Wilderness Treatment Program

Harlan is struggling with his mental health and has been for some time. Since he was five, he has suffered from depression and anxiety and now at 11 it has only worsened. We have put him in therapy, surrounded him with understanding people who encourage his strengths, and continued to see his amazing heart and mind. It has been a hard and difficult six years, especially the last two years. He went to Peachford Behavioral Hospital for the first time in November 2015 and since then he has rotated in and out of Peachford and other facilities around Atlanta to where he has been away from home almost eleven months combined. At this point, his brain is a psychological text book so he can give the right answer but the information doesn't make its way into his daily life. It feels like he is drowning and as we struggle to keep him above water, he is holding his breath and fighting to get underwater again. We need to break this cycle. We need to take a different approach. Enter SUWS of the Carolinas, a wilderness program that won't have Harlan in a climate controlled environment where he can give the "right" answers but be forced to practice the right way to self-regulate. Sadly, our savings are gone after years of therapy, hospitals, residential programs, and medications. We need help.