A variety of residential and experiential therapeutic programs exist for youth who experience emotional, behavioral, or substance abuse problems that are not adequately responsive to traditional treatment options. While evaluations of programs are available in the literature, investigation of the experiences of professionals who undergird these programs and oversee re-entry of youth back into their communities is lacking. The research reported here used case study design with semi-structured interviews to explicate the experiences of recreational therapists. The results provided insight into the characteristics, needs, and experiences of recreational therapists who work with high promise youth. Further, the work provided a proposed change to current models of compassion satisfaction and compassion fatigue subscale interactions in this population. Findings indicated recreational therapists are optimistic, intrinsically motivated to spend time outdoors, become personally invested in their work and experience personal growth from their work. They required additional systems of support and guidance to effectively counter compassion fatigue and associated burnout. Recommendations included measures for organizations to effectively counter compassion fatigue through enhancement of peer support systems and self-care guidance.