Facility profile North Carolina

Phoenix Outdoor

Closed Conover, North Carolina

At a glance

Address: 6692 Valwood Rd, Conover, NC 28613
Type: Wilderness Therapy; source
Operated: Opened 2005
Past operators: Aspen Education Group (CRC Health); Aspen Education Group
Memberships: NATSAP (former member; member from 2010, last listed 2011)

Also see

Database recordLocation Index
North Carolina hubEvery facility, lawsuit, and bill in North Carolina

Know something we do not?

Corrections, documents and first-hand accounts go into the review queue and are checked before they are published.

Full submission form

Phoenix Outdoor was a wilderness therapy in Conover, North Carolina. It opened in 2005.

1 incident on record
29 staff members named

About Phoenix Outdoor

It was acquired by Aspen Education Group (CRC Health).source Phoenix Outdoor and SUWS of the Carolinas merged into one program sharing both names.source It was run by Aspen Education Group.source

One of the first wilderness therapy programs in the country to offer neurofeedback as part of its substance abuse treatment.source Its address was 363 Graphite Road, Old Fort, NC.source It operates as part of SUWS of the Carolinas; some sources say the same program.source It cost $465 per day plus $2,000 enrollment fee.source

The minimum initial payment $17,230 for first 28 days ($15,020 without testing fee); psychological testing fee $2,210.source The minimum stay was 28 days.source SUWS of the Carolinas is a Delaware limited liability company.source

It business license appears revoked per NC Secretary of State.source It was licensed in North Carolina as a Residential Therapeutic (Habilitative) Camp.source Licensing: not a registered boarding/private school in North Carolina.source

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

Incidents on record

Abuse

Survivors report medical neglect, denial of medical attention to injured teens and multiple cases of hypothermia at Phoenix Outdoor.source

Staff

Administration

Carolyn Bradfield

Former Founder (2007)source
Elsewhere in the industry
- Asheville House LLC Founder, 2007
Jennifer Fazzolari

Former Executive Director (2008)source
Elsewhere in the industry
- Parkersburg Treatment Center Director, before 2008
- Pressley Ridge at Grant Gardens Residential Treatment Program Director, before 2008
Jim Glaeser

Former Executive Director (2006)source
Sally Jenkins

Former Program Director, Clinical Director (2008)source
Elsewhere in the industry
- CleanLife Carolina Co-Founder, 2010
- Stone Mountain School Therapist, 2009
Brian Rossiter

Program director
Elsewhere in the industry
- SageWalk Wilderness Program Director, 2004
- Evoke Cascades Executive Director, 2005
- SeaChange Hawaii Director of Admissions/Marketing, Admissions Director, 2010-2011
- Santiam Crossing Executive Director, 2012
- Ascent Wilderness Program Program Director
- CEDU schools Staff
- Phoenix Outdoor Education Center Program Director
- Ascent Inc. Program Manager, before 2021
- King George School program director
- Second Nature exec director

Notable staff

Bruce Ahern

Former Chief Operating Officer (2007)source
Elsewhere in the industry
- Asheville House LLC Chief Operating Officer, 2007
Dan Kemp

Former Admissions Director (2006)source
Elsewhere in the industry
- SUWS Adolescent and Youth Programs Director of Admissions, 2009
- Ascent Wilderness Program Admissions Director, Director of Admissions, 2008
- Northwest Academy Former Director of Admissions (2005)
- Island View RTC Director of Program Development
- The Oakley School Headmaster and director of admissions
- Aspen Education Group Division director
Lynn Wadsworth

Former Program Manager (2011)source
Elsewhere in the industry
- SUWS of the Carolinas Primary Therapist, before 2011
Shawn Farrell

Former Executive Directorsource
Elsewhere in the industry
- Aspen Achievement Academy Program Director/Executive Director, Senior Instructor, Logistics Coordinator
- Explorations Wilderness Staff
- On Track Wilderness Program Field Instructor
- AEG Outdoor Division Operations Director
- Explorations Wilderness Program Program Director
- Lone Star Expeditions Program Director/Executive Director, 2005
- Passages to Recovery Program Director/Executive Director, 2005
- SUWS of the Carolinas Executive Director/CEO, 2013-2025
- the Executive Director of Phoenix Outdoor
- several other reportedly abusive programs
Alex Kirby

Former Adolescent Therapist (2006)source
Eric Belsterling

Former Therapistsource
Elsewhere in the industry
- Aspen Achievement Academy Staff
- Four Circles Recovery Center Staff
- SUWS of the Carolinas Field Supervisor/Therapist
- Passages to Recovery Staff
Jason McKeown

