Do you have a program for youth-at-risk who are not in custody?

Yes. Wendigo Lake Expeditions operates a separate per diem program for behaviourally challenging male youth who are not in custody. A referral can be made to this program by parents/guardians, Children's Aid Societies or other case manager. This therapeutic adventure program is based upon our highly successful Project D.A.R.E. therapeutic adventure program which has served youth in open custody for over thirty years.

Can I refer my son to the open custody Project D.A.R.E. program?

The only person who can refer a youth to the Project D.A.R.E. open custody program is a probation officer. If your son has been charged under the Youth Criminal Justice Act and is likely to sentenced to open custody , you may wish to speak to his Probation Officer about making a referral. If you are seeking a placement for a child not in custody, you may wish to make a referral to our per diem program for behaviourally challenging boys.

Can I visit my son?

We welcome visits from parents, extended family and professionals involved with our students. We only ask that you call ahead so that we can confirm the student will be on site at the time of the visit. Students spend about forty percent of their time on wilderness expedition.

Is the program safe?

Wendigo Lake Expeditions works very hard to optimize the safety of every activity, and we seek to adhere to adventure program safety standards and industry best practices. There are inherent risks in adventure activities, as there are in most activities of daily life such as riding in a car or participating in school sports. There is substantial evidence that youth-at-risk engage in activities in the community which place them at substantially higher immediate and long term risk, than is posed by participation in the Project D.A.R.E. therapeutic adventure program. The Project D.A.R.E. program is reviewed annually by the Ministry of Children and Youth Services for compliance with licensing regulations and standards.

What is the cost and how does it compare to other programs?

The open custody program is funded by the Province of Ontario and there is no charge to the parent/guardian for service. The Ministry of Child and Youth Services has established a regulated rate of $221.07/day for child welfare agency placements in the non-custody program. The per diem rate for all other students is $265/day.. This may seem very expensive to people who are not familiar with the cost of operating a high quality residential therapeutic program. In fact, these rates are highly competitive. It is prudent to remember that the most expensive program is a program that fails to promote positive change or worse yet is unsafe. High quality wilderness therapy programs in the United States typically charge in the $400 US/day range. Our program is comparable in quality with these programs except for the less intensive clinical counselling component in our core service. We offer additional clinical counselling and assessment services at additional cost for those who wish a more intensive clinical component.

What should I look for to assess the quality of a program?

Determining which program is the best option for your child requires careful investigation. Service providers range from superb professionals to unsafe. Here are some questions you should ask to help you determine the quality of the program:

• Is the operator licensed by the provincial/state government?
• Is the operator accredited by a recognized industry association?
• How many years has the operator been in continuous service?
• Does the operator provide qualified teachers for its academic program?
• Does the operator belong to provincial/state/national industry or professional organizations?
• Will the operator certify that they carry current liability insurance?
• Does the on-site management team have extensive experience?
• Are front-line staff experienced and well-trained?
• Can the program provide references from past clients/referral agents?
• Does the program have policies and procedures and risk management standards that are available for your review?
• Is the facility and equipment in good repair?
• Is there 24 hour close supervision of students?
• What is the staffing ratio?
• What is the capacity of the operator to respond to emergencies - ie., back-up staffing, satelite phones, emergency response plans, staff training for emergencies?
• Does the program have a clearly articulated program design?
• Does the program participate in independent professional research?
• Does the program give you a sense of being open and honest?

The above questions will help you determine that a program has credibility. That does not mean the program is 'right' for your child's needs. It is important that both the program operator and the parent are completely honest with each other in exchanging information about the child and program, in order to arrive at an informed decision that the program and the child's needs are a match.

Is there any research showing whether Project D.A.R.E. students experience success after the program?

A new study of Project DARE was released in January 2005, entitled,  "Evaluating the Effects of the Project DARE Program on Young Offenders" which concludes that "Project DARE appears to be an effective intervention to help improve anger management and social skills of young offenders..." who demonstrated "...a significant improvement in emotional and behavioral well-being...as evidenced by significant score reduction". The study concludes that "Project DARE's recidivism rates compare favorably with published recidivism averages, especially given characteristics of the study sample." The results and finds of the new study are strikingly consistent with a detailed independent study that was carried out in 1992 of Project D.A.R.E.'s secure custody program. That study concluded that the rate of re-offending by graduates of the D.A.R.E. program was substantially lower than the overall rate for youth in secure custody.

Click Here to Download a copy of "Evaluating the Effects of Project DARE (2005)"

Summary of 1992 Study (8KB)