NEWS
West Ridge Academy’s clinical staff
August 6, 2010
The Clinical Team at West Ridge Academy consists of 16 licensed professionals to serve you and your family's needs. Upon arriving at West Ridge, your family will be assigned a full-time therapist who will work with your child for the duration of their stay as well as offer post-treatment options. The clinical staff is led by Amy Whittaker, LCSW. She received her graduate degree in social work from Walla Walla College in Washington and completed undergraduate studies at Idaho State University.
"I have worked with troubled youth for the last nine years," she stated. "I started my career working as the director of Juvenile Probation in Fremont County, Idaho. I enjoyed working with families, the criminal justice system and area schools. I have nine years of extensive experience in individual and family therapy with young adults who struggle with oppositional defiant disorder, drug and alcohol abuse, school problems and poor family relations."
Whittaker is assisted by staff executives like Michael L. Ruoho (Assistant Clinical Director-Girls Campus), who has been with West Ridge Academy since 1987. He received both his bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of Utah.
Ruoho is also a motivational speaker and frequently speaks nationwide and in Canada, on topics ranging from parenting skills, relationships, dealing with troubled teens and spiritual topics.Frank M. Rees, Ph.D., is the West Ridge Academy clinical psychologist. He completed doctoral work at Brigham Young University and is licensed as a psychologist in the state of Utah and is supervising psychologist and clinical director at the Utah State Prison. He is also an instructor for the Utah Department of Corrections Training Academy for abnormal behavior and crisis intervention.
Other clinical staff at WRA include:
Eric K. Allred, LMFT Lori Bagley, MCFT, therapist Carrie Carter, LPC, clinical staff Jacob Gibson, Ph.D., clinical assistant Rachel Lyons, MSW Ludmil Manov, M.D., psychiatrist Jeff Murdock, MCFT, clinical assistant/parenting seminar instructor John M. Ogden, MSW, clinical assistant
