Camper Care Coordinator

The JCC Ranch Camp is not just the Denver JCC’s overnight summer camp, it’s also one of the best places to work during the summer. As a staff member, Ranch Camp will become your home away from home as you work to create a community where people can thrive. You’re a hero to your campers; you have the chance to do something you really care about and have a whole lot of fun doing it. Your experience as a staff member is just as important to us as our campers’ experience. That being said: We’re here to serve kids and make sure they are in the safest environment possible while having the time of their lives. 

First and foremost, all our supervisory staff act as a team to support cabin staff.   

All Supervisory Staff Responsibilities 

• Take care of staff and campers by prioritizing the physical, social, emotional health, safety, and well-being.  

• Work as a team with the supervisory team to make sure every day runs the way it’s supposed to by helping to lead meals, participating in all camp programming, supporting and maintaining cabin life, and providing coverage for cabin staff as needed.   

• Create a community that you want to be a part of and that you want campers to be a part of.   

• Include everyone and make sure everyone is included.   

• Jump into the camp life: ride horses, swim, camp, play games, sing songs, roast s’mores, be ready to do everything the campers do!  

• Act as a resource and support staff as they manage camp behaviors using positive behavior management techniques, enforcing appropriate safety policies, emergency procedures, camp rules, and more.  

• Be flexible and adaptable because things change quickly at camp. You have to be able to roll with it.  

• And other duties and responsibilities as assigned: you might need to make your campers’ dreams of a beach themed ice-cream campfire song session come true or become your favorite legendary Pokémon for an evening program. 

Our supervisory team is more than just a support structure. We want you to do what matters to you while you’re at camp. 

Want to spend your summer outside, exploring the back country of Colorado and climbing mountains? We have a job for you. Does spending the morning playing soccer and the afternoon creating art make your heart happy? We have a job for you. Want to design a rocket that can make grilled cheese, but also land on Mars? We probably have a job for you, let’s talk. 

Camper Care Responsibilities 

• Partner with the Unit Head team and work with a specific age range throughout the summer to ensure camper’s needs are met daily. The four units at camp are Chalutzim (2nd – 4th graders), Metapsim (5th & 6th graders), Toshavim (7th & 8th graders), and Tiyulim (9th grade and above). 

• As a Camper Care Coordinator, your main responsibilities include: 

• Coaching staff to provide support to campers 

• Coach cabin staff in providing universal and tier 2 support to ensure campers’ success in their day-to-day life at camp. 

• Provide resources and tools to staff to ensure they are confident in helping to facilitate campers’ personal care routines, providing programmatic adaptations, guiding transitions, providing sensory breaks, and mediating conflict resolution. 

• Provide resources and tools to staff to ensure individual camper care plans (similar to IEPs/504s in school) are being implemented effectively.  

• Review camper files prior to arrival at camp and share pertinent information and care plans about all unit campers to unit staff. 

• Plan and lead staff training with Unit Head counterpart.  

• Providing direct support to campers 

• Develop an understanding of individual campers’ care plans to ensure that relevant support and accommodations are adequately provided by lead counselors.  

• Review daily Camper Bunk Notes (filled out by cabin staff and collected daily) to track campers’ physical and emotional health, cabin social dynamics, and overall camper wellbeing. Use relevant information from Bunk Notes to structure camper observations and check ins.   

• Manage the documentation of all camper care interventions in CampMinder (includes counselor, unit head, or other staff interventions, parent consultation via phone and/or email, contact with infirmary, etc.) 

• Respond in real time to escalated camper concerns including planned and ad hoc interventions. 

• Communicating with parents and caregivers 

• Partner with parents/caregivers to communicate early and often about their campers, especially when struggles and behavioral issues arise, and adequately document all communication. 

• Spearhead regular communication efforts between camp and caregivers during the camp session including making first time camper calls and emailing out individualized progress notes. 

• Prioritize strong customer service when communicating with parents/caregivers to ensure they feel like a valued part of the camp community.  

Finally, all staff must be able to attend staff orientations and be available to live at camp for the summer season. While we prefer staff to work for the entire summer, we understand if you can’t and encourage you to apply if you can work at least 5 – 6 weeks of our summer season. 

Physical Demands and Working Environment 

Physical Demands: This job requires the incumbent to have operative auditory and visual functioning. Employee must also be able to walk upwards of two (2) miles each day, including use of stairs and uneven terrain.  Employee may also stand, sit in chairs or on the ground, run, and swim. Employee may lift or body block campers when necessary.   

Work Environment: Working conditions may include being in indoor, often loud, spaces and spending extended time outdoors under the sun. Must have the ability to work in a fast paced, sometimes stressful environment while maintaining the standard of care.