Family Help & Wellness


Family Help & Wellness is a provider of private pay behavioral health programs for youth and young adults ages 5–28. Their programs include Wilderness Therapy programs, assessment centers, therapeutic boarding schools, residential treatment centers, and transitional living in total, they operated 9 programs in 2024.

Background

Family Help & Wellness was established in 2008. their headquarters is located in Salem, Oregon.
Elevations is partnered with several troubled teen programs. It provides management, financial, and marketing support to Elevations’ ownership team.
Family Help & Wellness is owned by private equity investors Trinity Hunt Partners who first invested in 2014.
Family Help grew by taking over defunct facilities from other troubled teen companies. The company's founder Dupell was the executive vice president and CFO of Aspen Education from 1999 until 2004. Dupell also served as the CEO of Family Help until 2017 when he stepped down following criminal convictions for cocaine use and property damage.
Dupell's predecessor, Steven Stradley, stepped into the position in 2017. He first joined FHW in 2014. Before that, he worked for the elder care company, SunWest Management Services, as the VP Risk & Administrative Services from 2002-2011. During that time, Sunwest Management was hit with California and Oregon class-action lawsuits, alleging unlawful business practices, false advertising, and Consumer Protection Act violation, and was charged with securities fraud by the federal government. Sunwest Management's CEO, Jon Harder, pleaded guilty to fraud and money laundering charges and was sentenced to 15 years in prison, but his sentence was commuted by former president Donald Trump in one of Trump's final official acts as president. Stradley has a Business Finance Degree.

Controversy

2014 - Trails Carolina Alec Lansing participant died of hypothermia during his time at Trails Carolina after going missing for 12 days.

Trails Carolina homicide investigation

On the morning of February 3, 2024, a 12-year-old boy was killed by staff after one night at Trails Carolina wilderness program by Family Help and Wellness. The Transylvania County Sheriff's Office launched an investigation in the death of the boy he had arrived at Trails Carolina on February 2, 2024 after being transported by two men from New York to Trails Carolina. On February 6, the investigators executed a search warrant on Trails Carolina. Trails Carolina refused to co-operate with the investigation. on the February 13, 2024 North Carolina [Department of Health and Human Services] told Trails Carolina it was to stop new admissions during the investigation. Later on February 18, 2024. All children were removed from Trails Carolina. On May 17, 2024 the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services permanently revoked Trails Carolina's license. On June 25, 2024 the medical examiner's report was released. The cause of death was determined to be asphyxia, and it was ruled as a homicide.

North Carolina investigation into Asheville Academy

On May 8, 2025, a thirteen-year-old killed herself at the school. In response, the state ordered on May 27, 2025 that Asheville Academy owned by Family Help & Wellness must stop new admission to the school. On May 29, 2025, a second death occurred. On May 31, 2025, Asheville Academy released all of its students.