https://www.acacamps.org/article/camping-magazine/nurturing-campers-psychological-needs
Nurturing Campers’ Psychological NeedsHighly regarded child, adolescent and family therapist, and regular contributor to Camping Magazine since 1987, Bob Ditter will be speaking at the 2015 ACA National Conference. In an...
https://www.acacamps.org/article/camping-magazine/when-staff-mesh-impacts-camp
When Staff MESH Impacts CampEveryone has a mental, emotional, social health (MESH) profile. For most of us, our MESH profile is within a “normal” range. Some days are better than others. Some things push our buttons, others don...
https://www.acacamps.org/article/camping-magazine/there-reason-understanding-challenging-behavior
There Is a Reason! Understanding Challenging BehaviorI once worked with cat. Not a “meow” cat, although that’s how she identified herself to me. She was a thirteen-year-old girl who insisted she was a cat. You can imagine how hard it was for her at...
https://www.acacamps.org/article/camping-magazine/creating-camp-narratives-enhance-emotional-growth-hiv-youth
Creating Camp Narratives to Enhance Emotional Growth of HIV+ YouthBecause of the ignorance and stigma which still sadly surrounds HIV, children born with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) experience additional psychosocial stressors beyond those commonly...
https://www.acacamps.org/article/camping-magazine/what-now-understanding-supporting-campers-mental-health-issues
What Now? Understanding and Supporting Campers with Mental Health IssuesWhat's Going On? Are you finding youth more complicated and challenging to work with? Did you know that today one in five youth ages ten to twenty-four years is diagnosed with a defined mental...
https://www.acacamps.org/article/camping-magazine/evaluating-bereavement-camps
Evaluating Bereavement CampsSpending time in nature is often therapeutic and provides many benefits, such as improving cognitive functioning (Berman, Jonides, & Kaplan, 2008) and improving memory (Berto, 2005). Spending...
https://www.acacamps.org/article/camping-magazine/become-trauma-informed-add-capacity-your-mesh-toolbox
Become Trauma-Informed: Add Capacity to Your MESH ToolboxDid you know that two out of every three adults have experienced at least one adverse childhood event (ACE) by the time they reach 18 years of age? In addition, one in eight adults reports...
https://www.acacamps.org/article/camping-magazine/program-outcomes-resident-camp-youth-serious-illnesses-disabilities-life-challenges
Program Outcomes at a Resident Camp for Youth with Serious Illnesses, Disabilities, and Life ChallengesIn 2005, the American Camp Association (ACA) published the first large-scale national research project assessing the youth development outcomes of children who attend day and resident camps in the...
https://www.acacamps.org/article/camping-magazine/developing-resilience-girls-through-camp-experiences
Developing Resilience in Girls through Camp ExperiencesGirls today face a diverse range of challenges that can negatively affect their development. According to a recent report by the Girl Scouts of the USA (2013), such challenges include increased...
https://www.acacamps.org/article/camping-magazine/horses-wilderness-meeting-needs-youth-risk
Horses and the Wilderness: Meeting the Needs of Youth at RiskThe staff at Kamp Kessa, an adventure education and treatment program utilizing horses and the wilderness for youth who are considered at-risk and who have special needs in Frankfort, Kentucky, are...