In Balance Academy-A Therapeutic Boarding School for Adolescents Suffering From Drug or Alcohol Abuse

The Team of In Balance

Dedicated Staff with a History of Successful Experience in

Substance Abuse Recovery, Education & Mental Health Counseling

The staff members at In Balance Ranch Academy are the foundation of the program. Patrick J. Barrasso, LCSW, founder and Executive Director, has brought together a caring staff with years of professional experience and personal characteristics that bring out the best in young people. Patrick’s team has been a leader in intensive outpatient services for young people for over 13 years, and the Ranch continues the tradition of excellence that is seen in all aspects of the In Balance programs.

The In Balance Ranch Academy staff currently consists of eight therapists with over 122 years combined experience in the field, six wilderness staff, three teachers and four specialized tutors, a registered nurse, six group leaders with specialized training, four equine staff, two milieu managers, twenty-five life coaches, a family liaison and a full-time chef.

The Ranch is a family owned and operated business, consistent with the ideals of the Ranch that support within the family is of the utmost importance. Patrick and Betsy Barrasso, their children, and extended family are involved with the daily aspects of the program, as well as the long-term direction of the Ranch.

Patrick J. Barrasso, MSW, LCSW
Owner/Director, Executive Director

Patrick is the founder and Executive Director of In Balance Adolescent Intensive Outpatient Program, and the In Balance Ranch Academy. He is a noted psychotherapist with over 25 years of extensive training and experience in adolescent and adult substance abuse and mental health treatment. He is the "heart and soul" of the In Balance programs. His dedication, direction and personal commitment to helping adolescents and their families is demonstrated in all aspects of treatment. His extensive experience makes him a frequent presenter at both local and national conferences. He has presented at the U.S. Journal Training National conferences, and the FACES, Family and Addiction Conferences and Educational Seminars on a variety of adolescent treatment topics including the challenges of overcoming the culture of adolescent substance abuse.

Elizabeth (Betsy) Barrasso
Co-Owner/Founder, Admissions Director

Along with her husband, Patrick Barrasso, Betsy has been instrumental in the founding and operation of the existing In Balance operation. Betsy brought to In Balance her experience of over 10 years as a legal assistant and office administrator. She oversees all communications, contracts, document preparation, and has constant contact with clients and referrals. She is in charge of all admissions, client billing and all financial reporting. Additionally, she supervises all administrative and accounting staff and consultants.

Once Upon a Dream

"My husband Patrick and I had a big dream. One we had been planning for at least 20 years. We wanted to open up a program for teenage boys, where they could live and grow and work on their sobriety in a safe and healthy environment. After putting together our clinical team and staff and hours of endless preparation, we were ready. However, we didn’t have a place to call home to open our In Balance Ranch Academy."

"We spent a lot of time searching for the perfect property and had actually settled on a place, but the deal fell through and we were sincerely disappointed - but we did not give up. One morning I awoke from a good night’s sleep and told Patrick I had a dream about a property. I told him it was a little “town” with lots of little buildings on the property. There was a lot of land around it with no neighbors for us to make nervous. He smiled at me lovingly and asked, 'Really? And where would we find a little town? And how much is that going to cost us?' I smiled back and said, I’m not sure.'"

"One week later, a friend of ours put us in touch with his realtor located in Cochise County. She called me and said our friend told her about us and what we were trying to accomplish. I did not share with her about my dream. She said she had a very “unique” property to show us, she did not know if it would work for us, but she thought it might be worth a look. Patrick and I drove out with our key staff to see this property. As we drove out towards Tombstone, down the San Pedro Valley, I thought, “Where are we going?” It was so beautiful, lots of open range and beautiful wild flowers. We turned down a dirt road. She explained that most of the property around there was state-owned, not a lot of neighbors around. As we drove up to the property, there were horses running alongside our car down the pasture. What a magnificent sight! Once on the property, I looked around and here was a little town called “Tumbleweed.” There were 21 buildings on the property, including a main lodge with a full-size commercial kitchen, several small buildings used for tenants, even its own Chapel! I started to cry as I realized we had just found our town. They were more than happy to hand over the Deed. The work was going to be enormous; staff and friends needing to work hours upon hours to get it to a place of healing and pride. I smiled at Patrick and said, 'Welcome to In Balance Ranch Academy.'"

