Trails Carolina, located in North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains, is an intensive wilderness therapy program for adolescents that has recently drawn considerable criticism over alleged negative impacts it is having on participants.
Concerns include allegations of physical abuse, emotional manipulation and neglect. Former participants and staff members have shared their stories, painting a troubling picture.
Located in North Carolina
Trails Carolina “Investigation” is a wilderness therapy facility in North Carolina which assists troubled teens to address behavioral issues related to depression, anxiety, low self-esteem and addictions. They assist teens in rebuilding family relationships as well as finding academic success through its wilderness treatment program.
State inspection reports demonstrate that this facility has been subject to numerous violations over time, but state officials have taken too long responding to concerns about it; often leaving months or even years between inspections.
Staff at Trails have an unwavering passion and desire to help young people live better lives. Employees at this facility are paid hourly, have access to advancement opportunities within their industry and get to experience nature’s beauty first-hand. In contrast to some programs, Trails welcomes new students on day of arrival ensuring they don’t feel isolated; additionally they interact with both peers and counselors on an equal playing field.
It offers wilderness therapy
Trails Carolina is facing numerous allegations that range from emotional neglect to physical maltreatment that have attracted regulatory bodies and media scrutiny, prompting ongoing investigations into its practices and policies.
Trails Carolina is an outdoor wilderness therapy facility dedicated to helping troubled teens disconnect from digital devices and get to know themselves on a deeper level, which allows them to gain self-advocacy, communication, survival and independent living skills that will assist them as adults.
Trails Carolina field staff has been accused of employing coercive tactics, including verbal abuse and intimidation, to force participants into confessing wrongdoings or accepting punishment by depriving them of food, water and medication as punishments. Furthermore, state regulators are investigating this facility due to these accusations which include accusations that staff kicked, hit or choked participants during interviews; yet former students and their families continue to praise Trails Carolina’s effectiveness.
It offers a safe environment
Trails Carolina places safety as its primary objective despite its high participant turnover rate, providing staffing, training and policies as measures of protection for its participants.
Trails Carolina uses nature as a powerful learning tool, and incorporates outdoor activities into its therapy sessions, to enable its students to forge strong relationships while developing key life skills that they can apply in everyday situations. Furthermore, Trails Carolina takes a multidisciplinary approach in order to increase overall well-being for its participants.
Trails Carolina has been widely lauded, yet reports of abuse and mistreatment have surfaced, prompting regulatory bodies and independent investigators to begin an investigation. Their purpose will be to ensure the safety of past and current participants as well as assess staff-to-participant ratio and training policies at Trails Carolina as well as whether the program is meeting participants’ and families’ needs appropriately.
It offers a close-knit community
Trails Carolina is a wilderness therapy program claiming to aid teenagers suffering from emotional and behavioral difficulties. Combining traditional therapeutic techniques with outdoor activities in order to develop resilience and life skills, it promises an ideal combination for teenagers struggling with emotional or behavioral disorders. Unfortunately, numerous former participants and their families have shared accounts of abuse or mistreatment during their time at Trails Carolina camp; such allegations have led to an ongoing Trails Carolina investigation.
These outdoor adventures provide young individuals with safe physical challenges that foster teamwork and camaraderie, helping build social resilience against COVID-19’s pandemic impact and combat feelings of isolation that come from it.
Trails Carolina places an emphasis on health and wellbeing for its staff members and participants alike. Their culture revolves around purpose, with each job role contributing to helping adolescents discover a path toward healing and growth.
