Diamond Ranch Academy

We love what DRA has done for our family and struggling teen son! They gave us the tools needed to shift from living a life in chaos and pain to thriving. Our teen son was struggling with low self esteem, anxiety, depression, ADHD, and beginning drug use, and we were at a loss for how to help him. DRA provided an safe place for him to grow in confidence and maturity while we were working on our healing at home. Nine months after graduation he is doing really well, actually missing the structure and many of the opportunities that DRA provided. We love and trust the staff very much who showed him respect and love. We, including our son, highly recommend DRA to any family who feels like things are spiraling out of control. Get help, the sooner the better! My rating: 4.5 stars

My son's academics have improved because the teachers take the time to cater to his learning style and see what supports are needed. He feels successful for the first time in a long time in school. He has the option to join extra-curricular activities, sports and clubs. The facilities are brand new and provide the setting of a private boarding school. The natural beauty that surrounds the school is majestic.

I didn't send my son to DRA because he was doing well at home. I wasn't looking for a ‘fun' boarding school where he could have leisure time and hang out with friends. I sent him to DRA because he was in desperate need of redirection. I sent him to DRA because it's a ‘hope' away from home. I am one of those parents who needed support to educate my son because he made wrong choices at home and was spinning out of control. I was enabling my son without knowing.

I'll spare you the details of why or how we arrived to the decision of going to DRA. I will let you know that if you are reading my comment it is because you are seeking a place where your son or daughter could be guided in the right direction. Daily, as adults, we must face our realities head on…as teenagers this is a very difficult process. Usually, parents can cope and have systems in place to support their teenagers. But when we lose this thin line, this thread, we could lose our son or daughter. There are many schools advertised on the Internet making it a difficult choice to send our children away. Perhaps many are good intentioned institutions and perhaps they are not the right choice. When looking for a place away from home, it's not easy…first because we don't want to send our children away from us, it gives us a feeling of failure and second, we are taking a leap of faith.

Today, DRA gives me hope that my son will have a better future. Although it is completely up to him if he turns the page and goes in the right direction, I couldn't think of a safer place to have a teenager who needs support away from home. Ultimately, he is being taught to rethink, to empower himself out of the mess he got into in the first place. The program is comprehensive. I'm not sure it's for all children; I recommend you ask admissions if it is the right program for your child. Personally, this is one of the most difficult decisions I have had to make. It's the partnership, the weekly glimpses of hope that let's me know I made the right choice.

Diamond Ranch Academy (DRA) has been a life saver for our son and our family. Our son ended 8th grade on a sour note, and then the summer experimenting started. We as parents figured that he was going through a phase, and getting ready for high school. We as parents also thought that we had everything under control and could fix whatever trouble he throws at us. After all the groundings, taking away cell phone, taking away computer, and more chores, we still thought we had it ALL under control.
Then high school started, where we thought he was just getting adjusted to high school, and we kept on top of him to get through his first semester. After making a lot of new friends and getting through his first semester with OK grades, it started to turn after Christmas. Little did we know that behind the scenes, it was all falling apart. The new friends were perhaps not such good friends, and the new found freedom of high school was not such a good thing either.

The start of the second semester is where it all started. We as parents knew something had happened and that incident would be bad for him. But we did not know that it would be that bad. The lying started, the attitude started, the depression, the drug use, and ultimately the flunking out of school. This is when we as parents had to make the "hardest" decision of our parenting life … to send your kid off to boarding school.

Once our decision was final, DRA and their transition partners made the process as smooth as possible. From the pickup, to the delivery process, and the picture of our son arriving at DRA was handled with such care and professionalism. The DRA staff and therapist kept us informed as our son progressed through his first phase, which was the toughest. As parents, that first phone call was really nerve racking, but again the professional therapist and staff made us feel at ease and comfortable.

The DRA staff, therapist, and teachers worked their magic with our son to build up to our first visit, and we couldn't believe how our son had changed in such a short time. The facilities on the DRA campus are very impressive and far exceeded our expectations. Also impressive is the area around the DRA campus, with Zion National park close by for outdoor activities and the local St. George town for shopping and eating.

Our son is due home for his first home visit, and we are looking forward to the changes that he brings and the work in progress we have ahead of us. DRA has done a great job in setting goals for our son and challenging him in all areas.

Stay tuned for more …. (rate 4 stars, cause we're not finished yet!}