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Reply to "Therapeutic Wilderness Schools - Any Insights?"

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[quote=Anonymous]There are several reasons why wilderness programs are considered a more extreme path versus trying residential programs covered by insurance or PHO/IOP first:

1) wilderness programs are extremely expensive and are almost never covered by insurance.  So making that choice often means eating up the child’s college funds or retirement funds.  We’re talking $40-50k+ for weeks of treatment.

2) residential programs covered by insurance, such as Rogers in Wisconsin, have just as much of a chance of being effective and cost substantially less.  They also have more trained therapists and psychiatrists on hand versus many wilderness programs.  So they are typically tried first.

3) if your child is severe enough to need residential treatment or a wilderness program, odds are they are not going to be fully well after one treatment program...it’s a longer haul over months or years, not weeks.  Treatment for a child can send the family into bankruptcy if all the available funds are used on just one treatment stint that has almost no insurance coverage.

4) because of the financial reasons above, many of the children in wilderness programs are there because of more extreme issues...strong oppositional behavior, violence, addiction, major trauma.  Oppositional behavior and violence in particular will keep these kids out of residential programs like Rogers, so the wilderness programs are some of the only choices their families have.  Thus, choosing the wilderness route means being prepared for your child to potentially be exposed to more egregious stuff from other attendees.

5) while there are some strong wilderness programs, there are just as many that are thrown together as a money-making opportunity in the troubled teen industry.  Their staff is not as trained or experienced and abusive treatment happens.  You REALLY have to do your research and work with an educational consultant to make sure you’re not being snowed by “reviews”. [/quote]

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