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Outdoor Therapeutic Program
Staff participating in the Outdoor Therapeutic Program are highly trained to maintain the needs of every child including safety, medical, physical, therapeutic, and survival skills.
The accredited (Joint Commission) Outdoor Therapeutic Program supplements the residential behavior modification program, which is the main therapeutic focus. Accreditation means that the Ranch and all PATCH staff adhere to rigorous standards and testing to provide youth with the highest quality and safest Outdoor Therapeutic Program available in the nation.
The Outdoor Therapeutic Program is conducted when there are residents who would benefit from being isolated from the activity and stimulation of the campus. Residents are given the opportunity to have uninterrupted time to think and to process their progress. They also have one-on-one counseling with staff and counselors on a regular basis. Journaling and written counseling assignments are required.
The Outdoor Therapeutic Programs are conducted at an on-campus site, which has a cabin for staff and level ground areas for tents and a pit fire.
The number of residents at an outdoor program ranges from two to four, with a minimum of two staff members supervising at all times. Boys and girls outdoor program experiences are always held at different times. The length of stay depends on the reasons for being there and the progress made. A multi-disciplinary team from counseling, dormitory staff and administration considers the situation of the resident. The residents are then told why they are going and what expectations and goals are for them. Their parents are also notified.
At the outdoor site residents are given shelter and bedding materials, and each sets up a living area. Residents are outfitted with clothing and camping gear appropriate for the season and taught skills necessary for camp living. During the day residents cook their own breakfast over a camp stove, clean up, and have personal hygiene time (including taking prescribed medications), a short inspirational time followed by a work project, time for contemplation and/or counseling, and possibly a short hike followed by lunch. The afternoon is generally the same as the morning, followed by dinner, more time for counseling or journaling, a short inspirational time, possibly including a general discussion time, and then residents turn in for the night.
The resident returns to the Ranch facility when the maximum benefit has been achieved and the resident would benefit more from being on the main campus and interacting with peers and staff. When residents return to the main campus, they process their experience with staff and peers in a group counseling session.
The pristine nature of the sites and the simplicity of camp life gives the opportunity for a resident to have uninterrupted quiet time to think and process. The outdoor experience is often a highlight in a resident’s trek towards mental and emotional health.
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