Desert Lily Academy20395 E. Rittenhouse Rd. | Queen Creek | AZ 85142

Phone: (480) 987-2042 | Fax: (480) 987-9701

www.desertlilyacademy.com

About Us

Since 1984, Rite of Passage has been operating

rehabilitative and educational programs with

the goal of improving the lives of youth, families

and communities. While remaining true to this

mission, ROP has evolved from an experiential

group home to a nationally-recognized organi-

zation that delivers innovative youth program-

ming across the country.

Our specific work with young women began 20

years ago. Today, we operate 14 female-specific

programs across the country that provide trau-

ma-responsive services through a relational and

strengths-based, cognitive-behavioral frame-

work. Our commitment to excellence has not

gone unnoticed: we have proudly maintained

our CARF accreditation 3 years running.

And, it is no accident that our innovative approach

to female-specific programming was built on a

site with a proud legacy of assisting vulnerable

youth. With a nearly 20-year history, our 183-acre

Queen Creek Campus has improved the lives of

thousands of young women.

Desert LilyAcademy

Improving the lives of young women.

Program Director

Dana Bennett

(480) 987-2066 | dana.bennett@rop.com

“Desert LilyAcademy helpedme find the courageto believe in myselfand pursue mydreams.”

Education ServicesDesert Lily Academy provides students with year-round, quality education tailored to meet the specific needs of the young women in our program. Small classrooms and high-ly-qualified, motivated staff provide rigorous instruction that promotes a culture of aca-demic growth and achievement.

Classrooms are organized to foster a cul-ture of empowerment that promotes female strength, intelligence, and ambition. Walls are decorated with motivational posters and messages that remind each young woman how unique, capable, and valuable she is. Our education team also works in collaboration with students, families and home school dis-tricts to provide an academic experience that meets all of their distinctive and varying needs.

Extracurricular OpportunitiesAt Desert Lily Academy, we believe that learn-ing should extend beyond the classroom. Through our extracurricular programming, students are offered exciting new avenues for learning and growth.

Opportunities to participate in sanctioned high school and club sports—such as track and swimming—provide positive competition and prosocial interactions between students, their peers, and staff. On-campus clubs offer a chance for our young women to explore ar-eas of interest, as well as learn about history, literature, music, and art in an engaging set-ting.

Improving the Lives of Young Women

Desert Lily AcademyTreatment & Trauma-Informed CareOur treatment approach begins with a foun-dation of safety and caring relationships and always focuses on the specific needs of each individual young woman.

Desert Lily helps youth identify the trauma-re-lated needs behind their disruptive behaviors and develop the coping skills they need to overcome their pasts; in fact, we specialize in assisting youth with histories of Commercial Sexual Exploitation (CSEC) and human traffick-ing. We also maintain a collaborative partner-ship with The Kempe Center, an award-win-ning Colorado nonprofit dedicated to the prevention of child abuse and neglect.

Our services include a variety of cutting-edge evidence-based curricula, as well as fe-male-specific groups that address each young woman’s treatment goals and help her under-stand her feelings, emotions and strengths. Our fully-integrated Rite Path program offers comprehensive mental health services direct-ly on-campus.

Through targeted interventions and an indi-vidualized treatment plan, our young women learn to believe in who they are and develop a positive strategy for achieving who they want to become.

Family EngagementDesert Lily Academy strongly encourages fam-ily involvement, holding the belief that positive communication between the program and the home creates the foundation upon which our young women grow and succeed. Families are invited to engage with their daughters and the program by taking part in treatment planning, family conferences, on-campus events, and athletic competitions, as well as individual and group family therapy.