Trending...
- Connected Technologies Delivers Cutting-Edge Technology to Landmark Properties' Student Housing Communities
- The Power Of Online Reviews & Why They Matter
- Craft Holsters Unveils Comprehensive SIG Sauer Guides for Firearm Enthusiasts
Mental Health Industry Watchdog CCHR Calls for Nationwide Ban, Citing History of Abuse and Fatalities in Troubled Teen Industry
LOS ANGELES - iSportsWire -- A top North Carolina health official is calling for a ban on wilderness therapy camps in the state following the tragic death of a 12-year-old boy at a now-closed wilderness therapy facility.[1] The mental health industry watchdog, Citizens Commission on Human Rights (CCHR), supports this action and urges the prohibition of such camps nationwide to ensure the safety of youths seeking help.
In his final weeks as North Carolina's Secretary of Health and Human Services, Kody Kinsley spoke to local media, stating that he believes wilderness therapy camps should be permanently outlawed in the state. His remarks follow the February 2024 death of a child at a camp in the western part of the state, which the NC Department of Health has since closed. The boy suffocated after being zipped into a sleeping bag with a device that prevented him from opening it. An autopsy later ruled his death a homicide.
"I don't think wilderness therapy camps have a place in our continuum of care in North Carolina," Kinsley said. "The law needs to be changed to permanently remove these licenses, so they don't exist." He expressed deep sympathy for the families affected by such tragedies, emphasizing the need to prevent other parents from experiencing similar heartbreak.
To implement this change, Kinsley emphasized that new legislation must be passed by the North Carolina General Assembly. CCHR suggests this could potentially be achieved by amending NC Codes to explicitly exclude wilderness therapy camps from being licensed as residential child-care facilities. Similarly, amendments to Licensing Procedures could specify that facilities employing wilderness-based therapeutic models are not eligible for licensure under mental health or substance use disorder treatment provisions.[2] The organization has urged state lawmakers to take action by inquiring with the Department about how wilderness camps can be prohibited under the state's health regulations.
More on iSports Wire
In recent years, wilderness therapy camps have been widely scrutinized nationwide. A USA Today investigation in December 2022 revealed that many former participants described their experiences as negative and traumatizing, with some noting that these camps often serve as a gateway to longer-term residential treatment centers.[3] CCHR, which has been exposing abuse in these camps since the early 1990s, cites reports of deaths, mistreatment, and deceptive practices that have gone largely unregulated.[4] In 1995 there were almost 400 wilderness camps in the U.S.[5]
A 2008 report by the U.S. Government Accountability Office documented abuse and deaths across these facilities, and more recent findings by Breaking Code Silence estimate that 150,000 to 200,000 children are enrolled in over 2,000 such programs nationwide, which includes 40 wilderness camps.[6] In Utah, the number of wilderness camps dropped 64% from 14 in 2014 to just five in 2023.[7]
With the decline came a decrease in deaths. Nationally, deaths in these facilities decreased by 81%, from 142 in the 2000s to 27 in the 2020s.[8]
Despite a decline in the number of wilderness camps due to increased scrutiny, CCHR argues that wilderness therapy camps are still a risk to vulnerable youth and should be prohibited.
The group, which was established in 1969 by the Church of Scientology and professor of psychiatry, Dr. Thomas Szasz, helped secure federal protections in the late 1990s against restraint use in mental health residential hospitals. It has helped secure hundreds of laws and regulations worldwide that provide protections to mental health patients and their families.
More on iSports Wire
CCHR is calling for a comprehensive overhaul of the troubled teen industry, part of which will be addressed by the recently passed federal Stop Institutional Child Abuse Act, which establishes a study to ultimately help prevent child abuse in youth residential programs. However, as the study may take several years, CCHR wants regulations now to impose robust penalties on facilities found abusing children and youths, including stronger regulations to revoke facility licenses and penalties for violations of vulnerable youth. As part of this, it says, wilderness therapy camps are no longer necessary as mental health care facilities for children and teens.
