ABSTRACT
The concept of risk is incredibly important for the adventure therapy field. In many ways, the concept of risk is the ultimate paradox in the adventure therapy field. Too much risk or inappropriate risk places clients in unnecessary positions of danger as well as overwhelms clients to a point where functional change fails to become an outcome. In the beginnings of adventure therapy programs, the interaction between environmental conditions and adventure program participants created very few contraindications. Adventure therapy program staff need to work closely with their medical director when admitting clients with drug detoxification issues. Probably the most comprehensive, valid, clear, and accessible presentation of risk management in the adventure therapy field is the ongoing work done by the Outdoor Behavioral Healthcare Industry Research Consortium, the research arm of the Outdoor Behavioral Healthcare Council. Even the very best of individual adventure therapists are exposed to unnecessary risks with poor program risk management.
