CERTS Group

Name

CERTS Group

Legal name

CERTS Group

Website

https://certsgroup.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

CERTS Group operates four Joint Commission-accredited residential treatment programs in Utah — Kolob Canyon, Moonridge Academy, La Europa Academy, and Mountain Springs Preparatory Academy — delivering integrated DBT, EMDR, Brainspotting, experiential therapies, and Cognia-accredited academics to U.S. and international adolescents ages 11-17 on an out-of-network tuition model, with foundation-backed tuition assistance.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Adolescent Residential Mental Health Treatment

NAICS

Educational Services (611), Child and Youth Services (62411), Other Individual and Family Services (624190)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Therapeutic/Behavioral & Residential Treatment K–12 Schools (EDAJABAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

School-Based Mental Health Therapy (Licensed Clinicians) (EDAKAMAD), Recreation Therapy, Stress Management & Mindfulness Programs (EDALAFAO)

Keywords

• Residential treatment programs
• Adolescent mental health
• Therapeutic boarding schools
• Youth residential care
• Teen therapy programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Alpine

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Residential Treatment Tuition (Out-of-Network): Primary revenue stream. CERTS Group charges a posted daily rate for residential treatment; CERTS Programs are not an in-network provider on any insurance, so most insurance companies reimburse at an out-of-network percentage of the daily rate. Insurance authorizations (when granted) are typically 3-7 day increments subject to utilization review. CERTS works with a third-party insurance billing company for authorizations, utilization reviews, billing, and appeals. Once insurers stop authorizing the daily rate, they may still pay for individual/family/group therapy sessions.
2. Foundation-Funded Financial Assistance (Internal Subsidy): The CERTSGroup Foundation is a 501(c)3 endowment fund whose portfolio distributes 100% of annual interest income as financial assistance to families enrolled in CERTS programs who run out of financial resources before graduation, occasionally providing assistance from the outset of treatment. This effectively subsidizes tuition and is funded by donations (Givebutter) and internal contributions from the CERTS Schools and programs (which cover all foundation expenses, not donation principal).
3. Charitable Donations: Donations accepted via Givebutter to the CERTSGroup Foundation (501(c)3). Donations are typically tax-deductible; employer matching is supported; donors may restrict gifts to a specific program.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

CERTS Group provides 24/7 clinically intensive residential mental-health treatment programs for adolescents aged 11-17 across four Utah-based sub-programs (Kolob Canyon, Moonridge Academy, La Europa Academy, Mountain Springs Preparatory Academy), combining evidence-based talk therapies (DBT, EMDR, Brainspotting, CBT, RO-DBT) with experiential therapies (equine-assisted psychotherapy, adventure therapy, art/music/dance therapy, sandtray, play) and Cognia-accredited individualized academics. Tuition is paid out-of-network via a third-party insurance billing vendor, and the affiliated CERTSGroup Foundation 501(c)(3) provides tuition assistance to enrolled families facing financial hardship.

Product overview

CERTS Group (Certified Educational, Recreational, Therapeutic Schools and Programs) is a platform of four specialized residential treatment sub-programs for adolescents, founded by Kent Tasso in 2001: Kolob Canyon (est. 2002, Southern Utah), Moonridge Academy (est. 2003, Southern Utah), La Europa Academy (est. 2004, Salt Lake City/Murray), and Mountain Springs Preparatory Academy (est. 2005, Southern Utah). Each sub-program delivers a tailored mix of evidence-based therapies (DBT, CBT, EMDR, Brainspotting) and experiential therapies (equine-assisted psychotherapy, adventure therapy, art/music/dance therapy, sand tray, play therapy) combined with Cognia-accredited academics, all under a Joint Commission-accredited umbrella. The portfolio is augmented by the CERTSGroup Foundation Endowment Fund (est. 2002), a 501(c)3 that provides tuition discounts and financial assistance to families who run out of resources before graduation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Kolob Canyon: Residential treatment center in New Harmony, Utah for teens ages 14-17, focused on adventure therapy, equine-assisted therapy, trauma-focused care, and individualized academics; established 2002.
• La Europa Academy
• Moonridge Academy
• Mountain Springs Preparatory Academy
• CERTSGroup Foundation

Products and services

• Kolob Canyon Residential Treatment Center Small (12-16 student) relationship-based residential treatment program for teens ages 14-17 emphasizing adventure therapy, equine-assisted psychotherapy, trauma-focused care, and individualized academics. Located in New Harmony, Utah. Delivered under CERTS Group's Joint Commission-accredited clinical model.
• La Europa Academy Residential treatment center for adolescents ages 14-17 navigating depression, anxiety, trauma, addictive behaviors, low self-esteem, and academic challenges, leveraging expressive and creative arts therapies (art, dance, music, fine arts, video art), neurofeedback, Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), and Radically Open DBT. Located in Murray, Utah. Cognia academic accreditation.
• Moonridge Academy Age-specific residential treatment program for younger adolescents ages 11-14 facing depression, anxiety, trauma, and attachment issues, using extensive experiential therapies (sand tray, play, art, equine-assisted, adventure therapy) and trauma-sensitive yoga, with a Cognia-accredited academic program blending traditional academics, fine arts, and computer-aided instruction. Located in Cedar City, Utah.
• Mountain Springs Preparatory Academy Therapeutic boarding school for adolescents in transition/step-down from higher levels of care, using a solution-focused MAPP (Master Academic and Personal Progress) plan, Cognia-accredited college-prep curriculum with 1:6 teacher-student ratio, community involvement, and experiential learning, including an annual International Trek. Located in Cedar City, Utah.

