Lone Star Expeditions Celebrates Five Years of Helping Teens through Wilderness Therapy
Unique Texas program uses ropes courses and a base camp model to augment wilderness experience.
Groveton, TX (PRWEB) September 17, 2007
Lone Star Expeditions, a licensed outdoor treatment program for troubled teens, is celebrating its fifth anniversary this month. Based in east Texas, the program offers students outdoor experiential therapy as they navigate through ropes courses, learn wilderness skills, and periodically return to a permanent base camp that allows the program's licensed therapists a more effective means of assessment, intervention and aftercare.
"Lone Star is thrilled to be celebrating our five year anniversary of helping kids discover their potential," says Mike Bednarz, executive director of Lone Star. "We remain focused on reuniting families and helping teens succeed in leading more positive lives, and look forward to continuing in this great tradition."
Wilderness programs like Lone Star afford teens who are struggling with emotional, behavioral, attention, or learning problems an opportunity to be free from modern distractions, allowing them to simplify choices, gain insight into their values, and learn to accept responsibility for their decisions. As they progress through the program's level system, students experience success and develop healthy self-esteem.
Lone Star is often considered the alternative to boot camps. Students, whose ages range from 13-17 years, spend their time hiking and camping, and participating in high and low ropes course activities with trained facilitators. The program emphasizes keeping parents connected and involved through weekly telephone planning sessions with their child's therapist, parent therapy and reading assignments, contact with their child through the exchange of letters, and progression through Lone Star's four Family Expedition Phases that mirror their child's progress. The program's flexible length of stay allows students and families to fully prepare for the next step in the therapeutic process whether transitioning to a residential boarding school or returning home.
Lone Star Expeditions is licensed by the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services and accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS). The program is a member of the National Association of Therapeutic Schools and Programs (NATSAP) and recently received Woodbury Reports' "Excellence in Education Award" for their outstanding reputation for producing positive and consistent results with at-risk children and their families.
Lone Star Expeditions is a proud member of Aspen Education Group, recognized nationwide as the largest and most comprehensive network of therapeutic schools and programs. Aspen Education Group offers professionals and families the opportunity to choose from a variety of therapeutic settings in order to best meet a student's unique academic and emotional needs. Aspen Education Group has been profiled by major news and television organizations around the world, including U. S. News and World Report, The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, USA Today and People magazine, as well as on CNN, ABC's 20/20 and Good Morning America, NBC's The Today Show and Dateline NBC, and National Public Radio. Aspen is a division of CRC Health Group, the nation's largest chemical dependency and related behavioral health organization. For more information about Aspen Education Group, visit www. aspeneducation. com or call (888) 972-7736. To learn more about Lone Star Expeditions visit www. lonestarexpeditions. com or call (866) 573-2002.
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