~Betsy Barrasso

Anthony P. Barrasso, MPA & MLS
Expeditions Director/Controller
(since 7/1/07)

Anthony has quite the eclectic background, he graduated from the University of Arizona with a Bachelor's in Philosophy in 2004 and then again in 2006 with a Master's in Public Administration and Policy. After which he continued his education at Sandra D'Oconnor Law school where he received a Master's in Legal Studies.

Anthony's relevant work experiences includes: 7th&8th grade boys and girls basketball coach, Wilderness Staff for Aspen Achievement Academy and Intern for the Department of Defense in the Office of Force Transformation.

Anthony's relevant life experience includes: Journey of Hope, a 4,000 mile cross country bicycle trek to raise money and awareness for people with disabilities; 3 months study abroad program in Urbino, Italy; and 22-day excursion to South Africa with 14 In Balance students.

Anthony is functionally important to In Balance in that he has set up systems of accountability that have allowed the ranch to reach levels of efficiency that is unusual among "mom and pop" businesses, enabling In Balance to be more competitive in an increasingly corporate environment. However, this is not where Anthony's real passion lies. When he participated on the Journey of Hope he experienced a summer that changed him forever. He realized the importance and impact of true service, it is this gift that he hopes to share with the rest of the students of In Balance. Anthony will be transforming the wilderness program into a more service oriented direction. So far he has planned and participated in two trips to South Africa, one trip to Kenya/Tanzania, one trip to Nepal, and most recently a 22 day trip to Peru. In Peru the boys of In Balance had the chance to trek to 15,000 feet, watch the clouds roll over the cliffs of Machu Picchu, take a canoe ride in the Amazon, celebrate service at two orphanages that service kids with special needs, and build a school in a town that otherwise had no access to education.

Clinical Team

Shannon Dexter, LCSW, LISAC - Clinical Director/Equine Program Director Shannon Petrovich, LCSW, LISAC
Clinical Director/Equine Program Director

Shannon has specialized in working with youth and families for over twenty-four years. Her experiences include developing and directing a long-term residential rehabilitation program; being the Clinical Coordinator for a day school for emotionally and behaviorally disordered youth; and over eight years in private practice. In addition she brings a lifelong love of horses and fifteen years of training and experience in equine assisted psychotherapy. She left her busy practice in Tucson for this opportunity to weave together all of the best practices of residential, individual, group, and family therapy, equine experiential therapy, and 12-step work in our beautiful ranch setting.

"My parents were both very committed to their work and specifically to improving the lives of others; they have always inspired me to have a positive impact on some small part of the world. I have focused on working with teens with substance abuse issues because my teen years were derailed by addictions, and I often felt I had to find my own way through the mess and confusion I created. During graduate school, and the twenty years since then, I’ve sought to learn and grow in my own recovery, develop a knowledge base, the skills, and the communication strategies, as well as a myriad of experiential methods, to help heal and transform the lives of youth and their families."

"I met Reed Smith, (the consultant Patrick hired to help develop the Ranch,) while volunteering at an equine therapy retreat for children with cancer. Reed told me about the development of the Ranch and introduced me to Patrick and the management team. The camaraderie, the similarity of vision, values, and the ease with which we talked, convinced me this was the opportunity of a lifetime and the culmination of my life’s work. "

"One of the values of the Ranch is that we believe sobriety has to be more fun than using drugs and alcohol. We are always on the lookout for interesting, exciting activities and outings, and as a result, working at the Ranch is a lot of fun! Beyond that we try to practice what we preach in all aspects of our work at the Ranch; valuing each other as staff, helping each other, and doing our best to create a healthy family atmosphere. Sharing all of this reminds me daily of the key components of my own balance, health, and ongoing growth."

