Operational Maturity

RedCliff Ascent wilderness therapy was founded in 1993. The company was created by brothers Scott and Steve Petersen and their partners, Dane Kay, Jim Salisbury, and Steve Nadauld. This management group has been together for more than 20 years and is still providing “hands on” leadership RedCliff’s day to day activities.

In 2001, the group formed Medicine Wheel to address the therapeutic needs of RedCliff students who turned 18 prior to completing their wilderness therapy program. Their therapeutic and operational experience, combined with a new curriculum designed for young adults, resulted in a program that is effective, respected, and stable.

In almost two decades Medicine Wheel and RedCliff Ascent have impacted the lives of over 4000 young adults, troubled teens and their families. Parents and educational counselors do not need to worry about the program dissolving due to financial or operational instability. We have proven we have the stability to last.

The strength of our program lies not only in our years of experience but in the character, integrity and longevity of the people who lead it. Most of the members of our administrative team have been recruited and promoted from within our company. This method of promotion allows us tremendous organizational stability, operational safety, and programmatic continuity.
Dr. Dan Sanderson has more than 13 years of wilderness therapy field counseling, making him one of the most experienced wilderness clinicians in the industry.

Our on-site administrative team has an average of 12 years experience with our organization. It is almost unheard of for one group of administrators with this much experience to remain together at the same program. They are one of the most veteran wilderness therapy management teams in the industry. They provide experience, stability and leadership.
We belong to the National Association of Therapeutic Schools and Programs (NATSAP) and the Outdoor Behavioral Healthcare Industry Council (OBHIC).  These wilderness therapy industry associations afford us the opportunity of peer review and objective research.

With proven therapeutic and operational systems in place, we devote energy and resources on innovative program refinements. These improvements enable us to decrease a client’s length of stay and ease the financial burden on families, while still providing an effective therapeutic experience.

Please explore our website or call an admissions counselor at (800) 898-1244 for additional information about how Medicine Wheel at RedCliff can help.