Trails Carolina, a wilderness therapy program for troubled adolescents, claims to help these youngsters overcome emotional and behavioral difficulties, yet shocking allegations about physical mistreatment and neglect have surfaced against participants – prompting calls for increased regulation and accountability measures.
Inspection reports reveal that state regulators visited Trails Carolina an average of every 13 to 18 months – well below their minimum annual obligation of 12 visits.
Founded in 2021
Trails Carolina is a wilderness therapy program located among the beautiful mountains of North Carolina. Renowned for its innovative approach and commitment to family involvement, Trails Carolina provides an immersive and holistic experience for adolescents suffering behavioral and emotional difficulties.
This program utilizes wilderness as a therapeutic tool, offering students opportunities to test out their newly gained skills across settings. This multi-systems approach enhances student success in transitioning back home after the program has ended; additionally it includes midpoint parent workshops and the choice for an optional Common Ground experience.
State and regional trails contribute millions to North Carolina communities in terms of tourism revenue and local job creation, not to mention health benefits to those that use them.
Located in Asheville, North Carolina
Trails Carolina Horror Stories is a youth wilderness therapy program offering tailored solutions for emotional dysregulation in adolescents aged 10-13. Their distinctive treatment combines clinical rigor, family involvement and intentional transitions for optimal results.
This program offers many outdoor wilderness adventures such as hiking and expeditions on mountains. Additionally, classroom-like settings with licensed teachers provide education. Furthermore, workshops and weekly phone calls allow parents to be involved with these programs as well.
Trails uses outdoor activities, along with group therapy, to assist adolescents in breaking free of addictions. These immersive natural settings offer teens an immersive environment to develop empathy and compassion towards others as they face their own personal struggles – providing the means by which to overcome such struggles independently and become independent individuals.
The program’s mission is to help troubled adolescents discover their path to recovery
At Trails Carolina, students engage in an immersive therapeutic wilderness experience that helps them understand and address emotional, mental health and academic challenges they are experiencing as well as develop self-confidence, coping mechanisms and communication skills that improve communication across families. Trails Carolina also supports and builds stronger bonds among its participants through this process, which allows families to reconnect.
This program takes an integrative approach to treatment, including family therapy and academic support, using both residential and wilderness therapies for lasting change. An initial assessment will take place upon arrival to gauge your child’s mindset before weekly individual therapy with their primary therapist and a personalized treatment plan are developed and put into action.
Trails Carolina is a leading provider of therapeutic wilderness programs for adolescents. Through proven clinical methods and tailored therapy approaches, it assists adolescents in changing their undesirable behavior while leading their families toward healing. As a result, it has received multiple awards and recognition.
The program’s facilities are located in a remote wilderness setting
Facilities at this program provide a tranquil setting in the Blue Ridge Mountains, and its wilderness therapy experience teaches students self-respect and independence; students also develop greater insight into themselves and how best to deal with issues. Many parents report positive results of participation with this program due to improved behavior or attitude among their child(ren).
Staff of this program are dedicated to maintaining a safe and welcoming atmosphere for participants, with any complaints or concerns quickly addressed by its management. In addition, robust post-program support mechanisms such as continued therapy sessions and support groups help participants make a smooth transition back into regular life, maintaining the positive changes made and avoiding relapse.
The program’s staff members are not licensed
Trails Carolina offers outdoor adventure therapy programs for troubled youth. Their approach combines backcountry expeditions and base camp programming, led by masters-level therapists and trained wilderness instructors, to assist teens overcome challenges and realize their full potential. Its facilities are situated in the Blue Ridge Mountains and include cabins, sleeping cabinets and a private lake.
Critics have frequently attacked this program for its treatment methods and safety standards. Recently, one father claimed that this program neglected his daughter while permitting physical abuse to occur within it, leading regulatory bodies and independent investigators to conduct extensive inquiries into his allegations.
According to a new study conducted by CReATE, students in Trails Carolina reported ongoing improvements in their mental health one year post graduation from the program. These results support earlier research which demonstrated nature-based therapy’s efficacy.