Ozark Trails Academy Residential Treatment Program with Clinical Care and Adventure Therapy

Ozark Trails Academy Residential Treatment Program with Clinical Care and Adventure Therapy includes wilderness adventure, rock-climbing, rafting, river activities, hiking, spelunking, and wilderness learning. Students take part in riding and caring for horses, equine therapy, Parelli Horsemanship Therapy, farming, horticulture therapy, animal-assisted therapy, music and art therapy, sand tray therapy, play therapy, and trauma sensitive yoga, along with on-site chores and fun recreation. The program also includes individual, family, and group therapy sessions that may use Brain Mapping, Narrative Therapy, Trauma informed-CBT, EMDR, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Adventure Therapy, Experiential Therapy, Attachment Therapy, Strength-based Therapy, Solutions Focused Therapy, Problem-solving Therapy, Eclectic Therapy, and Mindfulness, as well as spiritual guidance.

• Ages: 13–18 years old
• Schedule: Office hours Monday–Friday, 9:00am–5:00pm; treatment usually lasts ten months or longer

Ozark Trails Academy Residential Treatment Program with Clinical Care and Adventure Therapy is a faith-based residential treatment program for teens that integrates wilderness therapy, equine therapy, and adventure therapy and is rooted in the Ozark Trails Learn–Live–Lead teen counseling model. The program is licensed to provide all levels of therapeutic care for youth ages 13–19 with mild to moderate emotional and behavioral problems and specializes in treating teens with anger management issues, oppositional defiant disorder (ODD), reactive attachment disorder (RAD), attention deficit disorder (ADD), and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). It is family-focused with individualized clinical therapy plans, limits care to 36 teens, and includes residential homes for 12 girls and 12 boys, with a select group of 24 teens receiving clinical care, outdoor adventures, and academics year-round, along with staff-directed group time each evening to encourage unity and cooperation within the dorm.

Ozark Trails Academy offers year-round, individual treatment with licensed clinical therapists, and certified staff and mentors support teens in a monitored safe environment. The program provides accredited high school education classes with academic repair that goes toward a high school diploma, and students can access online education through Willow Springs School District, the Missouri Course Access Virtual School Program (MOCAP), and LAUNCH, which is a MOCAP provider. Students can also switch from high school to college through Southwest Missouri State with two free years and career training. Ozark Trails is certified by the Joint Commission, and its mission states, “For real, lasting change to occur, it must come from the heart. Our whole treatment program and school is designed around this concept,” and, “In order for real healing change to occur, we have to reach teen hearts. Outdoor activities are a backdrop to breakthrough therapy provided by such methods as equine therapy, farming, wilderness adventure, and so much more at Ozark Trails.”

Ozark Trails Academy serves teens from Midwest cities such as Chicago, Indianapolis, Columbus, Detroit, Milwaukee, Kansas City, Omaha, and St. Louis, and offers year-round admissions, with IOP and PHP mentioned as program components and a HIPAA-compliant secure contact form. Missouri State Representative David P. Evans has endorsed the program, stating that the director and founder started the program because he cares deeply about helping kids achieve lifetime success and that he would not hesitate to refer family and friends to Ozark Trails Academy. A student review states, “For the first time in forever, I feel comfortable with who I am!”

Last updated March 18, 2026.