Summit Achievement earns prestigious Academic Accreditation.

The New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) has awarded Summit Achievement with its prestigious academic accreditation. Summit is one of the few treatment programs in the nation that has achieved this prestigious accreditation from NEASC, which has been accrediting New England’s independent and public schools since 1885.

Our CEO, Nichol Ernst, LCSW, pointed out that with NEASC accreditation, “We can now issue academic credits through Summit’s Academic Program, and students can graduate from our school. We used an external vendor in the past but felt this model limited our ability to be creative and adapt to the unique learning challenges of our clients.  We took this accreditation process on and have become a better program. We are excited to be the first ‘small school’ ever accredited by NEASC.  We believe this further separates us in the choice for treatment options, as we are so much more than just a wilderness program.  Now more than ever, it is imperative that the school environment be incorporated into treating anxiety and depression to better prepare adolescents to return to an academic setting sooner rather than later.” 

Choosing to put our resources to reach accreditation status highlights our longstanding commitment to the families and referring professionals we serve.  For over 26 years, we have continually strived to be one of the best therapeutic programs in the field, combining the best aspects of a wilderness therapy program and a therapeutic boarding school. We were also one of the first programs in the nation to be accredited by the Association of Experiential Education as an Outdoor Behavioral Healthcare Program.