Meet Our Academy’s Mentors
Scott Winters Owner, Executive Director
As Owner and Operator of a Residential Treatment Program for over 22 years
Scott’s goal is to build an effective team to honor and carry out his legacy
to help struggling youth thrive while providing top treatment for all.
During Scott's childhood he experienced foster care and overcame many hardships and challenges. Scott started volunteering and mentoring youth before starting his Residential Treatment Program.
Scott’s goal is to provide these young women with a safe place to land, while giving them the time and resources to figure out who they are, where they are going in life and how to get there.
It is important that this program bridges, strained family relationships, teach communication skills, and behavioral skills.
Jen Cook Office Administrator
Jennifer Cook (Jen for short) is Horseshoe Mountain Academy’s Office and Program Administrator, and just recently took over the role of Chief Financial Officer. However, Jen plays a much bigger role here. Jen is the heart and soul of the company. With over 10 years of behavioral health experience and working almost every position within the company Jen is beyond qualified to be the unsung hero and courageous leader of our amazing team. Jen is responsible for planning, directing, and coordinating anything and everything behind the scenes to keep the companies’ wheels turning. Jen is consistently reaching out to all the company's team of advocates in search of possible clients that may benefit from our program. Jen oversees both homes on the campus by supervising the administration team and serving as the team's moral compass for all decisions made during the administrative meetings. As the program owner's right hand, Jen is responsible for managing the program's budget and is consistently evaluating the success of the program and the clients we serve.
Whitlee Winters Academic Coordinator
As the Academic Coordinator, she is focused and dedicated to understanding each student’s individual needs, meeting those needs. Maintaining flexibility is the main goal for each child attending Horseshoe Mountain Academy.
Whitlee is the third generation in a family that has been serving youth for over 22 years. She started at a young age working with fostered youth and in residential treatment.
Whitlee is familiar with and accustomed to many different roles within the company.
Currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree in business, she expands her passion for education and the importance of learning, even as an adult.
With her dedication to her work in residential treatment, Whitlee shows up each day determined to give 100% with a “what can I teach our kids today” mindset. She has shown her commitment to carrying out a legacy geared towards healing and path-driven direction.
Emily Cox LCMHC
Emily graduated from Southern Utah University with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and minors in sociology and criminal justice.
She then graduated with a master’s degree in clinical mental health counseling from the University of Phoenix.
Since 2005, she has worked mainly with adolescent females and their families in a residential setting as a therapist from 2007 onwards.
She has extensive training in mental health needs esp. trauma, depression, anxiety, loss and grief, suicidal ideation and self-harm, addiction, RAD relationship repair, and so much more.
Within individual, family, and groups, she will apply dialectical behavior therapy along with cognitive behavioral therapy and trauma-focused CBT to work to best help the students and their families find the appropriate balance and healthy boundaries, effective ways to communicate and self soothe, regulation of behaviors and emotions.
We will add in ranch/farm animal therapy, art, and other ways to emote and regulate behaviors and emotions within a person-centered treatment plan developed by the clinician, family, and treatment team here at HMA.
She employs open communication with families about progress and ways to enhance treatment along with maintaining students’ records and other clinical services with continuing education and training of staff for our student’s needs, PRS, and other life skills classes.
Her goal is to address the whole needs of family and students.
Emily loves challenging the girls to have courage and then be a part of the positive change process and success in achieving their goals.