Consulting & Training:
Mental Health & Wellness
Camper anxiety, depression, discussion of self-harm, and general struggles to thrive in traditional camp spaces.
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Camper mental health issues affecting other campers and staff
Staff struggling to follow the traditional camp schedule without burning out.
Staff struggling to take care of themselves and thus, their campers.
What outcomes can you expect from working with Nick?
Crucial tools to support and handle camper and staff populations that come to camp with mental health issues
Help prevent staff from feeling like they are often struggling through camp
Learn to work with families to ensure that campers are a good fit, and understand and deliver what they need
Retain staff and attract more camper families by ensuring your camp gets ahead of mental health issues and crises, which are commonplace everywhere​
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Be in control of your time and resources surrounding mental health issues, which can become stressful and depleting to directors and leadership
"Nick provided clear context and skills our staff (whether brand new or returning for their 10th summer) were able to implement throughout the summer...Nick’s professional experience with mental health & identity work, not to mention his decades at summer camps, made for the perfect connection...We are looking forward to working with Nick again in the future."
-Laura Ordway, Winona Camps
Dr. Nick Teich, PhD, LCSW, is the founder and was the longtime director of a camp where mental wellness was a part of the landscape long before "MESH"* became a common topic of conversation among camp professionals. As a social worker and former full-time director, he understands the questions that many camps have, and he knows how to help.
Look forward to a lower-stress summer and a great experience for your campers and staff.
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Fairwinds offers 3 main mental wellness packages:
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Package 1: Camper Mental Wellness Assistance
Nick will help guide your director(s) and leadership to understand how your camp can improve outcomes and "pain points" regarding all areas of camper mental wellness. He provides guidance on policies, practices, proper screening/follow-up, and how to handle different situations. This is very helpful for camps that may already have elements of mental health covered but need more assistance before and during camp to ensure better outcomes in this area.
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More details and pricing for Camper Assistance Package
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Package 2: Staff Mental Wellness Assistance
Nick will help guide your director(s) and leadership to navigate staff mental health issues and improve staff morale, which often goes hand-in-hand. He provides guidance on practices and tools that help camp staff to thrive. This is very helpful for camps that may already have staff wellness in mind but want to elevate their staff's resilience and morale and retain strong staff.
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More details and pricing for Staff Assistance Package
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Package 3: Camper & Staff Mental Wellness Wraparound
This is the most comprehensive approach to camper and staff mental wellness. Essentially, Nick becomes a part of your camp's team by taking on a start-to-finish approach to mental health and wellness issues with both campers and staff. This is very helpful for camps that have seen an uptick in mental health issues in campers and/or staff, and want a professional who can set them up for success before camp, be on-call during the summer, and continually check in and ensure better outcomes in this area.
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More details and pricing for Camper & Staff Wraparound Package
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Combine packages 1 & 2 (Camper & Staff Mental Wellness Assistance) and save $500
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What qualifications does Fairwinds Camp Consulting have?
Dr. Nick Teich, PhD, LCSW, is a social worker by training and a camp founder and director of camps for marginalized populations. His work in camp over the past 22 years has often centered around mental health and well-being of campers.
*MESH = mental, emotional, and social health
Let's talk!
A Zoom call with Nick can help him understand your needs and see how he can best help your camp.
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Click here to set up a meeting,
text or call 207.200.5228, or email nick@fairwindsconsult.com
"Mental health issues make up the largest percentage of calls... It’s critical that camps prepare for mental health concerns for campers and staff."
