Overview
**$1,000 Sign on Bonus Currently Offered**
**Next Available Training Dates: May 12th-18th**
As a Blue Ridge Field Instructor, you work as part of a team. In a typical week, 3 or 4 Instructors will be with a group of 6-12 students. While working, staff live outdoors, with their group, 24-7. We are primarily a nomadic program, meaning we embrace the wilderness aspect of wilderness therapy by continuously staying in an outdoor setting.
First and foremost, Instructors are responsible for managing the physical and emotional safety of each student and the student group as a whole. Field Instructors also play an integral role in delivering our curriculum and helping students see the connections between their thoughts, feelings, and choices.
While working in the field, Field Instructors can expect to backpack, sleep under tarps, cook meals over a fire, practice Leave No Trace ethics, administer medication, provide 1st aid as needed, and generally teach students how to practice healthy self-care and self-reliance. In addition, staff demonstrate healthy boundary-holding and communication skills. You’ll lead group discussions, games and initiatives, and complete written reports of how each student is doing every week. Our dedicated staff are with students to provide support during their most difficult moments as well as their biggest accomplishments!
We invest heavily in ongoing staff development. Each Field Instructor at BRTW participates in a week long, experiential training prior to hire, and is mentored by therapists and other senior staff during their entire employment. We also provide weekly ongoing education to staff that covers a variety of clinical and risk management topics. There is opportunity to advance as a Field Instructor, and we often hire internally from our current staff who are seeking growth in the program.
Field instructors work an 8-day on, 6-day off schedule (typically working Tuesday-Tuesday, and then off Weds to the following Monday). For the entire 8 days, instructors camp and live with the students in a wilderness setting. Blue Ridge provides all necessary group gear and emergency/ safety equipment. Instructors are expected to provide their own personal gear to keep themselves safe, comfortable, and effective while on shift.
Your 6 days off are yours to use as you please. The only requirement is that you are back and ready to work your next scheduled Tuesday morning. Staff accrue 2 weeks of PTO per year– and when Instructors take a week off of work, they suddenly have 20 days off in a row off– plenty of time to rest, travel, and pursue your own adventures!
Our headquarters is in Clayton, GA. Clayton is a small town that provides direct access to our field area. Most staff reside in Asheville, NC, Atlanta, GA, Greenville, SC, or Clayton itself. Staff are free to live wherever they choose, however Blue Ridge is not able to provide staff housing.
Pay Rate: $150 -$215 per day
Qualifications:
- High School Diploma or GED minimum (higher degrees or certifications preferred)
- First Aid Certification (WFA/WFR preferred)
- CPR/AED Certification
- 21 years old (state regulation requirement)
Required Skills:
- Able to hike over various terrain while carrying 50+ lbs (pass a physical prior to hire)
- Proficient with speaking/writing in English
Preferred Skills:
- Comfortable working with teens and young adults
- Small group living
- Basic outdoor living skills (camping, hiking, etc.)
About Blue Ridge Therapeutic Wilderness
Blue Ridge serves youth ages 13-18, young adults ages 18-30, and their families. Families or individuals may seek us out for a variety of reasons: anxiety, depression, substance abuse or other addictions, coping with loss, and many others. Students often enter the wilderness feeling angry, sad, confused, or simply lost. Whatever the circumstances, our approach starts with empathy and relationship.
