What Moonridge Academy does

Moonridge Academy is a private residential mental health treatment center located in Cedar City, Utah, that serves a narrowly defined population: younger adolescents ages 11-14 (grades 6-9) struggling with depression, anxiety, trauma, attachment disorders, self-harm, suicidal ideation, school refusal, disordered eating, and gender dysphoria. The program is intentionally kept small, with capacity for 20-24 students who reside on campus for an average of approximately one year, allowing individualized clinical and academic attention. The company is a member of the CERTS Group family of programs and operates under Craig Rodabough, one of CERTS's owners.

The clinical model layers multiple therapeutic modalities — Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Brainspotting, Trauma-Sensitive Yoga, Sand Tray Therapy, Adventure Therapy, and Natural Lifemanship equine therapy — over a proprietary six-stage Personal Greatness Program that structures each student's progression from Safety & Orientation through Independence. Academic instruction is delivered through a Cognia-accredited program in classrooms of 3-6 students, with support for IEP and 504 plans. A family program (weekly family therapy, parent education webinars, monthly Family Days, four annual Parent Seminars, and pre-discharge home visits) is woven through the treatment arc. The campus includes a farmhouse residence, clinical and academic building, barn, riding arena, and outdoor recreation facilities.

The business model is residential subscription-style tuition funded through a combination of private pay and insurance reimbursement, with claims processed exclusively through Bridgeway Billing. Admissions are direct-to-family via phone (435-900-2115) and website inquiry, with campus tours and parent references supporting the conversion process. Revenue per student is not publicly disclosed. The operation is differentiated by age-specific positioning (younger teens vs. older-adolescent RTCs), small-census intimacy, outcome data collection via the Y-OQ since 2007, and a stacked credential profile (Joint Commission Gold Seal, Cognia, NATSAP research-based designation, Utah state licensing, CERTS and SUPA membership). The company appears stable and operating, with no disclosed funding rounds, acquisitions, or geographic expansion.

Name

Moonridge Academy

Legal name

Moonridge Academy

Website

https://moonridgeacademy.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Moonridge Academy is a private residential mental health treatment center in Cedar City, Utah, serving a small census of 20-24 students ages 11-14 with DBT, Brainspotting, equine therapy, adventure therapy, and a proprietary Personal Greatness Program.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Residential Mental Health Treatment

NAICS

Residential Mental Health and Substance Abuse Facilities (623220)

SIC

Services-Nursing & Personal Care Facilities (8050)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Emotional & Behavioral Disorders (EBD) / Therapeutic Day Schools (EDAKAAAC), School-Based Mental Health Therapy (Licensed Clinicians) (EDAKAMAD)

Keywords

• Residential treatment programs
• Youth mental health services
• Equine therapy programs
• Trauma-informed care
• Adolescent therapy programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Cedar City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Residential Treatment Program: Full-time residential mental health treatment for students ages 11-14. Includes room and board, therapy, academics, and all program activities. Revenue generated through private pay and insurance reimbursement. The program is also licensed as an Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) and Day Treatment (PHP), though all students room and board on campus.
2. Insurance Reimbursement: Moonridge Academy has an exclusive agreement with Bridgeway Billing for insurance billing services. Bridgeway automatically checks benefits, seeks authorization, and bills insurance companies on behalf of families. Clinical documentation is provided to support reimbursement claims. Clinicians conduct peer-to-peer reviews with insurance companies.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Moonridge Academy operates a residential mental health treatment program for younger adolescents ages 11-14 (grades 6-9) in Cedar City, Utah. The program combines clinical therapy (Adventure Therapy, Equine Therapy, Brainspotting, DBT, Sand Tray Therapy, Trauma-Sensitive Yoga) with academics and family involvement in an intimate 20-24 student campus setting. Average length of stay is approximately one year.

Product overview

Moonridge Academy operates a single, integrated residential treatment program for young teens ages 11-14. The core offering combines residential mental health treatment with Adventure Therapy, Equine Therapy, Trauma-Focused Care (including BrainSpotting and Trauma-Sensitive Yoga), and DBT skills training. The program is structured around the Personal Greatness Program with six developmental stages. Academic services are delivered through a Cognia-accredited educational program with small classroom instruction. Family involvement is woven throughout via weekly family therapy, parent education webinars, and parent seminars. All services are delivered in an intimate 20-24 student campus setting in Cedar City, Utah.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Residential Treatment Program Core residential mental health treatment program for young teens ages 11-14 (grades 6-9), providing 24-hour care, individual and group therapy, academics, and all program activities in a small intimate setting of 20-24 students. Licensed as an Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) and Day Treatment (PHP), though all students room and board on campus.
• Adventure Therapy Weekly Wednesday adventure experiences plus monthly 3-day adventure trips including camping, hiking, skiing, paddle boarding, and service projects. Therapists participate directly in activities to provide real-time therapeutic support and practice DBT skills in real-life situations.
• Equine Therapy On-site equine therapy program using horses for emotional growth and learning. Therapists are certified in Natural Lifemanship, focusing on developing relationships and partnerships with horses. Includes horsemanship instruction, barn chores, and trauma-focused therapy.
• Trauma-Focused Care Comprehensive trauma treatment program incorporating Brainspotting, Adventure Therapy, Trauma-Focused Equine Therapy, and Trauma-Sensitive Yoga to help teens process traumatic experiences. Brainspotting uses bilateral sounds and fixed eye positions to engage deep parts of the brain to release stored traumatic memories.
• Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) Evidence-based therapy modality teaching emotional regulation, distress tolerance, interpersonal effectiveness, and mindfulness skills, adapted for younger teens who process information differently than older adolescents.
• Personal Greatness Program Self-paced, stage-based self-discovery program with six stages (Safety & Orientation, Discovery, Acceptance, Practice and Commitment, Breakthrough, Independence). Each student progresses at their own pace with no predetermined time period, receiving extra attention from staff at their current stage.
• Academic Program Fully accredited educational program through Cognia offering traditional academics, fine arts curriculum, computer-aided instruction, and executive functioning skills training in small classrooms of 3-6 students. Supports IEP and 504 plans as well as gifted students.
• Family Involvement Program

