RedCliff Ascent
RedCliff Ascent is a privately held wilderness therapy program founded in 1993 in Enterprise, Utah, serving families of U.S. adolescents ages 13-17 with mental health, behavioral, and substance-use challenges through a Continuous Flow Expedition model, licensed clinical therapy, and family therapy.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1993
- HeadquartersEnterprise, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What RedCliff Ascent does
RedCliff Ascent is a privately held, for-profit wilderness therapy program founded in 1993 and headquartered in Enterprise, Utah, serving families of adolescents ages 13-17 with mental health, behavioral, and emotional challenges. The company operates a single integrated wilderness therapy program built on a Continuous Flow Expedition model, in which teens enter the backcountry whenever admitted and remain through treatment completion, integrating primitive living skills, licensed clinical therapy, family therapy, and academic services. The program treats a broad range of conditions including anxiety, depression, ADHD, PTSD, OCD, ODD, substance use disorders, attachment issues, school refusal, and trauma, and is offered to families primarily across North America.
The company's clinical and methodological stack is anchored on three differentiated assets: (i) the Youth Outcome Questionnaire (Y-OQ), a proprietary assessment instrument developed by RedCliff Ascent to measure adolescent functioning across six domains; (ii) a Narrative Family Therapy Model adapted specifically for wilderness settings; and (iii) the Continuous Flow Expedition architecture, which the company contrasts with basecamp models used by most peers. Operational infrastructure is layered with regulatory and quality credentials, including Joint Commission Gold Seal of Approval, NATSAP Research-Designated Program status, OBH accreditation through AEE, Cognia school accreditation, and Utah state licensing. Clinical delivery is supported by an in-house team that includes Ph.D.-level clinicians, licensed therapists (LCSW, LMFT, LCMHC), two medical directors (Psychiatry and Primary Care), nursing staff, and field guides with Wilderness First Responder certification. A 16-Year Safety Report (2006-2022) covers 2,578 students, and a 2018 matched control study reportedly showed RedCliff Ascent nearly 3x more effective than treatment-as-usual, with parent-reported improvement of 87% at exit and 86% sustained at 12 months.
RedCliff Ascent generates revenue primarily through multi-month tuition contracts paid by families, supplemented by insurance reimbursement handled by a dedicated Insurance Reimbursement and Utilization Review staff. Pricing is not publicly disclosed. Distribution runs through an enterprise-style direct admissions motion: 24/7 phone access, a dedicated Director of Admissions and Outreach leading a multi-consultant team, and a free Y-OQ assessment as the top-of-funnel entry, with leads sourced from mental health professional referrals, educational consultants, healthcare providers, organic search, educational content marketing (including the Summit & Soul podcast and an educational article library), and parent/student testimonials. The company is owner/management-led; Steven DeMille, Ph.D., who began as a field guide in 2000 and progressed through clinical and research roles to become Executive Director, is the named operational leader. No parent company, outside equity investment, funding rounds, subsidiaries, or M&A activity are disclosed.
