We are a summer camp in Wisconsin, United States. We will pay for your flight and travel arrangements. You will live on-site at camp from June - August. Please contact Rachel Ruskin for more information: [email protected].
The Community Care Director serves as an advisor to the campers, parents, and staff. This position works to ensure the emotional, social, and physical safety of campers and staff. In this capacity, the Camper Care Director serves as a central case worker, facilitating communication as needed between the merakzim (unit heads), Executive Director, Camp Life Director, Health Center, and parents. The Community Care Director works to establish a rapport with both staff and campers where trust and comfort is top priority.
Responsibilities Towards Chanichim (Campers)
- Help ensure that counselors are creating a safe, welcoming environment for the campers in their care.
- Collect all necessary “biographical” info on campers (medical, social, emotional), and orient counselors to various needs/issues before campers arrive to camp.
- Meet with counselors as needed to problem solve cases wherein campers need special support. Empower the staff to manage these needs, and intervene when necessary in cases that:
- Grow to be extreme (ex: homesickness, bullying)
- Are altogether inappropriate to be managed by an emerging adult (ex: suspicion of abuse).
- Help identify and enforce standards for camper hygiene.
- Record important notes in a timely manner re: camper management in CampMinder.
Responsibilities Towards Madrichim (Counselors)
- Meet with staff to support their professional and related personal camp experience.
- Attend eidah meetings on a regular basis.
- Facilitate 1-2 professional development programs per week. Topics may include camper programming, co-counselor teamwork, camper safety/happiness, job satisfaction/fulfillment, energy level, sleep patterns, etc.
- Facilitate co-counselor meetings when needed, both proactively and reactively, to ensure strong teamwork, balance of responsibilities, and communication.
- Serve as another emotional resource and mediator for counselors struggling with job challenges or personal problems, consulting with appropriate outside resources as needed.
- Assist the full-time year-round staff with eidah (unit)/co-counselor assignments as needed.
- Responsibilities Towards Merakzim (Unit Heads)
- Facilitate communication between a merakez and counselors or leadership staff, when needed, on points of tension and challenge.
- Be a support for merakzim (availability to observe and offer feedback – not in the role of a supervisor or director).
- Read bunk notes daily and meet with merakzim regarding any red flags; discuss bigger issues with directors.
Responsibilities Towards Parents
- Contact select parents in advance of the summer regarding campers identified by Camp Director as having particular needs that need clarity (ex: intense homesickness, food challenges, behavioral challenges). Work with the Camp Director to create an action plan and communicate this plan to staff, and progress back to parents.
- Serve as a primary contact to parents once the summer is up and running on many issues (main two exceptions = medical needs and to/from camp transportation needs). Recognize that “camp” is also a growing experience for parents.
- Proactively contact parents regarding camper challenges as they present. Use discretion balancing the goal of providing campers AND parents with an “independent living experience” while also viewing parents as partners and helpful resources in problem solving.
- Rule of thumb – the first call home to a parent should not be “We have a major problem!” Rather, “I want to discuss something we’ve observed with you and ask you to share your insights so that your camper can have the most positive experience possible.”
Responsibilities Towards Camp Life Director
- Communicate with the camp directors; keep a pulse on how campers, counselors, and merakzim are holding up.
- Include the Camp Life Director as needed when problem solving, recognizing that there are some issues that can be resolved independently and many others that need support.
- Meet daily.
