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RedCliff Ascent is a proud member of the National Association of Therapeutic Schools and Programs.

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Teen Boot Camp Alternative:
Wilderness Therapy Program

Therapeutic Wilderness programs have frequently been confused with teen boot camps. Juvenile boot camps use structure, intimidation and fear administered by drill-sergeant-like staff. State corrections have typically adopted this method of rehabilitation. RedCliff Ascent does not ascribe to the philosophy as a juvenile boot camp. We use natural and logical structure, traditional therapy, a value-based curriculum and the power of Mother Nature. Boot camps gain compliance through punitive punishments for failure to comply. RedCliff fosters compliance through an experiential learning process of success and failure within the community and the environment. In other words, if a student does not build a shelter on a cloudy night, he or she may get rained on and be wet all night. The students learn from experience, not fear and intimidation. In a teen boot camp, the students are on one level and the staff on another. At RedCliff, the counselors eat the same food, sleep in the same environment, and experience the same joys and misfortunes the wilderness has to offer 24 hours a day. Because the counselors are on the same level, the students learn to love and respect them. Ultimately, they develop very close relationships of trust and a willingness to discuss problems and issues. RedCliff's wilderness program is a much better treatment alternative than a juvenile boot camp because experiential learning is a much more productive treatment method than intimidation and fear from an authority figure.

Find out if your child is right for our wilderness program, a great alternative to juvenile boot camps