Question: Project where AT might be in 10 years
Answer:
Considering this is going to be my line of work after college, I hope that AT will make progress in a positive direction at a reasonable pace. I feel like because of the "go green" and other environmental pushes that we are experiencing today could potentially lead to a more outdoor friendly approach to therapy, and I have the inclination that having 10 years under its belt will really help Adventure Therapy develop into a even more credible type of therapy.
I feel like main challenge that I see Adventure Therapy facing is research. Being able to compare a experimental group to a control group is something that I feel could benefit and show the true potential of Adventure Therapy programs. If people where able to see more research done in Adventure Therapy, and if the funding was available, people could better understand the true potential of AT. I feel like without this research in 10 years AT might still only be serving to a limited audience, those upperclass that can afford to partake in Adventure Therapy programs. The average cost of a Adventure therapy program is simply not affordable and thus unacceptable to a lot of populations which could benefit.
Fortunately, I feel like there are companies such as the Outdoor Behavioral Healthcare Industry Council that are going to help establish a foundation for further research. Founded in 1997, representatives from fourteen different locations are now members of a organization that stands to set a higher standard for excellence in wilderness treatments for adolescents. OBHIC aims to work to advance the field through best practice, effective treatment and evidence-based research. They have a set of standards for what they determine to be a highly effective form of treatment. This kind of organization has already helped to fill the research gap which I mentioned earlier. For one of their accredited organizations, Summit Achievement, a case study can be pulled up that support Adventure Therapy as a more effective form of treatment than other traditional treatments. This case study which drew information from eight different OBH programs. The results of this study by Keith Russell in 2001 showed significantly significant reduction in presenting symptoms for admission to discharge.
With all of this in mind, I feel like the future of Adventure Therapy is unknown but vastly depends on evidence based research conducted in the field. This research could really help promote the field in amazing new ways, helping support its growth for more varied populations.
Questions that I have about creating and promoting a future for Adventure Therapy is:
Where will funding for research come from?
How do we inform these funders about the importance and benefits of funding for the field of Adventure Therapy?
References:
Gass, Michael A., Lee Gillis, and Keith C. Russell. (2012). Adventure Therapy: Theory, Research, and Practice. New York: Routledge
Summit Achievement (2013). Youth Outcome Study. Retrieved from http://www.summitachievement.com/wp/menu/youth-outcome-study
Conway, J. (n.d.). About Us. Retrieved from http://obhic.com/about.html
Where will funding for research come from? I think this is a good question. There is lots of money being made from the programs, will they put up their own money to further research? The problem with this is there is the conflict of interests the researchers have by getting money from the programs. How about getting money from the government? Through grants, this could potentially happen, but there has to be some good evidence based research that comes before they help start paying for more evidence to come about. There are other sources of funding as well I'm sure but ultimately, I think the main source at this stage and for the next 10 years will be the programs shelling out the cash.
ReplyDeleteHeyyyy Christine!
ReplyDeleteI think that you bring up a lot of points that we all have brought up in our blogs (the ones I have read at least). I do also think that there is a positive future for AT! You discussed a lot of importance on research in order for the field to continue forward successfully. That seems to be one of the biggest reasons that people aren't using AT today, and it seems to be something that can be easily changed with more people experiencing and trying out AT. The big problem with this is funding. This seems to be the big problem with anything. I think that maybe if the government would use some of the money that goes into jails for adolescents can maybe be redistributed to therapy research so that people will have other outlets go to to and to get help so they don't end up in the local jail. I dont know...just something I have been thinking! Thanks for your input!