"Being many years in my own recovery and a strong believer in 12-step fellowship, I can show rather than simply tell our students that life in recovery is great! They know I’ve been where they are and can show them how to create a happier, healthier life for themselves. Students often say that I challenge them to dig deeper, and that although this can be frustrating at times, they learn a lot about themselves. They discover the old beliefs and choices that get in their way, and they strengthen the best aspects of themselves, so that gradually they begin to believe and experience that they can succeed in anything they strive to do. "

Ugo Uche - In Balance Ranch academy Primary Therapist Ugo Uche, LPC
Primary Therapist/Assistant Clinical Director

Ugo received his Bachelor’s degree in psychology from Warren Wilson College in Ashville, North Carolina, and his Master’s of Science in Counseling Psychology from Tarleton State University in Stephenville, Texas. Ugo is drawn to the In Balance family for two primary reasons, the first being his passion for helping others. As someone who was once a troubled adolescent, he has taken a lot a pride in working with the juvenile population for the past four years. The second reason is because of the In Balance approach towards providing treatment to the youth. In Balance Ranch Academy is effective in using the positive peer culture along with a caring and knowledgeable staff as a non-punitive approach, towards empowering youths in effectively addressing their personal issues.

“I have always been very altruistic in nature, but my desire for the helping profession did not come about until my freshman year at Warren Wilson College. As an undergraduate student I was required to complete a certain amount of community service hours per semester. I procrastinated on my service hours requirements until the last three weeks of the school semester, when I jotted down my name on a last minute sign up sheet, stapled on the office door for the community service coordinator. I did not know what I had signed up for until the day of the service trip. I had volunteered to be a counselor at a local juvenile detention facility. As someone who experienced a lot of trials during my adolescence years, I felt compelled towards reaching out to the youths I would meet with on a weekly basis at the detention facility. My calling led me from being an undecided freshman to graduating with my BA in psychology. I now hold a masters of science in counseling psychology, and my goal as a counselor has never changed, which is to make a positive impact in the life of a troubled youth.”

“Prior to coming to In Balance, I had worked at two other juvenile programs. In Balance is the first program I know about with an effective positive peer culture, and a community which fosters the positive development of youths without resorting to punitive measures. Here at In Balance, both students and staff are valued members of the community. The In Balance Ranch community is also very therapeutically balanced and eclectic in treatment approaches. Youths in this program receive individual counseling, equine therapy, adventure therapy, wilderness hikes, family counseling and a host of support groups. The clinical staff is well trained and diverse in their approaches towards providing treatment to the youths.”

“I have a passion for helping others, which I have an opportunity to do here at In Balance, through individual and family counseling, therapeutic wilderness hikes and my daily interactions with youths in the ranch.”

“My middle adolescent years was a difficult period, and the manner by which I choose to resolve my issues, were to say the least; not healthy. I relate to the difficulties a lot of the youths in the program are going through, which enables me towards establishing a strong rapport with those I work directly with. I am dedicated towards helping each and every one of these young men achieve his full potential through a healthy life style.”

Thad Ryan, MSW
Primary Therapist

Thad Ryan is a graduate of Arizona State University’s Master’s of Social Work program. He has worked as a sixth grade and fourth grade teacher for over 5 years. He also has worked for three years in the addiction field. He originally came to In Balance splitting his time between the Academy and Transitional living. However, in the last three months, he started working solely at the Academy.

Thad started his professional career working in elementary education. He focused on integrating the principals of Reality Therapy into the classroom specializing with ADD, and ADHD students. After years in the education field, he realized that the greatest impact on students could be achieved by a more holistic view. Therefore, he moved to Tucson and started working on his Masters in Social Work.

Thad’s interest in social work focused on disadvantage populations. He started working with Primavera Foundation a nonprofit organization designed to help get individuals off of the streets. Thad discovered that many factors play a role in contributing to the homeless population: financial, legal, family, psychological and substance abuse. In a desire to help this population, Thad moved to the substance abuse field and worked at Compass Behavioral Health Detoxification. Thad was responsible for coordinating the care for individuals primary withdrawing from opiates and alcohol.

“Having struggled with addiction throughout my teens and twenties, I was always interested in working in a residential treatment program based on the twelve steps, therefore, after hearing about the success of In Balance within my own recovery community, I became committed to be coming part of this team.”

Thad brings his own recovery and experience to his therapy. He is able to put students at ease and quickly develop rapport. He is passionate about his work and skilled in motivational interviewing techniques, which are empirically based in creating change.

