Trails Carolina, a wilderness therapy program nestled in the mountains of North Carolina, promises transformation and healing for troubled teens. However, over the past few years, disturbing allegations have emerged revealing the darker side of this program.
Introduction to Trails Carolina Wilderness Therapy
Trails Carolina is a wilderness behavioral healthcare program catering to adolescents and young adults struggling with emotional, psychological or behavioral issues. The program was founded in 2008 by Graham Shannonhouse and is located in Lake Toxaway, North Carolina.
The therapy involves outdoor activities like hiking, camping and challenge courses along with group and individual counseling. According to the Trails Carolina website, the program “utilizes the wilderness, its lessons and metaphors as the backdrop and catalyst for students to effect positive change in their lives.”
The goal is to teach coping skills, confidence, resilience and interpersonal skills to set teens up for success. Parents seek programs like Trails Carolina when traditional methods have failed with their troubled adolescents.
Wilderness Therapy Industry Background
Wilderness therapy programs have existed since the 1990s as an alternative intervention for struggling teens. There are over 100 wilderness therapy programs in the US.
The industry has faced criticism over the years for lack of oversight and regulation which creates opportunity for abuse. There have been calls for reforms to improve safety, transparency and accountability.
The Emergence of Disturbing Trails Carolina Horror Stories
While some families reported positive outcomes from Trails Carolina, shocking allegations of abuse and neglect led the program to become embroiled in controversy.
Accounts of Abuse from Former Participants
Distressed parents sent their children to Trails Carolina hoping they would receive caring support. However, traumatic stories emerged revealing a very different reality.
Former participants described enduring emotional, physical and sexual abuse. They spoke of excessive punishment, denial of food and water, hazardous conditions, lack of medical care and negligence by staff leading to injuries.
Investigations Reveal Failure to Report Abuse
Investigations into Trails Carolina discovered a failure to report over 100 incidents of abuse and neglect to authorities over several years.
There were also health and safety violations related to unsanitary conditions, unsafe water and insufficient food provisions discovered on site.
Injuries and Fatalities Call Safety Standards Into Question
In addition to abuse allegations, Trails Carolina also saw injuries and fatalities occur under their watch:
- In 2013, 17-year-old Zachary D’Zurilla died of hypothermia while hiking
- In 2016, 16-year-old Madeline Gruen drowned in her tent
- In 2019, 16-year-old Daniel Boyette was hit by a vehicle during a hike
The families of the victims allege that negligence by Trails Carolina staff contributed to these tragic incidents.
The Impact of the Trails Carolina Scandal
The chilling revelations about Trails Carolina had significant consequences for both the program itself and the wilderness therapy industry as a whole.
Legal Punishments and Corrective Actions
Trails Carolina faced legal punishment for failure to report abuse and health violations. They had to pay fines and underwent corrective measures like increased staff training and improvements to facilities.
Several lawsuits have also been filed by victims’ families alleging trauma, wrongful death and justice. However, survivors often face difficulties getting justice and overcoming stigma.
A Spotlight on Industry Controversies
The Trails Carolina controversy drew attention to the most negative aspects of wilderness therapy programs – allegations of rampant abuse, dangers from harsh conditions and negligent standards of care.
It highlighted the need for reforms around safety procedures, trained staff, medical resources, abuse reporting and independent oversight.
Public Outrage and Heightened Skepticism
As traumatic stories spread across news and social media outlets, public perception of wilderness therapy darkened. Outrage grew over vulnerable teens being placed in harm’s way by money-hungry programs.
It spurred skepticism and demands for improved regulation so other families would not have to suffer like those impacted by Trails Carolina.
Trails Carolina’s Response to the Allegations
With the program under intense public scrutiny, Trails Carolina responded by denying all allegations of abuse while vowing to cooperate fully with ongoing investigations.
Denials of Wrongdoing
Trails Carolina firmly rejected abuse claims as categorically untrue. They stated that depictions of the program in legal complaints and news reports are inaccurate and do not reflect the caring nature of the services provided.
