On Being a Counselor

The Role of Counselor

One of the most important features of camp is the counselor. You are responsible for the care, encouragement and support of camper(s) while they are at camp. Care comes in the form of supporting personal care, positive behavior and supervision at all times. Encouragement is practiced the whole time the campers are at camp. Support can come in many forms, sometimes physical or emotional. You will need to model camp life by singing camp songs, playing games and participating in activities. The counselor position has many responsibilities.

What does a day at the camp look like?

The day begins about 7:00 a.m., or earlier, for counselors and staff (depending on personal morning routine). They might stop by the dining hall for coffee or tea on their way to the area where their group of campers are sleeping. Counselors and staff help campers get up, go to the bathroom, and get dressed. Some campers may need full assistance getting ready for the day.

Groups meet at the Flagpole at 8:15 a.m. where everyone sings songs until the Breakfast bell is rung is 8:30 a.m. Some campers may need some or full feeding support during meals. Counselors and staff provide this assistance. After breakfast, the living groups rotate through different activities. Camp programs include adventure, arts-n-crafts, recreation/fishing, canoeing at Trillium Lake, horses, hiking, and swimming. All groups will rotate through activities daily.

Lunch is at 12:30 p.m. After lunch, campers have a rest period. Two counselors from each group will do ‘Break Duty” and stay with the campers while other counselors take a break. This responsibility is rotated between the counselors in a group. In the afternoon, your group participates in two more activities.

At 6:00 p.m. groups gather for songs at the flagpole and wait for the bell to be rung at 6:10 p.m. for Dinner.  After dinner campers spend time working in their Camp Journals. Each night at 7:30 p.m. an evening activity will take place. Evening activities include campfires, hikes, cookouts, and a dance.

At 8:30 p.m. counselors and staff help campers get ready for bed. Each night two counselors/staff in each group will be assigned “Night Duty” and will sleep just outside the Campers rooms. Night Duty provides support in order to respond to campers needs if they arise throughout the night.

After the campers are in bed, the Counselor Supervisors hold a “Night Meeting” with their counselor group to discuss the day, problem solve, and plan for the next day. Around 10:00 p.m., counselors on night duty return back to  the camper housing.

As you can see from this schedule, Camp days are full and long.

Providing Personal Care for Campers

Each week most of our campers will need little to full personal care assistance. Campers may need help transferring in and out of their wheelchairs, dressing, showering, toileting, or assistance with changing incontinence products (Attends).  You will be given training on providing personal care with consideration for the feelings of the person you are helping. You will always be paired with at least one other counselor or staff member when performing these tasks, and you will never be alone with a camper in these scenarios. It is a possibility that the camper(s) you are paired with may not require support with personal care. Regardless of the needs or gender of the camper(s) you are paired with, all counselors and staff assist where needed and support the group as a whole.

We know that helping another person with showering, toileting, and/or changing Attends can be hard for anyone. For most counselors this is a new learning experience and it is only natural to be nervous or apprehensive.  One thing to remember is, even though this may be your first time assisting with personal care, it’s not the campers first time needing or receiving care.

MHKC provides training and constant support throughout your time at Camp.

Supervising Campers During Break/Night Time

At Camp, everyday consists of “Break Duty” and “Night Duty”. During these times, Counselors and Staff will alternate coverage to provide support in order to respond to campers needs.

Each group is assigned a camper living space. During break time (just after lunch), campers head back to their living space and relax. Campers can be found taking midday naps, relaxing in their bunk, playing a quiet game with a friend, working in their journal, or listening to music. As campers are relaxing, two counselors from each group remain with the campers on “Break Duty” for an hour and a half. Some staff are present and will also provide support during this time.

At night after campers have gone to bed. Two counselors/staff in each group will be assigned “Night Duty” and will sleep just outside the Campers rooms. Night Duty provides night support just in case a camper needs any assistance. Being on Night Duty does not mean staying up all night! You will sleep and may occasionally be woken up. Those on night duty often report that some reasons why campers ask for help is due to homesickness, discomfort, or directions to the bathroom.

Individuals on Break/Night Duty will be given a scheduled break after their break/night duty time!

Sleeping at Camp

Space can be tight and limited at Mt. Hood Kiwanis Camp for all parties. Counselors share space with other counselors and sleep in platform canvas tents that are located throughout the adventure course. Each platform tent has five beds which are all off the ground and are supplied with a mattress.

There will be All-Gender platform tents.

