An Effective Mental Health Treatment Program and Fully-Accredited School for Teens

Located on the Pine Tree state's beautiful mid-coast, Ironwood Maine is a licensed residential mental health treatment program and fully licensed and accredited school designed specifically for adolescents, ages 13-17. Our 9-12-month program offers intensive therapy along with customized and accredited academics via three interconnected programs focused on stabilization and assessment, treatment, and transition. Ironwood’s broad program structure and modalities, which include equine-assisted therapy, outdoor experiential learning, family therapy, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), and more, meet the needs of teens requiring treatment for emotional and behavioral issues in conjunction with a safe, therapeutic learning environment.

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Our Unique Three-Program Continuum

Ironwood Maine features three interconnected programs; Frye, Farmhouse, and Lakehouse. The Frye campus establishes acceptance and reinforces respect for one's self and others. Farmhouse focuses on developing the internal character traits of honesty, integrity, and motivational values. Lakehouse was created for resident's preparing for transition to a job or other educational environment.

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Overview of Adolescent Treatment

Ironwood's Intensive therapy forms the foundation of working with struggling teens 13-17. Therapy is conducted in many forms and various locations: walking or hiking along the campus, on a trail ride, next to the pond, around a campfire, with animals, and yes, in a therapist’s office... wherever the greatest result can be achieved is the right place for treatment to take place.

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Overview of Academic Programming

Our academic program, accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges and Maine's Department of Education, is customized for each student. We work with schools to identify an educational plan that includes goals, strengths, and any learning challenges that might be in play. Students focus on English, history, science, and math in a distraction-free environment.

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50%
50% of all lifetime mental illness begins by the age of 14, and 75% by the age of 24.
14%
Depression and bipolar disorder affect approximately 14% of teens aged 13-17.
400%
Youth struggling with sexual identity issues are 4x more likely to attempt suicide.
31%
The suicide rate for boys 15–19 increased 31% from 2007 to 2015. The rate for teen girls doubled during that time.

A Mental Health Treatment Program Carefully Designed to Assist Families in Crisis

If you are considering a residential mental health treatment program, therapeutic boarding school, or wilderness program for your teen, we invite you to consider the many unique benefits of Ironwood Maine. With the collective experience that comes with having helped hundreds of families, we continue to successfully teach positive life principles to our resident teens and improve connections within their family systems.

Founded by parents who have faced similar circumstances, Ironwood Maine’s comprehensive mental health treatment program for adolescents is carefully designed to assist families in crisis. Our program can create change in the behavior of the challenged teen by encouraging self-respect, values, and effective communication skills so that teens can reconnect with their family members and enjoy success in life. Our program offers therapeutic, behavioral, and academic services that bring about positive change. Ironwood Maine offers a highly structured treatment program with intensive therapeutic and behavioral interventions, group work, physical exercise, outdoor-based experiences, and a wide range of enrichment programs including equestrian, art, culinary, horticulture, and nature therapy studies. Therapy delivered by a team of seasoned professional clinicians is the foundation of our 9-to-12-month program.

Accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges and licensed by the state of Maine Dept. of Education, Ironwood’s academic program ensures that teens maintains their educational objectives and continuity with their home school. Most residents are able to earn additional credits because they have discovered a new satisfaction and purpose for learning. This desire for learning, combined with our personalized attention and year-round schooling, provides the support residents need to stay focused and motivated to excel. On average, students complete 7-10 high school credits and advance one full grade.

Through communication, relationship building, self-reflection, simple living, self-discipline, and engaging work, teens adopt proactive behaviors necessary to lead productive lives as contributing family members and community citizens. We do understand your family’s and your child’s struggle and we can help you during this difficult time.

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Ironwood Maine is a proud member of the National Association of Therapeutic Schools and Programs and is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges, HHS, and the state of Maine DOE.

What Parents Say About Ironwood

“I felt so helpless”

“My wonderful happy-go-lucky son was gone and in his place was a kid having a very difficult time with school, friends, family, and adolescence. Somehow we had lost him and I wasn’t really sure why or how. He began hanging with the wrong crowd. He stopped loving life and became angry, defiant, and someone we didn’t know. My husband and I struggled to help him overcome whatever it was that was happening – but he shut us out. He was angry and depressed and decided he wanted to end his life. After his attempted suicide, I felt so helpless.”

“We wrote it off as a ‘phase'”

“Somewhere along the way, around age ten or eleven, our daughter’s path took a sharp turn toward a dark and frightening future. She had always been bright, extroverted and funny, and she loved doing anything that involved being outdoors. But then she stopped doing her schoolwork, refused to participate in her normal activities, and became cynical and somber. At first we wrote it off as a ‘phase’, something she would simply grow out of on her own. But she continued to spiral downward. We discovered she had started cutting herself, and got her into therapy. We were doing everything we could think of to help.”

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Featured Staff Members

Ironwood Maine Blog

  • solo hike at ironwood maine

    Flying Solo at Ironwood

    “Solos” are kind of a big deal at Ironwood. When someone goes on their Solo, this tells those around them that they’ve entered a transitional period in the program. This […]

  • winter storm

    Notes from a Resident – February 2022

    As residents reach the end of their programs and prepare to go home, we tend to feel doubt about the future. My dream is to live my life with purpose, […]

  • family day

    Family Day = Quality Time

    Wow! The first day of Family Weekend is a tremendous whirlwind of activity launched by a Welcome Orientation with a motivational presentation. Parents even got to experience a bit of […]

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