Camp Fire C.O., Alliance for Camp Health launch innovative mental, emotional and social health (MESH+) services to youth, staff

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) - Inclusive national youth development organization Camp Fire has partnered with Alliance for Camp Health (ACH) to enhance youth experiences through the launch of the MESH (+) innovative suite of mental health services and supports: CampWell and the MyView Digital Empathy™ Screening Tool. Headquartered in Bend, Camp Fire Central Oregon is one key partner in this exciting launch.

Young people today are facing a barrage of interrelated challenges: a national mental health crisis, bullying, political attacks on their identities, the global climate crisis coupled with climate anxiety, lots of screen time, a loneliness epidemic and more. It’s critical to meet youth where they are, support them and engage to identify ways to improve their experience and our impact. ACH and Camp Fire are collaborating to push beyond the status quo when it comes to supporting the whole person—both youth and staff—in out-of-school time (OST) and summer outdoor programming.

This is the first-of-its-kind national implementation focused on raising the standard of care for physical, mental, emotional and social health services for youth and staff, funded by Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropies and The Annie E. Casey Foundation.

Investing in a culture of well-being is necessary to enhance the experience, safety and belonging of all young people. The suite of MESH (+) offerings that bring this collaboration to life includes:

1. CampWell is an immersive training program that creates consistent care across the spectrum of all summer learning spaces, including camp. It is a six-hour in-person multi-tiered skills-based course designed to help leaders shape programs that incorporate the tools, self-awareness and understanding needed to enhance the experience and foster a culture where all can be well. CampWell was created in collaboration with American Camping Association (ACA).

2. The MyView Digital Empathy™ Screening Tool is a first-of-its-kind MESH (+) screening tool for the summer enrichment setting. A collaboration between ACH and Tickit Health, My View improves provision of care by helping youth have a voice in their camp experiences, allowing campers and camp staff to understand each other better.

When campers first arrive at camp, they will sit down for a visual, interactive, digital survey that takes around 7-10 minutes to complete. Sample questions include:

• These things help me with my life’s ups and downs:
• At camp, I would like to spend my time:
• At camp, I might worry about these things:

As staff members review youth responses, it allows them to contextualize what each camper uniquely brings to camp and how to best customize care and attention for the experience, contributing to a holistic culture of well-being at camp. See the pilot report to learn more.

Camp Fire is the first organization to pilot ACH’s program and receive its new MESH (+) Best In Class Seal for organizations that meet ACH’s requirements. The seal outlines four key health-related pillars (Summer Program, Staff Training, Health Screening and Medication & Care Measures) for OST programs that are taking a proactive approach to promote well-being. Camp Fire’s pilot sites are the first to seek the MESH (+) Seal. One of the first sites to earn the seal, Camp Fire Central Oregon has submitted its application for this honor.

“So often kids are exposed to programs where they are herded from activity to activity, whether they want to be participating or not,” says Melanie Feltmate, Camp Fire Central Oregon’s program director. “The MESH+ training and tools help us to slow down and say to kids: Your humanness and your wholeness matter, you have a say in how you want to show up here, and we respect that.”

Each Camp Fire affiliate received a free ACH membership, with three accounts per affiliate, allowing them to use the MESH (+) comprehensive Resource Guide. All materials help camps prepare for summer programming, including staff hiring, suggestions for creating a healthy MESH (+) culture, identifying concerning behavioral symptoms and de-escalation strategies. A MESH (+) pocket guide written by counselors was offered to support camp counselors in handling difficult behaviors, knowing what to say amidst difficult conversations, learning how to create a healthy culture, understanding when to seek additional help and more. 

Six Camp Fire camps piloted the MyView Digital Empathy™ Screening Tool in Summer 2024 and plan to do CampWell training in November. Camp Fire plans to scale these programs across its network in the next year, along with a new MESH (+) Best In Class Seal that will be awarded to other out-of-school time (OST) organizations that meet necessary requirements.

“Receiving the MESH+ seal shows that we go above and beyond to make sure our youth and staff are supported in a wholesome way and are not just a cog in a machine,” Feltmate says. “We are proud of the hard work we have done to become one of the first organizations nationwide that will receive the MESH+ seal.”

Young people continue to struggle with their mental health and are striving to get the support they need. Serving more than 100,000 youth and families every year, Camp Fire has a crucial role to play and sees MESH (+) as being the future of holistic health care at camp and in OST settings so all youth can thrive.