Increased Precautions We're Taking in Response to the Coronavirus
As updates on the impact of the coronavirus continue to be released, we want to take a moment to inform you of the heightened preventative measures we have put in place at SUWS of the Carolinas to keep our patients, their families, and our employees safe. All efforts are guided by and in adherence to the recommendations distributed by the CDC.

Please note that for the safety of our patients, their families, and our staff, on-site visitation is no longer allowed at SUWS of the Carolinas.

  • This restriction has been implemented in compliance with updated corporate and state regulations to further reduce the risks associated with COVID-19.
  • We are offering visitation through telehealth services so that our patients can remain connected to their loved ones.
  • Alternate methods of communication for other services are being vetted and may be offered when deemed clinically appropriate.

For specific information regarding these changes and limitations, please contact us directly.

CDC updates are consistently monitored to ensure that all guidance followed is based on the latest information released.

  • All staff has received infection prevention and control training.
  • Thorough disinfection and hygiene guidance has been provided.
  • Patient care supplies such as masks and hand sanitizer are being monitored and utilized.
  • Temperature and symptom screening protocols are in place for all patients and staff.
  • Social distancing strategies have been implemented to ensure that patients and staff maintain proper distance from one another at all times.
  • Cleaning service contracts have been reviewed for additional support.
  • Personal protective equipment items are routinely checked to ensure proper and secure storage.
  • CDC informational posters are on display to provide important reminders on proper infection prevention procedures.
  • We are in communication with our local health department to receive important community-specific updates.

The safety of our patients, their families, and our employees is our top priority, and we will remain steadfast in our efforts to reduce any risk associated with COVID-19.

The CDC has provided a list of easy tips that can help prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

  • Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
  • Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue and then immediately dispose of the tissue.
  • Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.
  • Clean and disinfect objects and surfaces that are frequently touched.
  • Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
  • Stay home when you are sick, except to get medical care.

For detailed information on COVID-19, please visit https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html

Why We Are a Positive Alternative to Boot Camp

If your child is engaging in disruptive, defiant, or aggressive behavior, you probably feel desperate to help him or her, all while grappling with profound frustration. At SUWS, we are here to provide solutions to allow you, your child, and your family to heal and regain control of your lives.

Love Your Child, Not the Behavior

It is possible to love your child, while not tolerating the behavior.

Through decades of scientific inquiry, researchers have identified what works (and what doesn’t) when it comes to overcoming adolescent behavioral challenges. At SUWS, we operate with a relational approach, because building trust within a therapeutic relationship has been demonstrated as the most beneficial way to illicit lasting change. We accomplish this by:

  • Working in partnership with families (i.e. Love and Logic training, weekly phone calls, parent seminars, overnight experiences, and family therapy sessions at graduation)
  • Understanding that all behavior has a purpose, and helping children learn to get their needs met in a functional manner
  • Reinforcing positive behavior and building upon “what works”
  • Providing choices throughout treatment to encourage ownership over the recovery process
  • Instilling natural consequences as opposed to contrived punishments
  • Offering personalized treatment planning paced to each individual’s needs

SUWS Approach vs Boot Camp Approach

Why Our Wilderness Program is a Positive Alternative to Boot Camp

If your child has been acting out, you may fear that a respectful and compassionate approach might be too “soft” to achieve results. But think again. In reality, research tells us that interventions like boot camp are ineffective and often backfire. So what does work?

Finding Hope

Finding Hope Through Our Wilderness Treatment

If you are a parent or guardian of an adolescent in crisis, know that you are not alone. The licensed professional staff at SUWS are highly trained in the therapeutic interventions needed to help you and your child on the path to recovery.

Together, we will work to promote emotional learning, self-regulation, healthy communication, teamwork, and accountability. Your child deserves to thrive to potential, and with the help of SUWS, he or she can overcome maladaptive behaviors, and live a healthy, joyful life one again.

Start the Admissions Process
Frequently Asked Questions

“Initial connection to the program through the internet and contact with the Admissions team was the key to our decisions to sending our son to SUWS. They made us feel heard and finally not alone with what we were going through as a family”

– Anonymous Parent
Marks of Quality Care
Why does this matter?
  • AdvancED
  • American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM)
  • Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF)
  • Forest Service Department of Agriculture
  • National Association of Therapeutic Schools and Programs (NATSAP)
  • National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC)
  • NC Department of Health and Human Services
  • Outdoor Behavioral Healthcare Council
  • Safe Zone
  • Sky's The Limit Fund
  • The Jason Foundation