| Sorenson's Ranch School started as a summer youth | | | | adolescents suffering from behaviour modification |
| program. In the summer of 1959. The original people | | | | needs. Dave coordinates his efforts with our other |
| involved were Burnell and Carrol Sorenson, Ell | | | | primary therapists who bring considerable expertise to |
| Sorenson, Wayne Brindley and Milton Brindley. At the | | | | today's Sorenson's Ranch School. Nowadays |
| time of its inception Burnell worked as a teacher in the | | | | Sorenson's is also a licensed residential treatment |
| Whittier Unified School District in Southern California, | | | | facility that includes treatment for drug and alcohol |
| and used his spare time recruiting for youth locally for | | | | abuse, serves students with histories of different kinds |
| the summer juvenile boot camp program. Some of the | | | | of behaviour modification such as problems with |
| original facilities also served as a deer camp through | | | | parents, substance abuse, low or non-existent |
| the early 1960's. During the 1970's Burnell was the | | | | self-esteem, learning difficulties, dropping out of or |
| principal owner with Carrol and had several years | | | | being expelled from school, extreme mental stress, |
| representing the Youth Conservation Corps, which | | | | and Reactive Attachment Disorder. Many new |
| was a newly formed organization to provide youth | | | | buildings have added to the facilities. Among them are: |
| from various backgrounds teambuilding, educational, | | | | school building, gymnasium, library/administration building, |
| and outdoor experiences while doing projects with the | | | | lodge, industrial arts building, and the largest wood barn |
| Bureau of Land Management and Forest Service. | | | | built in Utah in the last 50 years. Troubled teens seem |
| Many of those projects still exist to this day in the | | | | to respond well to the animal therapy offered at |
| surrounding outdoors of Grass Valley. It was in 1984 | | | | Sorenson's. With the consolidation of the farms, Shane |
| that Burnell and Carrol retired from their teaching | | | | Sorenson also assists in the sowing and harvesting of |
| careers in Southern California to live full time in | | | | the crops, which are needed for the many animals on |
| Koosharem. That same year Sorenson's Ranch | | | | the youth ranch. Currently, we have horses, cattle, |
| School started to give year-round adolescent | | | | bison, sheep, pigs, chickens, turkeys, peacocks, rabbits, |
| treatment to troubled teens needing help. Sorenson's | | | | and goats. The Sorenson's ranch's wilderness program |
| quickly formed the basics to become an accredited | | | | instills in its students the values of loyalty, respect, |
| boarding school and a licensed residential treatment | | | | self-worth, personal management, and respect for |
| facility. Because Sorenson's Ranch School was a | | | | property, cleanliness, and trustworthiness. The |
| pioneering venture, the State of Utah initially were | | | | improvement in the dormitories has been dramatic |
| unclear how to oversee and inspect our facilities to | | | | during the 50 years youth have been in Sorenson's |
| care for troubled youth, so the license was first | | | | therapeutic boarding school in Koosharem. In the early |
| granted through Youth Corrections to provide reactive | | | | 1960's the cabins all had no bathrooms or running |
| attachment disorder treatment. Later this was done | | | | water, only one common bathroom on each side of |
| directly with the Department of Licensing. Wayne | | | | the cabins for each specific gender. Indoor heating |
| Holland, who is the current Chairman for the Utah | | | | was installed in individual cabins in the 1970's, and |
| Democratic Party, was the original licensor. Now | | | | consisted of small wood burning stoves. The 1980's |
| Sorenson's Ranch School is a family-owned and | | | | brought the advent of indoor plumbing into each cabin |
| operated residential treatment centre accredited by | | | | along with central heating. In the last two years the |
| the Northwest Association of Accredited Schools | | | | dormitories have been completely renovated. Overall |
| (NAAS). It is licensed as a mental health and | | | | there has been, a total transformation in the comfort |
| substance-abuse treatment centre with the Utah State | | | | and coziness of student dormitory living. Moreover |
| Human Services Department and is accredited by the | | | | Sorenson's Ranch School has the goal of continuing to |
| Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare | | | | improve its services for its clients. We teach a new |
| Organizations (JCAHO). Because of the declining | | | | way of life with emphasis on ranching, farming, |
| health of Burnell, Shane and Jill Sorenson took over the | | | | camping, and country living. Many students go on to |
| helm of the school around 1998. Layne Bagley took | | | | college or trade programs. All students have |
| over as the primary admissions person. Today the | | | | life-enhancing experiences. We look to the future with |
| Clinical Director is Dave Nelsen, who has specialist | | | | excitement and hope for our staff and the clientele we |
| training in Reactive Attachment Disorder, ADD, ADHD, | | | | serve. |
| Asperger's Syndrome, and extensive experience with | | | | |