Therapeutic Wilderness Schools - Any Insights?

[Anonymous]

We are scheduled to speak with 3 different parents who sent their kids to the program over the last 2 years to get their honest feedback.

BTDT parent. I totally understand your concern about getting your son out the door everyday for outpatient or PHP. That was always a huge stress for us.

And, I think you are wise to talk with people. But, just to point out, if the program identified these parents, it is because they had a great experience and you are going to get only positive reviews. I actually don't know how you find others to talk to that aren't connected to you by the program. I mentioned earlier about the negative things your child can learn through mental health treatment. I would ask how they prevent that from happening. Your son is really young and there are so many negatives about having him introduced to the things he will inevitably learn in a residential program, but I totally understand the desperation.

[Anonymous]

I’m not sure what you mean about inpatient being too clinical. There are actually two levels here. Inpatient is crisis stabilization and is very short term (a few days to a week). Residential sounds like the level you need - approx 1-3 months. Residential is dorm-style with a mix of group and individual therapy combined with some school work, art programming, physical activity like hiking, and some regular planned social interaction. Programs really vary based on their focus and they are not all out of pocket, so do some research. It surprises me that a therapist would recommend wilderness as the next level after regular outpatient therapy. (And as a PP mentioned, depending on the wilderness program, there will be kids with very disruptive behaviors, co-occurring substance use issues, etc.)

[Anonymous]

OP PLEASE do more research. Many “wilderness” programs are really abusive and not therepeutic at all. My brother was sent to one at 13 and it reall scarred him.

You need more/better family therapy before you resort to sending your very young child away to be cared for by adults you don’t know. Yes, that means considering outpatient/inpatient (actually therepeutic) as needed. A good therapist will work on strategies to get your child to therapy.

[Anonymous]

The facebook group is called WTRS: Wilderness Therapy and Residential treatment search support.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP PLEASE do more research. Many “wilderness” programs are really abusive and not therepeutic at all. My brother was sent to one at 13 and it reall scarred him.

You need more/better family therapy before you resort to sending your very young child away to be cared for by adults you don’t know. Yes, that means considering outpatient/inpatient (actually therepeutic) as needed. A good therapist will work on strategies to get your child to therapy.

Also, there's a decent chance this on't be covered by insurance.

[Anonymous]

I also am very concerned that a therapist would immediately suggest wilderness therapy for a 13 year old when no other options have been tried other than regular therapy appts. There is a myriad of reasons that a child will be in wilderness therapy, and those reasons are quite often extreme. As mentioned above, your DS would be exposed to and learn behaviors I am thinking you would not want them exposed to....more extreme oppositional behaviors, addictions, trauma like sexual abuse which is discussed as part of the group therapies. Your 13 year old is no where near at the developmental level to be able to adequately handle constant exposure without being affected.

You really need to avail yourself first to more hospital-based options. Until the underlying anxiety and depression are addressed, and they help him manage those feelings, life skills will be affected no matter what. There are options locally where they are meeting in person rather than virtually, as mentioned above.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

We are scheduled to speak with 3 different parents who sent their kids to the program over the last 2 years to get their honest feedback.

BTDT parent. I totally understand your concern about getting your son out the door everyday for outpatient or PHP. That was always a huge stress for us.

And, I think you are wise to talk with people. But, just to point out, if the program identified these parents, it is because they had a great experience and you are going to get only positive reviews. I actually don't know how you find others to talk to that aren't connected to you by the program. I mentioned earlier about the negative things your child can learn through mental health treatment. I would ask how they prevent that from happening. Your son is really young and there are so many negatives about having him introduced to the things he will inevitably learn in a residential program, but I totally understand the desperation.

excellent points. he would be the youngest kid in such a program, exposed to older teens with serious mental health/violence/drug problems. My brother was 13 when he got sent to one of these places, and he left having picked up smoking and normalized drug use. Among other issues.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I also am very concerned that a therapist would immediately suggest wilderness therapy for a 13 year old when no other options have been tried other than regular therapy appts. There is a myriad of reasons that a child will be in wilderness therapy, and those reasons are quite often extreme. As mentioned above, your DS would be exposed to and learn behaviors I am thinking you would not want them exposed to....more extreme oppositional behaviors, addictions, trauma like sexual abuse which is discussed as part of the group therapies. Your 13 year old is no where near at the developmental level to be able to adequately handle constant exposure without being affected.

You really need to avail yourself first to more hospital-based options. Until the underlying anxiety and depression are addressed, and they help him manage those feelings, life skills will be affected no matter what. There are options locally where they are meeting in person rather than virtually, as mentioned above.

yes. OP please get a new therapist. This one isn’t working.

[Anonymous]

Wilderness programs are extremely expensive, and are unsuccessful as often as they are successful. They can eat up college funds. Most parents are trying a wilderness program after they have exhausted other avenues first. Those other avenues can provide help and success as much as a wilderness program can, and many are covered at least in part by insurance, so families typically try those first before spending tens of thousands of dollars on wilderness programs.

[Anonymous]

what about a month long Outward Bound course? Its a mix of normal and "troubled" kids on every trip, and the instructors are some of the most thoughtful people I've ever encountered.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The facebook group is called WTRS: Wilderness Therapy and Residential treatment search support.

yes yes yes.....go onto FB and look at it that group. Also get an educational consultant to see what they recommend. My son has anxiety and depression. He spent ten weeks at Mountain Valley Treatment Center in NH. Amazing place. True North was a place we were considering.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The facebook group is called WTRS: Wilderness Therapy and Residential treatment search support.

yes yes yes.....go onto FB and look at it that group. Also get an educational consultant to see what they recommend. My son has anxiety and depression. He spent ten weeks at Mountain Valley Treatment Center in NH. Amazing place. True North was a place we were considering.

Based on what I can tell from the internet, Mountain Valley looks like a legitimate residential therepeutic treatment center specializing in anxiety, fully staffed by trained medical professionals (including MDs) using evidence based methods. And it is a 501c3. Totally different from True North which seems to employ a vague notion that troubled kids just need to be more responsible through so-called wilderness therapy, and is a for-profit with no MDs on staff.

I would absolutely consider a place like Mountain Valley if my kid had an anxiety disorder severe enough. True North, never.

[Anonymous]

I think Mountain Valley is absurdly expensive and doesn't take insurance.

Rogers in Wisconsin has good care for teens with mental health problems and they take insurance.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think Mountain Valley is absurdly expensive and doesn't take insurance.

Rogers in Wisconsin has good care for teens with mental health problems and they take insurance.

Rogers also appears go be a legitimate mental health provider. Not “wilderness therapy” like True North. Please OP, if your child has a mental illness, get them actual help.

[Anonymous]

The Blue Ridge School in Virginia may be what you are looking for:

https://www.blueridgeschool.com/mid-year-enrollment/