Stories from the Field: Mental Health and the Outdoors
Health & Fitness:Mental Health
In this special episode, Will sheds light on the upheaval in the wilderness therapy landscape, particularly spotlighting the closure of Embark Behavioral Health's New Visions Wilderness Therapy programs. This narrative delves into the broader implications of private equity's role in the mental health care industry, with a focus on how these financial underpinnings have influenced the recent pivot away from wilderness therapy models, especially in the context of adolescent treatment. The episode underscores the closure of not just New Visions in Wisconsin and Deschutes Wilderness Therapy but notes a startling trend: the total cessation of ten adolescent wilderness therapy programs in the past year alone, signaling a seismic shift in the field.
In discussing New Visions Wilderness Therapy, the episode shares a brief history of the program and spotlights the utilization of trauma-informed care as a factor in its growth and success. The incorporation of trauma-informed practices into their treatment model did play a role in differentiating New Visions in a growing behavioral healthcare marketplace, aiding in its expansion and the subsequent interest from larger, investment-driven entities. This examination underscores the complexity of the adolescent wilderness therapy field, where clinical innovation intersects with business interests, leading to significant changes in the availability and approach to adolescent mental health care.
This episode navigates through the nuances of these closures and the broader implications for the changing wilderness therapy landscape, offering a dive into the intersection of financial decisions, clinical practices, and the changing dynamics of adolescent mental health treatment. As the wilderness therapy sector faces this pivotal juncture, White's analysis provides essential insights for professionals, families, and stakeholders, charting the ongoing evolution of treatment modalities in the face of economic and clinical challenges.
Article and podcast episodes talked about in this episode:
Wilderness Therapy Industry's Decline Accelerated by Embark Behavioral Health's Exit
Podcast episode with Steve Sawyer in which we talk about trauma-informed care
Podcast Interview with Drew Hornbeck, Co-founder of New Visions
Podcast Interview with Steve Sawyer, Co-founder of New Visions
176: Daniel Rogers, Director of CityScape Therapy
175: Evan Oppenheimer, Primary Therapist at True North
174: Mark Oerther, Chief Development Officer at Balance House
173: Dr. Mona Treadway, Co-founder of Dragonfly Transitions
172: Bob Hennen, Primary Therapist at Emerald Arrow
171: Carson McCord, Former Wilderness Therapy Student and Current Field Guide
170: Jill Allen, CEO of Brightstone Transitions
169: Alex Mufson, Founder and CEO of Aspen Growth Coaching
168: Patrick Hawkins, Founder of Triple Divide Lodge
167: Lucy Pritzker, author of “Crisis Interrupted: A Parents Guide to Residential Treatment for Children, Teens & Young Adults"
166. Matt Nannis, Founder and Executive Director of PIVOTpoint
165. Beth Laughlin, Director of 360 Transition Services
164. Psychological Testing and Wilderness Therapy
163: Mark Adamski, Founder of Wilderness Reboot
162: Shayna Abraham, Founder of Prepare to Bloom and Co-founder of Therapeutic Consulting Association
161. What is Coaching, and how does Wonder help families?
160. What is a "Therapeutic Consultant" ?
159: What is "Solutions Parenting Support"?
158: Exploring "All Kinds of Therapy"
157: Dr. Fred Peipman, Primary Therapist at Second Nature
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