Assistant Director of Camp Care

Job Description

Job Description

The  Assistant   Director: Camp Care at Camp Galil is responsible for supporting the mental, emotional, and social well-being of all campers and staff members. This staff member will serve as a critical component of our Camper Care Team and guide Galil in creating an environment that’s welcoming for all. The Assistant Director: Camp Care will assist staff members with managing the social dynamics and behavior of their campers, while assisting them in meeting camper needs. The Assistant Director: Camp Care will regularly speak with parents of campers to elicit collaboration in achieving success for their camper. Together with a team of talented individuals, the Assistant Director: Camp Care will help to ensure the attention to and support of each camper and staff member’s well-being while in our care, including our community members’ Mental, Emotional, and Social Health (MESH) needs.

This is a great opportunity to leverage previous professional experience in a role that offers seasonal flexibility and the opportunity for a mental health professional to work alongside year-round Professional Staff and a seasonal youth leadership team to employ strategic thinking, problem-solving, thoughtful, and intentional care and guidance, and the delicate and expert touch needed to help ensure the highest quality of care of our participants. With the primary goal of supporting campers, the Assistant Director: Camp Care will provide hands-on care to campers, with a focus on being a resource to staff members in their work with children at camp. The Assistant Director: Camp Care will also be a key point of contact for parents during the summer. Central to this position’s success is the educational and practical experience and insight regarding contemporary practices related to child development, social work, group dynamics, adolescent behavior, behavior management, and other related areas. 

The Assistant Director: Camp Care’s role requires a great deal of flexibility and collaboration with Galil’s Professional Staff team and seasonal leadership team to be a direct source of support for campers, for staff in their work directly with campers aged 7 to 18 years, as well as for staff, as needed. The person will work on a year-round basis, living on-site and working fulltime in an immersive and intensive camp environment from June through August, and part-time (average 10 hours/week and 2-3 multi-day conferences) through the off-season (Sept-May). The Assistant Director: Camp Care, will be directly supervised by the Executive Director, and will work in partnership with the entire Camper Care team, which includes the youth leadership team and medical team.

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Playing a leadership role in the planning and implementation of staff training and ongoing staff learning related to mental, emotional, social, and spiritual health (MESSH);

• Serving as a resource to campers and staff throughout the summer in facing mental, emotional and social health challenges, and creating environments where campers and staff can thrive.

• Managing information about camper needs, and communicating those to staff, as well as documenting communication and plans as appropriate.

• Communicating and managing relationships with parents/caregivers in regards to camper needs.

• Provide counseling and interventions to campers and staff, as appropriate.

• Cultivate and maintain relationships with camp families that are rooted in excellent communication, trust, and partnership.

• Assist in recruiting campers and maintaining relationships with camp families throughout the year and over the summer.

• Serve as the lead in family/parent communication in relation to mental, social, and emotional health at camp.

• Oversee the intake process for new campers with identified needs, while continually screening camper information forms for potential unidentified areas for support (e.g. recent trauma, etc.)

• Assist in collecting camper forms, reviewing camper files pre-season, and documenting camper care/situations at camp.

• Be an active presence on-site at camp as a part of the community.

• Participate in the Foundation for Jewish Camp’s Community of Practice as part of the Yedid Nefesh program, including monthly calls, 2-3 virtual gatherings and one in-person gatherings per year with other Jewish camp mental health professionals. 

Key Qualifications:

• Graduate-level or higher degree in a mental health field. Including, but not limited to: social work, mental health counseling, psychology, youth psychiatry, family therapy, etc.

• 3-5 years of post-graduate work experience in a related field.

• Prior camp experience in working with young children is preferred

• Exceptional skill and capacity for engagement and relationship building with young adults, children and their parents.

• Proven ability to provide emotional support to a wide range of ages.

• Strong understanding of, and a willingness to be creative with, strategies to ensure campers of varying needs can be part of a mainstreamed program.