Catherine Freer Wilderness Program

Information Current status Closed http://www.secretprisonsforteens.dk/images/Detainees.gif | }} Capacity | }} | }} Checked June 18, 2012 http://www.secretprisonsforteens.dk/images/Open.gif | }} Opened | }} 1988 | }} http://www.secretprisonsforteens.dk/images/Close.gif | }} Closed | }} 2012 | }}

Catherine Freer Wilderness Therapy Programs is a behavior modification program using a form of wilderness therapy as tool.

The program is named after a climber who disappeared on Mount Logan in 1987 <Ref>Catherine Freer: An Inspiration and Friend By Robert Cooley, Ph.D. Founder of Catherine Freer Wilderness Therapy Programs http://www.secretprisonsforteens.dk/images/Us9.gif</Ref>. It was founded in 1988 by Robert Cooley.

It was announced June 2012 that program would close down due to the owners retirement <ref>Cooley Retires... - Catherine Freer Closes, press-release published on strugglingteen.com - industry marketing firm</ref>

Program

The program last 21 day with a option of further days if it is decided.

Phase I

The first 21 days is called Phase I. Each detained child is sleeping in his or her own shelter isolated with some distance from the rest of the group they are part of, so they can not conspire. Until they hike they eat breakfast, cook and work on their personal journals and talk with a therapist periodically. After hike with breaks for lunch and setting up a new camp, some are given extra hikes as "rewards" before the day ends with dinner and 2 to 3 hours group therapy.

When the first phase are over a second family meeting are held.

Phase II

Phase II are more group-oriented. The teenagers are still kept isolated during the night but they have to agree to a leader for the activity of the day.

Phase II ends with a third family meeting <Ref>Wilderness Therapy Expedition, program homepage http://www.secretprisonsforteens.dk/images/Us9.gif</Ref>.

In the News

May 27, 2002 a 15 year old girl (Erica Harvey) died during a hike <Ref>Press Release at Strugglingteens.com - a Industry marketing firm http://www.secretprisonsforteens.dk/images/Us9.gif</Ref> . Another girl - 15 years of age - died October 20 the same year.

March 26, 2003 a tree crushed the skull of 16 year old Corey Baines from Santa Rosa <Ref>Tree limb victim identified as SR boy, International Survivor Action Committee http://www.secretprisonsforteens.dk/images/Us9.gif</Ref>.

In 2005 18 year old Chase W. Bickell was seriously injured. <Ref> Teen rescued after being hurt on outdoor outing, International Survivor Action Committee http://www.secretprisonsforteens.dk/images/Us9.gif</Ref>

In 2008 the german version of Brat Camp called Teenager Ausser Kontrolle (Teenagers out of control) was filmed at the wilderness program <Ref>Lebenshilfe mit RTL: Neue Staffel "Teenager außer Kontrolle", Amerika Woche - The German newspaper for America (Article in German), 25-02-2008 http://www.secretprisonsforteens.dk/images/DeXmini.gif</Ref>. Beside treatment of behavior issues they also succesfully treated a political issue by one of the young Germans.

External Links

Info pages

• Info: Program Homepage
• Info: International Survivor Action Committee on Catherine Freer
• Info: Secret prisons for teens about Catherine Freer
• Info: Losing Erica: Cynthia Clark Harvey Doesn't Want Anyone Else's Child to Die in a Wilderness-Therapy Program, By Amy Silverman, Phonix New Times, November 03, 2009
• Info: Corey Baines - 2003, Today a child died - blog
• Info: After 3 deaths a wilderness program closed, The world of Joachim Knudtson - blog

Survivor Groups

• Survivor group: cAtHeRiNe FrEeR, Myspace
• Survivor group: Group for survivors of wilderness programs, who are alive to tell their story, Myspace
• Survivor Group: Wilderness Program Graduates, Facebook
• Survivor Group: I Survived Wilderness, Facebook

Message boards

• Forum: Fornits about the industry in general http://www.secretprisonsforteens.dk/images/Us9.gif
• Forum: Forum: Teenager ausser kontrolle, Thread on Stern TV forum http://www.secretprisonsforteens.dk/images/DeXmini.gif
• Forum: Deceptive Mktg: How Does Catherine Freer Define "Field Therapist"?, a thread on Fornits Webforum http://www.secretprisonsforteens.dk/images/Us9.gif
• Forum: The Teen Help Industry a subforum on the message board of Community Alliance For the Ethical Treatment of Youth (CAFETY)
• Forum: Catherine Freer Wilderness Program a subforum on the message board of Fight Institutional Child Abuse Network (FICAN)
• Forum: Catherine Freer Wilderness Program Death, a thread on Fornits webforum
• Forum: Catherine Freer is going to treat a teenager due to his political stand, a thread on Fornits webforum
• Forum: Catherine Freer Spins a Defense, a thread on Fornits webforum
• Forum: Wilderness program shuts down after +20 years, a thread on the message board belonging to Minors in residential placement research center

References

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