-ACA Crisis Hotline's Analysis After Summer 2022
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Package 1: Camper Mental Wellness Assistance
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Camper mental wellness assistance package includes the following:
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Getting to know your camp and its culture through meeting with the director(s)
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Pre-screening of campers: guidance on what questions to ask of parents/caregivers and how to ask them
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Guidance on following up with families and healthcare workers to find out how to best support campers who might need extra help
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Resources for mental health issues and crises during camp
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Road map for communication with parents, staff, and campers when mental health issues arise during camp
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Online training with your leadership team on how to handle different campers mental health scenarios and what to do
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Up to three phone calls during camp to discuss what is coming up for you and what else you need assistance with
Cost of package 1: $2,250
Get both packages 1 & 2 (camper mental wellness & staff mental wellness) and save $500
Additional offerings:
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In-person staff training during orientation (New England states only): Cost TBD
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Mid-summer in-person staff training (New England states only): Cost TBD
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Leadership training online (anywhere): Cost TBD
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On-call consulting throughout the summer for mental health issues: $150/hour
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Want to see if this might be a good fit for your camp?
Click here to set up a free 30-minute meeting with Nick where you can learn more
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Package 2: Staff Mental Wellness Assistance
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Staff mental wellness assistance package includes the following:
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Getting to know your camp and its culture through meeting with the director(s)
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Guidance on how to gauge your staff's (or prospective staff's) response to becoming overwhelmed, and how to handle this
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Practices of clear communication between leadership and staff, which leads to higher staff morale
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Creating a guide to follow when staff mental health issues and crises during camp
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Preventive care for staff to keep them feeling mentally and emotionally fit throughout camp
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Online training with your leadership team on how to handle different staff mental health scenarios and what to do
Cost of package 2: $2,250
Get both packages 1 & 2 (camper mental wellness & staff mental wellness) and save $500
Additional offerings:
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In-person staff training during orientation (New England states only): Cost TBD
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Mid-summer in-person staff training (New England states only): Cost TBD
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Leadership training online (anywhere): Cost TBD
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On-call consulting throughout the summer for mental health issues: $150/hour
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Want to see if this might be a good fit for your camp?
Click here to set up a free 30-minute meeting with Nick where you can learn more
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Package 3: Camper & Staff Mental Wellness Wraparound
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Note: Nick can only take on a very limited number of camps per year for this particular package because of the long-term nature and large amount of attention needed for each camp.
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Camper & staff mental wellness wraparound package includes the following:
Before camp:
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Getting to know your camp and its culture by meeting with the director(s)
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Discussing past and future mental health issues and concerns
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Working with the director(s) and leadership to design practices and protocols for camper and staff mental wellness that work for your camp
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Designing application and/or health form questions and helping to screen campers and staff
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On behalf of your camp, reaching out to specific parents and camper therapists to ensure that your camp can give them the best possible experience while understanding limits
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Putting into practice special agreements for specific campers and staff who made need more support; training staff on how to use these agreements during camp
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Training directors and leadership staff on how to handle common issues that come up with campers, including specific "how-to" guides on everyday occurrences as well as crises, that can be easily followed during the rush of camp
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Setting camp up for success with staff morale and well-being, beginning long before camp time
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Consulting on staff interview questions and follow-up and screening, based on the successes and pain spots of your camp's staff in the past
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As a neutral party, interviewing your past staff members (at your discretion) to find out what is working and what could be improved upon in terms of staff morale and well-being
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Working with your camp's schedule to design activities, events, and supports to help your staff thrive and get through common burnout phases during camp
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Consulting with director(s) on changes in staff scheduling if necessary, and if it would benefit your camp
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Discussing and making plans for any other concerns surrounding camper and staff mental health
During camp:​
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Training your staff* on how to handle camper and staff mental health issues and how to create a culture of mental wellness
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Being on-call for directors regarding issues that arise and how to handle them
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Working directly with your camp's direct care team (social worker/therapist or any staff that might attend to mental health) to ensure constant support
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Visiting your camp* for a mid-summer staff training booster, and to observe and talk to campers and staff to ensure that plans are working properly
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Putting into practice special agreements for specific campers and staff as needed
Post-Camp​:
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Debrief and wrap-up of how the summer went
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Priority for option for renewal of package for the following year
Cost of entire package: $7,350
*in-person training and visits to camp may be limited to New England states; online trainings and follow-up are available to camps everywhere
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Want to see if this might be a good fit for your camp?
Click here to set up a free 30-minute meeting with Nick where you can learn more.
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