Researchers Evaluate Wilderness Therapy
9/29/99
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Title: Researchers Evaluate Wilderness Therapy
Source: Environmental News Network
Status: Copyright 1999, contact source for permission to reprint
Date: September 29, 1999
Byline: Margot Higgins
As wilderness therapy emerges as a promising approach in helping
adolescents overcome emotional, adjustment, addiction, and
psychological problems, the budding industry is seeking to answer
questions on the effectiveness of wilderness programs.
Suiting the unique mental health needs of adolescents has been a
challenge for the U.S. health care system. The appeal of wilderness
therapy is strengthened by its reputation for economy and therapeutic
efficiency when compared with other mental health services. Last
year, approximately 10,000 teens received wilderness treatment,
generating 330,000 wilderness user days and $60 million in annual
revenues.
But averaging $325 a day per client, wilderness programs have been
more accessible to adolescents of middle-upper class background. In
order to generate increased funding from government agencies and
insurance companies, a consortium of programs has banded together to
fund a series of program evaluation studies, which will be conducted
by researchers at the University of Idaho.
The studies will assess the size of the wilderness and outdoor
treatment industry in terms of the number of programs and clients,
client outcomes, risks to client physical and emotional safety, and
the social and economic importance of the industry. Over a dozen
wilderness therapy programs are joining the effort.
To help fund the research, the industry has formed the Outdoor
Behavioral Healthcare Industry Council. Mike Merchant, council chair
and vice president of Anasazi Wilderness Therapy in Mesa, Ariz., says
the cooperative's purpose is to "carry out a comprehensive research
program to advance the industry. Wilderness and outdoor treatment
programs are emerging as a very successful alternative for youth with
addictions and behavioral problems. We need the benefit of
continued research on this topic so we're forming this cooperative to
help fund the effort."
"Current objective information is key. We need credible studies that
document the positive outcomes we see in outdoor treatment," said
Mark Hobbins, senior vice president for Aspen Health Services in
Cerritos, Calif., which operates several wilderness therapy programs.
"That's the evidence we see everyday, but medical insurance
companies, social service agencies, adjudication authorities, school
officials, and parents want to see it."
The studies will also investigate the possibility that wilderness
therapy programs could be a potential source of revenue for land
agencies that are shifting from extraction industries to recreation.