Comments about ‘Investigations ordered into wilderness therapy camps in Utah and elsewhere’

There are some phenomenal programs that have literally saved thousands and thousands of young people. There have been some bad ones too. As stated in the article the attitude in almost every death that has been a preventable one was "they're faking it". The program I worked at took every complaint seriously and that is a big reason it has never had a death in 30+ years of running. Was it a hassle at times and did the majority turn out to be nothing...yes, but no one died. There are some risks and dangers in the wilderness you can do little to avoid but this attitude is not one of them. Unfortunately programs not regulating themselves severely restricts those who do and regulations can and do affect the ability of programs to provide as effective treatment as they could otherwise. Hopefully the federal govt. doesn't further hamper that ability.

My wife worked at a wilderness therapy program and thinks that some programs do go overboard, but that these programs are absolutely helpful not only for the kids, but for the parents. My hope is that the government does not step in and 'correct' what is a truly helpful way of turning kids' lives around.

i think the programs are a good thing, yes they need to be inspected, etc. when you have a troubled teen, there is not alot left other than a residential treatment program. we had a daughter in one, she ran away, but was found 40 hrs later. we put her right back in there. they do need to have survivalists leading the pac, plus good credentialed therapists. we were very happy with the program she was in, and would do it again if needed.

About 10 to 20 thousand young people are enrolled in these programs which cost $130 to $450 a day. Some receive federal money for special education and other services but no oversight.

Aaron was beaten "from the top of his head to the tip of his toes".

Shows what unregulated capitalism can do.

Who is Jan Moss?

Bob in Petaluma

The key is for parents to be very involved in what their children are doing on the mountain. They need to have their child sent to a non-punitive program. They may not be able to physically see their child for a period of time, but they can call in and get updates. The really good wilderness programs are those that keep the parents in the loop the whole time. Not all are bad. I agree, there are thousands of at risk youth in the world who have had their lives saved because of effective wilderness programs. Stay away from the "boot camp" types.

Use of a word in a headline that's not part of normal vocabulary is a mistake. Shouldn't the headline read, "Wilderness Therapy Flawed"

some of this mentality are not professional nor scientific based..the ol' john wayne attitude toward the pilgrim or the tenderfoot' will not cut it ...the good programs always access themselves every step of the way , don't assume..challenging yet always pushing in a positive way...each human being has breaking pts to think otherwise is to generalize and that is where the problem begins. Death is not acceptable!

Wonder why there's always so much weird stuff going on in Southern Utah?

Jihadists...Polygamist cults...now this...

Not very good publicity for Utah...that's for sure.

Undeserved? OR Deserved?

5 of the 10 deaths described occured in Utah. Wow. Not surprised.

We have done therapy for a son. Addiction is a heart breaking experience and touches everyone. However, any institution that purports to help children, should have some oversight. As a parent you do the best you can to keep on top of a childs environment and life, but you can't be there every day. Essentially giving-up your child to someone for 24/7 therapy needs to be monitored, no matter what the inconvenience. The worst would be to receive notice that your child had died in a program that purports to help.

10 deaths in 17 years, with literally THOUSANDS of teens in these programs. Sounds to me like many more lives are SAVED than lost. If these parents were doing their job we would not need these programs. I blame the parents - you cop out on your responsibility, pass then buck, and then cry foul when you lose your child, who probably would have died in the streets right in your own back yard from drugs, etc. Maybe we had better ban football, all sports for that matter, as many more lives have been lost in these activities than all wilderness programs put together. Stop wasting taxpayer money to salve the conscience of guilty parents - why not offer government subsidy to help these programs do their job and be affordable for more troubled teens.

I don't blame the parents for the existence of these programs. I am an alert and involved parent, but my husband I have a teenager who is rebellious. Despite our best efforts, she sluffs school, drinks, shoplifts, sleeps around, and who knows what else. You can't be with your kids (especially older teenagers) 24/7, and when you have a really rebellious one natural consquences (like loss of privileges) just don't work. We sent our daughter to a wilderness program (with a good track record and communication with parents), and I believe it was a good experience for her. It didn't cure her of her problems, but it did keep her away from parties, bad friends, and the court system for a little while, which is better than our best efforts without the program were able to do. I would send her to a longer-term program if we could afford it. I think the programs offer something that parents can't get at home: total removal from bad social pressures (and bad habits). If you don't have a rebellious child, you can't guess how draining it is!

I have a dear friend who have done everything in their power to save a struggling teen. It required professional help and luckily now that she's in her early 20's there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Not all troubled teens are the result of bad parenting. Some are, but many are not. Michelle Sutton's parents were doing their best to short circuit destructive behavior, not pass the buck. their daughter died needlessly and I'm glad they're doing their best to see ALL these programs are appropriate for the THOUSANDS of future troubled teens.

there have been OVER 100 deaths nationwide, 9 in Utah, since 1970. The 10 deaths reported during the Congressional Hearing are only the ones from the case studies they presented to Congress to bring attention to this abuse. There are many many others.

I agree with Firsthandview - I hope any gov't intervention doesn't hurt the programs with a proven track record of safe, effective results. How many thousands of alcohol-related deaths and abuse cases happen each year? Maybe some additional government involvement is needed there? Just a thought.

I have been involved with one particular residential treatment program for over a decade and it has proven itself to be a great tool to assist parents with their children. The key is for parents to go to the program and see what their children are doing, what activities , what interactions they have with staff and what their demeanor is when they see them. It would be a shame if these programs had to shut their doors due to federal guidelines that could not be met.

I have been involved in residential treatment and adventure therapy (form of wilderness therapy) for 20 years. Utah had some terrible incidents that caused Utah state government to put into effect excellent over sight and regulations that protect kids and allow the program to still be therapeutic. I agree that every state should provide licensing and oversight to therapeutic based programs. I believe that in recent years that Utah has set the standard to be followed for other states to follow.

Speller.. Flayed is a word and appropriately used

No program worth its salt should mind a few well placed regulations that help safeguard the well-being of minors. However many of these programs truly do help many thousands of troubled teens and so individuals should be cautious of "throwing out the baby with the bathwater".

As for Utah coming under scrutiny, it is possible that Utah simply has more programs than most other states (although I don't know the actual statistic).

This goes out to SAM. I as a parent,went to the court to get help with my child. I had no intentions on letting them take him and put him into a wilderness program. I had hoped that they would help with counseling and whatever else while he stayed at home. I have continuois contact with the director,chiefs,family caseworker,and my son. He comes home every 5 weeks for five days. Phone call once a week. I visited every other weekend or every weekend if I want to. When he transitions, he can come every weekend. When he graduates from the program they are there for the first year to help with getting jobs,driver license,education, and if they feel they are getting in rut, they can go back up for the weekend and talk to the chiefs or to just to get away. As I see , my son is getting a great experience out of this program. He is not there due to drugs,alcohol,nor trouble with the law. His problem was more with school and home. He learns from a hands on experiences. So I'm NOT PASSING THE BUCK as you would say!!!!