Section 400.11109. Staff.

(1) A camp shall have a camp director who  is  on   duty  or  in residence at the campsite and who is responsible for the  day-to-day administration of the camp and for assuring the care, safety, and protection of campers.

(2)   A camp director shall meet all of the following requirements:

(a)   Be not less than 21 years of age.

(b)   Have a minimum of 8 weeks of cumulative  full-time  experience   working with a population similar to that which the camp serves.

(c)     Have a minimum of 4 weeks of full-time administrative experience in an organized camp or similar program.

(d)  A camp director shall be familiar with these administrative rules.

(3)   A camp shall notify the department within 30 days of employing a new camp director.

(4)    If the camp director is away from the operation for more than 12 hours, the person who is left in charge shall meet all of the requirements specified in subrule (2) of this rule.

(5)   A camp shall maintain a roster of all current staff members.

(6)         Before assignment, a camp shall  evaluate  all  of  the  following characteristics for each staff  member  in  relation to the duties to be assigned:

(a)   Character.

(b)   Emotional stability.

(c)   Health.

(d)  Ability.

(e)   Experience.

(f)  Education.

(7)   A camp shall maintain a personnel record, collected   before  initial assignment, for each staff member, except medical professionals whose employing organization subcontracts with the camp to provide medical services and that already requires clearances and maintains a personnel  file containing all required  documentation   and that may be reviewed at the employer's site. The record shall include all of the following information:

(a)  Name.

(b)    Documentation of compliance where the position occupied has experience or education requirements specified by an administrative rule.

(c)   Prior work history, including camp experience.

(d)  Three statements of positive reference that are obtained before staff assignment and that are from persons unrelated to the staff member.

(e)      A record of any criminal convictions other than minor traffic violations, including at least 1 of the following:

(i)     Documentation from the Michigan State Police or the equivalent law enforcement agency from the state, Canadian province, or other country where the person usually resides.

(ii)   Documentation from an entity accessing either Michigan State  Police records or equivalent law enforcement agency records in the state. Canadian province, or other country where the person usually resides.

(iii)    International staff clearances provided by recognized international programs such as International Camp Counselor Program, Camp America, Camp Counselors USA, Camp USA, Summer Camp USA, or approved equivalent shall be determined to meet the requirement of subdivisions e(i) or  (ii) or (f) of this subrule.

(iv)    If the employee has criminal convictions, the licensee or designee shall complete a written evaluation of the convictions that addresses the nature of the conviction, the length of time since the conviction, and the relationship  of  the conviction to the regulated activity to determine whether the prospective employee complies with subrule (6) of this rule.

(f)    Documentation from the Michigan Department of Human Services, the equivalent state or Canadian provincial agency, or equivalent agency in the country where the person usually resides, that any staff person age 21 or over has not been determined to be a perpetrator  of  child  abuse  or  child neglect.

(8)     A camp shall have a written job description for each staff classification covered by these rules. The job description shall contain all of the following information:

(a)   Duties.

(b)   Qualifications.

(c)   Education and training requirements.

(d)  Lines of authority.

A camp shall provide each staff member with a copy of the job description for the position the staff member fills.

(9)    A camp shall establish and provide a pre-camp training program for staff members. A camp shall ensure that the overall training time, including   pre-camp training, shall be not less than 3 hours for each week a person works for the first 10 weeks of the camp's operation.

(10)    A camp shall ensure that the program content for the pre-camp training is in writing and includes all of the following information:

(a)   The camp's philosophy, objectives, policies, and operating procedures.

(b)   Procedures and requirements of these rules related to each staff member's duties.

(c)   Camper behavior management.

(d)  Developmental needs of the population that is served.

(e)   Acceptable techniques of camper supervision.

(11)    A camp shall establish and provide an in-service training program for staff members. A camp shall maintain a written record of the training content, dates, and times.

History: 1984 AACS; 1989 AACS; 1994 AACS; 1998-2000 AACS; 2009 AACS.