Sources:
[1] www.wbtv.com/2025/01/14/top-regulator-calls-ban-wilderness-camps-north-carolina/
[2] www.ncleg.net/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/ByArticle/Chapter_122C/Article_2.html; regulations.justia.com/states/north-carolina/title-10a/chapter-27/subchapter-g/section-0400/
[3] www.usatoday.com/in-depth/life/health-wellness/2022/12/08/wilderness-therapy-troubled-teen-industry/9890694002/
[4] "Utah wilderness therapy deaths," Salt Lake Tribune, 11 Oct. 2007,
archive.sltrib.com/story.php?ref=/news/ci_7139316
[5] "Taking Nature's Cure," U.S. News and World Report, June 26, 1995
[6] www.usatoday.com/in-depth/life/health-wellness/2022/12/08/wilderness-therapy-troubled-teen-industry/9890694002/
[7] www.sltrib.com/news/2024/05/07/nearly-half-utahs-wilderness/
[8] sierranevadaally.org/2023/08/02/dark-forest-a-look-inside-controversial-wilderness-therapy-camps/
In his final weeks as North Carolina's Secretary of Health and Human Services, Kody Kinsley spoke to local media, stating that he believes wilderness therapy camps should be permanently outlawed in the state. His remarks follow the February 2024 death of a child at a camp in the western part of the state, which the NC Department of Health has since closed. The boy suffocated after being zipped into a sleeping bag with a device that prevented him from opening it. An autopsy later ruled his death a homicide.
"I don't think wilderness therapy camps have a place in our continuum of care in North Carolina," Kinsley said. "The law needs to be changed to permanently remove these licenses, so they don't exist." He expressed deep sympathy for the families affected by such tragedies, emphasizing the need to prevent other parents from experiencing similar heartbreak.
To implement this change, Kinsley emphasized that new legislation must be passed by the North Carolina General Assembly. CCHR suggests this could potentially be achieved by amending NC Codes to explicitly exclude wilderness therapy camps from being licensed as residential child-care facilities. Similarly, amendments to Licensing Procedures could specify that facilities employing wilderness-based therapeutic models are not eligible for licensure under mental health or substance use disorder treatment provisions.[2] The organization has urged state lawmakers to take action by inquiring with the Department about how wilderness camps can be prohibited under the state's health regulations.
More on iSports Wire
- The Dallas Group of America, Inc. Celebrates the 50th Anniversary of Landmark Facility
- Sarasota Paradise set to face off against FC Naples in 2025 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup
- Keeperstop.com Unveils Go-To Resource for Goalkeeper Gloves
- Kelvin Emtech and Colm Engineering Unveil Strategic Joint Venture, to Boost Data Center and Building M&E Capabilities
- Citizens for West Virginia Election Integrity Calls for Urgent Reforms to Safeguard State Elections
In recent years, wilderness therapy camps have been widely scrutinized nationwide. A USA Today investigation in December 2022 revealed that many former participants described their experiences as negative and traumatizing, with some noting that these camps often serve as a gateway to longer-term residential treatment centers.[3] CCHR, which has been exposing abuse in these camps since the early 1990s, cites reports of deaths, mistreatment, and deceptive practices that have gone largely unregulated.[4] In 1995 there were almost 400 wilderness camps in the U.S.[5]
A 2008 report by the U.S. Government Accountability Office documented abuse and deaths across these facilities, and more recent findings by Breaking Code Silence estimate that 150,000 to 200,000 children are enrolled in over 2,000 such programs nationwide, which includes 40 wilderness camps.[6] In Utah, the number of wilderness camps dropped 64% from 14 in 2014 to just five in 2023.[7]
With the decline came a decrease in deaths. Nationally, deaths in these facilities decreased by 81%, from 142 in the 2000s to 27 in the 2020s.[8]
Despite a decline in the number of wilderness camps due to increased scrutiny, CCHR argues that wilderness therapy camps are still a risk to vulnerable youth and should be prohibited.
The group, which was established in 1969 by the Church of Scientology and professor of psychiatry, Dr. Thomas Szasz, helped secure federal protections in the late 1990s against restraint use in mental health residential hospitals. It has helped secure hundreds of laws and regulations worldwide that provide protections to mental health patients and their families.
