Summit Achievement Re-Accredited as an Outdoor Behavioral Healthcare Program
SUMMIT ACHIEVEMENT IS PROUD TO BE ONE OF ONLY TWO WILDERNESS THERAPY PROGRAMS IN THE COUNTRY TO HAVE COMPLETED THIS VIGOROUS RE-ACCREDITATION PROCESS.
We, at Summit Achievement, have just completed the vigorous re-accreditation process by the Association for Experiential Education for Outdoor Behavioral Healthcare Programs. By completing this process, Summit Achievement has been awarded accreditation for another three years.
Why did we chose to be an Accredited Outdoor Behavioral Healthcare Program?
Accredited Outdoor Behavioral Healthcare programs demonstrate to impartial reviewers that they operate above industry standards of ethical care, treatment evaluation, and risk management practices.
We believe that choosing to be accredited reinforces our commitment to the families we serve to continually strive to be the best in the field as we have for over 22 years.
The Process To Becoming An Accredited Program
During the AEE reaccreditation process a team of outdoor education/adventure therapy professionals spend three days in order to conduct an on-site review of programs. The team reviews policy and procedures as well as interviews staff and inspects facilities.
The outstanding team that reviewed our program included Jed Williamson, one of the authors of the original set of standards for adventure programs and former President of Sterling College as well as Dr. Michael Gass from the University of New Hampshire and the Outdoor Behavioral Health Research Cooperation and Leah McDonald, formerly the Youth Program Director from Rippleffect of Maine.
The Outdoor Behavioral Healthcare Council has 21 members and Summit (being one of the longest standing programs) is one of 15 that has met the standard of AEE/OBH accreditation. We are one of the first programs in the country to become accredited by AEE/OBH and the only one in the Northeast.
AEE/OBH accreditation adds to the many credentials we already have, including being a licensed by the State of Maine as residential treatment center with all licensed clinicians and a licensed non-traditional private school with a certified Special Educator on staff.
We are also a Research Designated Program awarded by the National Association of Therapeutic Schools and Programs.