Moving Toward Healing

Through the Moving Toward Healing project, Adventure Works seeks to expand access to outdoor, movement-based mental health therapy for youth by equipping clinicians with safe, high-quality paddle boarding gear. This project strengthens the integration of physical activity and clinical care to promote emotional regulation, resilience, and overall mental wellness for children and adolescents in DeKalb County.

Adventure Works is a nationally accredited outdoor behavioral healthcare organization serving youth ages 3–18 and their families in DeKalb County, Illinois. Founded in 2010, our mission is transforming lives through adventure therapy and experiential learning. We provide innovative, evidence-informed mental health services that combine licensed clinical treatment with physical activity and nature-based experiences.

The Moving Toward Healing project supports the purchase of stand-up paddle board kits and personal flotation devices used during therapeutic sessions. Paddle boarding serves as a powerful modality within adventure therapy, promoting mindfulness, self-efficacy, emotional regulation, healthy risk-taking, and peer connection. By ensuring access to safe and reliable equipment, this project removes barriers to participation and enhances the quality and impact of treatment for youth facing anxiety, depression, trauma, and other mental health challenges.

Nearly half of the youth we serve come from households below 200% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines, and many would not otherwise have access to therapeutic outdoor experiences. This project strengthens equitable access to high-quality mental health care while advancing the shared mission of promoting physical activity as a pathway to improved mental health.