Elevations RTC
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Residential treatment center |
| Founded | 1994 |
| Founder | W. Dean Belnap, MD; Lorin Broadbent, DSW; Jared Balmer, PhD; W. Kimball DeLaMare, LCSW |
| Headquarters | Syracuse , United States |
Area served | Adolescents aged 13 to 18 |
Key people | Tim Dupell (former CEO until 2017) |
| Products | Residential treatment programs, transitional living program "The Approach" |
| Parent | Syracuse RTC, LLC |
Elevations RTC is a residential treatment center located in Syracuse, Utah, dedicated to serving adolescents aged 13 to 18. Originally operating under the name Island View Residential Treatment Center, the facility underwent rebranding in 2014 following its acquisition by Syracuse RTC, LLC, and now functions as Elevations RTC. The site is co-located with Seven Stars and ViewPoint Center.
Syracuse facility
Established in 1994, the Syracuse site began as Island View Residential Treatment Center. It was founded by W. Dean Belnap, MD, Lorin Broadbent, DSW, Jared Balmer, PhD, and W. Kimball DeLaMare, LCSW, all of whom had prior involvement with comparable treatment programs.
In 2004, Aspen Education Group took ownership of Island View. Subsequently, CRC Health Group—under Bain Capital's ownership—acquired Aspen Education for $300 million in 2006. Both Aspen and CRC Health Group managed the Syracuse campus up until 2014.
Acquisition and rebranding
Island View was purchased by Syracuse RTC, LLC in April 2014, which then rebranded the center as Elevations RTC while maintaining most of the existing staff.
Elevations promotes itself as a "residential treatment center serving students of all genders," with a particular focus on transgender and gender non-conforming youth due to limited options accepting these populations. The facility has faced allegations suggesting it operates effectively as a conversion therapy provider.
The center holds membership with the National Association for Therapeutic Schools and Programs (NATSAP).
Moreover, Elevations provides a co-educational transitional living program named The Approach for young people aged 15 to 19 who have completed its primary therapeutic services.
Collaboration with Family Help & Wellness
Elevations collaborates with Family Help & Wellness, which delivers management, financial oversight, and marketing assistance to the ownership group.
Family Help & Wellness is owned by Trinity Hunt Partners, a private equity firm that initially invested in 2014. The organization expanded by acquiring shuttered facilities previously run by other troubled teen program operators.
Tim Dupell, founder of Family Help & Wellness and former EVP and CFO at Aspen Education (1999–2004), served as CEO until 2017.
Program details
The therapeutic program at Elevations encompasses individual, family, and group therapy, complemented by an accredited academic curriculum through Cognia, with most courses fulfilling college admission standards. The program features a five-tier level system granting progressively increased privileges at higher tiers.
The initial tier, known as the Orientation Phase or "Community Break," is assigned following rule infractions or major disturbances. During Community Break, students experience restricted communication and may be required to sleep in hallways for prolonged durations alongside additional disciplinary measures.
To manage overstimulation, Elevations employs a de-escalation or time-out room; staff may also apply physical restraints when deemed necessary. Phone access is limited; however, students are allowed to send letters to their families.
Monthly tuition averages around $16,000, with typical stays lasting eight to ten months though many remain longer. Insurance providers frequently deny coverage for extended stays citing insufficient medical necessity.
Parents receive advice on common appeals from adolescents seeking early discharge—such as claims of feeling unsafe or mistreated—which Elevations typically characterizes as exaggerations or falsehoods designed to help parents avoid "parenting traps."
The therapeutic approach at Elevations largely continues the methods utilized at Island View RTC. In response to abuse allegations, parent company Family Help & Wellness has affirmed that their treatments comply fully with state regulations and accreditation requirements.
Claims of Abuse and Mistreatment
Individuals who previously lived at Island View and Elevations have reported experiencing physical, sexual, or emotional abuse at the Syracuse location. They describe being tormented by staff members, which resulted in further psychological harm. Some ex-residents have stated that sedative medications were used to manage noncompliant behavior.
In 2024, a former resident initiated legal action against Elevations RTC and a therapist, accusing the facility of forcibly removing him from Washington D.C. at age 15, unlawfully detaining him despite his mother's objections, and subjecting him to neglect and mistreatment.
The Utah Department of Human Services conducted an inquiry into a 2020 event where a student was injured during a staff restraint procedure; the involved employee was dismissed, and the incident was reported to Child Protective Services. Additionally, in 2014, the department recorded allegations involving excessive restraint use and derogatory treatment by personnel.
Around the period when Island View transitioned to Elevations RTC, several lawsuits emerged, including a prominent case linked to Dr. Phil. This suit claimed that a teenage girl sustained a broken arm and nerve damage during an episode after Dr. Phil facilitated her placement at the facility following her 2013 television appearance; these legal actions were ultimately dismissed.
In 2012, numerous former residents accused the facility of providing insufficient medical attention and imposing severe measures such as solitary confinement.
The 2007 escape of 15-year-old Emily Graeber attracted nationwide media coverage. After remaining hidden for 18 days following an attempted escape, she faced punishment involving 58 days of isolation with sensory deprivation. Her advocacy has played a key role in bringing attention to alleged abuses at Island View, Elevations, and within the broader troubled teen sector.
In 2004, a 16-year-old resident died by suicide while at Island View; the facility was subsequently mandated to develop a corrective action plan after staff failed to resuscitate him.
A $135 million lawsuit was filed in 2002 by a former resident against her father, partly due to his decision to place her at Island View where she claims to have experienced trauma.
Between 2005 and 2020, local law enforcement responded to 219 emergency calls at the facility related to abuse allegations, sexual offenses, or suicide attempts. Of these calls, roughly 88% required only on-site assessments, while approximately 6% led to arrests.
Advocacy
Former resident of Island View and Elevations Misha Osherovich took part in a demonstration organized by Paris Hilton protesting alleged mistreatment at Provo Canyon School and comparable programs for vulnerable youth. Osherovich publicly recounted their experiences at Island View in an interview with the Salt Lake Tribune, drawing parallels between the facility’s methods and conversion therapy. The American Bar Association, together with Osherovich, Hilton, Oregon State Senator Sara Gelser, and others, investigated how young people are directed into correctional-style "behavior modification" centers masquerading as therapeutic environments.
In 2023, survivor Kayla Muzquiz collaborated with Senator Jeff Merkley, Senator John Cornyn, Representatives Ro Khanna and Buddy Carter, Paris Hilton, Jessica Jackson, and fellow abuse survivors to propose the Stop Institutional Child Abuse Act. During this legislative campaign, Muzquiz openly shared her traumatic experiences endured at Island View.
Program origins
Island View was established by Jared Balmer, Kimball Delamare, Lorin Broadbent, and W. Dean Belnap. Subsequently, Balmer expanded the facility and inaugurated the Aspen Institute for Behavioral Assessment, which is currently known as the Viewpoint Center. Additionally, Balmer, Delamare, and Broadbent were responsible for founding the Oakley School, a therapeutic boarding institution that began operations in 1998 but has since closed. Both Delamare and Balmer played key roles in founding the National Association for Therapeutic Schools and Programs (NATSAP), with Delamare serving as the organization's inaugural president.
Prior to his involvement with Island View, Kimball Delamare managed KIDS of Salt Lake, a program derived from Straight Inc., which underwent regulatory scrutiny and eventually had its license revoked. Delamare also oversaw Rivendell Psychiatric Hospital, co-founded by Balmer, an institution that faced various accusations including those raised by former resident and journalist Lyn Duff.