NorthStar Center

NorthStar Center

Company type	Private
Industry	Therapeutic services, Addiction treatment, Education
Founded	1991 (1991)
Founder	Dennis Crowell, Jeannie Crowell
Defunct	August 2011 (2011-08)
Fate	Closed due to organizational restructuring
Headquarters	Bend , United States
Area served	Young adults aged 17 to 24
Key people	Dennis Crowell (founder)
Products	Therapeutic transition and relapse prevention programs, educational services
Number of employees	40
Parent	Aspen Education Group

NorthStar Center served as a therapeutic transition and relapse prevention facility located in Bend, Oregon. Owned by Aspen Education Group, it catered to young adults aged 17 to 24, specializing in treatment for substance abuse and addiction. In August 2011, Aspen declared the program would cease operations due to organizational restructuring.

The therapeutic framework at NorthStar was grounded in dialectical behavioral therapy, a method created by Marsha M. Linehan, which emphasized mindfulness, emotion regulation, interpersonal effectiveness, and distress tolerance skills. The program also integrated other methodologies such as the transtheoretical model of change, motivational interviewing, and participation in 12-step groups including Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous.

From an educational standpoint, NorthStar provided opportunities for high school completion, college preparatory classes, and college-level coursework. Students had the option to enroll at the nearby Central Oregon Community College.

Established in 1991 by Dennis and Jeannie Crowell—Dennis having formerly directed Mount Bachelor Academy—NorthStar functioned as an independent entity until its acquisition by Aspen Education Group in 1998. At the time the closure was announced, the center employed approximately 40 personnel.

NorthStar, along with Aspen’s Passages to Recovery wilderness therapy program, gained exposure through a July 2006 episode of A&E’s Intervention.