Outdoor Therapeutic Program
Shoshone, ID
Established in 1981
Operating in southern IDAHO since 1981, SUWS is a licensed treatment program that uses a desert environment in an intervention focused on assessment, wilderness therapy, and a strong clinical team to help struggling teens. Utilizing a "search and rescue" metaphor, the goal of the Adolescent Program is to empower adolescents with opportunities for growth as they rediscover their sense of purpose and strengthen their connections to self, ...read morefamily, and community. Begun in 1997, the Youth Program promotes a solid foundation of personal self-worth and value from which students and their families rediscover hope through positive reference experiences.
SUWS provides families with a safe and immediate intervention. The outdoor environment, emphasis on teamwork, and experiential learning help students gain insight and build upon their own sense of self-worth as they learn the value of helping others. Therapists work closely with each child to help him/her determine the attitudes and behaviors that are negatively impacting self-perceptions. By pinpointing and examining these self-limiting beliefs, the therapist can work with parents, counselors, consultants, and schools to develop customized treatment plans and determine appropriate aftercare arrangements.
