Fired Up and Ready to Go

Camp HASC Staff Orientation

Summer is nearly upon us. Camp HASC has been planning, training, and preparing for the upcoming season throughout the year. Now, as part of Camp HASC’s staff orientation, over 500 staff members will spend an intense 4 day training for the upcoming summer. Over the course of an extended weekend, presentations and workshops will be led by professionals from Camp HASC, as well as outside experts in the field of developmental disabilities and special needs. Topics covered will include sensitivity trainings, communication, understanding disabilities, state rules and regulations, and halachic and hashkafa perspectives on issues pertaining to being a staff member at Camp HASC. Another aspect of the training sessions is a focus on autism, facilitated by leading behavioral therapists and autism specialists. 

There are more than a dozen departments at Camp HASC, including therapy, a professional medical and academics program, and a robust recreation program. In this carefully crafted orientation, staff members are professionally engaged and learn the necessary skills for application in these programs. They learn various methods to engage and enable individuals with respect and appropriate care. They are taught to ensure the safety and wellbeing of their campers, and to create the magic that Camp HASC summers are known for.

While the content can be heavy and even overwhelming at times, the Camp HASC administration emphasizes creating an inspiring and uplifting environment for an unforgettable growth experience. The orientation is packed with learning, singing, and reach, prepping hundreds of staff members for an unforgettable chesed-filled summer.

For a group of young men and women out of Yeshiva and seminary, this experience can be daunting. Administering a feeding tube for the first time, washing and dressing campers, and working collaboratively with occupational and physical therapists is a completely new, and impressive responsibility. 

But these are not just typical teenagers. They are the angels of Camp HASC, the dedicated and altruistic caretakers that go way beyond their zones every day throughout the summer, manifesting a breathtaking level of selflessness. In the words of Mr. Goldsmith from Cedarhurst: “We take our teenagers, and we send them to Camp HASC. We make them responsible for the care and feeding of another human being - and they astound us with their capacity!” 

Here’s to these incredible young men and women, and another awesome season at Camp HASC.