirements of a Residential Treatment Center mainly Academic, Therapeutic, and Group Living. Red Rock Academy was purchased by Cross Creek Programs in late 1999 and Justin returned to ASI. ASI was purchased by Teen Help where he continued serving families in finding placement for their youth until July 2002.
In July 2002 Justin and his family moved from Hurricane, Utah to Puerto Rico where in conjunction with others founded the White River Academy. White River Academy established and operated in Puerto Rico from July 2002 until November 2006 when White River Academy relocated from Puerto Rico to Delta, Utah. Justin continues as the administrator of White River Academy and serves on their board of directors. Justin also speaks proficient Portuguese and Spanish as a second and third language.
Note also the following, to put the above in better context...
Teen Help and Adolescent Services Inc. are among the marketing arms of the World Wide Association of Specialty Schools (WASP), which oversees a collection of residential treatment programs both in this country and abroad. The programs are independently owned, limited-liability corporations, which in turn are owned by other corporations or individuals. It's all under the very strict control of Robert Lichfield, a former director of group living at Provo Canyon School in Provo, Utah. In 1987 he transformed a former inn into a residential treatment center for girls called Cross Creek Manor.
http://www.wwaspsinfo.net/wwasps/wwasps.02.99.html
