Legacy and Juniper Canyon co-founders Gil Hallows and Derek Daley have long served on the OBH council board, and actively work with industry leaders and OBH Center research scientists from around the globe to advance the field through best practices, effective treatment, and evidence-based research.
Many of our collaborations from over the years are highlighted in the OBH Center newsletters. Visit the OBH Center website to read about the ways in which we are working to advance the industry. OBH newsletters here: www.obhcenter.org/newsletters
Click here to read the OBH 2020 Newsletter.
What is the Outdoor Behavioral Healthcare Center?
The OBH Center is an evolution of the Outdoor Behavioral Healthcare Research Cooperative (OBHRC). OBHRC research began in 1999 under the direction of Dr. Keith Russell with a major study of four wilderness therapy programs and over the years grew to include seven active research scientists, over 200 research studies, and collaboration on several studies and publications.
Under the leadership of its Director, Dr. Michael Gass and Associate Director, Dr. Anita R. Tucker, the OBH Center aims to continue to build upon these efforts through the promotion of research, accreditation and risk management in OBH and adventure therapy programs.
Ultimately, the OBH Center’s vision is to have affordable, evidenced-based Outdoor Behavioral Healthcare available for clients to the point there is a significant decrease in the overall rate of mental health and substance abuse issues in our society by 2020.
OBH Center Research Scientists are conducting research across North America in the field of outdoor behavioral healthcare. Research scientists are licensed clinicians who hold a faculty position at a university, possess a PhD, and have a minimum of two years of “mud on their boots” from experience working in outdoor behavioral healthcare
In addition to the OBH Research Scientists, the OBH Center collaborates and supports diverse researchers and practitioners in an effort to make sure our research is informed by current practices and programs.
Transparency, objectivity, and trust are critical features of all practices of the OBH Center. All of the research produced by the OBH Center is reviewed by the Institutional Review Board of the University of New Hampshire for ethical and accurate research practices before any studies ever begin. All research practices conducted by the Center follow not only the guidelines of this Institutional Review Board (IRB) at the University of New Hampshire, but also the Missenden Code of ethics and accountability (2002) for appropriate ethical practices by university research entities.
Research conducted by the OBH Center seeks to:
- address universal problems resulting in benefits for society as a whole
- be objective in the design and implementation of research activities and take an unbiased position in reporting results
- conduct all operations openly, honestly, objectively, and responsibly
- disclose to all colleagues and the public any financial or personal interests so that audiences are fully informed.
- be independent in the research and publication of any informed findings and publications
The Center receives its funding from the University of New Hampshire, federal and state funding, the Outdoor Behavioral Healthcare Council (OBHC), the National Association for Therapeutic Schools and Programs (NATSAP), and foundations (e.g., the Jewish Community Federation of Baltimore). The non UNH research scientists of the OBH Center are independent of all funding entities, and these entities have no involvement in the selection of research topics, how research is conducted, where research is published, and the findings and interpretations of these research projects. For more information, see: https://www.unh.edu/undergrad-research/ethical-and-responsible-conduct-research-training
