BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) – Camp Fire, an inclusive national youth development organization, partners with Camp Health Alliance (ACH) through the launch of the innovative MESH (+) suite of mental health services and supports. Enhanced youth experience. Campwell and the MyView Digital Empathy™ Screening Tool. Camp Fire Central Oregon, headquartered in Bend, is one of our key partners in this exciting launch.
Today’s youth are facing a series of interconnected challenges, including a national mental health crisis, bullying, political attacks on their identity, a global climate crisis with climate anxiety, too much screen time, and an epidemic of loneliness. facing. It is important to meet young people where they are, support them and engage to identify ways to improve their experiences and our impact. ACH and Camp Fire are working together to disrupt the status quo when it comes to supporting the whole population, both youth and staff, during out-of-school time (OST) and summer outdoor programs.
Funded by Margaret A. Cargill Charities and the Annie E. Casey Foundation, it focuses on improving standards of care for physical, mental, emotional, and social health services for youth and staff. This is the first national initiative of its kind.
Investing in a culture of well-being is necessary to enhance the experiences, safety and sense of belonging for all young people. The series of MESH (+) products that enable this collaboration include:
1. CampWell is an immersive training program that creates consistency of care across all summer learning spaces, including camps. This is a 6-hour program designed to help leaders create programs that incorporate the tools, self-awareness, and understanding needed to enhance the experience and foster a culture of well-being for all. This is a face-to-face, multi-layered skills-based course. CampWell was created in partnership with the American Camp Association (ACA).
2. The MyView Digital Empathy™ Screening Tool is the first MESH (+) screening tool of its kind for summer enrichment settings. My View, a collaboration between ACH and Tickit Health, improves care delivery by empowering youth to have a voice in their camp experiences and helping campers and camp staff better understand each other.
When campers first arrive at camp, they sit down for a visual and interactive digital survey. It will take approximately 7-10 minutes to complete. Examples of questions include:
These things will help you get through the ups and downs of life: At camp, you want to spend your time: At camp, you may worry about:
Reviewing youth responses allows staff to contextualize what each camper uniquely brings to camp and how to best customize the care and attention to their experience, and to improve overall experience at camp. Contribute to a culture of happiness. See the pilot report for more information.
Camp Fire is the first organization to pilot the ACH program and receive the new MESH (+) Best In Class seal for organizations that meet ACH requirements. This seal outlines the four main health-related pillars of the OST program that take a proactive approach to promoting health: summer programs, staff training, health screenings, and medication and care measures . The Camp Fire pilot site first asks for the MESH (+) seal. Camp Fire Central Oregon, one of the first facilities to earn this seal, submitted an application for this honor.
“Too often children are exposed to programs that push them from activity to activity whether they want to participate or not,” says Melanie Feltmate, program director at Camp Fire Central Oregon. . “MESH+ training and tools help us slowly say to our kids: Your humanity and wholeness matters, and you have a say in how you want to show up here. and we respect that.”
Each Camp Fire affiliate now receives a free ACH membership with three accounts per affiliate and access to MESH (+)’s comprehensive resource guide. All materials will help camps prepare for their summer programs, including recruiting staff, suggestions for building a healthy MESH (+) culture, and identifying behavioral symptoms and de-escalation strategies. Created by counselors, the MESH (+) Pocket Guide helps camp counselors deal with difficult behaviors, know what to say in difficult conversations, learn how to build a healthy culture, and when Provided to support you, including understanding when to seek additional help.
Six Camp Fire camps will pilot the MyView Digital Empathy™ Screening Tool in summer 2024 and will conduct CampWell training in November. Camp Fire plans to expand these programs across its network next year, with the new MESH (+) Best In Class Seal awarded to other out-of-school time (OST) organizations that meet the necessary requirements.
“Receiving the MESH+ seal shows that we are going above and beyond to ensure that young people and staff are not just cogs in a machine, but are supported in a healthy way. ” says Feltmate. “We are proud of the efforts we have made to be one of the first organizations in the nation to earn the MESH+ seal.”
Young people are still struggling with their mental health and trying to get the support they need. Serving more than 100,000 youth and their families each year, Camp Fire plays a critical role and MESH (+) is the future of holistic health care in camp and OST settings, making sure all I believe that young people can grow.
