Clearview Girls Academy

Clearview Girls Academy, located at 20 Bear Foot Lane, Heron, MT 59844, is a private, faith-based therapeutic boarding school and residential treatment program exclusively for struggling adolescent girls (typically ages 12-18). Situated on a remote, scenic 180-acre ranch in the wilderness of northwestern Montana-deep in the Cabinet Mountains near the Idaho border and the Clark Fork River-the campus offers an isolated, nature-immersed setting intentionally designed to remove negative peer influences, technology distractions, and urban chaos while fostering personal growth, academic success, emotional healing, and spiritual development.

Clearview specializes in addressing a wide spectrum of challenges common among teenage girls, including:

• Substance use and experimentation (alcohol, marijuana, vaping, prescription drugs, and other substances)
• Mental health struggles (depression, anxiety, self-harm, suicidal ideation, eating disorders)
• Behavioral issues (defiance, rebellion, anger outbursts, disrespect, running away)
• Academic failure (poor grades, truancy, dropping out, learning differences)
• Trauma and attachment issues (adoption-related struggles, abuse, family conflict)
• Technology and social media addiction
• Low self-esteem, identity confusion, and unhealthy peer relationships

The program is long-term residential (typically 9-18 months, with many girls staying 12-15 months for optimal outcomes) and combines an accredited on-site academic program (individualized education plans, small class sizes, certified teachers, credit recovery, and college prep) with intensive clinical treatment, wilderness immersion, equine therapy, and character-building life skills training. Daily structure includes:

• Individual therapy (multiple weekly sessions with licensed therapists using CBT, DBT, trauma-focused approaches, EMDR, and other modalities)
• Group therapy and peer support in a therapeutic community
• Family therapy (weekly calls, monthly family workshops, and intensive family weeks onsite to repair relationships and prepare for reintegration)
• Equine-assisted therapy (working with horses to build trust, responsibility, emotional regulation, and self-confidence)
• Adventure and experiential activities (hiking, camping, fishing, snowshoeing, and wilderness expeditions in the surrounding Yak Valley and Cabinet Mountains)
• Life skills education (cooking, budgeting, job readiness, healthy boundaries, independent living preparation)
• Daily chores, structure, and accountability (positive reinforcement system, level-based privileges, and character development curriculum)
• Spiritual growth (non-denominational Christian focus with Bible study, prayer, chapel services, and discipleship—respectful of each girl’s beliefs while encouraging faith exploration)

The program is trauma-informed and strengths-based, with low staff-to-student ratios and a team that includes licensed therapists, educators, wilderness guides, equine specialists, nurses, and 24/7 residential staff. Parents are actively involved throughout with regular communication, family therapy, and workshops to heal family dynamics and prepare for successful transition home.

Clearview Girls Academy is fully accredited (Northwest Accreditation Commission/Advanced for academics, Joint Commission-equivalent standards for behavioral health) and licensed by the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services. It operates as a private-pay program (tuition typically $8,000–$12,000/month, with financing and scholarship assistance available through the Clearview Foundation; does not accept insurance directly but provides superbills for potential out-of-network reimbursement).

The school has earned a strong reputation for transformative outcomes, with hundreds of families reporting improved academics, restored relationships, reduced substance use, decreased self-harm, and significant emotional and spiritual growth. Testimonials frequently praise the breathtaking wilderness location (“healing in God’s creation”), dedicated and caring staff, structured yet nurturing environment, equine therapy impact, and genuine family restoration. Clearview is widely regarded as one of the leading therapeutic boarding schools in the U.S. for girls needing intensive intervention in a safe, remote, nature-based setting.