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Why Trails Carolina is Leading in Teen Wilderness Therapy

Editor

Trails Carolina offers pre-teens and teens a unique set of experiences in the wilderness. These experiences have proven to be highly successful at changing harmful and destructive behavior patterns and getting their students back on track.

The success rates by various measures typically hit the 90 percentile, which is phenomenal given the youth they are helping.

What is Wilderness Therapy?

Wilderness therapy is often a solution for teaching troubled teens how to manage behavioral challenges and focus on the responsibilities and self confidence building that come along with living in nature.

Typically, the participants are sent out in groups of eight to ten accompanied by several counselors. While they spend the majority of their time living within a wilderness location, they also engage in comprehensive clinical services.

Trails Carolina is a Leader in the Wilderness Therapy Field

As leading gateways like Resources to Recover point out, the Trails Carolina Therapeutic Wilderness Program provides a “therapeutic environment and educational setting that encourages growth and change.” As other reviews show, they provide a 360-degree view of teaching life lessons and values to troubled youth.

One of the crucial things about the rtor.org endorsement is that they list Trails Carolina as a “Family-endorsed Provider,” which shows how the families and Trails Carolina base camp participants have rated the programs.

They are licensed by the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services and is a member of the National Association of Therapeutic Schools and Programs (NATSAP).

Finally, they offer an advanced academic program, which not only brings a classroom learning environment while attending base camps but even allows for some credits to be transferred back home. Their program is registered with North Carolina’s Department of Public Instructions.

How Trails Carolina Programs Work

Their year-round wilderness therapy program is centered around the Blue Ridge Mountain region in North Carolina. The groupings are presented in the next section.

Their four cornerstones of success are self-awareness, emotional regulation, and transference. Their focus is to help teens dealing with transitions and behavioral disorders gain confidence, deal with anxiety, and heal through relaxing, team spirit, and skills development.

Trails Carolina Trains their Attendees in Appropriate Peer Groups

Trails Carolina programs are separated into the following groups:

  • Boys 10-13 years of age
  • Girls 10-13 years of age
  • Boys 14-17 years of age
  • Girls 14-17 years of age

The idea is that by separating students into their closest age group, they meet the needs of their specific situations. They can fit them into a therapeutic wilderness program that fits those needs. This gives troubled youth the best shot at getting their lives back on track. When they go back to school they can set up boundaries, like the way they interact with their friends which relates in a positive way with people in their lives.

Why the Programs Work

Trails Carolina has been helping students since 2008. Their long list of services includes the following focus areas:

  • Therapy bolstered by treatment planning and personality assessments for each attendee
  • Group and family therapy
  • Wilderness therapy
  • Equine therapy, and
  • Parent workshops.

The involvement with each attendee’s life and education is a critical factor in breaking down barriers and breaking through to the minds of the individuals. Goal orientation is another critical part, as it often comes through in reviews from successful attendees and relieved family members.

Continuing Education is Key

Education at Trails Carolina includes personal wellness awareness and training, earth sciences, language arts, and history. Specific credits can be earned for P.E. (Adventure Education), Health and Wellness, World and Appalachian History, and Environmental Sciences.

Specialized instructors pay keen attention to ensuring that the attendees do not fall behind in their academics.

How Are Trails Carolina Attendees Graded?

Attendees to the program are adjudged at four points of time over their journey of transformation:

  • When they begin the program
  • Immediately after they finish the program at Trails
  • Three months after they finish the program
  • One year after they have completed the program

By reviewing behavior patterns in-depth and on specific benchmarks, the efficacy of the programs on these young peoples’ lives can be clearly deduced.

Review Results are Clear – The Trails Carolina Wilderness Therapy Program Works!

92% of families whose troubled youth members (ages 14-17) have attended their camps report a clear improvement in toning down their disobedient behavior at schools. Between the time they started at base camp and the one-year mark after completing the program.

To provide further proof about the effectiveness of the Trails Carolina Therapeutic Wilderness program, they commissioned a 5-year outcomes study which the University of Arkansas independently did. The results were clear. For example:

  • 98% reported a decrease in suicidal thoughts
  • 97% reported a decrease in ADHD
  • 96% reported a decrease in substance abuse
  • 93% reported a decrease in depression, and
  • 86% reported a decrease in anxiety.