Stuart Squires is the Clinical Director at Vive Adolescent Care, a residential mental health treatment center for teenagers in St. George, Utah. He oversees the clinical program that guides adolescents ages 12 to 17 through trauma-informed, family-centered treatment.
Background and experience
Squires earned a Master's in Social Work in 2004 and has spent roughly two decades working in adolescent mental health. Over that span he has held a range of roles, including therapist, assistant clinical director, clinical director, executive director, and business developer. That progression has given him both a clinician's view of the day-to-day work of therapy and an operator's view of how a treatment program is built and run.
By his own account, Squires traces his commitment to this field to his upbringing. He grew up in a family that operated a group home for adult women with developmental disabilities, an environment he credits with teaching him the value of compassion and service early on. That experience, he has said, pointed him toward a career in mental health.
Approach to adolescent care
At Vive, Squires helps lead a model that emphasizes individualized treatment plans and active family involvement rather than one-size-fits-all protocols. The program brings parents and guardians into therapy through regular sessions and on-site family work, an approach aimed at rebuilding trust and communication while a teen stabilizes.
Squires is also a father of eight, with children involved in activities ranging from dance and gymnastics to soccer, track, and cheerleading. He has described that personal experience as something that informs his work, giving him perspective on adolescent development as both a parent and a clinician.
To read more about the program Squires leads, see our feature on how Vive Adolescent Care supports teens facing mental health struggles.