In 1987, three former Provo Canyon School employees – Robert Lichfield, Karr Farnsworth, and Brent Facer – opened Cross Creek Manor which would be the first of many schools. Later, Robert Lichfield incorporated the World Wide Association of Specialty Programs and Schools  (WWASP) and programs operating under the Cross Creek Manor model would be referred to as “WWASP programs” by survivors. Over the course of 3 decades, over 20 WWASP programs would open and later close for various reasons including abuse, operating an illegal pharmacy, and economic factors. While the programs that operated under this model were not directly owned by Lichfield or Lichfield-owned companies, there was often a financial path back to him or one of his companies that allowed them umbrella company to exert some form of control over the owners of the program.

WWASP programs drew much of their structure from Synanon or Synanon-related influences. Like CEDU and Synanon, WWASP programs performed attack group therapy and multi-day retreats that would often comprise of attack therapy, shaming, victim-blaming, sleep and food deprivation, and pressure to coerce false confessions. While the conditions at WWASP programs were often harsh – including physical, emotional, and sexual abuse, many of the survivors would later recount that the emotional abuse from being constantly torn down by their peers would be far worse than any physical abuse they endured.

After several lawsuits, the umbrella company known as WWASP dissolved but there are still programs that exist utilizing the same model or being operated by key players from the original WWASP company.

Some of the closed WWASP programs through the years included:

• Academy at Dundee Ranch – Located in Costa Rica
• Academy at Ivy Ridge – Located in New York
• Bell Academy – Located in California
• Bethel Academy – Located in Mississippi
• Brightway Hospital – Located in Utah
• Carolina Springs Academy – Located in South Carolina
• Casa By The Sea – Located in Mexico
• Cross Creek Manor – Located in Utah
• Darrington Academy – Located in Georgia
• Gulf Coast Academy – Located in Mississippi
• High Impact – Located in Mexico
• Horizon Academy  – Located in Utah
• Majestic Ranch Academy – Located in Utah
• Mentor School – Located in Costa Rica
• Midwest Academy – Located in Iowa
• Morava Academy – Located in the Czech Republic
• Old West Academy – Located in Utah
• Paradise Cove – Located in Samoa
• US Youth Services – Located in Louisiana
• Royal Gorge Academy – Located in Colorado
• Sky View Christian Academy – Located in Nevada
• Spring Creek Lodge Academy – Located in Montana
• Sunrise Beach – Located in Mexico
• Northwest Academy – Located in Utah
• Woodland Hills Maternity Home – Located in Utah

As well as having a large roster of programs, many former WWASP staff or owners would later move on to start their own programs after WWASP closed. Some of the notable spinoffs include Reflections Academy in Montana, Clearview Horizons in Montana, Atlantis Leadership Academy in Jamaica, etc.