Research Teaching

Journal of Wilderness

OBHRC

 Staff Publications

Department of
Resource Recreation and Tourism

 Wilderness Research Center
obhrc.JPG (7108 bytes)
 Research cooperative housed in the UI-WRC sponsored by the Outdoor Behavior Healthcare Industry Council (OBHIC) a growing organization of outdoor treatment programs for troubled adolescents. 

New Report Available from UI-WRC (September 2002)

Russell, K.C. (2002).   A Longitudinal Assessment of Treatment Outcomes in Outdoor Behavioral Healthcare.  Technical Report # 28,  Idaho Forest, Wildlife and Range Experiment Station. Moscow, Idaho. 45 pp. 


Recent reports by the Outdoor Behavioral Healthcare Research Cooperative 

Russell, K.C. (2001).   Assessment of Treatment Outcomes in Outdoor Behavioral Healthcare.  Technical Report # 27,  Idaho Forest, Wildlife and Range Experiment Station. Moscow, Idaho. 38 pp. 


Russell, K.C. & Hendee, J.C. (2000).  Outdoor Behavioral Healthcare: Definitions, Common Practice, Expected Outcomes and a Nationwide Survey of Programs.  Technical Report # 26,  Idaho Forest, Wildlife and Range Experiment Station. Moscow, Idaho.  87 pp. 

The Outdoor Behavioral Healthcare Research Cooperative (OBHRC) was established in July 1999 at the University of Idaho-Wilderness Research Center by the Outdoor Behavioral Healthcare Industry Council (OBHIC) to launch a comprehensive research program to advance the industry. The OBHRC concept evolved from a major study of 4 wilderness therapy programs (Doctoral Dissertation by Keith C. Russell, 1999), and from participation in the Earth Week 1999 Wilderness Therapy Conference sponsored and hosted by the UI-WRC. The research program is guided by a steering committee of representatives from the University of Idaho and the industry. 

Steering Committee

University of Idaho

JSteve Hollenhorst, Reviewer, Department Head, Resource Recreation and Tourism

Outdoor Behavioral Healthcare Industry Council (OBHIC)

Mike Merchant, Co-Chairman, OBHIC President
Gil Hallows, Vice Chair and Reviewer, OBHIC member
Hans Toecker, Secretary, OBHIC member
Rob Cooley, Reviewer, OBHIC member

Purpose of OBHRC

The purpose of the Outdoor Behavior Healthcare Research Cooperative (OBHRC) is to carry out a comprehensive research program to advance wilderness therapy and the outdoor treatment industry. Outdoor behavioral healthcare, often referred to as wilderness therapy, is defined as programs in which participants are placed in the program by parents or custodial authorities, to change destructive, dysfunctional or problem behaviors exhibited by adolescents through clinically supervised therapy and an established program of educational activities and curricula in an outdoors setting.  It is the hope of the Outdoor Behavior Healthcare Industry Council (OBHIC) that this new definition more accurately portrays the focus of outdoor treatment  to better communicate with parents, counselors, insurance companies, and managed care organizations.

The research cooperative idea evolved from OBHIC, a growing organization of about a dozen wilderness therapy and outdoor treatment programs. OBHIC’s mission is to unite its members to promote the common good of program member’s standards and the industry at large. The mission is accomplished by developing standards of excellence for membership with the goal to be the standard that parents and professionals can trust. Part of that mission of involves aggressive on-going research which will benefit the industry.

For information on becoming an OBHIC or an OBHRC member contact:

Keith C. Russell
University of Idaho
CNR Room 18a
Moscow, ID  83844-1144

Phone:  208.885.2269
Fax:  208.885.2268
E-mail:  keithr@uidaho.edu