Trails Carolina Students Returning Home V Rtc Data Indicates Improvement

Trails Carolina's outcome data reveals that students who return home after graduation and those who transition to a residential program for further treatment demonstrate equal improvements in various areas of their lives.

“The data suggests that 98.9% of children and adolescents continue to demonstrate positive and considerable improvements in their mental health symptoms and problematic behaviors –regardless of whether they transition home or to additional residential treatment – for a full year after graduation,” explained the study’s principal investigator Dr. Salli Lewis, Ph.D., with The Center for Research, Assessment, and Treatment Efficacy.

This data highlights the effectiveness of Trails Carolina's therapeutic approach and the positive impact it has on students' overall well-being. One significant aspect of Trails Carolina's outcome data is the improvement in students' mental health. Whether they return home or continue their treatment in a residential program, students consistently show significant reductions in symptoms of anxiety, depression, and other mental health disorders. This indicates that Trails Carolina's therapeutic interventions, such as individual and group therapy sessions, wilderness experiences, intentional transitions from base camps to outdoor programming, and experiential learning, effectively address and alleviate these issues.

Furthermore, Trails Carolina's outcome data also reveals improvements in students' interpersonal relationships. Students demonstrate enhanced communication skills and improved conflict-resolution abilities. These improvements suggest that Trails Carolina's focus on building healthy relationships and fostering a supportive community environment has a lasting impact on students' social skills and their ability to form and maintain positive connections with others.

Academic progress is another area where Trails Carolina's outcome data showcases equal improvements for both groups. Students demonstrate increased motivation and higher academic achievement. This indicates that Trails Carolina's emphasis on academic support effectively helps students overcome academic challenges and develop a positive attitude towards learning.

Additionally, Trails Carolina's outcome data reveals improvements in students' overall well-being and self-esteem. Both groups show increased self-confidence, a stronger sense of self-worth, and a greater ability to cope with stress and adversity. This data underscores the effectiveness of Trails Carolina's therapeutic approach and highlights the positive impact it has on students' mental health, interpersonal relationships, academic progress, and overall well-being.

Trails Carolina launched a research initiative in 2014 to study the lasting impact and therapeutic effectiveness of the work they do on behalf of youth, adolescents, and their families. To date, approximately 1,200 families have been enrolled in the study over 10 years. Approximately 43% of the sample of children and adolescents transitioned to another residential program, such as a therapeutic boarding school (TBS) or a residential treatment center (RTC) following their graduation from Trails. An independent research organization, the Center for Research, Assessment, and Treatment Efficacy, and the University of Arkansas are facilitating the ongoing outcome project.

Trails Carolina has received the distinguished honor of being identified as a Research Designated Program (RDP) by the National Association of Therapeutic Schools and Programs (NATSAP) each year since the start of this distinction. This honor reflects Trails' commitment to providing the highest quality and most effective treatment services, including evidence-based decision-making, risk management, and quality control practices.

Trails Carolina is an outdoor behavioral healthcare program for youth and adolescents ages 10-17. The clinically sophisticated and time-tested program engages students through a variety of therapeutic modalities including wilderness therapy, mindfulness, equine relational therapy, intentional transitions, and academic engagement. Parent education is an integral part of the experience. Trails Carolina was created to help families reconnect and heal. For additional information about Trails Carolina, located just outside of Asheville, North Carolina, please see trailscarolina.com.

The Center for Research, Assessment, and Treatment Efficacy (CReATE; Asheville, NC) is a clinical service and psychological research organization, committed to the provision of data-driven assessment and evaluation, empirically-supported mental health treatment, and the interface between science and practice. The Research Division at CReATE, directed by Sarah “Salli” Lewis, Ph.D. provides research and outcome evaluation to organizations, programs, and schools. CReATE’s Clinical Division is the most well-established psychological testing group—in practice for almost 20 years— in Western North Carolina and beyond. A team of doctoral-level psychologists, with extensive post-doctoral training in neuropsychological evaluation and a breadth of expertise in neurodiversity (i.e., Autism Spectrum Disorder, ADHD, Specific Learning Disorders), traumatic stress, and complex clinical presentations (to name a few) provide the highest quality neuropsychological evaluations to the community, as well as to programs and schools.