Facility profile Utah

Outback Therapeutic Expeditions

Formerly Walkabout Therapeutic Expeditions (until 2001)source

Closed Lehi, Utah

Outback Therapeutic Expeditions was a wilderness therapy in Lehi, Utah, operated by Aspen Education Group. It operated from 2001 to 2023.

About Outback Therapeutic Expeditions

It was run by CRC Health (parent company, per HEAL).source 1, source 2 Aspen Achievement Academy, New Leaf Academy of Oregon, Aspen Ranch, Bromley Brook School, SunHawk Academy and NorthStar Center merged into Outback.source It was operated by Outback Therapeutic Expeditions, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company.source It was owned by Bain Capital.source

It introduced a new "Roots & Wings Family Expedition," a three-day intensive wilderness experience uniting families in crisis in a therapeutic process facilitated by professionals.source Its address was 50 N 200 E, Lehi, UT 84043.source It cost $380 per day ($21,280 for 8 weeks).source It cost $445 per day ($24,920 for 8 weeks) plus $1,450 enrollment/gear fee.source

It cost $465 per day plus $2,000 one-time enrollment fee.source 1, source 2 Stays lasted 6-10 weeks.source HEAL says Outback Expeditions/Outback Therapeutic Expeditions uses the same Positive Control Systems methods as Eagle Ranch Academy and WWASPS.source The average stay was stay 6-8 weeks.source

It achieved three-year CARF Accreditation status.source It was accredited by Outdoor Behavioral Healthcare Industry Council (OBHIC).source It was licensed by the Utah Department of Human Services, Office of Licensing as Outdoor Youth Treatment.source

Also drawn on: Aspen Education Group (Wikipedia, lead), n.d..

Survivor testimony

What people who lived or worked here say happened. Survivors' own words are published with their permission; forum accounts are what was posted publicly and are reported as claims, not findings.

Reported on survivor forums

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.

20012006201120152017202320012023

  1. 2001

    1. New name

      Renamed Outback Therapeutic Expeditions

      It had been Walkabout Therapeutic Expeditions.

    2. Opened

      Opened in Lehi, Utah

  2. 2006

    1. OwnershipFebruary 6, 2006

      Bain Capital: Bought CRC Health Group for about $742 million

      CRC Health Group and Bain Capital ran Outback Therapeutic Expeditions on either side of the deal.

      Bain Capital: Bought CRC Health Group for about $742 million February 6, 2006

      Funds managed by Bain Capital Partners completed the purchase of CRC Health Group on February 6, 2006, for total cash consideration of about $742.3 million including fees. Later that year CRC, with Bain's backing, bought Aspen Education Group.

      source

    2. OwnershipFebruary 6, 2006

      CRC Health Group: Bought by Bain Capital funds for about $742 million

      CRC Health Group and Bain Capital ran Outback Therapeutic Expeditions on either side of the deal.

      CRC Health Group: Bought by Bain Capital funds for about $742 million February 6, 2006

      Bain Capital agreed in October 2005 to buy CRC Health Group, then described as the biggest US provider of drug and alcohol treatment, for $720 million. Funds managed by Bain Capital Partners completed the purchase on February 6, 2006 for total cash consideration of about $742.3 million including fees.

      source 1, source 2

    3. OwnershipNovember 2006

      CRC Health Group: Bought Aspen Education Group, the largest for-profit chain of troubled-teen programs, for $279.5 million

      CRC Health Group, Bain Capital and Aspen Education Group ran Outback Therapeutic Expeditions on either side of the deal.

      CRC Health Group: Bought Aspen Education Group, the largest for-profit chain of troubled-teen programs, for $279.5 million November 2006

      In November 2006 CRC acquired all of the stock of Aspen Education Group for about $279.5 million. CRC called it its largest acquisition to date. By the end of 2007 its youth division ran 29 programs in 10 states, including ten therapeutic boarding schools and ten outdoor programs.

      source 1, source 2

  3. 2011

    1. ClosedMarch 24, 2011

      Aspen Education Group: Closed five programs and consolidated three more

      Aspen Education Group: Closed five programs and consolidated three more March 24, 2011

