Mission Mountain School

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Mission Mountain School is a therapeutic boarding school for girls located in Condon, Missoula County, in the U.S. state of Montana.

Mission Mountain School is a fully accredited member of the Pacific Northwest Association of Independent Schools (PNAIS)^[1] and the Northwest Association of Accredited Schools (NAAS), and is a full member of the National Association of Therapeutic Schools and Programs (NATSAP).^[2] MMS received re-accreditation in 2005 from the PNAIS.

1 Profile
2 Legislative
3 References
4 External links

[edit] Profile

PNAIS describes Mission Mountain School, in its accreditation listings, in the following way:

"Founded in 1990, Mission Mountain School is a small, highly personalized, college preparatory boarding school for young women in crisis who need special programs of therapy, education, and recreation within a group setting. The school is located in northwestern Montana, providing ample opportunity for girls to engage in a wide range of outdoor activities. The typical Mission Mountain School student is bright, verbally skilled, and above average in intelligence. The school operates 24 hours a day, year round, with the average length of stay 18-22 months."^[3]

The MMS curriculum is divided into 4 four program components: daily life skills, outdoor education, emotional growth and academics. MMS has an Equine-guided education program and is affiliated with EAGALA, the Equine Assisted Growth and Learning Association.

[edit] Legislative

Mission Mountain School's John Mercer testified in front of the Montana State Legislature on February 9th, 2007 on the issue of the State of Montana giving the Board of PAARP (Private Alternative Adolescent Residential or Outdoor Programs) authority to establish, implement and oversee licensure for programs in Montana:

Therefore: It is the desire of Mission Mountain School, a program that has operated in Montana for 18 years to see the Legislature pass a bill this year charging the State Board of PAARP with the responsibility of setting and monitoring licensing standards for private alternative adolescent residential care programs...^[4]

Mission Mountain School submitted a letter to the public record on May 1st, 2008, to Congressman George Miller, Chairman, Committee on Education and Labor, in reply to materials presented in testimony before his Committee's hearing on HR 5876, on April 24th, 2008. That letter reaffirmed the School's desire to "address numerous inaccuracies that are present in that testimony."^[5] In that letter, Mission Mountain School reasserted its committment to proper licensing of therapeutic boarding schools in the State of Montana:

"[John Mercer] testified as follows to the Montana State Legislature. 'Our Industry needs a licensing board to establish standards of care and practice to ensure the safety and well being of the adolescents and parents using such programs.' We continue to support the need for state licensure to this day."