Second Nature Families Participate in NATSAP Advocacy in Washington, DC

Patrick Logan, M.S.
Director, Special Projects

Second Nature is a very active member of the National Association of Therapeutic Schools and Programs (NATSAP). For the last 4 years, Dr. Brad Reedy and Patrick Logan, Second Nature’s Director of Special Projects participated in the annual NATSAP DC “Fly-in”.  The sole purpose of the DC “Fly-in” is to educate the Congress on what wilderness therapy really is, in contrast to the inflammatory rhetoric that at times, surrounds proposed federal bills.  DC camps tend to become polarized and their debates often reduce issues to lifeless axioms postulated between leaders who are, at times, ill-informed.

For some legislators, there is a perceived “risk” associated with wilderness therapy. As with all “agents of change” there is some associated risk. And yet often, Second Nature’s incoming students took frequent, very significant risks while back home - with far less supervision possible, and almost no internal constraint.   It is often the case that parents simply do not have the capability of effecting such a powerful transforming milieu of peer support, therapeutic guidance and socially-appropriate consequence as provided in a safe and reputable wilderness therapy setting.  There have been a few, poorly supervised "bad apples" in the industry that operated recklessly, sometimes with disastrous consequences.  

NATSAP is committed to sound business practices for its member programs. These practices serve to promote the health and well being of children and families. NATSAP spends a great deal of its mission on confronting the misinformation that passes for informed debate.  An impressive number of Second Nature parents have been involved in this process and have been highly effective at educating Senators and Representatives (and their legislative aids) on the important work of NATSAP. NATSAP programs strive to support programs that are safely run, compassionate, nurturing and effective.  Good programs reduce real risk, simultaneously confronting each client’s short-term decision–making and unhealthy behaviors while providing parents with skills, practice and support with healthy parenting.

Recently, several Second Nature families flew to Washington, DC to share first hand experiences with wilderness therapy. Each family shared deeply personal stories relating to their respective journeys and the sharp contrast in life before and after their wilderness therapy experiences.

NATSAP and participating Second Nature families met with the offices of:

• Senator Richard Burr (R-NC), member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee
• Representative Phil Roe (R-TN),  member of the House Education and the Workforce Committee and Chairman of the Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor and Pensions
• Sen. Bernard Sanders (I-VT), member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee
• Senator Kay Hagan (D-NC), member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee
• Senator Michael Enzi (R-WY), Ranking Minority (Republican), Member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee
• Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR), member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee
• Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT)     
• Representative Jim Matheson (D-UT)
• Representative Rob Bishop (R-UT)
• Representative Jason Chaffetz (R-UT)
• Senator Mike Lee (R-UT)

One Second Nature alumni student Wyatt, exemplified initiative and accountability as he spent his birthday visiting Congressmen and Congresswomen and confidently shared his personal journey at Second Nature.  Another Second Nature Alumni parent brought a slideshow highlighting her son's "Before and After" journey in pictures. Several Congressional aides commented that the pictures truly seemed to personify the true mission of the wilderness therapy experience.  

Here’s an excerpt from one Second Nature parent’s summary of the DC experience:

“My group went to 6 congressional offices - 5 Senators' and 1 Representative's…With one exception, all Congressional offices were interested in what we each had to say and seemed to give us an unlimited amount of their time.  None seemed particularly familiar with wilderness therapy and therapeutic programs.  They posed questions designed to get insight into the programs and not just superficial information… I thought Monica (a young lady who completed a program 7 years ago and is now a law student writing briefs for the Supreme Court) provided a powerful example of the impact the programs can make.  [Another parent] brought up the issue of safety, saying how her son would have been in far greater danger had he been at home rather than in the wilderness…With my photos, I tried to emphasize that while the conditions are rugged, the kids are well-cared for physically …”

This parent’s excerpt speaks to Second Nature’s unwavering desire to lead the industry in providing the highest safety standards while delivering quality, clinical care in facets of programming.

This “snapshot of the day” in DC is specifically designed to thank you – Bev, Ashley, Lori, Loren and Wyatt – for the tremendously generous contributions of your travel, participation and your profoundly meaningful stories. Additionally, I’d to thank the many others who tried to rearrange their schedules, the many parents who happily sent personal testimonials regarding their Second Nature journeys, and to thank all of our families and students for your consistent and far-reaching support.