what we do

Passages To Recovery is an outdoor inpatient treatment program that operates in the majestic red rock canyons and the high mountain forests of south central Utah. This setting assists participants toward a passage into self-discovery and offers numerous daily opportunities to connect with the concept of a Higher Power as a foundation for the Twelve Steps. The wilderness experience, followed by the integration of that experience at the Valley Site, provides participants with a truly unique opportunity to establish the framework for the healthy, supportive relationships that will sustain a sober lifestyle.

AA got it right: to produce the desired change toward sobriety, an alcoholic’s [or addict's] brain will require at least ninety days before it can make the massive changes in stem cell differentiation and division Siegel (2006) describes.  The neurosciences are confirming that effective therapy requires three essential components:

1. A novel experience
2. An optimal amount of emotional arousal to prime the brain for neuronplasticity:
1. new synaptic connections
2. modification of old synaptic connections
3. stimulate stem cells to differentiate into fully integrated neurons
3. Support

Flores P.J. (2007).  Group Psychotherapy with Addicted Populations, New York: Hayworth Press.

Substance abuse and chemical dependency treatment delivered via wilderness therapy provides novel experience, is effective in arousing emotions, and at Passages To Recovery, very supportive, with most of our Field Guides and Residential staff in personal recovery, with a wrap-around treatment team consisting of a licensed master's level therapist and a licensed substance abuse counselor (LSAC) working with the client in both the wilderness and our residential setting.

At Passages To Recovery, we appreciate the research providing the evidence that relapse rates decrease significantly if a person engages in treatment for 90 days or more.  Making the most of a family’s initial treatment investment makes sense; reducing the likelihood of cycling through rehab and then relapse over and over is well worth doing it right the first time.  We are committed to 90 meetings in 90 days.  We are an abstinence-based 12 Step program.

The Wilderness Experience
This aspect of Passages To Recovery rapidly addresses the sense of isolation experienced by many people in the cycle of substance abuse. The small numbers of students and high staffing ratios allow for effective communication and the development of authentic relationships. Through experience students discover that they are capable of meeting challenges and not only survive, but also actually thrive, in the 40-day process.

Focus on the individual provides many opportunities to establish a pattern of "programmed unavoidable successes" through the application of the tangible and intangible skills required to function in the wilderness setting. An example of how the wilderness experience develops sober skills through teaching is demonstrated by camp set-up. During this process we focus on the individual's self-care, planning to maintain comfort in the varied conditions students may encounter in the wilderness setting. Identifying an appropriate camp site in terms of level ground, the absence of rocks, shelter from the wind, and so forth, can teach much about the necessity for awareness, planning and decision-making which can minimize the difficulties presented by different weather conditions. The lesson transitions easily into a discussion about the characteristics of relationships that would support a healthy and sober lifestyle.

Passages To Recovery teaches primitive wilderness skills. This provides an experience to work through frustration while becoming competent at difficult tasks with immediate benefits to the individual and the group.

A loving non-judgmental culture helps each student to develop the sense of acceptance and accountability, which is foundational to healthy relationships. This results in an increased sense of awareness in terms of self-care with regards to communication and practical skills among peers.

Gear and equipment are provided for each student. As the weather conditions and terrain vary with the seasons,  the gear we provide for our students meets the varied needs of each season and each student's experience. In addition, our students are then prepared to access the wilderness following their Passages To Recovery experience.

Sweat Lodges provide an experience in which self-consciousness is diminished within the ceremony of this structured activity. Deliberate effort is focused on establishing a supportive environment. The Sweat Lodge is a cleansing, renewing process in the physical sense (the experience is similar to a ceremonial sauna) and a cathartic experience in an emotional sense. Sweat Lodges are a routine activity throughout the program.

The Vision Quest is the peak experience within the Passages To Recovery wilderness journey. In a practical sense, through preparation for and participation in the Vision Quest, each student will make him or herself available for a profoundly personal spiritual experience. The preparation phase includes supporting others as they identify their goals and desires for the experience. Students share the experience with the group demonstrating the benefits to those contemplating the activity. The Vision Quest is designed to be a three-day solo experience. Students participate in a Sweat Lodge with their group prior to leaving for their Vision Quest site. The campsite is identified and prepared with the student's profile in mind. There are clear agreements about remaining within the perimeter. Students are equipped with water and a drink mix (for electrolyte and blood sugar maintenance) and these are replenished daily. Vision Quest sites are located within shouting distance from the group and are monitored around the clock by the guides. Once the Vision Quest is completed, students rejoin the group, eat a light meal, and participate in a mirroring ceremony and then a feast. During this time students have the opportunity to share about their experience. There is more to the experience than is at first obvious. Many students digest the experience for several weeks, recognizing significance as they move forward in their lives.

The Valley Site Experience
When students first walk through the doors at Passages To Recovery, they enter the Valley Site, our residential transitional living facility. The Valley Site is a welcoming rustic home, complete with llamas, chickens, an organic garden and a 12 Step meeting every night. Entering treatment is not easy, so we do our best to slow things down and keep it simple.

Students begin the program at the Valley Site for approximately seven to ten days before joining their group in the field. This allows for assessment, learning style evaluation, physical conditioning and acclimatization, daily attendance of Twelve Step meetings, preparation for smoking cessation and comprehensive work on the First Step.

