Certified Educational, Recreational, and Therapeutic Schools and Programs (CERTS) is a family of adolescent schools and programs committed to the highest standards of care in the industry. We believe these exacting standards give us a better chance of changing lives . To learn more about these important troubled youth treatment standards, click here.

Each CERTS program specializes in working with different types of behavioral issues. Collectively, CERTS therapists and programs have a track record of successfully treating adolescents that are struggling with the following:

• Depression
• Eating Disorders
• Alcoholism
• Substance Abuse
• Oppositional Defiant Disorder
• Out-of-control Anger
• Conduct Disorder
• Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
• Anxiety Disorders
• Suicidal Tendencies
• Attachment Disorders

Our Mission

To create a climate of growth and personal development that inspires positive change and the desire to live true principles for our students, their families, and our staff.

Our Philosophy

All CERTS troubled youth treatment facilities share some basic beliefs:

• All children are basically good. “Bad kids” have simply adopted patterns and habits of making wrong choices. With time and patience, these patterns can be broken and replaced with new, healthier beliefs and habits.
   
• True, lasting change comes from within. Our students, ultimately, are the ones who have to choose to accept these new patterns and habits. This will happen when our students have been prepared to a point where they embrace these new habits and reject once and for all their old, self-defeating behaviors.
   
• An outstanding education—that is, an education that is actually exciting, varied, and yet challenging—is part of the cure. Well-prepared teachers instruct students in Drama, Art, French, Music and Physical Education with a sports emphasis, in addition to the core classes of English, Math, Science, and History. These “extra” classes are important for giving students non-traditional opportunities to excel and to boost self-esteem.
   
• Parents are an important part of the youth treatment process and must be heavily involved, both educationally and therapeutically.
   
• Experiential therapy is a very important complement to traditional therapy.