About the Bush Adventure Therapy Network (BATNet)

Bush Adventure Therapy is a diverse field of practice combining adventure and outdoor environments towards therapeutic outcomes for those involved. BATNet is the network of Australian practitioners who have a professional interest in supporting, developing and promoting the field of Bush Adventure Therapy.

The following purpose, roles and intended actions were shaped and agreed upon by all those present at the Australian Bush Adventure Therapy Forum (South Australia, August 2007). A summary of the forum outcomes as collated by Ben Knowles is available here.

Purpose

The Bush Adventure Therapy Network is made up of Australian practitioners who seek to support, develop and promote the field of Bush Adventure Therapy.

Roles

BATNet provides leadership, representation and support to those with a professional interest in using adventure and the outdoors to achieve therapeutic outcomes in their work.

Regional Representatives

At the Australian Bush Adventure Therapy Forum (South Australia, August 2007) members from each region elected a key representative. Together these representatives make up the Australian BATNet Committee, with an elected chair. These representatives maintain a database of BATNet contacts in their region, and assist to facilitate communication and decision-making both within and between regions. If you would like to connect with BATNet, find out more, or receive BAT E-news, please contact the your regional representative (listed below).

NT      Will Macgregor
batnet.nt@xga.com.au

NSW & ACT  John Leard*
batnet.nsw@xga.com.au 
* Committee Chairperson

VIC     Ben Knowles
batnet.vic@xga.com.au

TAS      Val Nicholls
batnet.tas@xga.com.au

SA        Ron Parker
batnet.sa@xga.com.au 

WA     Currently No representative - emails will be directed to the chair
batnet.wa@xga.com.au 

QLD     Currently No representative –emails will be directed to the chair
batnet.qld@xga.com.au 

International Adventure Therapy Committee (IATC)
Australian Representatives
Cathryn Carpenter & Paul Stolz
batnet.australia@xga.com.au

Communication

BATNet members are encouraged to share information and communicate via an Australia-wide electronic newsletter called BAT E-news. The circulation of BAT E-news is kindly supported by the Victorian Outdoor Education Association. Any member of the BAT community may submit items for inclusion in BAT E-news by following these steps:
1. Send your news item to your regional representative
2. Your representative will forward the item to an appointed BAT E-news volunteer for collation
3. The appointed volunteer will send BAT E-news out to the whole community via regional representatives (on approximately the 3rd week of every second month)

Note: Where information is of a personal or profitable nature, your representative may opt to circulate the item to the whole committee (made up of regional and IATC representatives listed above) for a final decision about its inclusion in the next BAT E-news. In this case, your representative will keep you informed on the progress of your news item.

Decision making

At the Australian Bush Adventure Therapy Forum (South Australia, Aug 2007) those present unanimously agreed on a specific decision-making structure for BATNet, as follows:

• For community-wide decisions, each representative will facilitate a conversation of practitioners within their region, until agreement is reached.

• The response is then fed back to the Australian BATNet, who make a final decision, based on consensus, facilitated by the Chair.

• Any BATNet member may raise a question or pose the need for a BAT community decision via their representative, who will initiate this decision-making process.

• Any person with a professional interest in BATNet is free to become a member by adding their name to the regional database of members, via their regional representative (listed above).

Intended Actions

The intended actions of the Australian Bush Adventure Therapy network were shaped and agreed upon by all those present at the Australian Bush Adventure Therapy Forum (South Australia, August 2007):

1.0 To promote Bush Adventure Therapy as a credible and beneficial form of therapeutic intervention

1.1 Support on-going research and evaluation
1.2 Retrieve, analyse and disseminate ‘practice wisdom’ and ‘program stories’ to broader communities
1.3 Contribute to the continued evolution of BAT definitions and terminology
1.4 Document and promote common BAT language, theoretical frameworks and practice

2.0 To refine and uphold safe and ethical practices within the Bush Adventure Therapy community:

2.1 Conduct regular meetings to discuss practice-related issues
2.2 Develop and  disseminate common practice guidelines for BAT, including recommended Risk Management guidelines for special target populations
2.3 Provide a forum for sharing program resources and documentation

3.0 To provide opportunities to share, analyse and promote stories of success:

3.1 Support professional networking
3.2 Conduct regular forums / conferences
3.3 Organise training events

4.0 To maintain an open forum for discussion and exchange of resources amongst the BAT community:

4.1 Conduct regular regional meetings to discuss practice-related topics
4.2 Develop inclusive communication strategies, including refinement of the BATNet contacts 4.3 database,  a website and ‘e- communications’
4.4 Coordinate annual forums to celebrate successes and challenges together

5.0 To represent the community and practice of BAT to relevant professional bodies, associations and organisations:

5.1 Encourage community-wide participation in BAT decisions and directions, using agreed-upon decision-making processes
5.2 Provide an inclusive approach that considers issues across genders, cultures and target-groups
5.3 Support a respectful evolution of this professional community
5.4 Work towards increased understanding of the breadth of BAT practice in the wider community

Further definitions

The following terminology was discussed by practitioners at the South Pacific Wilderness Adventure Therapy Forum (Tasmania, July 2004).

The term ‘Bush Adventure Therapy’ connects programs across Australia that combine the common elements of bush, adventure and therapy. The term ‘bush’ is seen to encompass the whole range of natural environments, from nature-contact to immersion in vast expanses of natural bushland and coast. The term ‘adventure’ includes activities in mind, body and spirit, for people of all ages and stages. The term ‘therapy’ includes general therapeutic approaches, and the specific intent of therapy.

Events

BATNet-Vic Workshop
Working with Stories: A Weekend of Exploration
May 10th-12th 2008
Murray River
Information and Registration Form

Australian BATNet Forum
Desert Journey
September 1st - 5th 2008
Alice Springs
(More information to come)