Pros
Very fun, fulfilling, strong community, great mission
I had a lot of fun working here
90% of the campers were amazing
Cons
During my time, several of my fellow counselors were assaulted physically and/or sexually. Many of the people you are helping are adults and may be stronger than you. As a then-17-year-old, having a fully grown man trying to hurt me was scary. Of course, a lot of these people have profound behavioral needs, but the staff was not adequately trained to keep everyone safe (through no fault of their own). During my time, I saw a councillor get bitten (deep enough that it bled), multiple people got concussions, and one person got several teeth knocked out. I had a really good time for most of the week, and had even planned to come back next summer and maybe get a job there, but when I asked several current councillors about it, they strongly urged me to reconsider. There were multiple times that they told me about management not giving them time off (even when concussed) and not keeping them safe. The campers are rarely sent home (I understand that the caregivers need a break), but even when threatening violence, they were allowed to stay at the camp.
