This fall, blueFire Wilderness Therapy celebrates 12 years of serving adolescents, young adults, and their families. Since its inception, the program has remained committed to delivering safe, clinically guided, nature-based care, helping clients rediscover confidence, rebuild family connections, and achieve lasting change.
“For 12 years, our team has been walking alongside families through challenging seasons,” said Kathy Rex, Co-Founder and Executive Director. “We practice a constant state of receiving feedback and implementing improvements. Safety and training are the foundation that make growth possible. Through rigorous staff preparation, clear protocols, and ongoing oversight, we ensure clients can focus on healing while families and professionals feel confident in their care.”
Safety & Staff Training at the Core
While any outdoor activity involves variables—terrain, weather, wildlife, and shifting conditions—blueFire embeds multiple layers of protocol and staff competence to ensure safety is a frontline therapeutic priority, not an afterthought. Key practices include:
- Comprehensive hiring & training: Head instructors complete a four-week fellowship before leading groups. Direct-care staff undergo ongoing training in medical, field, emotional, and relational safety.
- Daily health monitoring: Clients receive daily hand and foot checks, regular health assessments, and 24/7 support from headquarters staff.
- Mandatory ongoing training: Direct-care staff continually update certifications, skill sets, and competencies related to emotional, relational, field, and medical safety.
- On-site medical competence: Every group includes at least one Wilderness First Responder (WFR). Any concerns beyond field capability are immediately transported for medical evaluation.
- Environmental preparedness: Staff are trained in navigation, weather protocols, safe equipment use, and wilderness hazards. Winter operations include heated shelters, proper gear, and backup safety systems.
These layers of preparation, oversight, and responsiveness guard against the common assumptions that “outdoors = danger.” In fact, recent data from OBH suggests otherwise.
Industry Data Supports Nature-Based Therapy
The 2024 OBH
Wilderness Therapy Safety Report compiled by BestNotes reveals that adolescents and young adults in the general population are
6.5 times more likely to require an ER visit than those enrolled in wilderness therapy programs. This contrast is especially compelling given that wilderness therapy clients often arrive with more complex emotional or behavioral struggles.
When you combine that external statistic with blueFire’s consistent survey results and rigorous staff protocols, it becomes clear that structured, well-managed wilderness care is available, and families at blueFire continue to have transformative outcomes.
Parent Testimonial
“My son greatly benefited from blueFire. He was safe and treated well by the staff. They take the job very seriously. He learned a great deal, and the quality of the therapy and parent training is excellent. He has now been home for over 12 months and is doing well. The time there probably saved him and our family.”
— Susie, Mother
Client Services & Program Context
blueFire works with adolescents and young adults facing various challenges, such as anxiety, depression, academic struggles, family conflict, risky behaviors, substance concerns, and dual-diagnosis needs. blueFire offers tailored milieu groups, including:
- Embers for younger boys (11–14 years old)
- blueFire Adolescents (13–17 years old)
- Pulsar for young adults (18–28 years old)
Each client receives a blend of licensed therapy, experiential work, and family engagement. With clinicians in the field multiple days per week, interventions are real-time and responsive.
About blueFire Wilderness Therapy:
blueFire is an outdoor-based adventure therapy program in Idaho for clients ages 11-17 and 18-28. BlueFire combines clinical expertise with family, animal, wilderness, and adventure therapy in its program, offering an approach to treatment that fosters long-lasting, internalized change. blueFire is licensed by the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, is accredited by the American Experiential Education (AEE), and has professional memberships in the National Association of Therapeutic Schools and Programs (NATSAP) and Outdoor Behavioral Health (OBH).
Gather, Build, Ignite, and Tend your spark. 
