Parents enrolled their adolescents in wilderness therapy programs like Trails Carolina have reported profound changes in the lives of their adolescents after joining these programs, but allegations of abuse have highlighted the need for increased transparency and oversight within this industry.
CReATE is committed to ensuring that troubled teen programs adhere to stringent standards that prioritize participant safety and emotional well-being, such as Trails Carolina investigation. In this article, we examine any queries surrounding that investigation.
Transparency
Trails Carolina “Investigation” program has come under scrutiny from both state authorities and independent investigators due to allegations of abuse from former participants, some citing that attending led to life-altering changes and others sharing accounts of emotional or physical mistreatment at the hands of employees at Trails Carolina. Such allegations show the need for greater transparency, accountability, and regulation within the troubled teen industry.
Trails Carolina allegedly engages in student abuse and fails to provide families with sufficient support if there are concerns regarding their child’s safety or progress. One parent noted how staff at Trails Carolina ignored her daughter’s pleas for assistance when she became lost in the wilderness and later succumbed to hypothermia due to neglect by Trails Carolina staff.
Former Trails Carolina participants have reported allegations that this program uses unregulated practices such as physical restraint and isolation rooms to discipline its students, with Trails Carolina having been cited by DHHS for violating regulations related to seclusion and isolation rooms. As such, parents need to find a program which prioritizes their children’s wellbeing above anything else.
Accountability
Recent allegations by former participants and their families about wilderness therapy programs have raised serious concerns over its lack of transparency, accountability and oversight. Allegations range from emotional abuse and neglect to physical mistreatment of adolescents enrolled in such programs.
Trails Carolina is an outdoor behavioral health program that uses clinical support and experiential therapy to assist adolescents struggling with mental illness and addiction to find a path towards recovery. Their distinguished staff includes licensed therapists as well as field instructors specializing in wilderness survival techniques, therapy interventions and crisis intervention.
Trails Carolina has come under scrutiny due to several allegations of mistreatment and abuse from former participants and their families, prompting increased transparency and accountability within this industry. As a result, parents can make more informed decisions regarding treatment options for their teens by consulting mental health professionals as well as performing thorough research into benefits and risks of various therapies.
Oversight
Trails Carolina investigation has brought to light the need for greater oversight and transparency within wilderness therapy industry, to ensure therapeutic programs adhere to ethical standards while offering positive outcomes to adolescents.
Numerous former participants at Trails Carolina have reported incidents of emotional manipulation and physical maltreatment, excessive exercise, isolation and being prevented from seeking medical care.
One incident involved Lansing, a 17-year-old who ran away from Trails Carolina program and died in a creek nearby. The sheriff who found his body told DHHS investigators that staff could have saved Lansing had they called for assistance sooner.
Though Trails Carolina has denied these allegations, parents should conduct a comprehensive investigation when choosing a wilderness therapy program for their child. This should include verifying its accreditation and ascertaining it adheres to industry standards.
Safety
Trails Carolina investigation is just the latest of several allegations to rock wilderness therapy industry. While many families have reported positive outcomes from Trails Carolina programs, accusations of mistreatment, abuse and neglect have raised concern and doubt among some members. Controversies surrounding Trails Carolina as well as similar programs has raised many questions regarding methods, safety protocols and effectiveness.
Trails Carolina is one of several wilderness therapy programs that utilize outdoor activities to assist troubled teens with emotional and behavioral difficulties. Trails Carolina uses cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and dialectical behavior therapy as well as experiential activities like hiking and backpacking to teach teens new coping techniques while improving communication with family members.
Critics of this program argue it is too intense, setting unrealistic expectations on its participants, lacking sufficient oversight or accountability, and due to a lack of research regarding wilderness therapy itself, has raised doubts as to its efficacy.
