SUWS Adolescent Treatment and At Risk Youth Wilderness Programs Success

SUWS measures its success in many ways, from the smiles on the faces of the young people who now understand their worth to the willingness of parents to share their SUWS experience with other families in crisis. In addition, SUWS has conducted or participated in the following studies:

  • An independent study conducted by the University of Idaho's Wilderness Research Center found that participation in outdoor behavioral healthcare resulted in clinically significant reductions in the severity of behavioral and emotional symptoms. The study was designed to measure treatment effectiveness of outdoor behavioral healthcare using the Youth Outcome Questionnaire (Y-OQ), an industry-accepted outcome instrument designed to measure symptom reduction in psychotherapy. (To obtain a copy of this report from the University of Idaho in Acrobat format, click here)

    The Y-OQ defines improvement as "clinically significant change" when the measure drops by 13 points. Recovered, or within the normal range for adolescents, is indicated when the total score is 46 or below.

    Results indicated: 83% of participants made clinical significant improvement. SUWS participant's average score measured a 51.6-point reduction. Almost half (46%) of participants returned to a NORMAL RANGE as a result of treatment.

  • Two self-concept studies that utilized control groups, pre- and post-testing, and a follow-up after one year. Results revealed significant, positive improvements in student self-concept after participation in the SUWS Program.

  • A study documenting a 90% improvement in the sustained progress of students at therapeutic boarding schools following completion of SUWS.

  • A study conducted by an adolescent drug and alcohol treatment program showing that SUWS dramatically increased the number of adolescents abstinent after one year. According to the program's director, SUWS helped increase the success rate of its program by over 100%.

  • A study that analyzed program effectiveness after one year for students returning home, based on six variables:

Family Relationships
Failing Grades
Alcohol
Drug Use
School Attendance
Recidivism for Minor Offences
71% improvement
38% improvement in academics
50% no further use
50% no further use
35% no further attendance problems
65% no further problems with the law

A complete list of parent references is included with the admission materials. Please call as many parents as you like. They are all eager to share their SUWS experiences with you.

"Miracles really can happen. Ask any of my sons' teachers, guidance counselors, coaches or family members. We just had our yearly Individual Education Plan (IEP) review for our son. The head of Academics asked us to start the meeting with a description of SUWS and what had happened at SUWS to result in such a miraculous turn around for our son.

~SUWS Parent

SUWS offers an effective troubled teen treatment program and troubled teen rehab treatment for teens and youth