Job Description – Community Care Director
Summer 2021

Background: The URJ Henry S. Jacobs Camp is a residential, Jewish summer camp located in Utica, MS that serves campers ages 7-16, who spend between two and four weeks on-site during the summer. We strive to create a healthy, nurturing environment for campers and staff to try new activities, build meaningful relationships, and grow their Jewish identities. We are seeking a qualified candidate to join our team as the Summer Camper Care Director.

Qualifications:

• Dedication to the Jacobs Camp Mission and Vision;
• Educational experience in social work, psychology, special education, or child development – master’s degree strongly preferred.
• Extensive experience working with children and/or teens ages 7-21 in an educational, recreational, or therapeutic setting;
• Maturity and professionalism: must be able to work effectively with other staff, address camper/staff social and emotional needs discretely, and maintain confidentiality in work with campers, staff, and parents;
• Strong oral and communication skills: must be able to communicate efficiently with staff and parents, as well as maintain proper documentation for Camper Care team interventions;
• High-level organizational skills;
• Flexibility: must be a team-player and address problems as they arise.

Responsibilities and Key Functions:

• Pre-Camp Responsibilities:
  • Partner with Camp Leadership to review camper files to gather and document any relevant psychological, behavioral, or medical information before campers arrive;
  • Communicate with parents as needed to better understand the information provided in camper files;
  • Evaluate current communication system for community care needs during the summer, make recommendations to Camp Leadership regarding best practices for documenting and communicating community care needs;
  • Create and implement orientation sessions for Leadership Team, Staff, and Solelim (counselor-in-training) Orientation, providing an introduction to mental, emotional, and behavioral health issues and practical techniques for staff to use in their work with campers and staff;
  • Consult with unit heads and counselors before each session to share and discuss relevant psychological, behavioral, and medical information specific to the campers in their unit and/or cabin;
• During Camp Responsibilities:
  • Serve as the manager of all Community Care issues throughout the summer, communicating closely with unit heads, camp leadership, and any other necessary camp staff as needed;
  • Consult with counselors and unit heads to discuss specific camper/staff challenges, as needed;
  • Review cabin logs (filled out by counselors and collected daily) to “keep a pulse” on camper emotional and physical health, cabin social dynamics, and overall camper wellbeing;
  • Attend daily unit head meetings – share cabin logs with Unit Heads, highlight and discuss concerns from each cabin’s log, and develop a plan of action with appropriate next steps;
  • Consistently follow-up with Unit Heads and counselors regarding specific camper care issues or concerns;
  • Communicate camper care concerns to Camp Leadership on a regular basis – deliver cabin logs to Camp Director after Unit Head meetings, discuss plans for management of each camper care concern;
  • Communicate camper care concerns to parents as instructed by the Camp Director;
  • Maintain availability via walkie-talkie communication throughout the day for urgent community care needs and interventions;
  • Provide resources, tools, and support to Unit Heads and Counselors in management of campers’ needs, including running teambuilding activities, educating staff on a specific condition, etc.)
  • Document all Community Care Team interventions in CampMinder (includes counselor, unit head, or other staff interventions, parent consultation via phone and/or email, contact with infirmary, etc.)
  • Supervise Camper Care Specialist, Staff Care Specialist, and Infirmary Coordinator, ensuring they are fulfilling all duties and responsibilities;

Designated Supervisor: Camp Director