RedCliff Ascent firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- RedCliff Ascent
- Legal name
- RedCliff Ascent
- Website
- https://redcliffascent.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1993
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- RedCliff Ascent is a privately held wilderness therapy program founded in 1993 in Enterprise, Utah, serving families of U.S. adolescents ages 13-17 with mental health, behavioral, and substance-use challenges through a Continuous Flow Expedition model, licensed clinical therapy, and family therapy.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
RedCliff Ascent industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Wilderness Therapy Services
- NAICS
- Child and Youth Services (624110), Other Individual and Family Services (624190), RV (Recreational Vehicle) Parks and Recreational Camps (7212), Residential Mental Health and Substance Abuse Facilities (623220), Sports and Recreation Instruction (61162)
- SIC
- Hotels, Rooming Houses, Camps & Other Lodging Places (7000), Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Social Services (8300)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Adventure Therapy & Therapeutic Wilderness Programs (THAAAOAG)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Therapeutic & Behavioral Health School Programs (Day Treatment) (EDAJAEAE), Outdoor & Wilderness Education Schools (Field-Based Learning) (THAAAOAA), Substance Use Prevention & Student Assistance Programs (School-Based) (EDAKAMAJ)
Keywords
Where RedCliff Ascent is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Enterprise
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
RedCliff Ascent business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Wilderness Therapy Program Fees: RedCliff Ascent generates revenue through tuition fees for its wilderness therapy program for struggling teens ages 13-17. The program includes therapeutic treatment, room and board in wilderness settings, clinical services, medical oversight, academic components, and family therapy. Insurance reimbursement support is provided through dedicated staff.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Standard wilderness therapy program for teens ages 13-17 |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels7 records
RedCliff Ascent product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Evidence-based wilderness therapy program for struggling teens ages 13-17 located in southern Utah, combining licensed clinical therapy with continuous-flow backcountry expeditions, primitive living skills, experiential activities, and narrative-based family therapy. The program treats mental, emotional, behavioral, and substance use disorders in a residential outdoor setting and integrates on-trail academics.
Product overview
RedCliff Ascent operates as a single, unified wilderness therapy program for adolescents ages 13-17 struggling with mental, emotional, and behavioral challenges. The program is built around an evidence-based wilderness therapy model that combines Extended backcountry expeditions, Experiential therapy, Healthy relationships, and Family therapy as core components. The primary offering is the wilderness therapy program itself, supplemented by integrated family therapy services, academic support, and the Summit & Soul mental health podcast as content resources. All services use the proprietary Youth Outcome Questionnaire (Y-OQ) assessment for intake and progress monitoring.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Summit & Soul: A podcast about elevating teen mental health through wilderness therapy
Products and services
- Wilderness Therapy Program An evidence-based residential wilderness therapy program for struggling teens ages 13-17, combining licensed clinical therapy with continuous-flow backcountry expeditions, primitive living skills, and adventure activities to disrupt unhealthy behavioral patterns. Includes medical oversight, therapeutic treatment, and academic support.
- Family Therapy Program A Narrative Family Therapy model specifically developed for wilderness therapy settings, helping families unpack their family story safely through weekly therapy sessions conducted via writing assignments and activities even when physically separated. Founded in Systems Theory and designed for parents and teens to feel heard and validated.
Quantifiable outcome
- 87% of parents reported improvement in child's problems upon program completion
- +6 more outcomes
Companies that use RedCliff Ascent
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
RedCliff Ascent technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
RedCliff Ascent partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Outdoor Behavioral Healthcare (OBH) CouncilcoreFounding member of the OBH Council, an organization designed to set forth guidelines for best practices, research, and accreditation for wilderness therapy programs. RedCliff Ascent helped establish industry standards through this organization.
- OBH Research Cooperative (OBHRC)coreFounding member of the research cooperative that conducts and shares wilderness therapy research, including safety monitoring and outcome studies.
- The Joint CommissioncoreAccreditation organization ensuring RedCliff Ascent adheres to highest quality of clinical and medical practices. One of only a few wilderness therapy programs with this accreditation.
- National Association of Therapeutic Schools and Programs (NATSAP)coreFull member and Research-Designated Program through NATSAP, which ensures regulation of programs serving children and adolescents and promotes evidence-based practices.
- Association of Experiential Education (AEE)coreOBH accreditation through AEE which regulates wilderness therapy practices. Demonstrates commitment to quality, safety, professional standards, and ongoing improvement.
- University of New HampshireminorUniversity research partner conducting wilderness therapy effectiveness studies. UNH received nearly $3 million to research effectiveness of wilderness therapy and continues to conduct research into OBH as treatment for teens with emotional, behavioral, and relational disabilities.
- Choose Mental HealthminorFounding member of Choose Mental Health, an organization guiding families with questions about mental health.
