Member Info
INTRODUCTION/GENERAL INFORMATION
Dear Colleague: Spring/Summer 2008
The recent hearings conducted by the Committee on Education and Labor and subsequent legislation, have fostered a fast and furious debate, specifically the efficacy and safety of some types of outdoor residential programs. As with any healthy debate, multiple perspectives emerge. The expected outcome for a debate is usually more informed consumers, and an enhancement of the product, process or participants. However, the outcome of this debate currently remains unresolved. There are many potential negative outcomes, including: misrepresentation of outdoor programming as unsafe, and inefficient; and the loss of consumer choice of outdoor programming as an alternative or complement to traditional education and healthcare. It would be unfortunate if a conclusion was that only federally run programs or traditional hospitals and psychiatric wards were the only safe and efficient milieu, and groups of students could no longer experience the outdoors as part of their development unless it was on the athletic field!
The National Association of Therapeutic Wilderness Camping holds the view that many positive outcomes are possible from this debate. In a recent letter to Representative George Miller, Chair of the Committee on Education and Labor, NATWC expressed support for continued oversight for the outdoor education and therapy industry. However the proposed bill on Institutional Abuse, as it stands, is not the answer. Programs must continue to work harder to insure client’s and their families’ physical and emotional safety. Programs also need to dialog around “Best Practice” to ensure that outcomes are real and sustainable.
NATWC has created the National Wilderness Counselor Certification, the only nationally recognized certification specifically for counselors in the field of wilderness therapy. It is a primary mission of NATWC to provide both the standards for best practices among wilderness counselors and the recognition they deserve as professionals in a challenging and effective field.
In the spirit of “Best Practice”, The National Association of Therapeutic Wilderness Camping submits that the issues of industry regulation, program accreditation, and practitioner credentialing must be embraced by vested organizations as well as individual practitioners. Those vested parties must step forward to insure that industry representatives are “at the table” when discussions and decisions pertinent to the industry are undertaken. The importance of marketing our successes is critical to the relative health of this industry. NATWC offers one “piece of this pie” specific to practitioner credentialing, through the National Wilderness Counselor Certification, as one step toward Best Practice.
NATWC membership continues to be a low cost way to be “at the table” when networking, industry advocacy and Wilderness Counselor credentialing and recognition are the entrée’s.
The National Association of Therapeutic Wilderness Camping membership includes:
- WWW.NATWC.org organizational representation and informational link
- The Journal of Therapeutic Wilderness Camping
- Free referrals for families seeking outdoor program placements
- The latest CD version of the Wilderness Counselor Certification; an amazing compilation of historical and philosophical perspectives, research submissions, and the NATWC curricula for wilderness counselor credentialing
- Member discounts for the Wilderness Counselor Certification
- Discounts at the NATWC annual training conference
- Membership decal and certificate
- Association and networking opportunities with programs, individuals, colleges, universities and businesses in the outdoor education and therapy industry.
- Job Postings
- Event bulletins and postings
The National Association of Therapeutic Wilderness Camping continues to be a low cost way of staying connected with the industry-wide picture. Our annual training conference is still one of the most cost efficient ways of supplementing your staff’s training needs. Your staff will return from the yearly conference with new skills, new contacts, and a renewed energy to face the daily challenges of outdoor programming.
The NATWC Board and staff continue to carry the torch, representing our mission, and communicating the successes that so often go unannounced! Now more than ever, as colleagues in the outdoor programming industry we need the power of community!
I hope you join us in this effort!
Should you have any needs or questions, do not hesitate to contact us! We are attaching an invoice for your convenience, as well as an update regarding our fall training conference.
Sincerely,
Rick “Tick” McClintock
Executive Director
natwc@qcol.net
264 Brown Hill Road
Markleysburg, Pa. 15459
724.329.1098 (phone and fax)
Thank you for considering membership in NATWC. We were established in the early nineties to represent the field of therapeutic camping and to enhance practice through training conferences and increased contact/networking by organizations and practitioners. Our annual training conference has consistently been well attended and offers topics pertinent to individual practitioners at all levels. Additionally, we have established a counselor recognition program which documents the skills and experience of outdoor counselors at the Counselor, Senior Counselor and Master Counselor levels.
To join, simply down load the application and when completed, mail it and the applicable membership fee to the address provided at the end of the application. Once processed you will receive confirmation of your membership, a membership certificate and a membership decal. Additionally, you will be listed on our web site as a member. If an organization, a brief information sheet will be maintained on the site and a link to your organization’s web site will be made (if desired).
For additional information or questions, feel free to contact the Membership Chairman, Rick McClintock, at natwc@qcol.net or, if by mail, 264 Brown Hill RoadMarkleysburg PA 15459
NATWC PURPOSE/MISSION
The National Association of Therapeutic Wilderness Camps, Inc. was formally established at the first annual conference held in Black Mountain, North Carolina in May of 1994. Since then NATWC has worked to solidify the field, raise public awareness about the effectiveness of outdoor therapeutic treatment with troubled youth, promote high standards of care, and provide training opportunities for those in the field. Each year since being founded, NATWC has organized an annual training conference which is attended by individuals working in wilderness/outdoor programs from all over the country. Many organizations use the training workshops provided at the conference as a significant part of the staff training and development programs for their staff.
The primary purpose of NATWC is to support the establishment and continuation of Therapeutic Wilderness Camping organizations, with the attendant responsibility to educate the public as to the existence of such organizations and their success in helping troubled young people change their lives for the better.
Our main goals are as follows:
- Advocate on behalf of Therapeutic Wilderness Camping organizations, which in turn serve and develop resources for youth and their families.
- Foster public awareness of the success Therapeutic Wilderness Camping systems have achieved in directly helping youth to change their lives for the better.
- Promote standards for all aspects of Therapeutic Wilderness Camping organizations.
- Provide resources for technical assistance, shared training and shared resources.
- Encourage mutual support among Therapeutic Wilderness Camping organizations and other interested support groups.
- Actively promote and support the development of standards, which validate and promote direct care staff professionalism.
We invite you to consider joining our growing and dynamic organization. If you would like more information, please contact us at 264 Brown Hill RoadMarkleysburg PA 15459 or read about us on our website- www.natwc.org . All application materials are posted on the NATWC web site.
Please click HERE to download a printable membership application.