Shepherd's Hill Academy

Shepherd's Hill Academy (SHA) is an accredited and licensed Christian therapeutic boarding school located in Martin, Georgia, United States, that provides year-round residential care and a private school for grades 7 through 12.

History
Shepherd's Hill Academy was founded in 1994 by Trace Embry and his wife Beth. Embry attended Toccoa Falls College (TFC) and work for the Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice. During his time at TFC, Embry and his family searched Northeast Georgia for property that would eventually become Shepherd's Hill Academy. Embry purchased a 60-acre tract of land in Martin for $200.

From 2001 to 2003, Shepherd's Hill Academy partnered with the Atlanta-based school Gables Academy in a joint effort to provide residential care to families. At that time, the program was known as "The Edge at Shepherd's Hill."

Now on 185 acres, Shepherd's Hill Academy is an accredited private school and licensed residential care for students and their families.

Governance
Shepherd's Hill Academy is a 501(c)(3) organization governed by a board of directors with responsibilities for assigning an Executive Director, for operational policies and for the annual financial budget. Day-to-day operations are led by the Executive Director. Shepherd's Hill Academy's academic program and faculty are overseen by a Georgia-certified on-site principal. The therapeutic program and residential care are overseen by a licensed therapist.

Private school
Shepherd's Hill Academy's private school is accredited for grades 7-12 through the Georgia Accrediting Commission (GAC) under Education Agency with Special Purposes accreditation. SHA is a member of the Georgia Association of Christian Schools, and the National Association of Therapeutic Schools and Programs, and its courses are sanctioned by the National Collegiate Athletic Association Eligibility Center.

SHA provides Advanced Placement (AP) classes through Georgia Virtual School and extra-curricular opportunities including intramural sports and field trips.

Although it previously served 50 students, it has since been licensed to serve 36.

Residential care
Shepherd's Hill Academy offers a residential care facility licensed by the Georgia Department of Human Services through its Outdoor Child Caring Program. SHA is a member of the American Association of Christian Counselors and the National Association of Therapeutic Schools and Programs.

The structure of SHA's therapeutic program follows the "authoritative community model" discussed in Hardwired to Connect: The New Scientific Case for Authoritative Communities, a study conducted by the YMCA of the USA, Geisel School of Medicine and the Institute for American Values.

According to the Shepherd's Hill Academy website, monthly tuition for residential care is 10,800 per month.

Controversies
Aaden Friday of Medium, reporting on alleged SHA mistreatment of teens, wrote, "SHA is now fully licensed by the state of Georgia, but it has surfaced several ethical concerns, including the lack of appropriate care for teens with mental health issues, abusive treatment, and anti-LGBTQ practices similar to those practiced at conversion camps." Additionally, Friday wrote that Embry "openly advocated for religion as a substitute for professional mental health treatment", and believes most mental illnesses are caused by anhedonia. Friday quotes Dr. Jean Kim, a clinical assistant professor of psychiatry at George Washington University, "...if [Embry] had a licensed professional screen clients and triage them for appropriateness into his program, that would be less worrisome."

In the second article in that series Friday described the school as "a Georgia-based Christian boarding school with a history of alleged abuse, conversion therapy for LGBTQ teens, and religious indoctrination." He wrote, "Trace Embry, who has no medical training or college degree, believes that students who have been diagnosed by professionals with very real and treatable mental illnesses are actually suffering from too much technology use, the overconsumption of media, and a lack of religious conviction."

Unsilenced, a non-profit organization dedicated to transparency in the Troubled Teen Industry, catalogued decades of survivor testimonies concerning student and staff experiences at Shepherd's Hill Academy.

Carly Camejo of Medium, and former teacher at the facility, reporting on alleged SHA mistreatment of teens, wrote, "I remembered on more than one occasion feeling miffed at how little so many within this circle understood the minds and actions of their neuro-divergent charges. Specifically concerning their understanding of how teens on the spectrum, and those with mild intellectual disabilities, navigate puberty. Behaviors that I understand as typically atypical, inspired jokes from members in leadership at the expense of the child."

Additionally, Camejo in her Medium article, wrote that, "the treatment of students experiencing urinary incontinence is perverse and cruel. If a student wets the bed they can reasonably expect diapers, a mile long walk with their unclean bedding, and the requirement to clean this material at a public water pump. This is sometimes coupled with punishment, but always with public humiliation. " Furthermore, she describes allegations of medical neglect, insubstantial housing structures, and the unethical treatment of animals involved in the SHA sustainable development program.

Media

 * Executive Director Trace Embry hosts the radio broadcast License to Parent from a studio at SHA, and is a member of the National Religious Broadcasters.
 * Embry contributed to the book The Digital Invasion.
 * SHA staff and students were featured in a documentary directed by Colin Gunn and produced by Phillip Telfer, Captivated - The Movie, which outlines the effects of media on human behavior and brain chemistry.