Outcomes Data

Black Mountain Academy’s evaluation report highlights meaningful growth among students across our Six Core Competencies: Academics, Emotion Regulation, Health and Wellness, Executive Function, Interpersonal Relationships, and Independent Living.

Student self-reported scores improved steadily from admission to discharge — for example, Academic Skills rose from 2.7 to 3.0 and Emotion Regulation from 2.7 to 2.9.

Most notably, caregiver-reported distress scores on the Youth Outcomes Questionnaire (YOQ) dropped dramatically from 70.9 at admission to 42.5 at discharge, reflecting substantial gains in students’ overall mental and behavioral functioning.

Family engagement stands out as an essential part of the work at Black Mountain Academy. According to the evaluation, caregivers and clinicians connected at least once per week for 81% of students, and in many cases even more often. 93% percent of caregivers visited campus, often staying several days and participating directly in in-person family therapy.

Students were rated as highly involved in their own therapeutic work, with 85% of students giving moderate to exceptional effort as rated by their clinician. Parents also reported healthier communication and improved functioning by discharge, as reflected in McMaster Family Assessment Device scores.

Taken together, the report affirms that Black Mountain Academy’s relational, strengths-based model delivers measurable, lasting impact for students and their families.

These findings confirm we are on the right track while also highlighting opportunities for growth. These include refining our assessment measures, providing ongoing staff training to better meet individual student needs, and identifying additional strategies to strengthen student engagement and support continued progress. These efforts align with our mission to provide impactful, individualized support that prepares students for independent and meaningful lives long after their stay at Black Mountain Academy.