The organization expressed deepest sympathies to families who lost children but maintained there was no negligence or misconduct involved.
Pledges to Improve Safety and Compliance
While denying culpability, Trails Carolina did acknowledge broader calls for ensuring participant safety and oversight in wilderness programs.
They pledged cooperation with authorities, welcomed objective reviews of policies to strengthen care and committed to making all appropriate changes to improve safety.
The organization wanted to reassure the public that its priority is providing an environment for students to heal.
Why Do Wilderness Therapy Programs Pose Risks?
In the wake of the Trails Carolina scandal, deeper questions arose around why wilderness therapy seems prone to such horrors when the goal is rehabilitation of vulnerable youth.
The Dangers of an Unregulated Industry
Unlike other behavioral health fields, wilderness therapy operates with little formal oversight. With profit-seeking businesses self-policing, improper care often goes unchecked.
The industry’s growth outpaced regulations leaving patients at risk without enforceable protections. Trails Carolina showed the need for higher safety mandates and enforcement.
“Tough Love” Mentality Enables Excessive Punishment
Wilderness therapy disciplines teens through intense, confrontation-based techniques centered on modifying behavior. Rigorous activities in harsh settings inevitably lead to injuries.
Punitive measures can also morph into abuse when there are no checks on staff power over disempowered teens prevented from leaving.
Isolated Settings and Communication Barriers
The remote wilderness locations create isolation from normal support systems and oversight. Teens feel helpless and unable to report issues. Meanwhile parents are kept unaware of issues.
Barriers in communication delay intervention allowing abuse issues to worsen before being addressed.
Preventing Future Trails Carolina Situations
The Trails Carolina tragedy demonstrated overdue need for reforms in the wilderness therapy industry to curb rampant problems.
Implement and Enforce Safety Regulations
Introducing state laws establishing staff training, healthcare access, abuse reporting and other requirements enforced through oversight systems would reduce risk substantially in programs. Mandating compliance as a condition of licensing can compel change.
Ban Dangerous Restraint Practices
Banning prone, mechanical and chemical restraint methods shown to injure or kill teens would curb excessive punishment opportunities. Allow only approved de-escalation techniques.
Improve Transparency Around Policies and Outcomes
Requiring programs to disclose data on safety incidents, abuse reports and health violations creates transparency for families assessing options while ensuring scrutiny over potential issues.
Information empowers parents and authorities to react faster when problems arise. Open communication must become standard.
Essential Questions and Answers About Trails Carolina
After learning of the deeply troubling activities at Trails Carolina, many questions still remain regarding culpability, lasting impacts and what changes resulted.
FAQs About The Trails Carolina Scandal
Here are answers to 7 of the most frequently asked questions about the Trails Carolina controversy:
Is Trails Carolina still operating?
Yes, after corrective actions to improve policies, Trails Carolina continues serving clients under heightened external monitoring.
Were any staff arrested or charged?
So far no criminal charges have been filed against Trails Carolina or individual staff members based on available records.
Is wilderness therapy banned now?
No outright bans resulted but tighter regulations in some states introduced improved oversight based on the Trails Carolina case prompting reforms.
How were survivors compensated?
Legal settlements awarded victims’ families financial restitution though no amount repairs the real damage done from loss of life or emotional trauma endured.
What safety changes resulted?
Trails Carolina and similar programs had to invest in enhanced staff training, communication systems, medical resources and adhere to strict government-enforced safety protocols.
How can parents avoid these dangers?
Parents can minimize risks by researching programs thoroughly, ensuring licensure, demanding transparent communication, tracking child’s care and intervening at any signs of issues.
What accountability exists for patients now?
Stronger state laws empower patient rights in reporting grievances and accessing medical care while also prosecuting programs failing to uphold standards. Additional advocacy groups provide support to families fighting abuse.
While Trails Carolina still operates today following corrective actions, its legacy will be serving as an infamous cautionary tale on the profound dangers of unregulated wilderness therapy gone wrong.
However, through the immense suffering emerged hope that newfound awareness and public pressure can reform the industry to ensure no other children endure such horrors in the name of treatment ever again.