Summer Camp Counselor
About The Position
Summer Camp Counselors at Camp Chileda are Direct Support Professionals (DSPs) who work directly with students in a camp‑based setting. This role offers real‑world experience ideal for careers in psychology, sociology, education, exercise sports science, recreation therapy, occupational therapy, and related fields. This role is focused on supporting students with daily camp activities and games, recreation, and social skill development. You get to help create a safe, engaging, and memorable summer camp experience for our students! This is a seasonal summer position. Candidates must be able to start by May 29 and remain employed through the final day of camp on August 22. Applicants must be available to work at least 18 hours per week, with the opportunity to work up to 40 hours per week during the camp season. You can continue working as a DSP after camp ends if you'd like. Chileda's mission is to improve the quality of life for individuals with cognitive and behavior challenges. DSPs work directly with our students to teach important life, social, and communication skills, support them in activities of daily living (ADLs), and provide physical behavior interventions. This role is ideal for someone is compassionate, quick on their feet, motivated, and eager to make a meaningful impact in the lives of children. Because Camp Counselors function as DSPs but in a camp setting, you would play a vital role in helping our students and residents meet their treatment and program goals and gain important life skills.
Requirements
- High school diploma or equivalent.
- Must be at least 18 years old.
- Behavioral skills and judgment conducive to role modeling appropriate skills for students.
Nice To Haves
- Experience working with individuals with developmental disabilities is a plus.
Responsibilities
- Use a Trauma Informed Approach by communicating with and about students in a respectful, positive, and age- appropriate manner while consistently using a therapeutic tone even in high stress situations.
- Encourage individuality of students by allowing self-expression and opportunities to make choices throughout their day.
- Support students as they participate in camp activities.
- Record behavior data, goals and communication logs of all assigned students, and complete Emergency Intervention Forms (EIFs), Incident Reports (IRs), and/or Employee Accident Reports.
- Communicate with house/classroom leads when there is an incident or emergency intervention.
- Participate in debriefing and check out with house lead or classroom prior to leaving before your shift, ensuring all chores, data, and forms are completed.
- Review expectations with students prior to transitions, activities, or events.
- Help students to understand their rights by offering opportunities for self-advocacy.
- Use Crisis management techniques taught in trainings including verbal de-escalation, creative redirection, topic changes, and allowing space and time for processing during a crisis.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Part-time
Career Level
Entry Level
Education Level
High school or GED
Number of Employees
11-50 employees
