Facilitation Technique Category: Adventure Therapy

Activity Title: Lets go camping: Outdoor environment, motivation, and physical fitness.
Source: Dual Diagnosis. Integrated Treatment of Substance Abuse & Mental Illness (n.d.).
Retrieved from http://www.dualdiagnosis.org/treatment-therapies-for-dual-diagnosispatients/adventure-therapy/
Equipment: Shelter: tent, entrance carpet, ground cloth, tools box, dust pan, rain-fly, clips,
strings, wood, matchsticks, cooking items and simple first aid kit.
Activity description: Adventure therapy in general provides many benefits to participants
including direct contact with outdoor environment, self-motivation/engagement,
socialization/interaction, cardiovascular endurance/physical strength, among others. Going
camping in particular has the purpose of improving the individuals self-esteem while promoting
new challenges, decreasing stress, improving moods, practicing exercises, and cooking skills.
Once the participants are in the campsite, the instructor will read the directions about setting up
the shelter and each participant will be assigned with a task. First, have the participants to
recognize and to mention the function/use of the item that was designated. Second, start with the
ground cloth (2 participants will be assigned) and the instructions are: cleave the ground cloth
until is fully open. Third, open and place the tent (4 participants will be assigned) hold the tents
legs and begin to open from the center to outward until it is fully open. Third, proceed with
connecting the tents poles (4 participants will be assigned) and the instructions will be: putting
the tent color-codes together. Fourth, assembles the frame of the tent (4 participants will be
assigned) while securing the trimmings of the poles in perforations at the base of the tent, and
then attaching the surround of the camp to the poles via pins. Fifth, secure the tent with the
waterproof (rain-fly) (4 participants will be assigned) and the instructions are: fastening the
angles of the rain-fly to strings that assign to the base of the tent, and may contain extra clips or
connections that attach to the tent extremes. Six, proceed to place the entrance carpet (1
participant will be assigned) and the instruction is: place the carpet at the entrance of the tent.
Seven, continue to set up the dust pan (1 participant will assigned) and the instruction will be:
place the dust pan next to the entrance door. Eight, proceed with the bonfire (2 participants will
be assigned) and the instructions will be: get an ignition basis, gather firewood and kindling, get
woods or other large fuel sources, clear a spherical space about 4 feet (1.2 m) in length, pile
kindling lightly in your fire circle or fire pit, add firewood first with the tiniest sized fragments
and working your way up to large portions. Nine, start cooking your favorite plate (all
participants are allow). Finish the activity by receiving feedback from all participants.
Leadership considerations: CTRS will be the instructor in this activity and
staff/volunteers/recreational therapist students are part of the team in order to carry out this
activity. The staff to participants ratio should be1:1, 1:2, 1:3, and 1:4 depending on the particular
step of the activity. Instructions/education regarding all safety issues include: safety awareness

during bonfire performance, proper body mechanics to prevent back injuries while lifting heavy
objects, fall precautions while walking on uneven surfaces, energy conservation techniques and
breathing excs to promote endurance, transfers techniques requiring dependent transfers or
assistive transfers, postural awareness, etc. Some precautions should be taken into consideration
including: weather status, wild animals, nearby lakes, falling tree branches, environmental
barriers, etc. During camping it is important to explain/demonstrate the activity before
completing the task in order to achieve the best performance/accuracy. All participants are
allowed to ask questions at any time of the activity in order to complete proper sequence of tasks.
Adaptations: Participants with Cerebral Palsy: According to Guiles (2015), CP is a
neurological disorder that affects body movements, coordination, and balance. It also presents
others symptoms such as seizures, bladder and bowel control concerns, pain in different areas of
the body, hearing loss, impaired vision, and irregular sensations. In order to incorporate clients
with cerebral palsy to engage in camping activities we have to make some adaptations including:
physical environment: Arrange the camping area to facilitate mobility to all activities for clients
requiring an assistive device: W/C and crutches. Enables space for adequate storage for clients
aids and equipment. Demonstrate the rest of the staff how to assist in supporting a crutch with
unilateral extremity on a slippery surface. Individuals with CP that are W/C bound, a 1:1 aide
will probably be required (Integrated Treatment of Substance Abuse & Mental Illnes). Any staff
member should be ready to help when needed, but promote as much independence as possible.
(Giles, 2015)
Adaptations: Participants with Schizophrenia: Schizophrenia is a severe mental disorder that
affects how the individual behaves, reflects, and feels. The main concern of this diagnosis is the
lost touch with reality (National Institute of health). In order to incorporate clients with
schizophrenia many adaptations could be done including: devises compensatory approaches for
addressing encounters, for example, if a client has difficulty initiating tasks, then marks and
checklists to support verbal/tactile cues them to recall and to arrange the activities that are placed
in a basic view in the zone where the activity is supposed to take place (Psychiatric
Rehabilitation Journal, Vol 31(4), 2008, 340-349. http://dx.doi.org/10.2975/31.4.2008.340.349
American psychological Association). Also give them the opportunity of being in direct-contact
with others individuals and nature in order to reduce symptoms of paranoia.

Adaptations References
American psychological Association. (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://psycnet.apa.org/journals/prj/31/4/340/
Giles, S. M. (2015). PTA EXAM. In The complete stugy guide. Scorebuilders.
Integrated Treatment of Substance Abuse & Mental Illness. (n.d.). Retrieved from
dualdiagnosis.org

National Institute of health. (n.d.). Retrieved from

http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/schizophrenia/index.shtml