Asheville, NC (PRWEB) May 15, 2006 -- Over the last six months, SUWS of
the Carolinas, a wilderness therapy program located in the beautiful
Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, has been featured in top British
documentaries exploring successful alternatives for treating teen
substance abuse.
SUWS of the Carolinas is a licensed wilderness therapy program for
students 11 to 17 years of age who are suffering from a variety of
emotional and/or behavioral problems, including substance use, low
self-esteem, family conflict, defiance issues, attention deficit
disorder. Utilizing outdoor experiences and peer interaction in
combination with individual and family therapy, SUWS of the Carolinas
helps to positively change the lives of these young people.
SUWS of the Carolinas has been featured twice on the U.S.' nationally
syndicated "DR. PHIL" program. Now, audiences in the United Kingdom have
been learning about the effectiveness of wilderness therapy in working
with teens as an alternative recovery setting for substance abuse
treatment.
Sherrie, a British teen struggling with binge drinking and substance
abuse, was featured in a March 2006 episode of "Tonight with Trevor
McDonald," Britain's most-watched current affairs program. Often
compared to the CBS show "60 Minutes," McDonald's show charted Sherrie's
successful transformation from SUWS of the Carolinas to Academy at Swift
River, a therapeutic boarding school in Massachusetts. One of Britain's
most respected journalists, Trevor McDonald's broadcasts twice weekly on
ITV, the country's most popular commercial channel.
"It was a constant worry of never knowing what was going to happen the
next day, because it was very volatile," said Linda, Sherrie's mother.
"If Sherrie lost her temper she would thump the walls, she would break
things, she would argue with her siblings and not go to school."
"We admitted Sherrie to SUWS of the Carolinas, where she was immersed in
a positive, goal-oriented environment and participated in individual and
group therapy. SUWS of the Carolinas nurtured Sherrie and within a month
she had blossomed into a more self-confident, happier girl."
SUWS of the Carolinas is part of Aspen Education Group, the nation's
leading provider of therapeutic education programs for teens struggling
with emotional or behavioral issues that interfere with their lives at
home and in school.
"We work with students who typically have self-esteem issues, which are
then translated into problems such as alcohol and drug use, defiant
behavior, or depression," said Shawn Farrell, senior instructor at
Aspen's SUWS of the Carolinas. "We use the wilderness to challenge teens
like Sherrie and to take them out of their comfort zone. While Sherrie
learned wilderness skills, she learned other life-long lessons such as
patience, preparation, and problem-solving techniques which she will
ultimately be able to bring back to her home environment."
Sherrie's dramatic story also was featured in the fall 2005 Granada
Television documentary "Britain's Youngest Boozers" which explored
questions of why U.K. youth are binge drinking and provided insights
from parents, therapists and health professionals. Granada Television is
the U.K.'s largest and most successful commercial TV production company.
International interest in wilderness therapy as a successful addiction
intervention treatment model has surged.
Aspen Achievement Academy, a therapeutic wilderness program located in
the majestic red rock canyons of Utah, was the focus of the most recent
BRAT CAMP series in the United Kingdom that aired in February and March
2006. The UK's BRAT CAMP is an award-winning series that tells the
inspiring stories of struggling teens whose lives are transformed by
nurturing therapeutic programs like Aspen Achievement Academy.
Aspen Achievement Academy is one of the few wilderness programs
nationwide to be selected one of the top teen drug treatment programs by
Drug Strategies, a Washington, DC-based research institute. "Treating
Teens: A Guide to Adolescent Drug Programs," was developed by Drug
Strategies with guidance from an advisory panel of 22
nationally-recognized experts, including academics, clinical
researchers, treatment providers, and adolescent development
specialists. The guide was funded by a grant from the Robert Wood
Johnson Foundation.
The study was featured on National Public Radio "All Things Considered,"
which noted how the study sets research-based standards of quality for
teen substance abuse programs.
Working with a team of nationally recognized experts, Drug Strategies
identified nine key elements of effective adolescent drug treatment.
These are:
* Assessment and Treatment Matching
* Comprehensive, Integrated Treatment Approach
* Family Involvement in Treatment
* Developmentally Appropriate Program
* Engage and Retain Teens in Treatment
* Qualified Staff
* Gender and Cultural Competence
* Continuing Care.
* Treatment Outcomes
The success of outdoor programs for teens battling substance abuse,
among other behavioral and emotional issues, is supported by outcomes
research.
Several Aspen Education Group outdoor programs have participated in an
independent research study by Keith C. Russell Ph. D., of the University
of Idaho's Wilderness Research Center. The study was designed to measure
treatment effectiveness in outdoor behavioral health care using the
Youth Outcome Questionnaire (Y-OQ).
The Y-OQ is an industry accepted outcome instrument designed to measure
symptom reduction in therapy. The study concluded that participation in
outdoor behavioral health care resulted in clinically significant
reductions in severity of behavioral and emotional symptoms. In a
12-month follow-up study, suggests that students not only maintained
their outcomes, but had continued to improve after treatment.
To learn more about SUWS of the Carolinas, please visit
www.suwscarolinas.com or call 888.828.9770.
###
Press Contact: Amy Sandler
Company Name: SUWS OF THE CAROLINAS/ASPEN EDUCATION GROUP
Email: email protected from spam bots
Phone: 562-468-4479
Website: http://www.suwscarolinas.com
AndhraNews.net News for May 15, 2006
