How Utah became the birthplace of the once-lucrative wilderness therapy industry for ‘troubled teens’
But some teenagers have died in these wilderness camps, and many programs have been plagued by allegations of cruel punishment and abusive tactics. In recent years, negative accounts on social media and critical coverage in news media have affected bottom lines drastically. A Brigham Young University student from Idaho named Larry Dean Olsen is often cited as the founder of wilderness therapy camps in the United States. In the 1960s, he started leading outings with his classmates, teaching them how to build fires and shelters and other techniques they would needthat were several days long.
While Olsen started wilderness therapy programs, it was another Utahn, Steve Cartisano, who turned the concept into a money-making business. Also a BYU alumnus, Cartisano took the ideals of wilderness therapy and jacked up the price. According to a 2008 Tribune article, he established the Challenger Foundation in Escalante and started charging parents more than $10,000 in fees.
Being banned in Utah didn’t stop Cartisano from continuing his “tough love” programs — he opened up shop in other places. He launched several unregulated teen programs in Hawaii, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Costa Rica and Samoa. All of these programs collapsed after claims of child abuse and financial improprieties became public, according toCartisano’s program was not the only one who had teens die under its watch.
Programs also were required to address teen complaints by allowing them to promptly see a medical professional, regardless if field staff believe the youth is “faking.” Today, state rules also dictate the minimum amount of food and water that should be available to teenagers, how heavy their backpacks can be and what supplies programs are required to provide to young people.