“I personally, have experienced all of the negative impacts of addiction, broken relationships, failing health, lost opportunities and loss of self, however, through my personal recovery I have received all of the twelve steps’ promises: a new happiness, peace, interest in others, and knowledge of how to handle difficult situations. These are the promises I see my students achieve everyday at In Balance Ranch Academy.”

Tiffany A. Barrasso, MSW - Family Weekend Director Tiffany A. Gallego, MSW
Family Weekend Director

Tiffany Gallego is a graduate of Arizona State University’s Master’s of Social Work program. She has over 10 years of experience working with adolescents with substance abuse issues. She is a therapist, family weekend coordinator, and is involved in program development.

“As the daughter of a therapist, I thought I would grow up to be anything but a therapist. I received my Bachelor’s in Special Education and went directly to work with children with special needs. I also began working part time at the In Balance Outpatient Center. I soon realized I was capable of impacting change in the lives of people challenged with substance abuse issues. This type of work soon became my passion. I went back to school and received my Masters in Social Work and began working full time with my father and the In Balance team to make the vision of In Balance Ranch Academy a reality.”

"When talking about what the ranch would be we all committed to making it a unique program unlike any other in the world. We all asked ourselves what worked in all of the programs we have been and what didn’t and then we cross checked our instincts with what research says and we were right on. We also committed to creating an environment that allowed young people to get sober and like it. So we added as many activities as we could think of that young men would enjoy. We strive every day to improve ourselves and our program and the lives of the people we are working with and that has allowed me to realize my dream of working at a place that I always have room to impact change and continue to grow."

"I watch young men come into the program angry, self-defeating, scared, hurt, and disconnected with their families and watch them learn to trust, love, play, have fun, feel pride and regain their relationships with their family. There is no process more rewarding to watch. I always knew I had to work for a program that had a primary focus of the students involved and In Balance Ranch Academy gives more back to the students than any program I have ever seen. The students drive the direction they take in the program and I believe feeling ownership over your environment is the only way anyone can succeed."

"My strengths lie in setting boundaries while developing relationships with the students. I am never invested in saying no or implementing anything that does not make sense so I am constantly asking the students for their input on how to improve situations or solve problems. My priority is always re-instituting healthy empowerment in the family while rebuilding the family structure. My goal with every student is to facilitate a sense of pride, power, and purpose. "

Garry Nix, MS
Primary Therapist

Garry Nix is a graduate of National University in La Jolla, California receiving a Master’s of Science in Human Behavior. He completed his Bachelor’s degree at Fort Hayes State University majoring in Justice Studies with a minor in Juvenile Delinquency. Garry spent 20 years in the United States Navy. While in the Navy he traveled many places throughout the world, learning and sampling many different cultures. Once Garry retired from the United States Navy Garry when on to Law Enforcement in the State of California, where he spent 10 years, working for the City of Oxnard, California. During his time in Law Enforcement he worked with young men and women, encouraging life changing strategies, in an effort to help the make better decisions. Unfortunately, Garry was retired from Law Enforcement after being injured while serving in a Law Enforcement capacity.

Garry was raised in Texas where he learned to love horses and understands the great therapeutic value they offer in teaching us about ourselves. Garry also works closely with our Equine Staff and is a part of our Wilderness program. Garry came out of retirement because of his passion to see young men make decisions that aid them in living as men of great character. Garry’s belief is that if you give young man an opportunity to learn how to make and see change through making the will continue to make good decisions.

“Give a people food they can eat for that day, teach people to grow there own food, they eat for life.”

Sarah Loseman, MA
Primary Therapist

Sarah Loseman graduated from Stephen F. Austin State University, in Nacogdoches, TX with her Master’s Degree in Counseling. She has over 10 years experience working with adolescents. She has worked in a variety of settings, including outdoor education, wilderness therapy and residential programs. She has spent the past 6 ½ years working at a co-ed emotional growth boarding school in Montana. There, she learned to value the positive peer culture and how it can teach students to take pride in their relationships, their school and their own growth. She has gained years of experience working with a diverse group of teens and their families. She has designed a transition program, family workshop weekends and went on several community service trips with students. She has experience facilitating a variety of types of therapy, including: equine, adventure, group, family, and individual. Sarah enjoys getting involved in whatever the task at hand is. She does not sit back and watch life pass her by. She loves to travel around the U.S and has been to New Zealand and Australia twice. She grew up in Missouri and has since lived in Texas, Wisconsin, Utah, Montana, Idaho and now Arizona.

