FAQs

Gateway is distinguished by five core touchstones:

Therapy that is individualized. Gateway therapists have expertise in multiple therapeutic methodologies and techniques. Drawing from their broad knowledge base, they design thoughtful, sophisticated treatment plans to support each youth's unique strengths and needs.

Education that is personal. Gateway teaches to each youth—not just to a curriculum. Every youth is challenged and supported within their own ability as they learn to think critically, communicate effectively, and become a life-long learner.

Exploration that is therapeutic. Gateway’s activities safely challenge teens socially, emotionally, and physically. These opportunities are a therapeutic tool to help our youth push themselves, learn how to form healthy relationships, practice cooperation, and develop life skills.

Community that is empowering. Gateway’s small, home-like environments provide the nurturing young people need to thrive and the safety to practice positive relationships. Through staff mentoring, peer interactions, group activities, and volunteer service, teens learn self-advocacy, life skills, and self-confidence.

Fitness that is focused. Gateway's youth participate in targeted exercise and deliberate physical movement in therapy, school, and their community. When movement is focused and performed at specific times, it not only improves their physical health, it also prepares the youth to learn, sparks motivation, helps regulate emotions, and enhances self-esteem.

Families play a vital role in Gateway's treatment process. Parent and family contact and involvement is crucial to each young person's healing and growth at Gateway. Beginning the first week of your child's stay, you will have weekly virtual family therapy sessions with them and their therapist. They will also have weekly social phone calls with you. Gateway also encourages unlimited letter writing and faxing/e-mailing of letters. Additionally, Gateway has Parent Workshops every three months, where parents attend a four-day therapeutic experience along with their teen and other parents.

Gateway's treatment philosophy centers on optimizing our youths' growth and learning through exposure to the real world and community we live in. This is why our homes are located in more urban settings that provide access to cultural, recreational and social activities in our neighborhood. As our youth progress through our phase system, their ability to interact with the community around them increases. Some of our community-based opportunities include volunteer projects, social outings, movies, water parks, weekly use of local recreation centers, etc. All of our youth, new and veteran, are able to go off campus, to participate in our Outdoor Experiential program and to engage in community activities. 

LGBTQIA+ is an inclusive term that includes youth of all genders and sexualities, as well as individuals exploring their sexuality, gender identity, and gender expression.  At Gateway, we provide a safe and nurturing space for LGBTQIA+ youth and their families.  While Gateway's teens are assigned male at birth, we respect each youth's right to individually identify gender as male, female, or nonbinary.  Gateway recognizes and supports a youth's internal sense of gender, which may be different from their assigned sex at birth.  Gateway supports gender expression, such as a youth's behavior, clothing, hairstyle, activities, mannerisms, and body characteristics.

Gateway has a flexible length of stay, based on your teen's and family’s progress in treatment. Your primary therapist and the Gateway clinical team, together with you as a parent, determine when your teen has progressed to the point where they are prepared for the next step in life. Overall, the typical length of stay for our youth ranges between eight to ten months.

Gateway's academic program is rigorous yet supportive, and is accredited through Cognia and the State of Utah. Class sizes are small, typically with 4-8 youth per class. For more on academics at Gateway, click here.

Gateway is accredited through Cognia and thus, can accept all accredited school credits (including credits earned out of the country).

Credit earned at Gateway is transferable to any other accredited high school or college. When a student transitions to another school, we will provide a cumulative transcript that will reflect all high school credits earned, which will facilitate a seamless transition the next school.

Some wilderness and short-term treatment academic programs are accredited and others are not. If the program is accredited, all grades and credits a youth earns will be transferred into Gateway as they would from any accredited school. Typically, teens can earn credit in wilderness in English, P.E., Science, and Psychology.

If the program is not accredited, Gateway will not include any coursework or grades from the previous program on the cumulative transcript.

Gateway is not affiliated with any one specific religious organization. We strive to meet the religious needs of those youth who request participation in their chosen denomination.

Yes! We are licensed to work with adolescent boys ages 14 - 17. Also on occasion we can consider enrolling an eighteen-year-old. Please call the Admissions Office to discuss this further if your child falls in this age group. 

Yes, we work with many school districts throughout the nation, several of which we directly contract with.  If you are working with a school district to help fund your youth's stay at Gateway, we can help.  Please contact the admissions office to discuss how we can assist you in working with your school district.

Yes, we work with many insurance carriers.  Gateway is licensed by the State of Utah to provide Residential Treatment Services, Day Treatment (Partial Hospitalization Services) and Outpatient Services.  Whether you will receive coverage for Gateway's services will be dependent on the terms of your personal insurance policy.  Navigating insurance for mental health services is a complicated and challenging road.  We work with insurance billing agencies that are experts in the mental health world, who can help you determine what coverage you have, and help you bill your insurance carrier.