Facility profile Florida

Columbus Youth Academy

Formerly Columbus Juvenile Residential Facility

Open Tampa, Florida

Columbus Youth Academy is a program in Tampa, Florida, operated by Rite of Passage, Inc. It has operated since 2010.

About Columbus Youth Academy

Florida DJJ listed G4S Youth Services / TrueCore Behavioral Solutions as provider of the Columbus program to 2018, Sequel TSI of Florida from October 2018 through December 2021, TrueCore again in 2023-2024 and Rite of Passage, Inc. from July 2025.source 1, source 2

Timeline

From the records: who ran it and the deals that moved it, its names, and the deaths, incidents, inspection findings, lawsuits and news stories on file. Point at an event, or tap "More about this", for the details.

2010201720182021202220102022

  1. 2010

    1. Ownership

      TrueCore Behavioral Solutions began running it

      It ran the program until 2018.

    2. Opened

      Opened in Tampa, Florida

  2. 2017

    1. OwnershipSeptember 1, 2017

      Sequel TSI: Sold a majority stake to Altamont Capital Partners

      Sequel Youth and Family Services ran Columbus Youth Academy at the time.

      Sequel TSI: Sold a majority stake to Altamont Capital Partners September 1, 2017

      Altamont Capital Partners announced a majority equity investment in Sequel through a holding company, SYFS Parent; terms were not disclosed. At the time Sequel ran 44 programs in 19 states, and APM Reports counted 35 residential treatment centers in 16 states. CEO John Stupak stayed on and co-founder Jay Ripley remained board chairman. Altamont's portfolio page lists the investment as active and says SYFS Parent later acquired Rebecca & Aaron Schools (2017) and Pine Cone Therapies (2020).

      source 1, source 2, source 3

  3. 2018

    1. Ownership

      Sequel Youth and Family Services took it over from TrueCore Behavioral Solutions (see the deal above)

      It ran the program until 2022.

  4. 2021

    1. Ownership

      Vivant Behavioral Health: Founded by Sequel co-founder Jay Ripley and bought most of Sequel's remaining centers

      Sequel Youth and Family Services ran Columbus Youth Academy at the time.

      Vivant Behavioral Health: Founded by Sequel co-founder Jay Ripley and bought most of Sequel's remaining centers

      Jay Ripley, one of Sequel's three founders, founded Vivant Behavioral Healthcare in 2021. Sequel sold most of its centers that had not closed to Vivant, which now controls most former Sequel treatment centers still open.

      source 1, source 2

  5. 2022

    1. Ownership

      Sequel Youth and Family Services stopped running it

Licensing and inspections

Program
DJJ-columbus-youth-academy
License category
Moderate-risk Residential
Executive director
Terry Mitchell
Licensed capacity
50
Licensing action
Active
Phone on file
(813) 769-0445
Licensed address
9502 E Columbus Drive, Tampa, FL 33619

23 inspection reports on file. Search all Florida reports

Every report, by date: 2 findings in 2 reports
  1. Jun 30, 2026 QI Residential - FY25-26 - 1 finding
    1 finding

    • Limited compliance, DJJ review : Indicator 1.06 Career Education (Education Contract Provider)

      Education staff shall develop and implement a career education competency development program. The provider’s career education program is appropriate for the length of stay and classification, as well as educational abilities and goals of the youth in the program. The residential juvenile justice education program did not include a contracted minimum length of stay of nine months or provides courses leading to pre-apprentice certifications and industry certification. The program’s career education programming did not include communication, interpersonal, and decision-making skills. The program provides Type 2 programming which includes Type 1 program content and an orientation to the broad scope of career choices, based upon personal abilities, aptitudes, and interests, exploring and gaining knowledge of occupation options and the level of effort required to achieve the essential prerequisites to skill training. The program started utilizing the Xello platform on May 1, 2026, and career exploration will be provided. Three youth records were reviewed. One did not have any documentation and the remaining two had the Xello match maker quiz completed; however, no other documentation was provided. The interview conducted with the lead teacher regarding career education services indicated Xello was in the process of being rolled out, all staff have been trained, and it will be documented on the student’s education transition plan starting the end of May 2026.

  2. Jun 30, 2025 QI Residential - FY24-25
  3. Jun 30, 2025 QI Residential - FY24-25
  4. Jun 30, 2024 SPEP - FY23-24
  5. Jun 30, 2024 SPEP - FY23-24
  6. Jun 30, 2024 QI Residential - FY23-24 - 1 finding
    1 finding

    • Limited compliance, DJJ review : Indicator 5.01 Youth Supervision (CRITICAL)

      Program staff shall maintain active supervision of youth, including interacting positively with youth, engaging in a full schedule of constructive activities, closely observing behavior of youth and changes in behavior. Program staff can account for the whereabouts of youth under their supervision at all times. Due to an open Outcome Base Corrective Action Plan (OBCAP), indicator 5.01 youth supervision is rated limited compliance. The program recently had a youth escape as a result of inadequate staff supervision, which resulted in the OBCAP. The program has a policy and procedures stating how the program shall maintain active supervision of youth at all times. Observations of staff during the annual compliance review week found staff supervising youth appropriately during all observed activities. According to the policy and procedures provided to the annual compliance review team, staff-to-youth ratios are one staff to eight youth during awake hours, one staff to ten youth during sleep hours, and one staff to five youth for off-site activities. Observed activities made during the four-day annual compliance review, were supervision of youth during school hours, in the dining area, education, recreation, and youth movement through the program. The daily schedules were posted in the dormitories and cafeteria. At no time during the annual compliance review week were youth observed wandering freely about the program. Each of the seven interviewed staff confirmed their ...

  7. Jun 30, 2022 SPEP - FY21-22
  8. Jun 30, 2022 SPEP - FY21-22
  9. Jun 30, 2022 SPEP - FY21-22
  10. Jun 30, 2021 SPEP - FY20-21
  11. Jun 30, 2021 SPEP - FY20-21
  12. Jun 30, 2021 SPEP - FY20-21
  13. Jun 30, 2020 SPEP - FY19-20
  14. Jun 30, 2020 SPEP - FY19-20
  15. Jun 30, 2020 SPEP - FY19-20
  16. Jun 30, 2019 SPEP - FY18-19
  17. Jun 30, 2019 SPEP - FY18-19
  18. Jun 30, 2019 SPEP - FY18-19
  19. Undated PREA
  20. Undated PREA - Year 1 Cycle 5
  21. Undated PREA - Year 1 Cycle 4
  22. Undated PREA - Year 2 Cycle 3 - 1 finding
  23. Undated PREA

Connections on the network map

The companies, people and programs our research map ties to this program. Open it on the network map.

Ownership

  • G4s Youth Services LLC past operator
  • Sequel Youth and Family Services operated 2018-2022

Acquisitions

  • Vivant Behavioral Healthcare Acquired this program (acquired)

Documents

Documents on file (8)

From the Unsilenced archive

2 documents about Columbus Youth Academy that Unsilenced collected and Kids Over Profits does not hold a copy of. They open on Unsilenced's Google Drive. Their whole folder: Columbus Youth Academy.

Materials and links

Licensing and inspection reports

Archived pages

1 of these from SCIAD NET.

Record updated . Generated from the Kids Over Profits facility database. Suggest a correction