“The emotional growth that my son was lacking was taught and guided by Sarah’s work with him individually and within his group. It was the most painful and healing time for our family and the end result was our son learned to love himself, his family and others. Our son would not be the happy, healthy, drugfree, responsible, loving person he is today without all he learned from Sarah” –former student’s mother

Melinda Roark, MA - Primary Therapist Melinda Roark, MA
Primary Therapist

Melinda comes to us with over 20 years of experience in the Substance Abuse Counseling and Mental Health field. She has worked with youth, adults and seniors; in-patient, out-patient and residential; long and short term treatment; in management and as a therapist. She received her Master’s degree in Human Behavior from the University of Oklahoma and her Bachelor’s degree in Behavioral Science from Western International University. Melinda has held credentials as an International Certified Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counselor since 1992.

“My own addiction and recovery set me on the path to working in this field. I began as a volunteer in the Army Substance Abuse clinic in Hawaii after my 3 children were old enough to attend school. Due to my own recovery and through living by the 12 steps and principles, I realized I had found my calling. After 6 months of volunteering, the Army hired me as a Substance Abuse counselor, but in order to keep my position I needed to gain certification and complete my Master’s degree. Although I had never been serious about college and the fears were many, I felt inspired and intensely motivated. I knew that this was where I belonged-- helping others. With tremendous support from my family and the 12 step community, I continued to work as I pursued my degree and certification. That experience stays with me today; I know that I can accomplish anything if my motives and intentions are right, if I stay clean and sober, if I surround myself with people who can lift me up, and I stay emotionally, physically, mentally and spiritually fit.”

Prior to becoming a therapist at In Balance Ranch Academy Melinda was responsible for auditing 25 residential programs for youth in 10 different states.

“Although this position allowed me to meet new people and share new ideas, it became clear that my heart was calling me to work with young people directly again, and in a place that not only truly cared about helping others but who did it well. When I made the decision to make Tucson my home and found In Balance Ranch Academy, I knew I was truly home.”

“My passion is to continue to work with youth. I have found working as a therapist to be the most rewarding work I have ever done. Having the privilege to work with youth and their families is a gift. Being able to guide them in believing in themselves through living a sober lifestyle and becoming passionate about paying this forward to others who have had the same struggles, is a rewarding and tremendous blessing. My gratitude to those who have made this possible for me and so many others is immeasurable.”

Landon Rush, BHT
Primary Therapist

Landon Rush joins the clinical team at In Balance Ranch after a year working in the Intensive Outpatient program in Tucson. During this time he has not only shown us the breadth and depth of work he can do with young people and their families, he has also been a tremendously professional, creative and inspirational member of the IOP team.

Landon is an Arizona native and resides in Tucson. After high school, Landon joined the Active Army component as an artilleryman. He fought on Route Irish, in Baghdad, Iraq in 2003-2004, during the beginning of the Iraq War (OIF 1). After completing his term of enlistment in 2006, Landon left his duty station in Strassburg, Germany and returned stateside to start college. During this time, he joined the Army National Guard and is currently in Officer Candidate School to become a second lieutenant. After OCS, Landon’s end-state will be as a psychologist in the Army National Guard.

Landon graduated from Prescott College with a Political Science B.A. He found his calling in psychology when he looked back on his life with the military and some other personal experiences, and realized that help is needed for those who suffer. Landon then redirected his education and is now in his academia for counseling psychology at Prescott College. He is near completion of his Master’s degree and starts his Ph.D. in August of 2013 for clinical psychology, with a neuropsychology concentration. He is creating a psycho-educational based website for war veterans, www.TheWarIsNotOver.org, to help educate about PTSD and the related issues. His human subject research stretches from Equine Facilitated Therapy to Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy (VRET). He prefers a CBT approach with his counseling work, but researches the cognitive neuroscience of behaviors and disorders, as well. As for his personal perspective, Landon believes that building from life experiences, whether negative or positive, to create coping strategies is highly valuable. His philosophy is, “life is the greatest educator of all.” Landon is dedicated to his work and believes that helping those who struggle, is a necessity as a human-being.

