Heart Cry Recovery, founded in July 2008, is a new wilderness treatment program for adults ages 18-45 who struggle with alcohol abuse or dependency, substance or chemical abuse, process addictions or relapse.

Ramon Palacios, founder of Heart Cry Recovery, is a licensed Internationally Certified Drug and Alcohol Counselor (ICDAC) who has worked with addicts and alcoholics for 15 plus years. Ramon has worked within the judicial system with the Board of Pardons and Paroles and was the Program Director at Ascent Outdoor Wilderness Program. He also worked at Passages to Recovery, conducting staff training, ensuring program consistency and running groups. In addition, Ramon was on the founding team of Four Circles Recovery and assisted in the start up of the young adult program at Wilderness Quest.

Program options include a six week (42 day) program for those who need treatment for alcohol and chemical abuse and a three week program for those who have relapsed from treatment. Utilizing 12 step wilderness meetings of AA and NA, individuals also participate in individual and group counseling, chemical dependency education, relapse prevention and home contracts, family education and 2-3 day workshops for family members, significant others or caregivers. Components of the program consist of primitive living skills and hiking in the wilderness, consistent schedules and sleep patterns, healthy diet, daily meditation and journaling, in addition to using sweat lodges and solos.

[This information came from the Heart Cry Recovery website and from interviewing Ramon Palacios.]