https://www.acacamps.org/article/camping-magazine/welcoming-international-counselors-could-boost-campership-marginalized-immigrant-communities

When I attend ACA conferences (which I do as a US Department of State Designated J-1 Sponsor for the Summer Camp Counselor Exchange Visitor Program), I make a point to attend sessions that include...

https://www.acacamps.org/article/camping-magazine/camp-counselor-self-care-guide-emotional-physical-well-being

As a camp counselor, you have many responsibilities to juggle, including home life, camp life, and life after camp. It’s important to prioritize your physical and emotional health, as they are...

https://www.acacamps.org/article/camping-magazine/five-essentials-supporting-staff-mental-health-well-being

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) define mental health as “your emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It can therefore affect every stage of life and impact how you...

https://www.acacamps.org/resources/mental-health-resources-tips-camps

Top Tips for Camps Establish a mental health support network. Build relationships with community mental health resources prior to your camp season.  Have professionals in...

https://www.acacamps.org/resources/criminal-background-checks-issues-resources-camps

ACA believes that camps should utilize multifaceted screening and hiring programs and support practices appropriate to the clientele, staffing, supervision, and program consideration of each camp.

https://www.acacamps.org/resources/international-staff-best-practices-j-1-participants

Get information about BridgeUSA J-1 Visa Camp Counselor and Summer Work Travel Programs, as well best practices and resources for international camp staff and camp cultural exchange.

https://www.acacamps.org/resources/start-camp-how-aca-can-help

ACA has a variety of excellent resources for information, inspiration, & encouragement.

https://www.acacamps.org/article/camping-magazine/mitigating-long-term-bereavement-risks-addressing-family-grief

Bereavement camps for children are now commonplace around the United States (McClatchey & Wimmer, 2018). Some of these are recreational, and others are more clinically focused. Most do not...

https://www.acacamps.org/article/camping-magazine/healthy-inside-out-role-mental-health-counseling-summer-camp

I spent my childhood summers at a sleepaway camp in Pennsylvania, and I loved it. When I turned 18 in 2021, I couldn’t wait to work as a counselor myself. I was following in my mother’s footsteps;...

https://www.acacamps.org/article/camping-magazine/safe-space-trauma-informed-trauma-infused-what-know-how-help

Across the land, schools and summer camps have embraced a movement to better understand trauma and how it affects a child’s ability to learn and self-regulate their behavior. As that knowledge...