Laura Schroeder

Review of Legacy Outdoor Adventures

I cannot say enough nice things about Legacy and i...

I cannot say enough nice things about Legacy and its staff---outstanding, amazing, professional---the list goes on and on. We did a lot of research prior to selecting Legacy; we did not think our son would do well in a structured inpatient residential program that only relied on reading passages, writing in journals, and participating in group therapy. Legacy Outdoor Adventures turned out to be exactly what we were looking for-- outdoor activities that develop self-awareness and confidence in overcoming physical challenges (rappelling, rafting, canyoneering, backpacking, mountain bike riding). The clients are provided with top of the line equipment and clothing to provide for their safety and protect them from the elements. The clients are on small teams that participate in a 3-5 day group adventure--and then the remainder of the week is spent on the facility grounds (dorm style living, large main lodge, kitchen, dining area etc) for individual therapy sessions, etc.

The picture of the small building posted on google maps is NOT the Legacy grounds----the Legacy grounds are in a wide open expansive (and beautiful) area outside of Loa. The facilities are well-maintained wood-sided buildings with modernized interiors. The atmosphere in the buildings is one of "community" where all the staff is always present and accessible----from the office staff to the therapists to the adventure guides--everyone was friendly and positive when we were there for the family workshop.

We were so impressed with the program that we enrolled our son in Legacy's new phase II program for five weeks--the phase II program director, Mike, is great and works with the clients to reinforce continued sobriety. The transformation in my son after his experience at Legacy was amazing; he was a completely different person than the one that we put on an airplane 15 weeks earlier.

We had weekly conference calls with my son's therapist, Steve (a phenomenal guy!!!!). Due to my work schedule and the time zone difference, we often had to schedule the calls at odd, inconvenient hours---Steve was very flexible and accommodating when scheduling the calls. Legacy also has a family bridge website where parents can communicate via letters with their sons. The website is updated weekly with team blogs and pictures of the wilderness adventures. Toward the end of the program, Legacy offers a two day family workshop---includes support sessions with other parents, individual family sessions, and an outdoor experience. The workshop was an extremely positive and beneficial experience; Legacy teaches gratitude, and those teachings were evident during our workshop.

Go to the Legacy website and review the staff profiles. All of the staff have clinical experience and expertise in substance abuse addiction/recovery and/or counseling, and many of them have professional certifications or advanced degrees. Legacy also has a LONG list of previous clients and families who are willing to serve as references and attest to the quality of the program---call the office and they can connect you with someone who can provide you with firsthand information and answer your questions from a parental view.

The staff are NOT forced to sleep in their cars as noted in a previous review. To clarify, the adventure guides OPT to sleep in their own camper-style vehicles in between wilderness trips. No one is sleeping in the backseat of their car.