NATWC Expands Focus

[Ursus]

National Association of Therapeutic Wilderness Camping

NATWC Conference Expands Focus

Contact:
Lon Woodbury, MA, IECA, CEP
Founder of Woodbury Reports, Inc.
208-267-5550
http://www.woodbury.com

October 13, 2008

The National Association of Therapeutic Wilderness Camping (NATWC) hosted its 15th Annual Training Conference this year on Jekyll Island, Georgia September 21-23, 2008, doing something new. Not only did they hold their usual training sessions designed for front line wilderness staff, they substituted a symposium on the broader issues facing outdoor programming in place of the traditional keynote.

Titled "The State of the Industry Symposium," they invited several well known individuals with wide experiences to participate. The panel included Sharon Laney, President of the National Association of Schools and Programs (NATSAP) and Administrator Rosemary Tippett, Rob Meltzer, CEP, Educational Consultant and founder of Northlight Family Services, Lon Woodbury, CEP, Educational Consultant and publisher of Woodbury Reports; Leonard Buccellato, PhD, Founder of Hidden Lake Academy and Ridge Creek Wilderness; Jude Hirsch, EdD, Chair of the Association for Experiential Education (AEE) Accreditation council, and Rick "Tick" McClintock, MA, Executive Director of the National Association of Therapeutic Wilderness Camping (NATWC).

The resulting three hour-long wide-ranging discussion covered several topics including what the state of the economy might mean for programs and the industry, the legislation proposed by Congressman George Miller which passed the House of Representatives earlier this year, and how important formal academics and clinical therapy are to a successful program. Despite the length of the session, the approximately one hundred attendees maintained their interest and asked many questions and offered many comments.

The greatest attention and time was devoted to Congressman George Miller's proposed legislation. Rosemary Tippett started the symposium off by describing the legislation, what NATSAP had been doing to work with Congress regarding it, and how she had gradually learned that Congressman Miller seemed to be more focused on simply closing private programs down rather than on improving safety and quality of services in our industry.

The resulting discussion covered several aspects of what was being done or needed to be done. "Tick" McClintock emphasized that NATWC's establishment and growth of the Wilderness Counselor Certification is one of the organization's primary contributions toward increasing standards and establishing best practices in the wilderness industry.

During this part of the symposium, some emphasized the need to work to continually improve the quality of our services, increase professionalism and continue to develop and expand best practices for therapeutic wilderness to respond to critics. Others emphasized and talked about the importance of encouraging parents of alumni to step forward and tell their story to counter the distortions that have been presented by the Congressional hearings and by critics that have little basis in facts.

In the discussion on the troubles in the economy and its impact on the industry, all programs reported they were responding in two ways. One response was in keeping costs down, with the most helpful suggestion being to find and eliminate unnecessary small items which, when combined, can quickly add up to considerable costs. The other suggestion was to work harder at meeting the needs of the families to make sure as much as possible the families would be satisfied. This not only would reflect greater value and service, but it would have the added value that these families would be more open to speaking up for us.

Another line of discussion was the evolution of wilderness programs. It was pointed out that they originally were almost exclusively wilderness or outdoor oriented, with concepts like simple camping out or wilderness survival as their basis. Wilderness programs then evolved to add more clinical elements in what has usually been called wilderness therapy. However this often resulted in an ongoing struggle between wilderness and clinical staff and their different perspectives. It was asserted that with some of the new wilderness programs starting up, it looks like the evolution of wilderness programs is making another step to where there is a complete integration of wilderness and therapy.

The rest of the conference consisted of small break out sessions mostly designed to provide new techniques for the wilderness line staff that composed most of the attendees. These of course were all well attended and talked about favorably.

The National Association of Therapeutic Wilderness Camping (NATWC) http://www.natwc.org, represents over 50 therapeutic wilderness programs for young people across the country. In addition to its annual conference, they also publish the Journal of Therapeutic Wilderness Camping, documenting and sharing cutting-edge research and advancements within their field.

