NORTH SALT LAKE, Utah — It was almost a year ago when the well-known Red Barn rehabilitation and treatment center in Farmington shut its doors and sold all its property, leaving the community worried about the future of the students in the program.
Nearly 12 months later, many of those students have found their new home at John Volken Academy just down the road in North Salt Lake. The academy is a men’s residential, vocational school that requires a two-year commitment to create behavioral change.
“I was at Red Barn for 14 months when it was closing down. It was heart-wrenching. I thought I was going back to prison," said student council president Ely Burns.
Burns was one of 86 men concerned about their path forward when Red Barn announced it was closing last February.
"I was looking at staff, and they’re telling me everything was going to be OK." he said. "Coming from my background, I really don’t trust people, but for some reason I trusted them, and John Volken came in, swooped us up, and adopted us.”
Community shocked, saddened over sudden closure of Red Barn treatment center:
A lot of work went into the big move, but it’s nothing the students can't handle.
“Just the things we had to do, move out of there and look for a place to live, and then have John Volken step up, and then put the work in. It’s been more than tough, but it’s been really rewarding,” shared student Nate Workman.
Like many of those at the academy, Workman has turned his life around, starting at Red Barn and through the transition with his fellow students to North Salt Lake.
“It’s brought us closer together as a house," Workman said. "Really, it’s about the guy next to you at the end of the day."
The academy focuses on education, life skills training, community, and personal growth.
“When [students] first come here, they can’t even turn the lights on or off. Six months later, you’re giving them the keys to a truck and asking them to go take care of the guys and come home safe," explained program director John Tervort. "They grow, and they change. You can see the light in their eyes. You can see their smiles. You can see them do hard things and be proud of themselves.”
Much of their staff, like Tervort, are former students. They officially moved out of Red Barn on November 15, and their president, Jaynee Paulson, says they were lucky to be able to bring the same staff and students to the new academy.
“It’s about literally saving people's lives," she said. "To me, it was like as many people as we can fit, the more people we can bring, the better.”
And staying in Davis County allows the students to continue to feel the community's support.
“I think that watching the community kind of rally, it felt like they were seeing and speaking about the things I see everyday. Just getting that type of recognition that these guys matter. They make a difference," said Poulson.
While the changes are just beginning as students organize their thrift store and classrooms, one thing that’s stayed the same over the past year is the group's commitment to rebuilding their lives.
“Just the way that this has come about," Workman said, "has been nothing short of a miracle.”
