Red Cliff Ascent | Wilderness Therapy new option for Irish Parents

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“I was at RedCliff's wilderness therapy program for 65 days as a troubled teen. I got more out of my experience there than I think I could ever explain…I finally began to feel whole again, and that was a feeling I had not felt in a very, very long time.”
Caroline - Former Student

“…I thought I would drop a note to let you know how well he is doing. First of all, let me say how pleased we were with your wilderness program, what an impressive program! It is so nice to have him home. I am forever just going up to him and hugging him out of the clear blue sky…the nice part is, he looks and sounds happy! Much happier than I have ever seen him. He is enjoying Life!”
Nancy - Parent

Wilderness Therapy new option for Irish Parents

Sunday Tribune
Dublin Ireland
March 26, 2006

Wilderness Therapy new option for Irish Parents

By Sarah McInerny

A number of 'Brat Camps' in the United States have started getting calls and emails from Irish families who want to send their out-of-control teenagers to America to be disciplined through the use of 'wilderness therapy'.

According to Stephen Schultz, spokesman for the RedCliff Ascent Wilderness Therapy Program in Utah, the centre has been getting monthly inquiries from Irish families for over a year, one of which resulted in an Irish teenager being enrolled in the program last summer. Schultz said that the flow of inquiries from Ireland began shortly after RedCliff Ascent was featured on the first series of the popular Channel 4 tv show, Brat Camp.

"At the moment, we're getting around 3 inquiries from Ireland every month," he said. "So far that has only materialised in one teenager coming to the camp, but the experience worked out very well for him, so we're hoping that we will have more Irish teenagers in the future."

The TurnAboutRanch, which featured in series two of 'Brat Camp', has also noted a surge of interest from Irish families. According to the Admissions Director, Chris Fudge, one Irish family were on the verge of sending their teenage boy, when he got to the airport and simply refused to go.

"Logistically, it's actually very difficult to get a child to travel long distances when parents have lost so much control," she said. "If a child throws a fit in the airport, then he's not going to be allowed on the plane by security officials, so that makes it difficult for parents from Ireland. However, since last year, we've been getting around two phone calls and 5 emails every month from Irish families."

The most recent series of Brat Camp featured the Aspen Academy in Utah, which has just recently received inquiries from Ireland. "Within the past three weeks we've received five email inquiries from Ireland and one phone call," said Gill Hallows, spokesman for the centre. "This is the first time we've had any interest from Ireland, and we're really hoping it will materialise into families actually sending their teenagers here."

Wilderness Therapy programs are hugely popular in the States, with 12,000 American children being packed off to camps every year. Typical courses last three months, and cost an average of $30,000. Throughout their stay, teenagers are brought camping and hiking, and taught how to survive in the outdoors. They also attend counselling sessions.

According to Stephen Schultz, when it's done properly, wilderness therapy is twice as effective in the short term as outpatient treatment or hospitalisation. But, he said, it's not always done properly.

"It's very important for parents to distinguish between the different types of camps," he said. "Within the wilderness therapy industry, totally different approaches are taken. Some of the camps are very militant, and parents should be extremely careful of where they send their children."

An Outdoor Behavioral Healthcare Industry Council has been set up to regulate standards in the industry - www.obhic.com