https://www.acacamps.org/article/camping-magazine/evolving-risks-employment-practices-sexual-harassment-unlawful-discrimination

In 2015, there was a sharp increase in the number of calls to the ACA Crisis Hotline about accommodation and inclusion of individuals, both staff and campers, who identify themselves as transgender,...

https://www.acacamps.org/article/camping-magazine/mind-part-ii-what-staff-need-know-about-their-own-mental-health

Think, for a minute, about the adults to whom you were most strongly attached as a child. Can you see their faces and remember how they treated you? Perhaps you see parents, teachers, coaches, clergy...

https://www.acacamps.org/article/camping-magazine/mind-part-1-what-directors-need-know-about-staff-mental-health

Hiring young adults to care for other people’s children seems like folly, from a neurodevelopmental perspective. Nobody’s brain is fully developed, many activities are dangerous, the weather can be...

https://www.acacamps.org/article/camping-magazine/expand-your-mesh-capacity-summer-begins

Consider these scenarios: A parent calls: “My child has ADD and takes medication for depression. Can she come to camp?” A counselor dashes into your office: “We need you at Cabin 5. A camper...

https://www.acacamps.org/article/camping-magazine/there-reason-understanding-challenging-behavior

I 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/healthy-camp-study-update-ten-promising-practices-healthy-camp

Since the outbreak of H1N1 during the summer of 2009, camps have been diligently updating their health and safety protocols and practices for the management of communicable diseases. By accessing and...

https://www.acacamps.org/article/camping-magazine/when-staff-mesh-impacts-camp

Everyone 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/nurturing-campers-psychological-needs

Highly 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/reflections-hiring-camp-staff

Hiring young women and men who are prepared to put campers' needs before their own is by far the most important thing I do each year. With year-round programs offering short-term residential...

https://www.acacamps.org/article/camping-magazine/because-i-worked-camp

Now that the summer has come to a close, camp directors are inevitably thinking about the staff they want to invite back next season. If we as directors have created a strong camp community, one that...