As for passions and hobbies, Landon has a history with sprint to ultra distance endurance events. His passions are triathlon, duathlon, running, swimming, cycling (on and off-road), motorcycles, classic cars and nature. Landon was on Team USA in 2011 and competed in Gijon, Spain for the United States in the Duathlon World Championship. He believes that physical fitness is an important part to recovery and life.

“I can understand what these young men are going through. I dropped out of high school and struggled with substance abuse myself. I joined the Army as a teenager and thought my troubles were over, but when I returned from war I found myself struggling again. The Army missions I ran while on deployment and my time on the streets of Baghdad, Iraq changed me forever. After losing my best friend in 2008 to a D.U.I. related motorcycle accident and further reflections of friends that I lost through combat, substance abuse and suicide, I found myself changing career paths. I originally wanted to be a federal agent and my B.A. was geared towards that. I realized that I do not need to be in the fight anymore, but want to help those who are currently fighting with substance abuse, PTSD, depression and any psychological issues. After seeing myself change through education and self-work, I believe that all the young men in this program can make a change, as well. The lessons of life are there, we just have to realize what they are, and use them to help us.”

Academic Faculty

Lynda Hendricks, M.S.Ed. | Larry Catten, B.S., J.D. | Christie Santiago, B.S.
Wendy Morgando, B.S., M.A.

Lynda Hendricks - In Balance Ranch Academic Director Lynda Hendricks, M.S.Ed.
Academic Director/Reading Specialist

Lynda is a nationally recognized, award-winning educator with more than 22 years experience in teaching, curriculum design and program development. She is a past recipient of educational awards, and has served on numerous school improvement committees at local, state, and national levels. For the last 3 years, Lynda served as the academic director for one of the country’s leading residential programs for young men, which consistently operated at full capacity with a waiting list. She brings invaluable experience in program development, curriculum design and effective milieu therapy to the In Balance Ranch Academy.

"I always knew I wanted to become a teacher and help students realize their dreams. No matter which age group I work with, I enjoy making a difference in the lives of the students. The therapeutic boarding school environment is especially rewarding because we are able to work closely with the students to create change in all areas of their lives, not just their academic performance."

"I wanted to work for a program that was committed to excellence. When I met with the Barrasso’s, I knew they were willing to put in the necessary effort to make the program the best in the country. It takes a committed leader with a clear, inspired vision to create the excellence in all aspects of a therapeutic program. We have the innovative, caring, and professional staff members necessary to help the students reach their potential."

"At the Ranch, we are able to minimize outside negative influences and concentrate on creating a positive, nurturing classroom climate. The students are motivated and desire to excel; this is truly a teacher’s dream!"

I am willing to do whatever it takes to help each student succeed. Failure is not an option; all students will succeed in meeting their academic and personal goals. The students know that their personal best is the only acceptable grade at IBRA and that we will continue to work together until they reach it."

Larry Catten, B.S., J.D.
Academy Teacher

Larry has a BS in Political Science and a Juris Doctorate degree from the University of Utah. Before coming to In Balance Ranch, Larry had a private legal practice in the areas of administrative law, construction and employment law. He also had over twenty years in the public sector in various capacities including director and executive director of municipal agencies and a lobbyist to state and federal agencies.

In his legal and public sector career, Larry has drafted hundreds of legal documents and dozens of presentations and proposals for federal, state and local government agencies as well as corporate executives. The legal documents and technical proposals ranged in size from a single page to several hundred pages.

Larry has been heavily involved in outreach teaching opportunities with legal and government associations. He has taught proposal writing and skills and techniques in numerous seminars, workshops and conferences. He has also been a civics, government and political science lecturer for several high school classes.

Larry enjoys living in southern Arizona where he can frequently be seen riding his motorcycle along the back roads of the area. As a former high school athlete with an injury shortened college football career, Larry enjoys all sports and outdoor recreation activities.

