About

Mountain Lake Academy is a New York State-approved therapeutic residential school for male students in grades 7-12 & between the ages of 12 to 21.  Our 90-acre campus is located in the Olympic Village of Lake Placid, NY.  Since 1999, we have offered wrap-around clinical, residential, and educational services for students experiencing emotional or learning difficulties in their home districts.  We have 110+ trained and nurturing staff members to support the progression of the 36 students (maximum) in our care.

Referral packets can only originate from a sponsoring school district’s Committee on Special Education (CSE), a New York County Department of Social Services (DSS), or certain state agencies (e.g. Vermont Department of Children & Families, Rhode Island Department of Children, Youth & Families).  As a private, non-public New York State 853 School, we do not accept private pay nor insurance-funded placements.  The burden of cost does not fall on the families that we serve.

Mountain Lake Academy houses two different programs on campus.  The Mountainview Program (24 students) and the Brookview Program (12 students) provide flexibility within our therapeutic setting to provide a community atmosphere that is most conducive for a particular student’s needs.  Mountainview students benefit from a more traditional college dormitory-style residence hall, whereas our Brookview students feel more at home in our smaller social and physical setting.  All of our students navigate a structured Phase System to foster personal growth.  Adventure-based activities around the Adirondack Park complement the provided counseling support.  Our students will experience amazing sunrise hikes, wintery backcountry skiing trips, and exhilarating rock climbing triumphs as the seasons change.  These activities are carefully chosen and facilitated by trained and experienced staff to promote learning, personal growth, and positive change.  With the help of a reliable, predicable schedule, without the distractions of personal technology, and amidst a peaceful mountainous setting, our students are provided a with fresh start.  Family involvement and progressive family visits ensure that the skills learned at Mountain Lake Academy are transferred to the home community.  Individual, group, and family therapy sessions are available throughout the week.  Our robust clinical team works alongside your student to develop a treatment plan.  We’ll do “whatever it takes” to help your son succeed!  

Here are some highlights:

• Accredited by the Council on Accreditation (COA)
• Approved by the New York State Office of Children & Family Services
• Approved by the New York State Education Department (NYSED)
• IEP Classifications include: Emotional Disability, Other Health Impairment, Learning Disability, Multiple Disabilities. (We can seek a waiver through NYSED for students with high-functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder.)
• Organizational oversight by the New York State Justice Center
• New York State Regents Curriculum and Individualized Educational Program (IEP) accommodations
• 8:1+1 and 6:1+1 classrooms
• Clinical Services include: Individual Counseling, Group Counseling, Family Therapy, Parent Coaching, and Psychiatric Consultation
• Adventure-based activities across the High Peaks region of the Adirondack Park
• Therapeutic Phase System inspires introspection and personal growth
• Therapeutic Family Visits are supported as students progress through the program
• Nightly phone calls home
• Vocational and Culinary opportunities on campus
• High Ropes Course and Adventure-based challenges on campus
• Recreational opportunities including intramural sports, hiking, biking, backcountry skiing, snowshoeing, paddling, and rock climbing
• Our holistic, family-oriented approach combines an experiential-based program with an outstanding educational curriculum to deliver proven results