The Trails Carolina Investigation highlights the need for greater transparency, accountability, and regulation within wilderness therapy programs. As there have been allegations of physical neglect as well as emotional abuse against some programs in this industry, parents and teens deserve to know all they can about these programs before enrolling their loved ones into them.
Trails Carolina prides itself on offering comprehensive staff training in areas such as first aid, nutrition, suicide prevention and crisis de-escalation; however, former staff have shared alarming insights. According to these staffers, Trails Carolina does not adhere to industry standards in terms of staff-to-participant ratios.
Legal Requirements
Trails Carolina “Investigation”, which is licensed by the state, must undergo frequent inspections from DHHS inspectors. Unfortunately, when violations were identified and follow-up inspections weren’t conducted to make sure deficiencies had been rectified properly; rather a follow-up visit would occur as part of Trails’ annual checkup — potentially 12-16 months later!
WBTV reported that several former participants of Trails reported only minimal training prior to beginning work there, leaving staff unequipped to deal with emergency situations or deal with teenage behavioral problems.
After WBTV’s initial report on Trails, DHHS initially refused to make anyone available for an interview on camera. A week after our story ran, however, they made one of their representatives available for a Zoom interview – Emery Milliken defended DHHS’ oversight of Trails and two other wilderness programs licensed in the state, noting they are just like any other facility licensed by them.
Ethical Considerations
Trails Carolina abuse allegations have caused considerable alarm and cast a shadow over wilderness therapy in general, however it must be remembered that wilderness therapy can still provide valuable support for troubled youth when implemented with care, transparency and ethical principles in mind.
Some parents have reported that Trails Carolina has helped their children experience life-altering breakthroughs, while the stories about its darker sides should spark a wider dialogue about greater transparency and accountability within the troubled teen industry.
Recently, many troubled teen programs–such as “Scared Straight” facilities and boot camps–utilized harsh disciplinary approaches that could permanently harm a child’s mental health. Today, however, many such programs are licensed by state regulators and must employ staff trained in therapeutic approaches as well as follow stringent safety standards; one example being making sure participants can reach their parents at all times; this safeguard has allowed wilderness therapy to become an effective solution.
Transparency with Families
Many families of troubled teens credit Trails Carolina for making life-altering changes for their teens, yet others express doubts over its safety and effectiveness. Reports of emotional neglect or abuse were received while other allegations suggested the program wasn’t properly regulated or overseen by state authorities or independent investigators prompted calls for greater transparency and accountability within wilderness therapy industry.
Trails Carolina responded to its investigation by making significant enhancements to its safety standards, such as increasing staff training and monitoring of participants’ wellbeing, as well as creating new procedures for reporting incidents of mistreatment, as well as strengthening communication with families about their child’s progress and status in the program.
Trails Carolina Therapeutic Wilderness Program provides outdoor behavioral therapy for adolescents and young adults in a safe and natural setting. Their unique approach combines clinical support and outdoor adventure activities, to foster personal development for their clients in a natural setting. Their highly qualified staff includes both therapists and field instructors with expertise in wilderness survival and crisis de-escalation techniques.
Recommendations
Many former students and parents of troubled teens have praised Trails Carolina for helping them address behavioral challenges; however, others have complained of abuse and neglect at Trails Carolina – thus emphasizing the need for greater transparency and accountability within this industry.
The North Carolina State Senate is conducting an ongoing investigation of Trails Carolina. Early findings of this inquiry include allegations that staff used abusive techniques such as sleep deprivation and forced labor in order to manipulate teens.
New Leaf’s program has also been accused of failing to report violations of state inspection reports to the appropriate authorities, while at the same time boasting extensive training for staff in first aid, wilderness survival, and crisis de-escalation – yet former employees have expressed reservations regarding its quality. Therefore, families should thoroughly research all options available before enrolling their teens into wilderness therapy programs such as Trails Carolina; AnyStories provides great resources that explore various horror stories from these programs and many others like them.