Copyright © 2007, Woodbury Reports, Inc.

[Anonymous]

Desperate idiots wonder where the money went.

[Che Gookin]

The conference itself usually blows ass but the after parties are awesome.

[Anonymous]

The conference itself usually blows ass but the after parties are awesome.

I can has tied up 15 year old?

[Anonymous]

National Association of Therapeutic Wilderness Camping

NATWC Conference Expands Focus

Contact:
Lon Woodbury, MA, IECA, CEP
Founder of Woodbury Reports, Inc.
208-267-5550
http://www.woodbury.com

October 13, 2008

The National Association of Therapeutic Wilderness Camping (NATWC) hosted its 15th Annual Training Conference this year on Jekyll Island, Georgia September 21-23, 2008, doing something new. Not only did they hold their usual training sessions designed for front line wilderness staff, they substituted a symposium on the broader issues facing outdoor programming in place of the traditional keynote.

Titled "The State of the Industry Symposium," they invited several well known individuals with wide experiences to participate. The panel included Sharon Laney, President of the National Association of Schools and Programs (NATSAP) and Administrator Rosemary Tippett, Rob Meltzer, CEP, Educational Consultant and founder of Northlight Family Services, Lon Woodbury, CEP, Educational Consultant and publisher of Woodbury Reports; Leonard Buccellato, PhD, Founder of Hidden Lake Academy and Ridge Creek Wilderness; Jude Hirsch, EdD, Chair of the Association for Experiential Education (AEE) Accreditation council, and Rick "Tick" McClintock, MA, Executive Director of the National Association of Therapeutic Wilderness Camping (NATWC).

The resulting three hour-long wide-ranging discussion covered several topics including what the state of the economy might mean for programs and the industry, the legislation proposed by Congressman George Miller which passed the House of Representatives earlier this year, and how important formal academics and clinical therapy are to a successful program. Despite the length of the session, the approximately one hundred attendees maintained their interest and asked many questions and offered many comments.

The greatest attention and time was devoted to Congressman George Miller's proposed legislation. Rosemary Tippett started the symposium off by describing the legislation, what NATSAP had been doing to work with Congress regarding it, and how she had gradually learned that Congressman Miller seemed to be more focused on simply closing private programs down rather than on improving safety and quality of services in our industry.

The resulting discussion covered several aspects of what was being done or needed to be done. "Tick" McClintock emphasized that NATWC's establishment and growth of the Wilderness Counselor Certification is one of the organization's primary contributions toward increasing standards and establishing best practices in the wilderness industry.

During this part of the symposium, some emphasized the need to work to continually improve the quality of our services, increase professionalism and continue to develop and expand best practices for therapeutic wilderness to respond to critics. Others emphasized and talked about the importance of encouraging parents of alumni to step forward and tell their story to counter the distortions that have been presented by the Congressional hearings and by critics that have little basis in facts.

In the discussion on the troubles in the economy and its impact on the industry, all programs reported they were responding in two ways. One response was in keeping costs down, with the most helpful suggestion being to find and eliminate unnecessary small items which, when combined, can quickly add up to considerable costs. The other suggestion was to work harder at meeting the needs of the families to make sure as much as possible the families would be satisfied. This not only would reflect greater value and service, but it would have the added value that these families would be more open to speaking up for us.

Another line of discussion was the evolution of wilderness programs. It was pointed out that they originally were almost exclusively wilderness or outdoor oriented, with concepts like simple camping out or wilderness survival as their basis. Wilderness programs then evolved to add more clinical elements in what has usually been called wilderness therapy. However this often resulted in an ongoing struggle between wilderness and clinical staff and their different perspectives. It was asserted that with some of the new wilderness programs starting up, it looks like the evolution of wilderness programs is making another step to where there is a complete integration of wilderness and therapy.

The rest of the conference consisted of small break out sessions mostly designed to provide new techniques for the wilderness line staff that composed most of the attendees. These of course were all well attended and talked about favorably.

