Elements Wilderness Program

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We are looking for a outdoorsy people-person to take on the role of Field Mentor and join us for our scheduled trainings listed below! Don't wait to apply if you are looking for an amazing position for 2024, we are excited to speak with you now! 

January 18th - 25th

February 15th - 22nd

March 7th - 14th 

Our base is in Huntington, UT approximately 2 hours northwest of Moab and 2 hours south of Salt Lake City. Staff can live ANYWHERE! Commuting only twice in an 8-day period allows for lots of flexibility in your location. Housing provided the day before and the day after rotation for ease of travel. Lots of our staff carpool!

Perks:

• Adventure activities - climbing, rappelling, fly fishing, stand-up paddle boarding, low ropes initiatives, and mountain biking.
• Great team culture
• Great Work/Life balance with around 150 days on a year

 

Benefits:

• Competitive wage ranging from $36,400 to $49,920 a year annually
• Up to $1,100 in other bonuses the first year of employment
• 16 days of Paid Time Off each year
• Training Stipend of $500 on first check
• Gear Lending Library (you can borrow gear from us that you don’t own yet)
• Temporary Housing available in Huntington, UT for first three off-shifts
• Medical, Dental & Vision Insurance after one month of employment
• Employee Assistance Program
• Pro-deals with multiple outdoor gear and apparel companies

 

Qualifications

• Ability to lift and carry 55+ lbs
• Ability to walk up to 2-5 miles a day
• Ability to drive to Huntington, UT in all types of weather (lots of our team carpool)
• At least 20 years old or older
• High School Diploma/GED Required
• Pass Utah and FBI background checks
• Pass pre-employment physical and drug screening
• First Aid/CPR and/or WFR Training - Paid by Elements if not certified

 

We are a locally-owned and operated wilderness therapy program specializing in therapeutic expeditions for teen and adult clients struggling with difficult challenges and life circumstances.

Schedule

This is a unique schedule where Field Mentors work 8 days straight for 15+ hours a day followed by 6 days off. The position provides direct care in a backcountry setting to clients with acute mental, emotional, and behavioral healthcare needs.

Training

We provide an 8-day intensive training where we teach you our therapeutic modalities, outdoor living skills, group management techniques, expedition logistics, adventure activities, and much more. Furthermore, your first 24 days of employment will be an on-the-job apprenticeship to provide continued training and experience to prepare you for the position. For more information about Elements, please visit our website!

Elements - Change in Action

If you love people and enjoy spending most of your time outdoors, we encourage you to apply!

Click to Apply

If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out to our recruitment team at lisa@elementswilderness.com or via text at 385-789-7377

We are seeking two Adventure Program (AP) Instructors to join our tight-knit Adventure Programming team! This is a full-time HYBRID position, which means the instructor will alternate between a Field Mentor shift and an AP Instructor shift.

Our base is in Huntington, UT approximately 2 hours northwest of Moab and 2 hours south of Salt Lake City. Staff can live ANYWHERE! Housing provided the day before and the day after rotation for ease of travel. Lots of our staff carpool!

Hybrid Position Schedule

• Alternate between a field mentor shift (8-days-on, 6-days-off // Tuesday- Tuesday) and an AP Instructor Shift (6 days on, 8 days off // Tuesday - Midday Monday).
• A room and bed at our base in Huntington, UT is provided for the AP shift as well as cooking amenities.

Position Qualifications

• AMGA Single Pitch Instructor certification or have taken a more advanced AMGA rock course / evaluation
• Current Wilderness First Responder certification or higher Position Skills
• Preference for at least 1 year of experience guiding high angle activities and/or 2+ years of outdoor climbing experience
• Prior Wilderness Therapy experience preferred
• Backcountry navigation skills
• Ability to carry a 40lb pack for at least a couple miles of off trail terrain
• Strong interpersonal & rapport building skills
• Detail-oriented, risk management mindset
• Openness to providing others with feedback and receiving feedback
• A benefit, although not a requirement, to have personal knowledge/professional experience guiding: mountain biking, water sports (rafting, SUP, fly fishing), yoga/meditation practices, team building activities, survival crafts and/or canyoneering.
• A 4x4 capable vehicle

Must have taken SPI course by time of hire - thus, you don’t need to have taken it for an interview, however it is highly recommended that you do. Please include your SPI course evaluation in your resume. SPI exam may be taken after time of hire with the mandatory expectation that a passing grade is received.

Pay varies each week depending on the role

• AP Instructor weeks
  • Pay starts anywhere between $25 - $27 an hour depending on experience
• Field Mentor Weeks
  • Pay works through a level system, each level focusing on developing skills relevant to certain areas of the program. Field Mentors will start with an Apprenticeship which lasts 3 rotations and is fully paid at $165/day. Field Mentors then move through the levels at their own pace with staff support and direction: Instructor, Assistant Group Lead, Group Lead, and Advanced Lead. Group Leads make $215/day with Advanced Leads at $230/day. It’s possible to achieve the Group Lead position within 6-9 months.

Additionally, for both roles of the Hybrid Position, Elements offers paid time off, a professional development stipend (with a time commitment), full health insurance benefits, and reimbursement of wilderness medicine re-certifications and AMGA SPI exams upon passing grade.

