Legacy Outdoor Adventures has long been at the forefront of OBH (Outdoor Behavioral Healthcare) research, helping to drive data that suggests the overwhelming power of wilderness and adventure therapy. Co-founder Derek Daley is taking this to a global level through his collaboration with a UK-based researcher, Dr. Kaye Richards.

The field of outdoor behavioral healthcare in North America has evolved and continues to grow alongside the fields of mental healthcare and youth and young adult therapeutic programs. Wellness-driven organizations such as Legacy Treatment Center and other OBH-accredited therapeutic programs are aligned in their vision of bringing more nature connection and outdoor experiences to the families and young people they work with.   The United Kingdom has seen parallel developments in the growth of outdoor adventure therapy practice, whereby similar practices have been integrated into healthcare, counseling, and psychotherapy provision (OBH Center Newsletter, August 2020).

Daley is currently collaborating with Dr. Richards on research that will help to bring international attention to the efficacy of outdoor behavioral healthcare, which, especially in light of the pandemic, is an increasingly important treatment option. The two had been planning on their first joint presentation in London in May 2020, however those plans were postponed due to COVID-19 pandemic. Once travel is more widely reinstated, Daley still plans to travel to the UK so that he can support efforts to make outdoor behavioral healthcare a more widely accepted modality.

About Legacy Outdoor Adventures and Juniper Canyon Recovery Center for Women

Legacy Outdoor Adventures is located in Loa, UT and made up of two, gender-specific programs. Legacy Outdoor Adventures for Men is an adventure therapy program for young men ages 18 and up. Juniper Canyon Recovery Center for Women is the premier wilderness recovery program for young adult women 18 and up. Both Legacy programs are licensed as Outdoor Behavioral Healthcare Programs. Additionally, Legacy programs are licensed by the state of Utah as Residential Treatment Centers. They are Joint Commission Accredited, and treat addiction, trauma, depression, anxiety, and dual diagnosis clients.