Mountain Youth Academy

🌟 Key Highlights: Mountain Youth Academy

Mountain Youth Academy (MYA) is a private, co-educational trauma-based residential treatment facility in Mountain City, Tennessee. It is committed to providing integrated mental health and educational services for at-risk youth by utilizing a multidisciplinary, trauma-focused approach in a secure, therapeutic, and compassionate environment.

🏫 Overview

• Type: Private / Special Purpose / Residential Treatment Facility (Non-sectarian)

• Location: Mountain City, Tennessee (Johnson County, near the VA border)

• Ages/Grades Served: Children and adolescents, ages 5–17 (Educational services cover Grades K–12)

• Enrollment: Varies, serving a specialized population with an IQ generally 65 or above (with specific programs for intellectual disabilities).

• Core Mission: To provide mental health and educational services to enhance the quality of life for at-risk youth and their families through service excellence, compassion, integrity, and respect.

• Affiliation: A specialized facility within the Universal Health Services (UHS) network.

• Accreditation: Accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) and operates a Category I Licensed Non-Public School through the Tennessee State Board of Education.

• Focus: Trauma-based residential treatment for mental health conditions, behavioral issues, and co-occurring substance use disorders, with an integrated, individualized academic curriculum.

✅ What Makes the School Unique?

MYA is distinguished by its trauma-focused clinical model, integrated education, and specialized services:

• Integrated Treatment and Education: Provides a holistic program where a licensed, on-site school (Grades K–12) ensures educational continuity while the student receives intensive therapy. All academic credits earned transfer back to the student’s local education agency (home school).

• Trauma-Focused Care: Utilizes a trauma-focused cognitive behavioral treatment model. All staff are trained to understand the impact of trauma, and therapeutic approaches like Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) and Neurofeedback are offered.

• Individualized Education Programs (IEPs/RTI): The school provides Special Education services and utilizes the Response to Intervention (RTI) framework to tailor academic plans to meet each student’s specific educational and behavioral needs.

• Vocational and STEM Offerings: The curriculum extends beyond core academics to include STEM classes and vocational programs with potential certifications (e.g., Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA), Computer-Aided Drafting (CAD), Serve Safe Certification).

• Multidisciplinary Approach: Treatment teams are composed of psychiatrists, master-level clinicians, social workers, and licensed teachers who collaborate to provide a secure and therapeutic milieu in a locked facility.

• Accreditation Excellence: Holds CARF accreditation, an internationally recognized benchmark for health and human services, confirming the high quality and standards of its rehabilitation and treatment programs.

• Therapeutic Enrichment: Services include robust recreation therapy, yoga, social skills groups, and creative therapies (art, music, drama), as well as vocational training and programs like Animal Husbandry.

📞 Contact Information