Quantifiable outcome

• Students maintain improved outcomes at 5+ years post-graduation, scoring slightly above typical teen healthy range (48-51) but with dramatically decreased clinical struggles
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and major.

• Bridgeway BillingcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerExclusive agreement with Bridgeway Billing for insurance billing services. Bridgeway automatically checks benefits, seeks authorization, and bills insurance companies on behalf of families. This partnership helps families receive maximum insurance reimbursement, which Moonridge states is more likely when working with Bridgeway than attempting to navigate insurance independently.
• CERTS Group (Certified Education Recreational Treatment Schools)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMoonridge Academy is a proud member of the CERTS family of programs. CERTS, founded in 2001, is committed to providing the highest level of treatment and education to teens in a loving and active environment. CERTS Group includes multiple residential treatment programs in Southern Utah.
• Southern Utah Program Alliance (SUPA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMoonridge is a member of SUPA, a group of 23+ therapeutic programs that have teamed up to make Southern Utah a premiere location for treatment. Members collaborate on projects and share best practices to better serve their populations.
• Natural LifemanshipcoreTechnology or IntegrationMoonridge Academy therapists are certified and trained in Natural Lifemanship, a type of trauma-focused equine therapy that emphasizes connection with horses. This is a specific therapeutic approach that the organization has adopted for its equine therapy program.
• NATSAP (National Association of Therapeutic Schools and Programs)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMoonridge is designated as a research-based program through NATSAP and actively participates in the NATSAP Outcome Research Project. The organization collects outcome data using the Youth Outcome Questionnaire (Y-OQ) since 2007 and contributes to national research on youth mental health treatment.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• New Haven Residential Treatment Center: Joint Commission accredited residential treatment center for adolescent girls in Utah, treating depression, anxiety, trauma, and self-harm with academic programming and family therapy - directly comparable patient acuity, demographic, and therapeutic stack.
• Trails Carolina: Wilderness therapy and residential program for pre-teens and teens in North Carolina; serves a similar age band and acuity, with comparable adventure/experiential therapy and family involvement components, though broader in age and geography.
• Evoke Therapy Programs: Residential and wilderness therapy programs in Southern Utah treating adolescents and young adults for trauma, depression, and substance use; overlaps in geography (SUPA region), adventure/experiential modalities, and clinical staff training pipelines.
• Sunrise Residential Treatment Center: Joint Commission accredited residential treatment program for adolescent girls in Utah serving ages 12-18 with individualized therapy, academics, and family work; directly comparable clinical, demographic, and regulatory profile to Moonridge.
• Discovery Ranch for Girls: Residential therapeutic program in Southern Utah for adolescent girls using equine therapy, adventure programming, and family systems work; similar population, similar modalities (DBT, equine, adventure), and overlaps in SUPA alliance and CERTS-adjacent ecosystem.
• Kolob Canyon - CERTS Group: Sibling program under the same CERTS Group parent (Certified Education Recreational Treatment Schools) in Southern Utah, serving a similar adolescent residential treatment population with overlapping therapeutic modalities and shared back-office resources like Bridgeway Billing. Most directly comparable on every dimension.
• RedCliff Ascent - CERTS Group: Wilderness therapy program within the CERTS Group that mirrors Moonridge's adventure therapy and Natural Lifemanship methodology; often functions as a step-down or feeder program, making it functionally a tier in the same continuum of care.
• Mountain Springs Preparatory Academy - CERTS Group: Another CERTS-affiliated residential treatment program; shares ownership, clinical philosophy, parent education model, and insurance billing infrastructure with Moonridge. Directors like Desiree Fryer have rotated across both, indicating operational parity.

Emerging players

• Pacific Quest: Outdoor therapeutic program in Hawaii using horticultural therapy, DBT, and somatic modalities for adolescents struggling with depression, anxiety, and trauma; comparable experiential/wilderness methodology but different geography and broader age range.
• Open Sky Wilderness Therapy: Wilderness therapy program in Utah/Colorado for adolescents and young adults focusing on emotional regulation, family systems, and experiential learning; shares DBT and adventure therapy foundations but emphasizes wilderness expedition over campus-based residential care.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/MoonridgeAcad
• Facebookfacebook.com/Moonridgeacademy
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/moonridge-academy

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 Moonridge Academy