Mountain Springs Preparatory Academy

What Mountain Springs Preparatory Academy does

Mountain Springs Preparatory Academy (MSPA), founded in 2004 and headquartered on a 5.4-acre campus at 1454 South Campus Drive in Cedar City, Utah, is a private therapeutic boarding school specializing in transition and step-down care for adolescents ages 14-19 moving from higher levels of care (residential treatment, therapeutic boarding schools, wilderness programs) into the next stage of life. The school is owned by the CERTS Group and operates 33 employees under a stable leadership team led by Executive Director Jon Larsen (since 2005). Its core program combines a solution-focused therapeutic model with traditional college-prep academics delivered through a 1:6 teacher-to-student ratio, with each student receiving an individualized MAPP (Master Academic and Personal Progress) Plan built collaboratively with parents, therapists, advisors, and faculty. Notable product components include the Bridge to Independence Program (16 dedicated beds for 17+ seniors practicing adult living), the Y-OQ validated outcome measurement system used since 2007, the Knowledge Treks experiential learning program, and an Aftercare Services offering delivered through third-party coaching partners.

Revenue mechanics rely on a daily-rate tuition model with a stated minimum six-month stay and an average length of stay of 8-12 months (range up to 3 years), supplemented by a one-time enrollment fee, optional non-refundable trek fees, and ancillary parent/life coaching revenue routed through external partners. Tuition amounts are not publicly disclosed and are quoted on inquiry through Admissions Director Shawnale Wilson. The customer base is composed of individual families seeking step-down treatment — Mountain Springs does not serve enterprise contracts — and demand is generated primarily through referral pipelines from residential treatment centers, therapists, and educational consultants, supported by content marketing (website, downloadable resources), parent webinars hosted by parent company CERTS, and campus tours (in-person and virtual). Distribution is domestic U.S. with SEVIS authorization enabling F-1 international student enrollment. Academic instruction holds Cognia accreditation, enabling transferable credit and college pathway articulation through a concurrent enrollment partnership with Southern Utah University.

Name

Mountain Springs Preparatory Academy

Legal name

Mountain Springs Preparatory Academy

Website

https://mountainspringsprep.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Mountain Springs Preparatory Academy is a private therapeutic boarding school in Cedar City, Utah, serving adolescents ages 14-19 transitioning from residential treatment or wilderness programs into independent living through individualized academics, clinical support, and a Bridge to Independence program.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Therapeutic Boarding School

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Vocational Rehabilitation Services (6243)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Youth-to-Adult Bridge & College Readiness (Noncredit) (EDAAAEAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

College & Career Transition Services (Bridge Programs, Dual Enrollment Pathways) (EDAAABAK), Post-Secondary Transition Planning & Coordination (EDAKANAA), Vocational Evaluation & Career Assessment (Transition-Age) (EDAKANAC)

Keywords

• Therapeutic boarding school
• Residential treatment services
• Step-down transition program
• College preparatory academics
• Adolescent mental health

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, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Tuition - Boarding School: Daily rate tuition covering room and board, educational costs, MAPP Plan services, and Personal Greatness Program. Average length of stay 8-12 months with minimum 6 months. Stays can range from 6 months to 3 years. Additional costs include therapy (contracted out), psychiatric services, medications, travel, and optional international trek.
2. Enrollment Fee: One-time upfront enrollment fee due at time of admission.
3. Parent/Life Coaching (Third-Party): Parent and life coaching services provided by external coaches. Parents pay coaches directly for these services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Mountain Springs Preparatory Academy (MSPA) is a therapeutic boarding school that specializes in transition, step-down, and practice programs for adolescents (typically ages 14-19) stepping down from higher levels of care such as residential treatment, therapeutic boarding schools, or wilderness programs. The school delivers accredited college-prep academics (Cognia), solution-focused therapy coordination, individualized goal-setting through the MAPP Plan, residential living, and experiential learning via Education Treks and the Bridge to Independence Program.

Product overview

Mountain Springs Preparatory Academy operates as a single unified therapeutic boarding school program rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture. The core program integrates residential care, accredited academics (Cognia), therapy coordination, and experiential learning through three key components: the MAPP Plan (individualized goal-setting system), the Bridge to Independence Program (advanced independent living housing), and Knowledge Treks (domestic and international travel education). Aftercare services and personal guidance systems provide wraparound support. Students receive academic instruction (college prep, SAT/ACT prep), therapeutic services through community therapists, and life skills development in a co-ed environment designed for step-down from higher levels of care.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Mountain Springs Preparatory Academy Core Program
• Bridge to Independence Program
• Knowledge Treks / Education Treks
• Aftercare Services and Parent Coaching

