History

In 1948, a school was founded in Queen Creek, Arizona 30 miles southeast of Phoenix, which sought to help at-risk children and adolescents to develop self-respect and self-confidence while providing vital social, educational and vocational skills which allowed youth to return to their communities as productive young adults.

A strong athletic legacy took root–which continues at Canyon State Academy to present day–in part, because of the involvement of Frank Kush as the Executive Administrator of the Advisory Board. The athletic complex which bore his name on CSA’s campus housed a football program, which, once established in 1995, ran three undefeated seasons.

In 2000, Canyon State Academy revised its residential program to offer academic, career and technical training, athletics and evidence-based treatment curricula to give at-risk youth opportunities to improve their lives.

Today, the Canyon State Academy campus has continued to grow into an innovative and effective treatment program for youth. The wide continuum of programming is possible through numerous community partnerships which includes Sun Valley Community Church, government agencies, stakeholders, businesses and universities. The Canyon State Academy School is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization that is approved by the State of Arizona as a “Qualifying Foster Care Charitable Organization.”

The EPIC Program

In the Fall of 2022, Canyon State Academy established the Educationally Placed Integrated Care (EPIC) program which offers specialized education and behavioral health treatment services within a comprehensive 24/7 therapeutic environment to students placed through the Individualized Education Program (IEP) process. The EPIC program is implemented through a collaborative effort between the team at Canyon State Academy and the student’s local school district. An individualized evidence-based and family-centered education and treatment plan is developed for each youth to support their unique emotional, educational, and behavioral health needs. Students in the EPIC program receive comprehensive services that align with their IEP and Individualized Treatment Plan.

Rite of Passage

Canyon State Academy is operated by Rite of Passage, a leading National provider of evidence-based therapeutic and educational programs for youth. Rite of Passage provides a diverse continuum of care with evidence-based programs in education, youth shelter programs, family and community aftercare and intensive treatment for youth involved in the juvenile justice system.

For 40 years, Rite of Passage has been improving the lives of youth. Through its work at Canyon State and other academy programs, Rite of Passage has developed the Integrated Care Model framework to articulate its program philosophy, methodology, and specific evidence-based practices.