"At West Ridge Academy, we truly make a difference in the lives of the students and families we work with, every day. Our Therapists, Teachers, Youth Mentors, and administrative team truly care and believe in the mission of hope and healing."
— Tammy Harter | Human Resource Director
"It’s amazing to be a part of a team that continues improving our program to offer hope and healing to the families that walk through our door. The staff here are incredible! I enjoy working with a team that is so open to change. Our team supports one another and our students day in and day out. I love every single student that we come in contact with. These students’ come to us from different walks of life and to be a part of their journey toward healing and watching the hope in their eyes brighten is the most rewarding thing to be a part of."
— Charnele Fonua | Campus Supervisor
"I enjoy working with the staff and especially the youth. Each one is uniquely different and yet are all on similar journeys of learning, growth, discovery, and recovery. The DBT skills the kids learn through therapy, along with life coping skills like art and music have helped so many kids.
— Tom Hewitson | Art / Music
"Since I’ve been with West Ridge Academy and reading all of our client overviews, I see a lot of trending issues—adoption, single parent, drug and alcohol abuse, etc. But, a lot is from adoption and abandonment feelings due to a parent leaving. I want you to know that I was adopted at 3 days old into a loving and wonderful LDS family. I found out at the age of 12 that both my older brother (no blood relation), and I were adopted and my 3 younger siblings are my adoptive parents blood related children. Please know that THEY ARE MY PARENTS! No questions asked. I love them dearly and I’m so grateful that I have them.
At a young age finding out my parents weren’t my “bio family” really affected me negatively. I struggled throughout my life. I struggled with the sense of being, abandonment, self-image and self-worth. I dealt with depression, anxiety—you name it, I had it. My parents tried everything to help me. Nothing worked. At the age of 18, I started seeing a boy who introduced me to alcohol. I was done for! It was everything that I ever needed and wanted! It numbed me from the inside out. I felt free! I felt calm and comfortable in my own skin for the first time since finding out I wasn’t my parent’s child. Alcohol gave me a sense of acceptance. Crazy as that sounds.
I was in and out of relationships with guys who treated me like crap! Meanwhile, my extraordinarily wonderful parents tried everything they could to help me. But, I never felt like I belonged. From the age of 20-37 I had found my husband with whom I married after knowing him after a month, had a baby 10 months later and I had to figure life out. We struggled and had 4 more kids. I still suffered from alcohol addiction and the pain of not knowing what my life would be like biologically if my bio family kept me? Why didn’t they keep me?
I found out my story at the age of 38. With Search angles on Facebook, DNA, Ancestry.com, and oh my goodness! It should have been a lifetime story. It flipped my already insane and unstable life upside down! Something that I dreamt about and desired more than anything, caused me more pain than I knew how to handle as an adult.
I send you this in hopes that maybe I can help someone else. If you knew that there is someone that can relate to a lot of the kids there, maybe I can help. Idk. I felt compelled to share parts of my story.
—Staff Testimonial