The National Association of Therapeutic Wilderness Camping (NATWC) http://www.natwc.org, represents over 50 therapeutic wilderness programs for young people across the country. In addition to its annual conference, they also publish the Journal of Therapeutic Wilderness Camping, documenting and sharing cutting-edge research and advancements within their field.

Copyright © 2007, Woodbury Reports, Inc.

How can a man- Lon Woodbury, who was involved in abduction, imprisonment, and torture of youth as CEDU- an officially recognized torture chamber--show his face in public, let alone work in the teen care industry

The gall.

[wdtony]

Good article.

I do agree with the one suggestion. Let's find every kid who was ever in a wilderness program and let's hear what they have to say. A list of all who were sent into the wild to be brainwashed would be a good start. Let's ask all of them to tell us what happened out there. Out of the ones who are still alive anyway. Poor kids. And a few staff willing to tell the truth would be a plus.

So there was no point in the symposium where they asked themselves the question,"Are we doing anything wrong here"? Hmmmmm, I guess they are really concerned with the economy, their programs and their money, while not so concerned THAT KIDS ARE DYING WHILE IN THEIR CARE!

Way to keep your eye on the ball NATSAP. Keep those priorities in line. damn NAZI's.

[Ursus]

Titled "The State of the Industry Symposium," they invited several well known individuals with wide experiences to participate. The panel included Sharon Laney, President of the National Association of Schools and Programs (NATSAP) and Administrator Rosemary Tippett, Rob Meltzer, CEP, Educational Consultant and founder of Northlight Family Services, Lon Woodbury, CEP, Educational Consultant and publisher of Woodbury Reports; Leonard Buccellato, PhD, Founder of Hidden Lake Academy and Ridge Creek Wilderness; Jude Hirsch, EdD, Chair of the Association for Experiential Education (AEE) Accreditation council, and Rick "Tick" McClintock, MA, Executive Director of the National Association of Therapeutic Wilderness Camping (NATWC).

Rob Meltzer's brief bio from NorthLight Family Services:

-------------- • -------------- • --------------

Rob Meltzer



Rob Meltzer, M.A., C.E.P. is the founder and executive director of Northlight Family Services. Rob enjoys helping families find the best path forward and supports them with compassion and honesty. He has evaluated and visited hundreds of schools and programs throughout the United States. He is a therapist, certified educational planner, and a full member in good standing of the Independent Educational Consultant Association (IECA). He is a certified gestalt and expressive therapist and has completed 400 hours of training with the Southwest Association of Gestalt and Expressive Studies. In the past, Rob has been a teacher, school principal, wilderness program director, therapist, and university professor. He holds a B.A. in Natural Sciences from the University of Vermont and a Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology from Prescott College.

[Ursus]

Rob Meltzer's resumé from LinkedIn; there's a fair amount of redundancy, which I presume is due to typographical and/or formatting error and the like, and which I've left as is:

-------------- • -------------- • --------------

Rob Meltzer
Educational Consultant
Greater Denver Area



Current

[li]Chair at Wilderness Therapy Symposium[/li]
[li]Owner at Northlight Family Services[/li]
[li]Founder and Executive Director at Northlight Family Services[/li][/list]
Past

• Adjunct Faculty at Prescott College
• Board of Directors at Deer Hill Foundation
• Adjunct Faculty at Naropa University
• Director Transpersonal Psychology Department at Naropa University
• Board of Directors at Animas Valley Institute
• Principal at Community of Learners School
• Principal at Community of Learners School
• Board of Directors at Durango Nature Studies
• Therapist at Fort Lewis College Counseling Center
• Program Director at Deer Hill Expeditions
• Program Director at Deer Hill Expeditions
• Wilderness Guide at Four Corners School of Outdoor Education

Education

• Prescott College
• Prescott College
• University of Vermont
• University of Vermont

Connections 136 connections

Industry Mental Health Care

Websites

• Company Website
• Company Website

Rob Meltzer's Summary

I am an Educational Consultant specializing in the placement of Special Needs children. I research private-pay, residential programs throughout the nation and help families find the best "match" for their teen and young adult children.