Former Family Therapist & Adolescent Therapistsource
Elsewhere in the industry
- Trails Carolina Family Therapist and Parent Educator, Family Therapist, Clinical Director, 2009-2025
- SUWS of the Carolinas Family Therapist & Adolescent Therapist
- Alternative Youth Adventures therapist
Taisir El-Souessi

Former Family Program Manager (2014, r/troubledteens wiki)source
Elsewhere in the industry
- River Point Behavioral Health Staff, 2009
- Youth Villages Family Counselor, 2011
- SUWS of the Carolinas Seasonal Therapist/Field Supervisor, 2011
- Trails Carolina Therapist
- Asheville Academy for Girls Staff, 2013
Ted R. Bost III

Former Field Instructorsource
Elsewhere in the industry
- BlueFire Wilderness Therapy Therapist, Therapist, Embers program, 2021-2025
- SUWS of the Carolinas Field Staff, Field Instructor, 2022
Andy Hill

Former Field Instructorsource
Elsewhere in the industry
- SUWS of the Carolinas Field Instructor
Brooke Judkins

Former Family Program Coordinatorsource
Elsewhere in the industry
- SUWS of the Carolinas Family Therapist, 2009
- Lake House Academy Therapist, 2011
Christopher Herndon

Former Field Instructorsource
Elsewhere in the industry
- SUWS of the Carolinas Former Field Instructor
Eric Janoski

Former Field Instructorsource
Elsewhere in the industry
- SUWS of the Carolinas Field Instructor, Marketing
Erin Marcus-Levine

Former Clinical Directorsource
Elsewhere in the industry
- Pacific Quest Clinical Admissions Director, Clinical Admissions Dir.
- Four Circles Recovery Center Admissions Director
- Aspen Education Group Staff
- Unnamed facility in Florida Staff
- SUWS of the Carolinas Admissions
Gail Carpenter

Former Finance Managersource
Elsewhere in the industry
- SUWS of the Carolinas Finance Manager
Jess Woodard

Former Medicsource
Elsewhere in the industry
- SUWS of the Carolinas Medic
Jesse Quam

Former Clinical Directorsource
Elsewhere in the industry
- SUWS of the Carolinas Clinical Director, Field Supervisor and Program Manager
- Aspen Achievement Academy Field Instructor
- The Walker Home and School Staff
- Passages to Recovery Staff
Kaysie Dannemiller

Former Staffsource
Elsewhere in the industry
- Catherine Freer Wilderness Program Wilderness Guide, 1995
- Rites of Passage Guide, 2010
- Ascent Inc. Therapist, 2021
- Ascent Wilderness Program Therapist
- Mount Bachelor Academy Phase III Staff
- Rite of Passage, Inc guide
Kedar Brown

Former Therapistsource
Elsewhere in the industry
- Four Circles Recovery Center Therapist
- Men's Leadership Alliance Staff
Kelly Pace

Former Human Resourcessource
Elsewhere in the industry
- SUWS of the Carolinas Operations
Larry Farber

Former Yogasource
Mary Flora

Former Staffsource
Elsewhere in the industry
- Trails Carolina Primary Therapist, 2012
- Asheville Academy for Girls Clinical Director
- Blue Ridge Therapeutic Wilderness Counselor
Jack Kline
Elsewhere in the industry
- Four Circles Recovery Center Executive Director, Founder and Executive Director
- Foothills at Red Oak Recovery Staff
- SUWS of the Carolinas Former Staff
Jeremy Poore

Field instructor
Elsewhere in the industry
- SUWS of the Carolinas Field Instructor, One of the first instructors
- Stone Mountain School Field Director

Connections on the network map

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

Ownership

SUWS of the Carolinas

Documents

Documents on file (16)

Woodbury Reports Mentions (16)

Wiki entries

Phoenix Outdoor Old Fort, NC | 2005-present

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.

phoenixoutdoor.com (archived copy) live site

Reference and research

Isadora (Yelp)

Reporting this program

This program closed, so the state agency that licensed it can no longer act against it. Other channels may still be able to: the boards that license the people who worked here, law enforcement, and the civil courts.

The North Carolina reporting channels list each one and what it can do. Time limits depend on the state, the kind of harm and the survivor's age, and many states have lengthened or removed them for child sexual abuse, so a program closing long ago does not by itself mean it is too late. Laws change, so the time limits we list were correct when we checked them but may have been updated since; a lawyer can tell you where things stand now.