COA - Council On Accreditation

	Wilderness and Adventure-Based Therapeutic Outdoor Services

Introduction

Administration and Management

Service Delivery Administration Standards

Service Standards

Definition

Wilderness and Adventure-Based Therapeutic Outdoor Services are day or residential programs that provide an intensive, therapeutic experience based on outdoor, educational, clinical, and other activities that involve physical and psychological challenges.

Interpretation: PA-WT Standards do not apply to day or summer camps that do not have a strong therapeutic focus.

Note: An agency that uses wilderness experiences to supplement another accredited service may be required to complete the Outdoor Activities Supplement (PA-OAS) in addition to its assigned service standards. See the Related File, “Outdoor Activities Table,” attached to PA-OAS to determine which activities require the supplement. These agencies are not required to complete PA-WT.

Note: An agency that provides any activities listed in PA-WT 15 must be certified by a nationally recognized authority in the specific activity to achieve COA accreditation.

Note: Agencies accredited by the Association for Experiential Education (AEE), the American Camp Association (ACA), or another nationally recognized accreditor of wilderness and adventure-based therapeutic outdoor programs are exempt from this section.

Note: Please see Self-Paced_Training: Wilderness and Adventure-Based Therapeutic Outdoor Services (WT) in the Tools Index for additional assistance with this standard.

Research Note: A nationwide survey of 86 outdoor behavioral healthcare programs in 2000 identified four common program models for therapeutic outdoor services. They range from contained expeditions, in which the leaders, clinicians, and clients remain together in the wilderness for a given period of time, to residential expedition programs, which use wilderness expeditions to supplement other services such as residential treatment centers. The length of these outdoor behavioral healthcare programs varies depending on the program model and on average can range anywhere from 30 to 300 days; with 16 to 70 of those days taking place on the wilderness expedition.


	PURPOSE: Youth who participate in Wilderness and Adventure-based Therapeutic Outdoor Services expand individual capabilities, develop self-confidence and insight, ameliorate symptoms, and improve interpersonal skills and relationships.

RELATED FILES


	SERVICE One or more organization-operated programs or activities that have a common general objective and deploy the organization's material and human resources in a planned and systematic manner. An organization that publicly promotes or identifies itself in writing as offering a service, is licensed to deliver a service, assigns personnel and/or space to a service, or allocates financial resources to a service is considered to offer that service.


	PROGRAM A system of services offered by an organization. For example, an organization providing a mental health service may offer several mental health programs to different populations, e.g., a mental health program for adolescent teens. The word "program" can be used interchangeably with the word "service" or to describe specific programs.


	CLINICAL The study, assessment, and diagnosis of the client situation followed by direct treatment to help the client achieve prescribed goals.


	ACCREDITATION The formal evaluation of an organization against accepted criteria or standards. A professional society, non-governmental organization, or a governmental agency may conduct accreditation activities. A COA-accredited organization has undergone a period of rigorous self-study and is capable of providing programs and services that meet or exceed COA standards.


	BEHAVIORAL HEALTHCARE The application of medical, psychiatric, psychological, social work, and education principles and practices in the diagnosis and treatment of mental health and substance abuse disorders.


	CLIENT See service recipient.