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Brief Summary of Wilderness Quest:
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Dear Families
The
following is information on Quest Family Service/Wilderness Quest, an
accredited health care organization designed to give 24 hour a day, seven days
a week treatment to adolescents and young adults struggling with abuse and
addiction issues. We provide 24 hour a day supervision, sleeping bags, food,
medication management, medical support if necessary, as well as 12 step
meetings, and individual, group and family group therapy provided by licensed
staff and trail staff. Our group size is small (6-8 students per group),
allowing us to spend significant time with each student and in group. Our
therapist stay in the field three days a week and two nights, having individual
sessions and group sessions, also working on task with the students to improve
leadership skill, and self esteem. For each student of ours is different with a
little extra attention they achieve amazing strives in the ability to of
personal growth. Wilderness Quest is an
especially good choice for parents who are fearful that their child will walk
away from treatment. Our remote location makes walking away very difficult, due
to the fact we have time and space to go where the students need to, to make
the change. Many trail staff are in
recovery themselves and past students, that have been thru and can relate to
the student’s on a different level then someone who has not felt addiction, and
low self esteem.
At
Wilderness Quest clients participate in their own treatment because they want
to be more comfortable, so they learn to be responsible. They cook their meals,
build their shelters and work on primitive skills to survival in the wilderness
and civilization. As they get sober without the distractions of TV, video
games, malls, music, drugs/alcohol, friends, etc., they spend a lot of their
time hiking and with themselves in thought. They start to get clarity about
their lives and what they have been doing. They become very motivated to stay
sober. They want to reconnect with their families. As they get honest, they
like how they feel! In traditional treatment, meals show up, there is a soft
warm bed, their families show up and life is easy. There is little to motivate
them to become responsible and learn to like themselves again. There are also
canyon accesses to go up and down, and routes and water to find, which requires
group work. Having to trust each almost immediately for one’s safety helps
groups move toward trusting each other in their group work. Tempers can flare
and are worked through, and intimacy is quickly established....especially
around the atmosphere of a campfire. In this intimate setting, group members
are more likely to disclose feelings and past hurts and pain which recognition
and work helps them move toward sobriety.
Most
addicts/alcoholics suffer from depression. At Wilderness Quest students
experience the six things that treat depression naturally: exercise, fresh air,
sunshine, eating regularly, sleeping regularly, and someone to talk to 24/7 if
necessary. If they don’t start feeling good after about three weeks in the
field, we have them clinically evaluated for depression with a clean baseline.
During
the student’s time in the field, parents and family members are given
workbooks. They are also strongly encouraged to attend 12 step meetings to help
themselves. They get weekly therapy calls to check on their progress and work
on boundary setting and letters they write to their family member in treatment.
At the end of the program students and family members are brought together
after working on themselves for several weeks, for two to three days of
conjoint family group therapy sessions that are very intensive, lasting about
12 hours per day. Here students as well as family members transfer the work
they have done on their own to their family, "cleaning the slate" as
well as discussing their joys and their pain. At the end of "Family"
students as well as family members leave with a strong aftercare plan to
support all family members in their recovery.
In a
traditional setting it is difficult to get an adolescent/young adult client to
really work a 12 step program. Our program area is incredibly beautiful. Being
surrounded by such beauty it is difficult to deny the existence of a
"Higher Power". Students are also very challenged and often
experience the desire to pray and connect with a "Higher Power",
which makes working a 12 step program more natural.
All the
above things make Wilderness Quest a very effective treatment program. Our soft
data and contact with past students and families indicates a success rate that
far exceeds that of traditional treatment. Our soft data indicates an 80 to 90
percent success rate with students that go on to solid after care programs
which includes halfway houses, 12 step boarding schools, and intensive
outpatient programs, etc. We are also very cost effective treatment with the
average stay costing approximately $370.00 per day plus the cost for the
intensive family program. The average length of stay is approximately 8 weeks
depending on the student.
If you
have any further questions about Wilderness Quest, please do not hesitate to
contact me. If you are interesting in enrolling your son or daughter please call me as soon
as possible, our teams fill quickly.
Very truly yours,
Jennifer Whipple
Admissions Director
435-459-9222