Alternatively, you may choose to bring and sleep in a personal tent (space allowing). Limit your tent size to a small (2-3 person) tent, and double check that space is available with the Mt. Hood Kiwanis Camp GA at least two weeks before your camp session.

You are responsible for providing your own sleeping bag and pillow. Although day temperatures might be well into the 80’s (or higher), the nights can get chilly (40 degrees), so plan accordingly.

Eating at Camp

Mt. Hood Kiwanis Camp provides three meals a day. We have our own cook and kitchen, and we design our menu to be camper friendly. The menu is camper focused and may not be as you are used to at home; we are at camp after all. One night your group will have a cookout and one night a BBQ.

We provide vegetarian, vegan, dairy-free, and a gluten-free option at each meal according to our dietary sheets. The dietary sheets are available at check-in. Once you sign up for a specific dietary consideration you will be committed to those food options for the duration of your time at Camp. If you have very specific dietary considerations, more than what is listed, such as celiac, you will need to bring food for the duration of your time at Camp.

At MHKC, we are sensitive to the allergy and nutritional needs of our campers, counselors, and staff, but are not an allergen-free environment. We work hard to provide foods that fit specific food intolerances and sensitivities but do NOT have an allergen-free kitchen, dining hall or menu. We are unable to offer a 100% peanut and nut-free camp but do want to know if you have an allergy to any particular type of nut. This way we can be aware and prepared while you are onsite.

*If you have an airborne allergy to any nuts please inform us immediately, as we discourage these individuals from attending.

Snacks are welcome! MHKC has one designated refrigerator/freezer for 60 counselors. You are welcome to use it but please be aware of limited space. There is a dry food storage cabinet available for both staff and counselors. Again, space is limited so please be mindful when storing your items.  Snacks/food are not to be stored in sleeping areas; we are in the forest, and food attracts animals.

Pro-Tip: Bring snacks you know you will like!

Medical Care at Camp

Camp has 3-4 nurses on property at all times who are dedicated to providing for the health and well-being of our campers, staff, and counselors (that means you!). Working as an MHKC counselor is an experience full of exciting opportunities and daily challenges; you won’t be bored.  Camp days are busy, busy, busy. We put in long hours and the days are full of physical, mental, and emotional activity. No two counselor experiences are the same up at camp. Long days can mean shorter sleeping hours, leading to fatigue. Living on the camp diet may sit better with some than with others. Working and playing at 3,000 ft. altitude is likely different than you are accustomed to in the Portland metro area. All these factors may contribute to complications with health conditions while at camp. Sharing any pre-existing medical conditions with the healthcare team makes it possible for us to provide the best possible care for everyone at Camp.

Pre-existing Conditions

Some common medical conditions that can be affected at Camp include (but are not limited to):

• Diabetes
• Seizure Disorders (especially those intensified by anxiety or lack of sleep)
• Pregnancy
• Sleeping Aids (CPAP, sleeping pills, etc.)
• Pre-Existing Physical Limitations (i.e. spinal rods, knee or shoulder problems, etc.)
• Heart/Lung Conditions
• Mental Health Concerns (i.e. depression, anxiety, etc.)
• Immune System Disorders
• Severe Allergies/Asthma
• Hearing/Vision Limitations
• Any other pre-existing conditions you feel may impact your time at Camp

It is of the utmost importance that you describe any of these conditions on the Health History portion of your counselor application. We want to do all we can to support you through this experience, though without proper knowledge we cannot be prepared for emergencies. If you have a more complex condition and think that you may need to go through the DRC, inform Joe Wightman, Counselor Coordinator (Joe@mhkc.org), which will allow us to work together in creating a plan before you arrive at Camp.

Medications

Because we have campers who can, and do, get into other people’s belongings, all staff and counselors give their medications to the nurse who keeps them in a locked cabinet. You will be able to retrieve your medications from the nurse whenever you need them, but they cannot be left in your bunk area.

Vaccinations

MHKC is a Licensed Provider for the State of Oregon and operates under the guidance of Oregon’s Department of Human Services (DHS) and the Office of Developmental Disability Services (ODDS). All counselors and staff members must be fully vaccinated for COVID-19; they are required to show proof of vaccination during the application process. If you have a medical or religious reason for not receiving the vaccine, you will need to complete our Medical or Religious Exemption Form and it will then need to be approved by our COVID-19 Response Team.

Recommended: to have a current tetanus vaccination (no more than ten years old) and also consider getting the Hepatitis B vaccine.