Swan Valley Youth Academy closes its doors

Cornerstone Programs Corporation of Denver, Colo., the parent corporation of Swan Valley Youth Academy, recently announced closure of the residential treatment center program it has operated for over six years near Swan Lake.

The decision was made after the State of Montana, Department of Health and Human Services, concluded their investigation into licensing violations at the facility, and accepted Cornerstone's corrective action plan. According to Joe Newman, COO of Cornerstone, the decision to close the Swan Valley program was not an easy decision, nor one lightly made.

"We worked diligently with the state during their investigation, and made appropriate changes. In the end, the licensing bureau accepted all the changes we made, and they were willing to let us move ahead with our treatment program. Unfortunately, the number of youth being referred to the program during the investigation declined dramatically, and in the end it became an insurmountable financial obstacle to continue operations."

Cornerstone is considering future options within the State of Montana, and will be exploring the feasibility of opening another youth treatment program, perhaps at the same site, in the near future. Newman added, "We provided effective treatment for nearly 200 youth from across Montana and other jurisdictions during our six years of operations, and most of those youth are today healthy and responsible young men. We have appreciated the tremendous support we have received from probation officers, case managers, judges, and other referral sources. The need for effective residential treatment continues to be paramount within Montana's youth correctional system. We believe we can continue to be a major player in providing effective treatment services in Montana, and will be exploring our options in the coming months."

Swan Valley Youth Academy's last day of operations was Feb. 23. At the time of closing, the program employed 23 staff.