“Throughout my professional career I have had a compelling interest to eventually teach at a high school or junior college level. In Balance Ranch has given me the opportunity to achieve that career goal. More importantly, In Balance gives me the opportunity to work with gifted and talented young men. It is an immeasurable opportunity to help young men as they find their path to success and fulfillment.”

Christie Santiago, B.S.
Academy Teacher

Christie has always had a love of math and science, which lead her to major in Biology. She started her academic career by tutoring veterans through Veteran’s Affairs. Christie also volunteered at a local charter school and was invited to stay as the head of the Science department.

Christie has been teaching high school math and science for seven years. During that time she has acquired a plethora of teaching techniques which she applies on a daily basis. Her experience with creating curriculum allows Christie to mold lessons to the individual needs of her students, while ensuring that they are building the skills necessary to be successful. She has diligently worked to expand the minds of her students by making learning interesting and fun.

“Teaching is a passion of mine, it is not just a job; it is what I do. Teaching at the Ranch is a wonderful experience. I get to work with some of the brightest, most interesting students I have met yet. I do my best to instill them with the same love and thirst for knowledge I have had since I was a young child.”

Wendy Morgando, B.A., M.A.T.
Academy Teacher

Wendy has a B.A. from Sarah Lawrence College, an M.A.T. from Simmons College and nearly 20 years of teaching experience. For 17 years she taught History at an independent college preparatory boarding school in California and upon leaving became the first recipient of an award, named in her honor, which is given annually to a member of the faculty who exhibits “enthusiasm, leadership, and dedication to students.” Before moving to Sierra Vista, she taught both English and Social Studies at a college preparatory charter school in Nevada.

Wendy has chosen to work in schools which strive to maintain high standards while stressing an individualistic approach. She models passion for learning and strives to create a positive student-centered environment, using a “teacher as coach” approach. Her primary goal is to help students learn how to learn by providing them with a variety of tools and options so they can figure out what works best for them.

Wendy enjoys spending time with her husband and teenage daughter, reading, taking walks in the Arizona sunshine, listening to what her family thinks are “boring” podcasts about archeology, history, and currents events, and watching endless playlists of British detective series on YouTube.

Milieu Team

Steve Nath | Chris Gallego

Steve Nath
Milieu Director

Steven has over ten years experience working with youth in various programs in Nevada and Arizona. Steven began his career at Harris Springs Ranch located in Mount Charleston outside of Las Vegas NV. Steven has worked with youth teaching, life skills, meditation and helping youth reach their full potential while navigating their recovery. He worked for the Cochise county Juvenile court where he created community service programs that allowed youth to increase their self-esteem and self-worth through trail building and nature conservation projects. Steven worked with youth leadership initiatives in South Eastern Arizona in primary prevention. He was co-coordinator for Southeast Arizona's first Teen Institute which brought together 15 Southern Arizona High schools consisting of teams of youth, teachers and parents from each school addressing issues in their communities. His primary focus will be managing the milieu to support students and staff at In Balance Ranch Academy.

Chris Gallego
Milieu Manager

Christopher started volunteering for the In Balance Outpatient program in 2003 and since then has had extensive interaction and involvement with the program, staff, and students. Christopher has an Associates Degree in Liberal Arts from Pima Community College and is certified as a wilderness first responder and as a high ropes course facilitator. He is now our co-milieu manager and facilitator of the leadership weekends. Additionally, he works closely with the wilderness and adventure-therapy staff to encourage the students’ emotional, spiritual, and physical growth.

“I had the opportunity to share my life story with a group of court mandated students that were attending our outpatient facility in Tucson. I realized I was hooked and loved working with this population. I have a lot to offer these young men since I, too, have experienced some difficult times in my life. The message I convey is that there are better choices to be made in life and it is worth living life free and happy as opposed to being a prisoner of substances. I have been at In Balance Ranch Academy since its inception in 2004. My passion is spending time with the students, getting to know them as individuals, and pushing them to become the best they can be in life and to not settle for anything less. My primary focus is to support and manage the milieu, students and staff at In Balance Ranch Academy.”

This school is accredited by The Commission on International and Trans-Regional Accreditation
see accreditation letter