SMH Academy

About

SMH Academy is a residential treatment program for young adults ages 18–25 in Boise, Idaho, currently accepting new students beginning October 2026. The program's clinical approach is grounded in a whole-person model of care, addressing environment, nutrition, physical activity, sleep hygiene, spirituality, community involvement, talk therapy, and medication management when clinically indicated, reflecting the understanding that physical and brain health are foundational to mental health. Academic and vocational support is integrated into treatment to help residents progress toward continued education or career goals.

SMH Academy's treatment philosophy emphasizes resident autonomy and empowerment over punitive behavioral models. The program's behavior support framework is structured around earned incentives rather than restriction, consistent with a broader commitment to trauma-informed, non-punitive care.

All providers complete training in neurodiversity-affirming care as part of onboarding, ensuring that residents with autism, ADHD, and other forms of neurodivergence are supported through an approach that recognizes neurodivergent traits as natural variation rather than pathology, consistent with the program's individualized, strengths-based treatment model.

Program/School