Assistant Director of Special Needs, Camp Grossman

Do you have a sense of humor, patience, empathy, and compassion? Are you adaptable and flexible? Would you like to help children with special needs experience the joys of being at summer camp? As an Assistant Director of Special Needs, you will work in collaboration to create enriching, supportive, and memorable experiences for children enrolled in the Pathways program. Pathways is our inclusion program at Camp Grossman that enables children with a broad range of developmental and/or cognitive disabilities and/or mental health challenges to successfully access Camp Grossman with varying levels of support.

Working within a team of Assistant Directors of Special Needs, this position directly assists the director and provides support services to our campers with disabilities to ensure access to our camp program, including lakefront swimming, fishing, boating, arts, drama, sports, games, and more. The position is full-time and on-site at camp during the summer season. 

JCC Greater Boston is deeply committed to valuing and celebrating the uniqueness of each constituent. We welcome staff and participants from diverse backgrounds. While being proudly Jewish, we strive in every way to provide an open and welcoming setting for all, irrespective of personal practices, beliefs, or backgrounds. We are guided by JCC Greater Boston's core values – Belonging, Joyfulness, Collaboration, and Transformation, which resonate with many who do not identify as Jewish.

This position will pay a salary of $6574 for the full summer season, including Orientation. The salary offered will ultimately be determined by the hours employees will work, the scope of the position, the candidate’s relevant experience, and internal equity.

Schedule

Orientation takes place the week of June 17th and ends with Visiting Day (a pre-camp visit for all campers and families to meet staff) on Sunday, June 23. The regular camp season begins June 24 and ends August 16 (with the option to work the following “9th Week” for additional pay). The regular camp day runs from 8:15 AM - 4:15 PM, Monday through Friday, with 3 staff meetings on various Monday afternoons and evenings. The Pathways (Special Needs) Director will also work a number of additional family nights and late nights throughout the summer.

Responsibilities 

• Working closely with supervisor(s) to successfully meet the program’s objectives.
• Assisting the Director in providing training to all camp staff so they may work effectively with all campers with various needs, including Pathway campers with special needs.
• Providing clear, supportive, and effective communication to parents to ensure the special needs of the Pathways campers are met; ensuring information is conveyed to and received from parents as needed.
• Modeling professional behavior and patience in all interactions with campers, parents, and staff
• Providing effective support to Pathways campers with disabilities/special needs so that they may participate in all activities throughout the day; providing services to meet the camper's unique individual needs.
• Troubleshooting and providing extra support to campers and staff working with them
• Ensuring the safety and well-being of campers
• Working in partnership with peers and Camp Leadership, Facilitating an environment that is fun/joyful for the campers and staff, meeting the special needs of the Pathways campers

Requirements

Supervisory Responsibilities:

Assisting the Director to supervise a large team of approximately 20 program counselors, as needed and as assigned.

Education and Experience:

Requires a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology or (Special) Education or a related field and 1-2 years of professional experience working with young children.  Experience supervising a small team of staff and experience working with children with special needs is preferred.

 An equivalent combination of education and experience may be substituted at the JCC’s discretion to meet minimum criteria.

 Skills and Abilities:

• Models maturity, reliability, flexibility, and patience
• Strong leadership skills
• Strong organizational skills, including teamwork, relationship-building skills, the ability to multitask, the ability to manage situations calmly, effectively and diplomatically
• Ability and commitment to build strong relationships with campers, co-workers, and camp leadership
• Committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of campers
• Positive, proactive, and kind approach while concentrating on providing children with a pleasant and safe camp experience

Physical Requirements:  Requires