NCJ Number
87792
Date Published
1981
Length
20 pages
Annotation
VisionQuest is a wilderness camp program located in a rural seemingly remote area of Pennsylvania. It services youths who are seriously emotionally disturbed and whose behavior functioning is out of control. Most of those referred to the program are adolescent multiple offenders.
Abstract
Youth selected to participate in the camp usually have a history of creating unmanageable risks in their lives through involvement in illegal and often dangerous activities. The camp provides a strong contrast to the failure-oriented past for these youth through immediate involvement in outdoor training programs with emphasis on decisionmaking and taking responsibility for one's actions. Following training at the camp (2 to 4 months of theoretical and practical introduction to wilderness survival and outdoor skills), youth participate in the Wagon Train, a unique experience in which youth learn that meeting one's responsibilities or failing to meet them will have immediate consequences.