Increasing Access to Rehabilitation with Nature-Based Therapy: Providing Supplemental Mental Health Services in Response to Inequities in the US Healthcare System
Current ‘Nature-Based’ Therapy programs are limited to inpatient and wilderness adventure options, accompanied by a high price tag due the demands of around the clock care. The purpose of this study is to identify what components of current nature-based therapy programs can be replicated in community settings at a greatly reduced cost. Globally we are lacking in our mental healthcare services, with nearly 3 times as many mental health and addiction related deaths versus the comparable country average (Figure 3). The biggest contributor to these numbers is the lack of universal healthcare in the United States (Figure 3). It is imperative to implement as many supplemental healthcare services because many cannot wait on political action to receive care.