Newport Academy Virginia

There really are no words for how incredibly wonderful Newport was for my child. She went in with so many struggles and came out with a completely different attitude and coping skills to deal with the hard times. I was completely supported by the INCREDIBLE staff there the entire time. It truly was the best decision I ever made for my child. I wish I could give them 100 stars. I am forever grateful to Newport and the wonderful staff there. Thank you all <3

They were very good. They helped me when I was at my lowest. They worked together to distract me. I awoled a lot, people probably say I was supposed to go there but I did. They truly helped me. The therapists are also really good, and well trained. I really can’t call out just one person, because they all came together to support me.

I cannot speak more highly of Newport. I read negative reviews when considering sending my 12 year old. I was terrified. No parent wants to do this, let alone drop their kid out of state. It was a horrible decision but we decided to take the leap for fear that her life may be over if we didn’t. (Or that she would never move past the pain she was in, at best…) Our experience was wonderful. Newport treats the kids like they matter. The rooms are cozy and more home-like, which warmed my mama heart. This place is what I wish all crisis intervention places are like, but sadly are not. Children deserve better. Newport does it right. My child is better off for having been through the program. She came back with tools and a better outlook. We then got her in a therapeutic school and I’m happy to say she’s thriving! I’ll never say it isn’t a journey. She still struggles here and there. But we are light years beyond what we hoped for back then and I attribute quite a bit to the care she got at Newport. She would agree and that says something …

My 14-year old stayed at the Creekside site and had a very positive experience. The Newport Academy has created a curriculum from evidence-based therapies and interventions. All staff, including techs (who are with the teens all the time), are trained in CBT and/or DBT. They focus on navigating relationships in the moment, communication skills, and the family system, which other RTCs give lip service to. Kids cannot change on their own. The family system needs to change as well. Newport gave us valuable tools to support our teen. Our therapist was very experienced. The first couple of weeks are an adjustment for any teen and should not be used as a measure of any program. Most kids spend some period initially resisting treatment, acting out, testing boundaries, before they give up and get to work on themselves. Our therapist was very experienced working with insurance to obtain single-case agreements and advocating for continuations of care. Most insurance will not have these good RTCs in the network but will negotiate a daily rate for individual patients. The house was huge and beautiful with a movie room and fully supplied art room. Their school program allows kids to continue their education through Apex, a remote learning company many states will accept credits toward HS graduation. They have in-house tutors who supervise and assist and communicate with parents. We got a detailed weekly report on progress made. I highly recommend this program. I also recommend getting a comprehensive psychiatric evaluation for your teen if you have not yet done so. Without disclosing our own personal journey, I will just say I came to recognize many kids needing this level of care have an overlooked autism spectrum diagnosis, which is harder to see in girls. My teen is now happy, thriving and self-confident, but it took 18 months of hard work from my teen and us as parents to construct a school and home environment that allows her to thrive.

I was concerned when I read the reviews, and so glad I read them with a grain of salt. My daughter suffered from depression and related issues. It was a roller coaster ride of ups and downs before Newport Academy. Yes, she cried to come home, and made up stories to get me to bring her home. I did not cave, gave her talks to become invested in her care, and let the process work. My daughter came home in a much better mental state. She is now off medication, a freshman in college, and living a happy and productive life. I credit Newport Academy with getting her on the right track. I will forever be grateful.

My daughter came to Newport academy after several acute inpatient stays over the course of 9 months. She was also in an intensive outpatient DBT program and nothing was working. She was experiencing severe depression and mood instability. I believe the programming at Newport is exactly what she needed. They are in a comfortable house with other kids their age that are going through the same things. There is no social media and no pressures from the outside world. The therapists, care coordinators and nurses truly care about each patient. The schedule is full yet still allows for some downtime. They go on outings in the community on the weekends and have the opportunity for weekly equine therapy sessions. She was at Newport for 79 days and I can honestly say that now that she is home, she is a different child than when she first got there. It was so incredibly difficult to send her into someone else’s care, but ultimately that is what she needed and it’s so amazing to see the changes that she was able to make. Thank you to all the wonderful staff at Kentland. She misses you all so much!

I sent my daughter to Newport during a time when she was truly struggling and needed a step up in care. We were met with caring and compassionate staff that wanted to help guide her in a path of healing. They didn’t make it easy for her, she had to do the personal and hard work in order to feel better and be discharged. She ended up being there for a little over two months with step down care to PHP for another 3 months. Overall I am so thankful and pleased with the progress she has made and it wouldn’t have been possible without Newport and their amazing staff offering their support to her and our family.

I know the following may sound crazy to many people, so I’d like to start with a quick intro. I’ve worked in the mental health field for over 5 years - wilderness “therapy” with 72hr shifts, a youth shelter, group homes, and everybody’s favorite, long-term residential. Between the 4 of these, I’ve been attacked/spit on/bit more times than I care to admit, emotionally abused by management, and have put an embarrassing number of clients in holds. I took a year off after a work-related concussion, then, very hesitantly, decided to apply to Newport. I was offered the job and immediately began questioning everything and everybody. For the first 3 months I had my guard up, and head on a swivel; surely I was going to be hit. It’s been 2.5 years, and I’m happy to say I haven’t been hit once! For me, Newport (Virginia) has been a breath of fresh air, an opportunity to breathe, and has allowed me to slowly heal from my PTSD. Yes, it does have its flaws and drama, but it pales in comparison to most jobs in the field. Some of our clients are difficult to work with, but they’re making progress. Our clients go on outings, can go outside regularly, and are in a therapeutic environment that gives them (most of them) to show significant progress in a month or 2. When they’re done with their stay, we have a department that ensures they’re set up for success and continued therapy. While I understand my experience will not be everyone’s, I urge you to try it out.