A week-long summer camp program aimed at developing skills to manage factors contributing to OCD and anxiety disorders. The program focuses on reducing avoidance behaviors, creating opportunities to confront fears, enhancing resilience, and offering valuable psychoeducation to campers and their families. The program utilizes cognitive behavior therapy with exposure therapy.
Who is Camp for?
Children ages 7 to 13 years (based on the child’s age on the first day of camp), determined to have a primary diagnosis of OCD, social anxiety, specific phobia, illness anxiety, or separation anxiety.
When is Camp?
June 23 – June 27, 2025 (5 days; 4 hours each day)
The camp day will occur from 12:30 pm until 4:30 pm. For a fee of $20/day campers will have access to before care from 11:30 am until 12:30 pm and/or after care from 4:30 pm until 6 pm.
Where is Camp?
Camp will be located at 3500 Canal Street, New Orleans, LA 70119. This secure building is the home of Rise Center for OCD and Anxiety (Rise) with a large open space for group activities, as well as smaller offices for small groups and/or individual support.
How do I apply and register?
Complete a free phone consultation with Dr. Megan Lilly
Click Schedule A Phone Consultation at the top of the page and choose a time that is convenient for you. When registering, please enter the child’s name and date of birth, as well as the caregiver’s email address and phone number.
Dr. Lilly will determine if camp would be a good fit for your family and answer your questions.
At that time, pay the $50 registration fee to reserve a spot for your child.
What happens after my child is registered?
Schedule the required intake evaluation with one of our approved therapists. This will help staff cater activities to the needs of each camper. The appointment will take approximately 1-hour and can be completed virtually or in person.
If the intake assessment determines the child is not a good fit for camp the registration fee will be refunded. This is the only circumstance in which the registration fee will be refunded.
Pay the remaining camp balance ($300) by June 1.
What is the cost of camp?
The total cost of camp is $350
Can I use my insurance to pay for camp?
Insurance is not accepted for Courageous Campers.
Who is running this thing?
Courageous Campers is hosted by OCD Louisiana, an official affiliate of the International OCD Foundation (IOCDF), and Rise Center for OCD and Anxiety, an independent private practice in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Rise is a private group practice in New Orleans, Louisiana. The mission of Rise is to help the people of Louisiana live their most meaningful lives by providing effective, comprehensive, and compassionate treatment for OCD and anxiety-related disorders, and offering exceptional training and support for clinicians.
The values and goals of OCD Louisiana are to provide education, resources, and support to the local community to increase access to effective treatment and promote awareness about OCD and related disorders.
A licensed psychologist (Melissa Dufrene, PsyD, ABPP or Kristin E Fitch, PhD) will be present at all times to ensure appropriate treatment and will be assisted by a pre-licensed psychologist and volunteers. All volunteers will complete background checks and complete training in safety and the treatment program.
This sounds like an amazing opportunity for Louisiana kids! How can I contribute?
We really appreciate your support! Please spread the word about camp and consider making a tax-deductible donation to OCD Louisiana for Courageous Campers. Every contribution, regardless of its size, will help us provide an empowering experience for these extraordinary campers. If your company is interested in supporting Courageous Campers, please send us an email at office@riseocdandanxiety.sprucecare.com
How did Courageous Campers get its start?
OCD Louisiana and Rise Center for OCD and Anxiety launched Courageous Campers in July 2024 as part of the Plant a Summer Camp Program. It was made possible by the generous grant-funding of JACK Mental Health Advocacy (MHA) and sponsorship by Dufrene Surveying and Engineering and Children’s Hospital New Orleans. The program was developed with consultation of JACK MHA clinical staff and the International OCD Foundation (IOCDF). We can’t thank these organizations enough for their invaluable assistance in getting Courageous Campers off the ground. They were pivotal to the success of Courageous Campers 2024 and instrumental in helping us pave the way for future years!