RedCliff Ascent

RedCliff Ascent

Founded	1993
Headquarters	Utah, United States
Location	Enterprise, Utah
Services	Wilderness therapy
Executive Director	Steven DeMille

RedCliff Ascent is a wilderness therapy program based in Enterprise, Utah, United States. ^[1] The program takes place in the Escalante Desert. ^[2]

History

RedCliff Ascent was founded in 1993 as one of the early adopters of wilderness therapy programs.

The program was featured in the reality TV series Brat Camp which filmed in 2003 and aired on channel 4 in 2004, which showcased its therapeutic methods. ^[3]

Program details

RedCliff Ascent courses take place on 560 square miles of BLM land. Participants are provided with minimal gear, including a tarp, wool blanket, parachute cord, seat-belt webbing, and basic supplies like a cup, rice, lentils, raisins, oats, a sleeping bag, and a sleeping pad. They travel in groups of 12 or fewer, cook meals over a campfire, and sleep beneath tarps. ^[4]

A New York Times article states that the majority of attendees are referred by the Utah Department of Youth Corrections, while the remaining participants, described as private students, are enrolled in the program by their parents. ^[5]

References

1. Anderson, Sulome (2014-08-12). "When Wilderness Boot Camps Take Tough Love Too Far". The Atlantic. Retrieved 2025-01-07.
2. Siebert, Charles (December 17, 2000). "Sentenced to Nature". The New York Times . Retrieved 2025-01-07.
3. "Brat Camp – Wilderness Therapy for Troubled Teens". RedCliff Ascent. Retrieved 2025-01-07.
4. Jenkins, Mark (2000-03-01). "Truth or Consequences". Outside Online. Retrieved 2025-01-07.
5. Siebert, Charles (2000-12-17). "Sentenced to Nature". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2025-02-03.

Bibliography

• Davis-Berman, Jennifer L. (2008). The Promise of Wilderness Therapy. Association for Experiential Education. ISBN   978-0-929361-16-1.
• Nisbet, Jo (2013). Laughing Star: A Story of Tough Love. ISBN   978-1-78181-212-9.
• Szalavitz, Maia (2006). Help at Any Cost. ISBN   978-1-59448-910-5.
• Whaley, Lisa J. (2004). Reclaiming My Soul From The Lost and Found. 1st Books Library. ISBN   978-1-41407-230-2.
• DeMille, S. M. (2014). Narrative Family Therapy and Outdoor Behavioral Healthcare: A Treatment Manual. Doctoral dissertation, University of Louisiana Monroe.
• Russell, K. C. (2003). "An Assessment of Outcomes in Outdoor Behavioral Healthcare Treatment." Child and Youth Care Forum, 32(6), 355–381.
• Tucker, A. R., Norton, C. L., DeMille, S. M., & Hobson, J. (2016). "The Impact of Wilderness Therapy on Adolescent Depression: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis." Journal of Child and Family Studies, 25(9), 2719–2731.
• Gass, M. A., Gillis, H. L., & Russell, K. C. (2020). Adventure Therapy: Theory, Research, and Practice. Routledge.

External links

• Official website