Quantifiable outcome

• 9-11 month average length of stay in CERTS residential programs
• +3 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• CogniacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCognia is the academic accreditation partner for La Europa Academy, Moonridge Academy, and Mountain Springs Preparatory Academy. The Cognia seal appears on the CERTS homepage alongside the Joint Commission, NATSAP, and S.E.V.I.S. badges, signaling that academic programs are fully accredited. Mountain Springs Preparatory Academy is "recognized by Cognia" for its college-prep curriculum with 1:6 teacher-student ratios. Moonridge Academy uses Cognia to deliver a top-tier fully accredited educational program blending traditional academics, fine arts, and computer-aided instruction.
• The Joint CommissioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Joint Commission is the healthcare accreditation body that has accredited all CERTS residential programs. CERTS references the Joint Commission's standards, safety solutions, and access to experts (safety officers, nurses, engineers, facility directors, infection prevention, architects) to maintain a safe care environment. Accreditation supports CMS/Medicare compliance, life safety assessments, and continuous healthcare improvement. CERTS describes the accreditation as critical to maintaining reputation as a trusted residential program.
• National Association of Therapeutic Schools and Programs (NATSAP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCERTS is a member of NATSAP and holds the NATSAP Research Designated Program designation, contributing to and citing the NATSAP outcomes report (2017-2023 Y-OQ data) on its blog. NATSAP is the trade association representing therapeutic schools and programs.
• U.S. Department of Homeland Security (S.E.V.I.S. / ICE Student and Exchange Visitor Program)coreOthersFederal authorization under U.S. law to enroll nonimmigrant alien students in CERTS residential facilities on a student visa. All CERTS residential treatment facilities are S.E.V.I.S. approved, enabling international student enrollment.
• i4 SolutionsminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partneri4 Solutions is credited as the website's web design and marketing vendor ("Web design and Marketing by i4 Solutions" appears in the site footer).
• GivebuttercoreTechnology or IntegrationGivebutter is the donation platform hosting the CERTSGroup Foundation fundraising page (givebutter.com/certsgroupfoundation). CERTS directs donors to Givebutter for online giving, and a Givebutter QR code appears on the foundation page. Supports employer matching and donor designation of a specific program.
• Third-Party Insurance Billing CompanycoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCERTS works with a third-party insurance billing company to provide insurance services including authorizations, utilization reviews, and billing for all authorized days to families' insurance carriers. The vendor also assists with appeals if a denial occurs. CERTS provides clinical records to the billing company for continuing authorization, utilization review, and claims submission.
• Utah State Office of Licensing (Department of Human Services)coreOthersRegulatory partner; all CERTS programs are licensed by the Utah State Office of Licensing. Specially trained State licensors inspect each residential mental health program four times per year (half unannounced) and investigate all reported critical incidents. CERTS programs follow Congregate Care Core and Categorical rules.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Sandstone Care: Adolescent and young adult substance use and mental health treatment with residential and outpatient levels of care. Comparable on multi-level adolescent continuum and evidence-based clinical programming.
• Red Oak Recovery: Adolescent and young adult residential treatment with an outdoor/experiential therapy emphasis. Comparable on age range, trauma focus, experiential modalities, and small-cohort clinical design.
• Pacific Quest: Hawaii-based outdoor behavioral health program for adolescents and young adults integrating nature-based therapy with clinical treatment. Comparable on outdoor experiential modality and adolescent clinical specialty.
• Evoke Therapy Programs: Utah-based residential and equine-assisted therapy programs for adolescents and young adults. Highly comparable to CERTS on modality (equine, experiential, wilderness), Utah footprint, and adolescent trauma specialty.
• Newport Academy: Multi-state residential and outpatient treatment for adolescents 12-18 with mental health, trauma, and substance use challenges. Comparable on age range, clinical acuity, joint commission-accredited residential model, and family-systems orientation.
• BlueFire Wilderness: Wilderness therapy program for adolescents 11-17 and young adults with mental health and behavioral challenges. Comparable on age band, experiential modality, and family-systems component.
• Open Sky Wilderness Therapy: Wilderness and outdoor-based therapy program for adolescents and young adults. Comparable on experiential/adventure therapy modality and adolescent mental health positioning, with NATSAP membership overlap.
• Center for Discovery: Residential treatment for adolescents and adults with eating disorders, mental health, and substance use. Comparable on evidence-based residential programming, Joint Commission accreditation, and joint-academic clinical model.

Broad incumbents

• Acadia Healthcare: Public, large-scale behavioral healthcare operator with adolescent and adult psychiatric residential and acute services. Comparable as a broad incumbent in adolescent behavioral health but at vastly larger scale and with hospital-based service lines CERTS does not operate.
• Discovery Behavioral Health: Large multi-brand parent company operating a portfolio of adolescent and adult residential and outpatient behavioral health programs. Comparable as a broader incumbent in the residential youth treatment category, though operating at greater scale and broader clinical scope than CERTS.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about CERTS Group