Scale indicators10 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
RedCliff Ascent competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- SUWS of the Carolinas: One of the original wilderness therapy programs for adolescents, operating a continuous-flow expedition model similar to RedCliff Ascent's. Directly comparable on target population (struggling teens), therapeutic approach, and wilderness expedition delivery model.
- Second Nature Wilderness Programs: Wilderness therapy program in Utah for adolescents ages 13-17 and young adults. Directly overlaps with RedCliff's Utah base, age range, and wilderness therapy modality.
- Evoke Therapy Programs: Wilderness and residential therapy program in Utah for adolescents, young adults, and families. Shares RedCliff's Utah location, adolescent focus, and integrated family therapy component.
- Aspiro Adventure: Wilderness adventure program for struggling teens and young adults operating in Utah. Shares RedCliff's geographic base, teen mental health focus, and expedition-based therapeutic delivery, making it one of the closest direct competitors.
- Trails Carolina: Wilderness therapy program for pre-teens, teens, and young adults in North Carolina combining wilderness expeditions with clinical therapy. Directly comparable on expedition model, family therapy integration, and adolescent mental health focus.
- Open Sky Wilderness Therapy: Outdoor behavioral healthcare program for adolescents and young adults in Utah and Arizona. Comparable on wilderness expedition model, adolescent mental health treatment, and family systems approach.
- Summit Achievement: Long-running wilderness therapy program in Maine for teens and young adults. Comparable on expedition-based wilderness model, teen mental health focus, and family therapy integration, though serving a different geography.
- Pacific Quest: Outdoor behavioral healthcare program for adolescents and young adults in Hawaii offering wilderness and garden-based therapeutic experiences. Comparable on nature-based therapeutic model and adolescent mental health focus.
- BlueFire Wilderness: Wilderness therapy program for teens ages 11-17 using adventure-based therapy in Idaho. Comparable on core wilderness therapy modality, teen mental health focus, and family systems approach, though serving a slightly wider age band.
Broad incumbents
- Newport Academy: Larger, multi-site residential and outpatient mental health provider for teens and young adults. While not wilderness-based, it competes for the same family-paid mental health admissions and is explicitly named as prior employer of RedCliff's Director of Utilization Review.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
RedCliff Ascent social profiles
Digital presenceRedCliff Ascent compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance6 records
RedCliff Ascent financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
RedCliff Ascent leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles10 records
RedCliff Ascent funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
RedCliff Ascent M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about RedCliff Ascent
What does RedCliff Ascent do?
Evidence-based wilderness therapy program for struggling teens ages 13-17 located in southern Utah, combining licensed clinical therapy with continuous-flow backcountry expeditions, primitive living skills, experiential activities, and narrative-based family therapy. The program treats mental, emotional, behavioral, and substance use disorders in a residential outdoor setting and integrates on-trail academics.
Is RedCliff Ascent a public or private company?
RedCliff Ascent is a private company. It is classified as management employee owned and is currently operating.
When was RedCliff Ascent founded?
RedCliff Ascent was founded in 1993. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is RedCliff Ascent based?
RedCliff Ascent is headquartered in Enterprise, United States, in the North America region.
How does RedCliff Ascent make money?
One revenue line is on record: wilderness Therapy Program Fees.
Who are RedCliff Ascent's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are SUWS of the Carolinas, Second Nature Wilderness Programs, Evoke Therapy Programs, Aspiro Adventure, Trails Carolina, Open Sky Wilderness Therapy, Summit Achievement, Pacific Quest and BlueFire Wilderness. Newport Academy is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does RedCliff Ascent have an API?
No public API is recorded for RedCliff Ascent.
What industry is RedCliff Ascent in?
RedCliff Ascent's product category is Wilderness Therapy Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAAAOAG, Adventure Therapy & Therapeutic Wilderness Programs, with a secondary code of EDAJAEAE, Therapeutic & Behavioral Health School Programs (Day Treatment). Its NAICS code is 624110 and its SIC code is 7000.