Wilderness Therapy Programs for Troubled Teens in Chicago, IL
Within the last few decades, America (including Chicago, IL) has seen the demographic of adolescents deemed, troubled, or out of control, reach epidemic numbers. While experts aren’t sure as to why our nation’s teens increasingly turn to negative behavioral patterns, modern-day issues such as easier access to drugs and the advent of the internet, social media and other screen-based distractions (to name a few) are most likely significant contributing factors.
But with the number of troubled teens rising each year, cities like Chicago, IL so too is the number of residential treatment centers that advertise their services to parents seeking respite and therapeutic healing for their child.
And, while many of these treatment programs are well-intentioned and run by those who truly believe in their program’s treatment model and core curriculum, parents from Chicago, IL and elsewhere are all too often duped into sending their teenage daughter to an expensive program that at best, is ineffective in treating their child’s behavioral and emotional issues, and, at worst, exacerbates said issues even further.
Among these detrimental programs are treatment facilities that pose as wilderness therapy programs for troubled teens when in reality, they are more akin to glorified outdoor boot camps.
With the wilderness industry's increasing popularity and recent mainstream exposure, parents sometimes unwittingly send their children to programs that omit the clinical aspects of wilderness therapy.
Though technically a wilderness program, these treatment facilities omit the very foundations that make wilderness therapy effective, and instead, utilize behavioral modification and punishments to enact change within their campers.
For example, instead of providing experiential group therapy, mindfulness-based therapy, and cognitive behavior therapy, like the most reputable, adventure-based programs, these facilities merely seek to exploit the natural environment as a means to 'break' their campers, before 'building' them back up again.
These tactics are not only deceitful and misrepresent genuine wilderness therapy camps, they often aggravate the very issues campers were sent there to correct, to begin with.
Considering the average wilderness program is $500 dollars per day with a $3,000 dollar enrollment fee (not including what it would cost to transport said teen through a transport company two or more times) choosing this route of treatment is quite expensive.
Legitimate and Cost-effective Wilderness Therapy Programs for teens from the Chicago, IL area
For moms and dads from Chicago, IL unwilling to pay double (or potentially triple) for a wilderness program for their teenage daughter, there are cost-effective and dynamic treatment options to consider - like that of Elk Mountain Academy.
Elk Mountain Academy is a Christ-centered wilderness therapy program and residential treatment center for troubled teenage girls.
Elk Mountain Academy offers affordable, expert treatment for life-controlling issues and disorders in girls from the Chicago, IL area, including:
- attachment disorders
- attention deficit
- eating disorders
- anxiety, depression
- self-destructive or antisocial behavior behavior
- adoption-related issues
We lead troubled girls from Chicago, IL to seek truth and to trust in the Holy Spirit, our Holy Comforter who was given to all believers in Christ. At EMA we coach and train our students to seek, trust, and rely on the Holy Spirit, who is their comforter.
For more information regarding our treatment program, please call us today at (208) 266-1122.
Chicago, IL Mental Health Resources for At-risk Youth
Elk Mountain Academy is the first choice for Chicago, IL parents searching for a top-notch therapeutic boarding school to provide direction to their at-risk child undergoing alcohol dependence, peer conflict, or self-harming behavior related trials. Because working with highly resistant adolescent girls is challenging, most programs rely on level systems, punishments, and other behavioral techniques to manage a teen student’s behavior. Here at Elk Mountain, we recognize that the circumstances of one troubled child doesn’t always apply to all of our teen students. Because of this, Elk Mountain is faithful to the life skills development and experiential education for each adolescent girl, and we do this with professionalism and care.
Because working with highly resistant teens is challenging, most programs rely on level systems, punishments, and other behavioral techniques to manage the adolescent girl’s behavior. However, Elk Mountain recognizes that the personal circumstances of one at-risk child doesn’t always apply to all of our teen students. Because of this, Elk Mountain’s professional counselors are faithful to the management of each teens requirements; and they do this with professionalism and sympathy. At Elk Mountain Academy, we involve the entire family (especially the parents) in the teen’s therapy, rehabilitation, and direction. Elk Mountain has served numerous at-risk adolescent girls over the years. Our track record has proven to cause life changing results for our teen students and their families.
Contact Elk Mountain today at (208) 266-1122 to speak with one of our expert admissions specialists. They are readily available to answer any questions about our enrollment fees, insurance affiliations, and proximity to Chicago, IL. Make Elk Mountain and their therapeutic boarding school a life-changing and memorable experience for both your family and your at-risk child.
Additional Direction in Chicago, IL
YOUTH.GOV: Youth.gov is a federal website that works to strengthen, maintain and create at-risk adolescent girl programs that are effective in assisting teens and young women. This website contains valuable information on facts, funding data, and tools that can deliver direction to people who are searching for information with a local Chicago, IL, or federal adolescent girl resource. By searching the website, people can learn more about evidence-based teen programs in Chicago, IL; and stay informed with the latest youth-related news. People can find partnerships on many topics such as after-school programs, alcohol dependence prevention, bullying prevention, mental health, gang inclusion prevention, LGBT, and dating violence prevention.