Why Choose an Outdoor Program?

Over the past several years the field of residential adolescent behavioral treatment has experienced tremendous growth in the area of outdoor programming. With this growth comes the misconception that all outdoor treatment takes place at "Wilderness Programs."

True wilderness programs and boot camps often involve harsh environments, isolation and an intentional absence of any physical comfort. Treatment may be abrasive and intensely confrontational.

This is not what Three Springs Outdoor Therapeutic Programs are about.

Three Springs experiential therapy programs do not take place in the wilderness, nor are they based on intimidating treatment.

Three Springs residents live in a campus setting in a beautiful, natural environment. While our camps are rustic, they feature modern comforts. At the heart of each campus are a dining hall, shower house with hot running water, flush toilets and laundry facilities, a school building and library, a gymnasium and administrative buildings.

This rustic-but-modern environment provides residents with a tranquil atmosphere in which to discover hidden talents and potential, and to understand the logical consequences of behaviors. While camping, hiking and canoeing are often a part of the outdoor treatment program experience, the vast majority of time is spent within the camp. It is here that children encounter the positive peer culture that forms the basis of the Three Springs therapeutic process. Residents get immediate feedback about their behavior and are directed to work together, build relationships and accomplish goals.

For many adolescents attending outdoor therapeutic programs, the unique setting allows them the first real opportunity to directly care for themselves and others in concrete and significant ways. Chopping wood, hauling water, building fires and planning trips have real significance for teenagers who may not previously have experienced responsibility and self-reliance.