I am also the Chair of the Wilderness Therapy Symposium at Naropa University. This event is a "meeting of the minds" where professionals working in the fields of Clinical Psychology, Ecopsychology, and Adventure Therapy come together to share ideas and learn from each other.

Rob Meltzer's Specialties:
Educational Consulting for Special Needs teens and young adults.

Rob Meltzer's Experience

Chair
Wilderness Therapy Symposium
(Mental Health Care industry)
2003 — Present (8 years )

Owner
Northlight Family Services
(Mental Health Care industry)
2000 — Present (11 years )

Founder and Executive Director
Northlight Family Services
(Mental Health Care industry)
May 2000 — Present (10 years 9 months)

NF services include educational consulting and planning and experiential workshops

Adjunct Faculty
Prescott College
(Educational Institution; 51-200 employees; Higher Education industry)
January 1998 — January 2005 (7 years 1 month)

Advisor and faculty in Adventure Education and Counseling Psychology tracks for Prescott's low-residency Master of Arts Program. I co-facilitated the Boulder-based student group

Board of Directors
Deer Hill Foundation
(Mental Health Care industry)
September 2000 — January 2004 (3 years 5 months)

The Foundation raises money for less privileged youth to attend Deer Hill's wilderness programs. I have been on the board since its inception in 1999.

Adjunct Faculty
Naropa University
(Educational Institution; 51-200 employees; Higher Education industry)
September 2000 — July 2003 (2 years 11 months)

Taught Wilderness Therapy, Rites of Passage, and Psychology of Wilderness

Director Transpersonal Psychology Department
Naropa University
(Educational Institution; 51-200 employees; Higher Education industry)
November 2000 — June 2003 (2 years 8 months)

Board of Directors
Animas Valley Institute
(Mental Health Care industry)
October 1999 — January 2003 (3 years 4 months)

Principal
Community of Learners School
(Mental Health Care industry)
1997 — 1999 (2 years )

Principal
Community of Learners School
(Mental Health Care industry)
June 1997 — July 1999 (2 years 2 months)

, a K-12 Charter School, offers a unique curriculum combining outdoor education, experiential activities, and service learning to deliver core curriculum to special needs children

Board of Directors
Durango Nature Studies
(Mental Health Care industry)
September 1995 — February 1999 (3 years 6 months)

Local non-profit educational organization offering environmental education in

Therapist
Fort Lewis College Counseling Center
(Mental Health Care industry)
January 1996 — April 1997 (1 year 4 months)

Individual therapy and group counseling for college students.

Program Director
Deer Hill Expeditions
(Mental Health Care industry)
June 1990 — December 1995 (5 years 7 months)

Deer Hill is a private wilderness and community service program for adolescents in the Four Corners region of the Southwest; OTHER RELATED EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS

Certified Educational Planner ­ American Institute of Certified Educational Planners. CEP recognizes consultants who have achieved the highest level of education and training and raises the standards in the field of Educational Consulting. Certification is current.

Certified Gestalt Therapist - 400-hours of training in individual and group therapy skills with the Southwest Association of Gestalt and Expressive Studies,

Program Director
Deer Hill Expeditions
(Health, Wellness and Fitness industry)
1987 — 1995 (8 years )

Wilderness Guide
Four Corners School of Outdoor Education
(Mental Health Care industry)
1988 — 1994 (6 years )

Rob Meltzer's Education

Prescott College
M.A. , Counseling Psychology , 1995 — 1997

Activities and Societies: Master of Arts Program[/list]
Prescott College
M.A , Counseling Psychology , 1997

University of Vermont
B.S. , Environmental Science / Outdoor Education , 1981 — 1987

Activities and Societies: Environmental Studies Program[/list]
University of Vermont
B.S; Resources , Environmental Science , 1987

Additional Information

Rob Meltzer's Websites:

• Company Website
• Company Website

Rob Meltzer's Groups:

• NATWC
• Struggling Teens