YMCA Looking for Wellness Director (camp Echo) at Illinois Full Time

Job Description

The Wellness Director is responsible for physical, emotional, and dietary health of campers and staff in the Camp Echo community, supporting the diverse needs of campers and staff; ensures a successful Food Service program; and works with key partners to expand the reach of camp to parts of Evanston community that have not historically been served. The Wellness Director centers equity in their work towards these goals to increase the inclusion of all campers, families, and staff at Camp Echo.

During the summer, the Wellness Director leads various staff teams to ensure community wellness. They lead a team of Health Officers that maintain an organized and professional Clinic; a Mental Emotional Social Health (MESH) team that engages with campers and staff throughout camp while providing supportive tools and direction based on individual needs; and a Food Services team that keeps camp nourished with a wide range of safe, nutritious, and FUN meal options.

The ideal candidate can easily navigate collaborating with different community stakeholders, has a proven track record of working with youth in various settings, is comfortable navigating challenging or ambiguous situations, and has led teams in the past.

The Wellness Director is expected to live at Camp Echo in Fremont, MI May 15 – September 15 and attend two volunteer Work Weekends between the spring and fall. Housing and meals are provided while living at Camp Echo. September 16 – May 14, the Camp Director is expected to work at the McGaw YMCA in Evanston, IL.

Qualifications

• Bachelors or master in social work, education or a related field, Masters preferred
• Bilingual English and Spanish speaker preferred
• Strong organizational and communication skills, including ability to effectively use Microsoft Office tools
• Flexible schedule that will accommodate some weekend and evening work
• Experience working with children and families in community settings
• Certified in CPR and First Aid and State of Michigan approved Health Officer training certification

Essential Functions

Camper and Staff Wellness During Programming

• Leads MESH team, specifically checking in daily as a team, collaborating with Camp Director as necessary, to support campers’ needs and implement restorative practices throughout camp as necessary to resolve conflict.
• Leads Camp Clinic operations, ensuring alignment with all State of Michigan licensing standards, America Camping Association (ACA) standards, and other best practices.
• Leads Food Services team, working with seasonal Food Services Director to implement healthy, fun camp menus that safely address all allergy and dietary restrictions of campers and staff.
• Supporting Camp Director with inclusive program development and implementation through wellness staff trainings, camper history reviews, input into camper and staff assignments, staff coaching, review of end of session parent/camper letters, and more.
• Leads pro-active parent communication when any physical or MESH challenges arise, promoting parent engagement in camper support process.
• Invests in relationships with families of campers attending through community partnerships, also keeping organizational stakeholders involved and informed.
• Leads a camp-wide culture of incident and accident reporting, accurately documenting items that impact camper wellness and identifying concerning trends in real-time.

Non-Summer Programming

• Conduct all Hiring Manager and Team Leader responsibilities for Camp Echo wellness staff: Clinic Staff, MESH (Mental, Emotional, Social Health) Staff, and Food Services Staff. Tasks include, but not limited to: recruiting, selecting, onboarding, training, supervising, supporting, and offboarding.
• Works with community partners to increase access and inclusion of parts of Evanston community that are not yet equitably served by camp. Supports families attending through partnership to maximize their success at camp.
• Leads camper readiness conversations with camper families, determining Camp’s ability and action plan to support campers in an equitable manner based on their individual needs. This work is focused on new campers and campers who have struggled previously at camp.
• Leads review of summer incidents and accidents, identifying trends and recommending changes to programming, staffing, and operations to increase community wellness.
• Reviews and updates Wellness Practices (such as Standing Orders, Restorative Practices, Menus)
• Actively collaborates with other youth departments at McGaw YMCA to advance wellness across all McGaw programs in a consistent manner.