Trending...
- Merit Securities Assisted Cre8tive Technology and Design in their Acquisition of EpiCenter ERP - 262
- Saucony® Announces 11 New Athletes to its 2025 North American Roster of Professional Runners
- Gas vs Electric Vehicle: All Costs Compared
Mental Health Industry Watchdog CCHR Calls for Nationwide Ban, Citing History of Abuse and Fatalities in Troubled Teen Industry
LOS ANGELES - Californer -- 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 The Californer
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 The Californer
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 The Californer
- The ONE Cold Calling Hack That Will DOUBLE Your Sales Overnight!
- Skyworks Solutions, Inc. (SWKS) Investors Who Lost Money Have Opportunity to Lead Securities Fraud Lawsuit
- FNL Network Talk Show Wins Prestigious 16th Annual TASTE AWARD
- The OpenSSL Corporation and The OpenSSL Foundation Announce the Formation of Technical Advisory Committees (TACs)
- Com2uS Platform Selected as AWS ISV Accelerate Partner
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 The Californer
- A.N. Publishing Unveils The 2025 'A Hot Set' Media Kit
- Sip, Savor, and Celebrate Earth Day on the Shawangunk Wine Trail - April 26-27, 2025
- Long Beach Temporarily Closes Open Swimming Areas Along Coastal Beaches Due to Sewage Spill
- Caruso Construction Services Expands Premium Remodeling Services in California
- California: Governor Newsom announces appointments 3.13.25
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
Filed Under: Consumer, Medical, Health, Government, Science, Citizens Commission On Human Rights, CCHR International
0 Comments
Latest on The Californer
- Liquid Technologies Announces the Launch of Liquid Studio v21 and Liquid XML Data Binder v21
- Qrybut Successfully Obtains SEC Certification, Bridging Traditional Finance and Digital Assets
- Glisn Launches Revolutionary Cognitive Training App to Combat the Modern Attention Crisis
- Knowledge + Wisdom = Understanding annonces movie And God Will Rise
- Portland's Evolve & Unite Festival Brings a Transformational Experience to the Pacific Northwest
- Tanktwo Launches Cable-less Stackable Battery Solution
- School Launches 250 Students International Service Trips - Gives $1M to Global Education
- StealMyTesla.com: Discreet Tesla Acquisition for Reluctant Owners
- Governor Newsom urges caution and preparedness as storm impacts much of California
- City of Long Beach Hosts Sixth Annual Celebration of the Young Child
- Two of Rare's Critically Acclaimed Games will Return to Home Consoles in 2025
- Merit Securities Assisted Cre8tive Technology and Design in their Acquisition of EpiCenter ERP
- UNITED AIRLINES TEAMSTERS TO RALLY AT SAN FRANCISCO HUB
- ICYMI: California is home to 32 of the top 50 AI companies
- District Court Central District Of California Jonathon Ramos Vs Elizabeth Singleton, El Al
- RAW Artists Announces CEO Transition as the Organization Celebrates Its 16th Anniversary
- City of Long Beach Preparing for Upcoming Weather Event, Urges Residents to Take Precautions
- One Stop Truck & Equipment Expands Work Truck Offerings with Fully Outfitted Fleet Solutions
- Hyundai and Children's Hospital Los Angeles Continue Partnership to Improve Child Passenger and Pedestrian Safety
- UEL Esports Launches Nationwide Tour and Hosts AFV at GDC 2025