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October 18, 2000 Camp Delinquent:
Wilderness Programs Face Regulations
BY PHIL BUSSE
 Three
weeks ago, as evening dimmed on Oregon's eastern highlands, a camp
counselor tried to subdue a 15-year-old boy. For the past several
days, the Scappoose teenager had been forced to carry a forty-pound
pack and hoof it across high desert as part of a program intended to
correct his delinquent behavior. Once again, he was acting
out.Mixing traditional couch therapy with concepts of self-reliance,
Bend-based Obsidian Trails is one of four so-called "wilderness
therapy" programs in the state. That night, when the teenager did
not back down, an Obsidian counselor restrained him. Fifteen minutes
later, the boy was dead.
In the wake of last month's fatality, the four
wilderness therapy programs that operate around the state have
received unwanted attention, and may be netted for the first time
with government regulations.
Program directors for the organizations agree
that regulations are a necessary precaution against future
tragedies. But they worry that such regulations, done incorrectly,
could curtail the effectiveness of the programs, which rely on a
certain amount of creativity and unmitigated freedom in dealing with
at-risk youth.
Even before last month's death--the first of
its kind in Oregon--the wilderness programs were intermittently
mediating regulations amongst themselves. But this coming winter,
these discussions will be formalized, when state representative Ben
Westlund (R-Bend) submits a bill establishing minimum safety
regulations and an oversight board to regulate the state's programs.
"Milosevic or Saddam Hussein could come over
here and start one of these schools," pointed out Rep. Westlund. He
quickly added that he has confidence with existing programs, but is
concerned that there are virtually no prerequisite qualifications.
Westlund hopes that his bill will provide minimum staff training.
With two of the most well-respected programs in
the country located in Oregon--the Catherine Freer Wilderness
Therapy, in Albany, and Treks, in Bend--the state is considered a
leader for the still-emerging industry of wilderness therapy. Any
legislation here promises to set a tone for the rest of the country.
Six years ago, after four at-risk teens died
while attending outdoor programs in Utah, the state legislature
there hobbled together a set of rules for operating outings. Critics
have decried those regulations as a failure, claiming they don't
account for the difficulty in monitoring programs that work with a
population of teenagers who can be unpredictable, violent and in
need of restraint.
Unlike Utah's regulations, Westlund's bill
takes the unique step to establish an oversight board consisting of
directors from the state's programs. It is a model based on the
Construction Contractors Board, in which members govern their own
industry. Moreover, the regulations primarily focus on the training
of staff members.
"It comes down to the people who you have doing
it," said Paul Smith, program director of Catherine Freer. Smith
points to the extensive training and experience of his staff as the
backbone of his organization. In 12 years of operation, Catherine
Freer has maintained a clear record. Even so, Smith concedes that
regulations only will set a bar for entrance into the profession,
like the ones attorneys and physicians must pass. After that, Smith
admits that it is impossible to guarantee safety.
After the death of the teenage boy in late
September, a 22-year-old counselor for Obsidian Trails faces charges
for homicide. In addition, the Bureau of Land Management suspended
the program's permits.
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