Wilderness Therapy – Summer 2022 [Registration Closed]

Updated on: January 3, 2022

Wilderness Therapy – Summer 2022 [Registration Closed]

Dates: June 30, 2022

-August 8, 2022

Cost: $12,600

Location: Colorado

Course Details

BaMidbar’s wilderness therapy program is an immersive, 40-day program for emerging adults (18-28) looking to find direction and chart a new path forward. Get un-stuck and find yourself through 40 days in the wilderness.

BaMidbar uses wilderness and adventure-based experiences as a vehicle to promote self-reflection and community connection, while helping participants build a toolkit to face life’s challenges. BaMidbar’s program is crafted to simultaneously support and challenge each individual student, allowing them to discover who they are, who they want to be, where they want to go, and how they’re going to get there. Individual therapy, group therapy, and regular processing debriefs are woven into the program structure to give space for intentional reflection, learning, and growth.

[Registration is closed for Summer 2022. Please complete this form to stay in touch regarding future programs.]

Who It’s For

This program is open to Jewish-identifying young adults (ages 18-28) who may or may not have a history of mental health challenges, but who are struggling to find their way forward. Life challenges may include:

A “failure to launch”
Anxiety
Depression
Identity exploration
Negative life patterns
Mild substance use or abuse
Academic or employment challenges

Location

BaMidbar students spend Sunday-Thursday of each week exploring the Colorado wilderness and return home to basecamp for Shabbat. Past masa (backcountry excursion) locations have included Rocky Mountain National Park, Great Sand Dunes National Park, Lost Creek Wilderness, State Forest State Park, and more.

BASECAMP

BaMidbar’s Therapeutic Expeditions return weekly to our basecamp for Shabbat. Located 90 minutes from Denver at an elevation of 8,000 feet, the basecamp is surrounded by magnificent towering mountain peaks with on-site natural climbing walls, and has three mountain-fed streams running through its center. BaMidbar’s accommodations are primitive with no electricity or running water. Students and staff sleep in a canvas platform tent, built solidly to withstand the elements. The group has access to bathrooms and showers. All meals are cooked outside either over a fire or using a propane stove.

While BaMidbar operates on a secluded corner of the Ramah in the Rockies ranch, our program operates as a closed system. BaMidbar staff and students do not have any interaction or overlap with the Ramah in the Rockies community.

BACKCOUNTRY EXCURSIONS

BaMidbar takes advantage of the public lands available across the state of Colorado, including local wilderness areas, and State and National Parks. Typically, two masaot stay closer to basecamp, while the other two masaot require some travel to arrive at the trailhead. When groups are in the backcountry, students establish camp on a nightly basis. Each student is responsible for setting up their own sleeping tarp, and they work together to dig latrines and secure a group shelter in anticipation of inclement weather. Students use drip filters and Aquamira to purify water, and rely on fire and camp stoves to cook group meals.

Registration Details

Registration is closed for Summer 2022. Please complete this form to stay in touch regarding future programs.

Inquiry: Our process typically begins with a conversation between the student or the student’s family and a BaMidbar staff member. Please call (720) 835-2937 x0 to speak with a BaMidbar staff member.

Application: Applications are completed using a secure online form. Registration is closed for Summer 2022. Please complete this form to stay in touch regarding future programs. If you have questions about the application, please email Brett Hausler, Director of External Relations, at BrettH@BaMidbarTherapy.org.

Interview: Once the completed application is received, the BaMidbar Admissions Team will be in touch within three business days (excluding Jewish holidays) to schedule an interview between the potential student and our Clinical Director. These conversations typically take place over Zoom or phone and are designed to ensure that BaMidbar will be able to support the student, their needs, and their therapeutic goals.

Acceptance: The BaMidbar Admissions Team will reconvene to review the initial application in conjunction with information gathered in the Clinical Interview to determine whether BaMidbar will be an appropriate placement for the applicant. This process usually takes 1-3 days and may require additional follow-up conversations in order for our team to make an informed decision.

Enrollment: After acceptance into the program, BaMidbar will work with families to ensure that all forms and payments are completed and submitted before the student arrives. A program deposit invoice will also be sent upon acceptance and it must be paid in order to confirm a spot in the program.

Financial Aid: BaMidbar is committed to making mental health care accessible, and therefore offers need-based financial aid. Once accepted into the program, all students are welcome to apply for financial aid. Financial aid is awarded on a rolling basis. In order to formally request financial aid, we require the following information:

Letter detailing your financial need, including the specific amount of financial aid you’re requesting to enable the student’s participation in our program
Two most recently filed complete (including all schedules and forms) federal income tax returns for the parent(s), guardian(s) and/or legal custodian(s). (Please white-out all social security numbers)
Two most recent pay stubs for working parent(s), guardian(s) and/or legal custodian(s)
Most recent W-2(s) and/or 1099s for each working parent(s), guardian(s) and/or legal custodian(s)
For self-employed parent(s), guardian(s) and/or legal custodian(s), instead of items 3 and 4 above, please provide your most current income statement and balance sheet for your business

Financial aid information should be emailed to Hayden Lilien, BaMidbar COO, at HaydenL@BaMidbarTherapy.org. Hayden oversees BaMidbar’s financial aid committee and the committee meets on the first Thursday of every month. You will be notified of the committee’s official decision shortly thereafter. If you send password-protected files you MUST also provide the password – otherwise, your application may be delayed or declined. All requests for financial aid are treated with the highest degree of confidentiality.

If someone other than the above-listed parties will be financially responsible, please contact Hayden. BaMidbar recognizes that due to the COVID-19 pandemic and its effects, a family’s level of need may not be adequately captured by your latest tax return. In the letter, please include any pertinent changes to the applicant’s or applicant’s family’s financial situation as a result of the pandemic. BaMidbar is also open to working with families to create a payment plan to ease the impact of the full cost of the program. Plans are designed to span between the time a student is accepted into the program and May 1, 2022.

Wilderness Therapy – Summer 2022 [Registration Closed]