Northwest Academy

Northwest Academy

ABOUT NORTHWEST ACADEMY

Northwest Academy is a boarding school-style establishment for troubled teenage boys and girls aged 16 to 18, located on an 85-acre campus in a rural, wooded area outside the small town of Naples, northern Idaho. Clients are at risk of not completing high school, and substance abuse often plays a role in their troubles.

It is strongly recommended by Northwest Academy that new clients attend a wilderness program before enrolling at this facility as it has been found to be more successful when clients already have a strong emotional foundation and academic goals in place.

TREATMENT & ASSESSMENT

The program at Northwest Academy involves a one-year stay, combining therapy and substance abuse counseling with academics and personal fitness training. The goal is to help each resident complete high school, continue to training or college, and go on to responsible, independent lives.

The substance abuse program at the center focuses on helping clients identify triggers, learn about prevention, and develop an individual recovery plan. The program incorporates the use of the 12-Steps, including on- and off-site meetings and a 12-step recovery yoga program, as well as the Stages of Change model. Psychiatric services, including psychopharmacology, are also provided.

In terms of academics, Northwest Academy offers a “transcript repair program” that enables residents to gain academic credits and raise their GPA. The center also provides special education services, post-secondary planning, and an opportunity for residents to take classes at a local college. Additionally, the facility offers volunteering opportunities and programs designed to help residents find their passion. Residents also participate in a physical fitness class each weekday.

Families are provided with a “Parent Portal” that offers news and photos to keep parents updated, as well as the opportunity to participate in weekend-long adventures.

STAFF CREDENTIALS

The facility employs a psychiatrist and a psychiatric nurse practitioner on a contract basis. The treatment team also includes licensed professional counselors, a social worker, a licensed marriage and family therapist, and a certified addiction counselor. All staff members are certified in First Aid and CPR, and all teachers are state-certified.

ACCOMMODATIONS & AMENITIES

The campus in northern Idaho provides separate dorms for males and females, classrooms, a computer lab, and a communal area with a fireplace. The facility also offers basketball and volleyball courts, as well as an ultimate Frisbee golf course. Additionally, extracurricular activities such as skiing, snowboarding, hiking, river rafting, fly-fishing, and mountain biking are available. Vegetarian food is provided at each meal.

Families are welcome to visit after an initial period of six to eight weeks. As clients progress through the program, they become eligible for off-campus visits, including overnight visits.

WHAT ALUMNI SAY

All three reviews submitted to Best-rehabs.com to date were very negative. The reviews criticized the treatment plans and methods, noting that they were useless and did not prepare students for the real world. These reviewers believed that the center manipulated worried parents and prioritize money over offering help. They also expressed dissatisfaction with the education provided at the facility.

No alumni reviews were found on secondary sites at the time of writing.

WHAT STAFF SAY

The reviews from staff on secondary sites were mixed. On Indeed, the facility had an average rating of 3.6 stars based on 10 reviews, while Glassdoor had a single one-star review. Some reviewers spoke positively about the center’s mission and displayed dedication to clients. However, others described the center as a “warehouse” and a “scam” designed to deceive parents.

CONCLUSION

A stay at Northwest Academy costs $8,400 per month, with additional fees for enrollment and technology. The facility provides monthly statements that can be submitted to insurers for possible reimbursement. Financing and loans are also available for the educational and behavioral health components of treatment.

Northwest Academy is owned by Universal Health Services (UHS), which has previously faced allegations of fraud and mistreatment of clients.

Northwest Academy Reviews

  • Treatment Effectiveness
  • Accommodations & Amenities
  • Meals & Nutrition
  • This is place is dumb... Its like paying to be in prison.. Not the bid #blacklivesmatter
  • Treatment Effectiveness
  • Accommodations & Amenities
  • Meals & Nutrition
  • I attended Northwest Academy from December 2009 to September 2010. While a couple of the support staff may have cared about the students, this place is a complete scam. They are just after desparate parents' money. The "treatment plans" and methods are completely useless and do not help prepare students for the real world. It was basically like a corral. Group of kids moved from one area to another to another like herds of cows. This is how we felt, and five years later I can fairly say the only benefit of my time there was meeting some great fellow students (some of whom I'm still friends with to this day), and it made me want to open a wellness center of my own someday which will be run properly, ethically, and sensibly. While there I was yelled at for taking showers longer than five literal minutes, talked down to and disrespected constantly.. I gained 40 pounds there due to the lack of vegetarian options other than bread and pasta. I had arrived in December of my senior year, and by May I had earned ALL credits required to graduate high school. They refused to give me my high school diploma until the FOLLOWING December, solely because my poor mom had only paid over $62,000 and they wanted the full $90,000 from her. They prey on parents who feel their children need help in life, but I promise you this is not the place where they receive such help. There are places out there that will keep your child safe and alive for a period of time that actually care about the students, unlike Northwest Academy. The company is a money-maker, money is their main goal and that is it. Also the owner decided to renovate the woodchip (formerly gravel) paths that led from the main house to the dorms, using student labor (usually as punishments). Does this sound therapeutic to you? I understand that parents are concerned about their children and want them to get help. Sure, access to things most teenagers have access to in the real world is not nearly as easy while trapped here. But there are places you can spend your money where they will actually help your child learn and grow, not just keep them corralled until they turn 18 or so. I beg parents not to fall for their lies. This is not a therapeutic environment. To all parents reading this, I beg you, look at all the other options and please talk to the students in private before making a decision. Please, your child will receive more help anywhere but here.
  • Treatment Effectiveness
  • Accommodations & Amenities
  • Meals & Nutrition
  • WARNING: do not send your child to this school...However if you feel this crucial for your child, I STRONGLY recommend moving, private schools, normal boarding schools, ANYTHING but these type of schools.... The education there is an absolute joke. Yes, they may get your kid into a decent college, however tell your kid good luck in college because they will have no idea what to do. The longest paper I had to write was a page long, the math teachers literally do the work for you, for English you can choose your own book. Group time is a joke...When parents visit the workshops they are supposed to attend it becomes all serious..