      Aspen announced it would close Bromley Brook School (VT), New Leaf Academy of Oregon, NorthStar Center (Bend, OR), Aspen Ranch (Loa, UT) and SunHawk Adolescent Recovery Center (St. George, UT). Aspen Achievement Academy was combined with Outback Therapeutic Expeditions, Youth Care moved to the Island View campus, and Passages to Recovery moved to Idaho. Aspen cited reduced demand in the economy.

      source

  4. 2015

    1. OwnershipFebruary 11, 2015

      Acadia HealthCare: Bought CRC Health Group, owner of the Aspen youth programs, from Bain Capital

      CRC Health Group, Acadia Healthcare, Bain Capital and 1 more ran Outback Therapeutic Expeditions on either side of the deal.

      Acadia HealthCare: Bought CRC Health Group, owner of the Aspen youth programs, from Bain Capital February 11, 2015

      Acadia announced a definitive agreement to acquire CRC Health Group on October 29, 2014, describing CRC as the nation's largest specialized behavioral healthcare provider with 36 residential facilities and 84 comprehensive treatment facilities. The deal was valued at $1.175 billion in Acadia stock plus assumed debt; Bain Capital took Acadia shares. Acadia announced completion on February 11, 2015.

      source 1, source 2, source 3

  5. 2017

    1. IncidentOctober 2017

      Investigation

      As of October 2017 there was no information that the charged former director had victimized teenagers at Outback, but an investigation was ongoing.

      Investigation October 2017

      source

  6. 2023

    1. Closed

      Closed

As Walkabout Therapeutic Expeditions

until 2001

Nothing on record is dated to these years yet.

As Outback Therapeutic Expeditions

2001 to 2023 | Aspen Education Group

Incidents on record

  1. October 2017 Investigation

    As of October 2017 there was no information that the charged former director had victimized teenagers at Outback, but an investigation was ongoing.source

News coverage

  • Arizona Mirror Jul 15, 2024 Lawsuit

    'It was a cult': Traumatizing troubled teens

    Spring Ridge Academy, a facility for troubled teens in Arizona, has been ordered to pay $2.5 million in a lawsuit claiming fraud. The facility, which closed in 2023, used outdated therapies and procedures born out of a cult from the 1950s. Survivors of the facility report experiencing physical and emotional abuse, including being forced to participate in humiliating group therapy sessions.

  • FOX 13 Utah Sep 26, 2017 Arrest

    Utah County therapist arrested for alleged sexual abuse of underage girl

    A licensed marriage and family therapist employed at a youth treatment facility was arrested and charged with multiple counts of sexual abuse, rape, and forcible sodomy involving a 16-year-old resident. Law enforcement executed a search warrant and recovered corroborating evidence following a report made by the survivor to a subsequent therapist.

Staff

Administration

Notable staff

Incidents on record

  1. Abuse

    Survivors allege food and water restriction, extremely heavy packs, refusal of medical care and violent restraints.source

  2. Injury

    A survivor reports a resident with an infected toe was made to keep hiking, and that another resident later had a toe medically amputated after frostbite.source

  3. Injury

    Survivors report whole groups developed giardiasis, and one reports hypothermia affecting several residents.source

  4. Restraint

    Survivors report forcible restraint during intake and later, including one who says a needle was inserted for an IV while their face was forced into the dirt.source

Staff

Notable staff

Connections on the network map

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

Ownership

Names

Other staff

Documents

Documents on file (15)
Woodbury Reports Mentions (15)

Research that mentions this program

The whole research library

From the Unsilenced archive

36 documents about Outback Therapeutic Expeditions that Unsilenced collected and Kids Over Profits does not hold a copy of. They open on Unsilenced's Google Drive. Their whole folder: Outback Therapeutic Expeditions.

Documents (35)
Blue Ridge Therapeutic Wilderness (1)

From SCIAD NET

1 document about Outback Therapeutic Expeditions that Kids Over Profits does not hold a copy of. SCIAD NET keeps it on Google Drive, where it opens.

Wiki entries

Materials and links

External links

A program's own website is linked as an archived snapshot, so the page reads as it did when it was captured.

Survivor posts and discussion

Reference and research

2 of these from SCIAD NET.

Archived pages

Other links

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