Quantifiable outcome

• Average teacher-to-student ratio of 1:6
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Southern Utah University (SUU)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSouthern Utah University provides concurrent enrollment opportunities allowing Mountain Springs students to take college-level classes and earn both high school and college credit. Students also have access to SUU athletic facilities, gym, indoor track, and climbing wall. SUU is nearby the campus and provides a college experience pathway for students.
• Southwest TechcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSouthwest Tech provides vocational training opportunities for Mountain Springs students who can enroll to receive hands-on training in skills or fields of choice as part of their education and career preparation.
• Community Therapy NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork of vetted, highly qualified therapists with extensive experience in adolescent residential treatment and wilderness therapy. Many have served as clinical or executive directors at renowned programs. Students select their own therapist from this network for individualized therapy sessions (paid separately by parents).
• Lighthouse Family CoachingminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerParent and life coaching services provided by certified professionals. Austin Davenport, LPC, provides aftercare and parent coaching with expertise in complex family systems, DBT, Equine Therapy, Brain Spotting, and Complex Trauma Treatment.
• Solutions Parenting SupportminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerTeam of clinicians and strategic coaches with long tenure as wilderness and therapeutic boarding school therapists. Offers individual parent coaching packages for preventative support, treatment support, and transition home, plus young person coaching for ages 11-28.
• Speaking of TeensminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerParent support services including podcasts, free guides, Facebook group, and Parent Camp. Helps parents change dynamics at home and improve relationships with teens while decreasing conflict.
• CERTS Group (Parent Company)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMountain Springs is part of the CERTS (Residential Treatment Services) Group, a family of therapeutic programs. CERTS provides organizational support, training, online webinars for parents, and connection to other CERTS programs. CEO Craig Rodabough is co-owner of CERTS.
• Retro FitnessminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal Cedar City fitness facility where Mountain Springs students have monthly passes to participate in fitness classes. Students can engage in physical activity as part of healthy living and wellness programming.
• Aquatic Center (Cedar City)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCity aquatic facility where students can swim as part of physical activity and recreation. Students have access to swimming facilities as part of the wellness programming.
• Cedar High SchoolminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLocal public high school where some Mountain Springs students attend part-time or full-time to take AP classes or subjects not offered in MSPA curriculum such as band or debate.
• Brian Head Ski ResortminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNearby ski resort where students ski and snowboard almost weekly throughout winter months as part of the physical activity and outdoor recreation program.
• Hopestream CommunityminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerNot-for-profit destination for support and educational services for parents of teens and young adults struggling with substance use and mental health challenges. Provides connection, workshops, podcast, retreats, and private online community for moms.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Newport Academy: Nationally scaled provider of residential treatment, outpatient, and therapeutic day schools for adolescents and young adults. Broader geographic footprint and broader service portfolio, but overlaps in mission and target demographic.
• Acadia Healthcare: Large publicly traded behavioral health operator with residential treatment and specialty education assets (e.g., Pioneer Behavioral Health). Operates at a different scale and broader portfolio, but addresses the same adolescent mental-health and behavioral-treatment demand that feeds Mountain Springs' pipeline.

Direct peers

• Elevations RTC: Utah-based residential treatment center for teens (ages 13-18) addressing behavioral, emotional, and substance issues with academic programming. Direct comparable on therapeutic residential model, geographic region, and admission demographics.
• Moonridge Academy: CERTS-affiliated therapeutic boarding school for adolescent girls transitioning from higher levels of care. Highly comparable therapeutic-boarding model, referral sources, and CERTS platform integration; differs in gender-specific programming.
• Sunrise RTC: Residential treatment center for adolescent girls ages 12-17 with academic, therapeutic, and experiential programming. Comparable in scope, population, and family-systems orientation.
• Asheville Academy: Therapeutic boarding school for girls ages 10-14 with emotional, behavioral, and academic challenges, with an integrated transition/step-down component. Comparable therapeutic-boarding curriculum, family-systems focus, and referral-driven admissions.
• SUWS of the Carolinas: Wilderness therapy program serving adolescents in transition, frequently cited as an upstream program that feeds step-down placements like Mountain Springs. Comparable therapeutic philosophy and population served, though delivery modality (wilderness vs. residential) differs.
• Trails Carolina: North Carolina-based wilderness therapy and transition program for preteens and adolescents, with an integrated transition component analogous to Mountain Springs' step-down model. Highly comparable in serving families exiting wilderness or treatment programs.
• Red Mountain Sedona: Therapeutic boarding program for adolescents with a transition focus from higher levels of care, mirroring Mountain Springs' step-down positioning. Comparable model combining residential support, academics, and individualized planning.
• Kolob Canyon RTC: Sister CERTS Group therapeutic residential program for adolescents with academic, behavioral, and substance abuse challenges. Direct overlap in mission, model, parent company, and admission pathways; serves a closely comparable step-down and residential treatment population.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mountain-springs-preparatory-academy

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles25 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 Mountain Springs Preparatory Academy