The Valley Site also allows for an individualized experience building relationships and developing trust as each student progresses in treatment.

From the beginning, students begin working a 12 Step program-while we do not ask anyone to identify as an addict or an alcoholic, we do ask them to take a look at their lives through the lens of each Step and apply what is useful wholeheartedly.

The menu at Passages To Recovery is based on the USDA food pyramid with an emphasis on the needs of an individual in early recovery. We use as many organic foods as possible and teach our students how to cook healthful meals to take care of themselves, both on the stove and over the fire.

When students leave the field and come back to the Valley Site for the final forty days, they engage the "return" part of their journey. This can often be the hardest part of the whole process, as the old habits re-assert in response to familiar triggers. It is at this integral stage of the journey that our students join their families in a two-day family workshop, with the intention of educating family members about the neurobiology of substance abuse and chemical dependency, of facilitating communication between student and family via the Four R's, a process involving shared Respects, Regrets, Resentments, and Requests, and of working the process of relapse prevention from a family systems perspective. This time also provides the whole family with support and guidance in which to define boundaries and to set their intentions for the future.

Following the Two-Day Family Communication Workshop, students continue their work on relapse prevention and explore extended care options through research and interviewing. These students fulfill a leadership role at the Valley Site, reinforcing what they have learned by sharing their experience, strength, and hope with the new Passages To Recovery students.

By the time our students return to our residential site, the results are back from National Geographic's Genographic Project, and we are able to extend each student's view back to the beginning of the human family, tracing their ancestral trail to the present moment. This project re-orients each student's perspective of where they are in time and space, grappling with the existential questions: Who am I? Where did I come from? Why am I here? What difference does it make? Addressing these questions from the broad perspective of ancestry, funneled through ethnicity, and finally brought to bear on the essential choice point in each moment supports a right-sized perspective and a deeper understanding of the actions of cause and effect.

The genogram work is the foundation for each student to deepen the exploration of their own Hero's Journey. We do this experientially, engaging the imagination and all the senses with ceremony and mask making, with advanced primitive skills, by making music and by filming a documentary of each student's life story. This process allows for a deeper integration of personal growth and continued opportunity for therapeutic intervention.

The final weeks at the Valley Site are spent integrating the insights gained in the wilderness back into day-to-day living. The return from the wilderness is accompanied by an increased degree of self-confidence and internal motivation. At Passages To Recovery, we seek to integrate this heightened experience so our students retain the very best of what they've learned. This is the primary therapeutic opportunity in the final month at Passages To Recovery. Because we know the student well and have traced the arc of his experience so far, we are the best equipped to help him remember what he has learned and apply it when the stresses of daily life re-emerge. We seek the opportunity to emphasize the 12 Steps as a way of life and help our students learn to utilize them as a decision-making and goal-setting schema.

Comprehensive Clinical Assessment and Care
Passages To Recovery is focused on the treatment of young adult substance abuse and related issues. Comprehensive clinical assessment, coupled with education which supports appropriate self-care are effective in providing key components toward the development of a healthy, stable, and sober lifestyle.

Psychiatric Evaluation: Each student will have a psychiatric evaluation, treatment recommendations based on that evaluation and the opportunity to receive consensual routine care.

Individualized Treatment: Students participate in a comprehensive bio-psycho-social interview with a Master's level therapist or Licensed Substance Abuse counselor, which results in an individualized clinical plan as a guide for treatment.

Physical Evaluation: Students undergo a physical examination and related lab-work to determine appropriateness for the wilderness environment. Medical field visits take place every week and as needed.

Psychological Testing: Each student participates in psychological testing as part of the Passages to Recovery program. Treatment recommendations formulate part of the treatment plan and help to ascertain on-going care needs.

Therapist's and Counselor's Role: Students work individually with their therapist and their counselor.  These professionals also interface with key support people toward the development of healthy boundaries and communication patterns within the family, productive and accountable behaviors by all involved, and a realistic plan for the immediate future.

Two-Day Family Communication Workshop: Midway through the program, Passages To Recovery provides a workshop designed to clarify roles and boundaries for family members. This experience provides an opportunity for a fresh start with a clear plan for maintaining accountability and moving forward.

Twelve Step Recovery Model
The Twelve Step Recovery model is based on the worldwide fellowship of programs like Alcoholics Anonymous ©, Narcotics Anonymous ©, Alanon © etc. The success and availability of these community based groups will offer our students the opportunity to participate in easily accessible meetings supporting the development of a sober lifestyle. Wilderness can increase an individual's sense of spirituality. The Twelve Step model is designed to encourage a relationship with a Higher Power as the means to relief from the addictive cycle. The combination of these two elements serves to provide an experiential process in substance abuse treatment.

The wilderness environment effectively stimulates the authentic spiritual awakening that is foundational to a Twelve Step recovery lifestyle.

Completion of Steps One through Five prior to the Vision Quest is one of the standard goals for Passages To Recovery treatment. Completion of all Twelve Steps is the standard goal for graduation from our program.

Family Systemic Intervention Process
While the client is in treatment at Passages To Recovery, we encourage each family to engage in a Family Systemic Intervention in their hometown, facilitated by a trained interventionist, to provide in-depth understanding of how their family functions and the ways in which each family member might alter their own actions toward better health and well being for the whole family.