More on iSports Wire
- Patton Launches SFP-based RS-232/422/485 Serial Device Server
- Local Tech Entrepreneur Partners with WonderSouq To Offer Downtown Medford Businesses a Virtual City Experience
- Boston Bridal Atelier Enhances Luxury Experience with New Bridal Shop Location
- New Website for Solo Agers Over 50
- Malcolm-Jamal Warner Returns to Columbia for an Unforgettable Evening of Poetry & Music
CCHR is calling for a comprehensive overhaul of the troubled teen industry, part of which will be addressed by the recently passed federal Stop Institutional Child Abuse Act, which establishes a study to ultimately help prevent child abuse in youth residential programs. However, as the study may take several years, CCHR wants regulations now to impose robust penalties on facilities found abusing children and youths, including stronger regulations to revoke facility licenses and penalties for violations of vulnerable youth. As part of this, it says, wilderness therapy camps are no longer necessary as mental health care facilities for children and teens.
Sources:
[1] www.wbtv.com/2025/01/14/top-regulator-calls-ban-wilderness-camps-north-carolina/
[2] www.ncleg.net/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/ByArticle/Chapter_122C/Article_2.html; regulations.justia.com/states/north-carolina/title-10a/chapter-27/subchapter-g/section-0400/
[3] www.usatoday.com/in-depth/life/health-wellness/2022/12/08/wilderness-therapy-troubled-teen-industry/9890694002/
[4] "Utah wilderness therapy deaths," Salt Lake Tribune, 11 Oct. 2007,
archive.sltrib.com/story.php?ref=/news/ci_7139316
[5] "Taking Nature's Cure," U.S. News and World Report, June 26, 1995
[6] www.usatoday.com/in-depth/life/health-wellness/2022/12/08/wilderness-therapy-troubled-teen-industry/9890694002/
[7] www.sltrib.com/news/2024/05/07/nearly-half-utahs-wilderness/
[8] sierranevadaally.org/2023/08/02/dark-forest-a-look-inside-controversial-wilderness-therapy-camps/
Source: Citizens Commission on Human Rights
0 Comments
Latest on iSports Wire
- Discover the Culinary Heart of Le Marche: A 5-Night Food & Wine Tour + Farm to Table Cooking Classes in Italy's Hidden Gem
- The One Experience™, Inc. Announces Presenting Sponsors and Partners for Flagship Event
- Introducing HOME-OMETRY, the Social Media Network for Real Estate
- International Martial Arts Association Explains the Meaning of "Do"
- Sarasota Paradise to compete in Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup
- Italian iGaming Landscape Expands with Notable Merger: Gaming Report Acquires Gaming Insider
- Retrospec Appoints Nick Marvik as New Head of Growth to Lead eCommerce Expansion
- Battlefield FCA Announces Two Prestigious Academic Scholarships for Local High School Seniors
- What's Next for College Athletes After the College Football Championship?
- USMNT player and local soccer legend Tyler Adams to Join Westchester SC Ownership Group
- $27 Million Funding; Coverage on Sanjay Gupta/CNN for Treatment of Suicidal Depression; Nasdaq Tier Uplisting: NRx Pharmaceuticals: Stock Symbol: NRXP
- Advanced HDR by Technicolor Enables 2024 UEFA Championship's French Broadcast in High Dynamic Range
- ®Grammy Award Winner Alex Cuba releases new single "El Día Más Triste"
- Performentor, LLC Announces 2025 Unleash People Energy® Award Winners
- LAIIER Closes Oversubscribed US$4M Seed Extension Funding Round, Led by Closed Loop Partners
- Deep Learning Robotics (DLRob) Secures European Patent Office Approval for Revolutionary Robot Learning Technology
- Turbocharge Small- and Medium-Size Business Financing with Faster Funding's Innovative Business Credit Building and Financing Suite
- Inframark's Oklahoma City Team Wins OWEA Awards, Exemplary Employer Accolade
- Hitachi Construction Machinery estabelece sede regional na América Latina no Chile
- Hitachi Construction Machinery establece su sede regional para América Latina en Chile