AP Instructor Role
The AP Instructor position is responsible for introducing adventure-based activities to the field to deepen the client’s therapeutic experience. Rooted in challenge by choice principles, AP instructors provide opportunities for clients to step out of their comfort zone and into a zone of growth by guiding outdoor rock-climbing TR, rappelling, and team building initiatives. After receiving necessary in-house training, AP Instructors may also guide water activities (stand up paddle boarding & fly fishing), canyoneering, leather working skills and mountain biking. Occasionally, an AP instructor will work with the family services department to facilitate an adventure activity with a visiting family. The position will require risk management skills, clear communication, creativity, flexibility and training through the American Mountain Guide Association’s Single Pitch Instructor (SPI) curriculum.

AP Instructor Responsibilities

• During a shift, facilitate pre-planned AP days. Facilitations can be one day (most common) to multiple days long
• During facilitation day:
  • Call the group prior to the facilitation to come up with a plan & gain pertinent information that will apply for the day
  • Contact the group’s therapist if needed when considering highly supervised clients for participation in an activity
  • Arrive on site before the group in order to setup and build anchors
  • Hard skills instruction, staying within the scope of SPI and other relevant, certified high angle training
  • Supervision of the AP site and the safety of all participants is paramount
  • Collaborate with staff to construct a theme for the day that will help deepen the meaning of the clients experience
  • When returning from the field, gear needs to be inspected and checked back into storage
  • Complete a report for each facilitation day and upload photos from that day for parents and therapists to view
• On office days, actively work on gear shed projects or projects that either expand upon our current curriculum or introduce new activities and curriculum
• Participate in department meetings, trainings, and project planning
• Be familiar with Elements Policy & Procedures and the AP Manual, as working with an at-risk population can be different from guiding with an outfitter
• Scout new areas for curriculum development/other current sites that need ‘cleaning’ and/or risk assessment
• Help the team with the maintenance and organization of gear storage
• Participate in annual Elements trainings, as well as quarterly evaluations within your department

Field Mentor Role
Field Mentors operate as front-line staff, building relationships with our clients and maintaining their emotional/physical safety throughout the week. Field Mentors spend their shift guiding clients through the immersive backpacking experience that is core to both programs. Field Mentors work closely with the therapist to help implement the treatment plan designed for that week while maintaining the big picture approach for the clients and the group. As such, they are part outdoor professional and part mental-health professional. Successful Mentors are passionate about this work, have a desire to grow & learn, and demonstrate patience & flexibility.

Field Mentor Responsibilities

• Camp and hike in the field with clients for the full 8 day shift
• Complete paperwork on client therapeutic growth and physical/mental wellbeing
• Keep consistent lines of communication open between themselves and the therapists/field department ensuring an emotionally and physically safe environment for clients
• Participate in annual Elements trainings, as well as quarterly evaluations within your department
• Must participate in the week long Elements Field Mentor Training (if haven’t already done so)
• If applying with no wilderness therapy experience, 6 consecutive eight-day shifts as a field mentor will be required within the first six months of employment.

Application Instructions
Please submit your resume, cover letter, and SPI eval and/or certifications to: Madison Brandt - Adventure Programming Director madison@elementswilderness.com
Include in your resume a section about your climbing/high angle experience in both professional and personal capacities.

Interviews will be done as applications are received. Hiring will be done on a rolling basis. A 2-day working interview in Huntington, Utah will be scheduled after a phone or face-to-face interview.

Based in Utah’s beautiful San Rafael Swell, Elements Wilderness Program provides a healthy
therapeutic environment for young people struggling with a variety of issues. While with us,
our students (and their families) are provided opportunities to explore their past choices,
practice healthy communication/interpersonal conflict resolution, seek to understand themselves on a deeper level and set a new course for their futures. The Adventure Program Department provides a variety of adventure-based activities that enhance and deepen the wilderness therapy experience.

Seeking outgoing and dynamic therapists who are interested in going out to Utah's gorgeous wilderness to engage families in short-term, high impact  intensives while earning a competitive rate! 

Are you a clinician looking for a flexible schedule who likes to think outside the box, and use creative ways to engage clients, all while creating deep meaningful therapeutic experiences? This could be a position for you! This position is flexible to meet the needs of your schedule. It provides competitive pay. All food and gear (except for personal clothing/sleep items) is provided during your shift. You will need your own transportation to and from the office. We provide transportation to the wilderness campsite. We ask for a minimum of six 3-day shifts per year. 

The Basics: 

• Located in Huntington, Utah; must be able to travel to our base for in-person intensives

• PRN therapist working with adolescents (13-17) and young adults (18+) and family system in the wilderness setting

• Preference given to those with 1+ year prior experience either in wilderness or residential treatment settings

• The program uses DBT, The Seven Challenges (substance and technology use/abuse treatment model), Motivational Interviewing, CBT, and REBT, and other modalities as determined by treating clinicians

• Job duties include family, couple, and individual counseling for one family per focus, writing a treatment summary, communication before and after the intensive with the primary wilderness therapist and outside professionals as applicable, knowledge of the Elements parent guide, providing an emotionally and physically safe environment for clients, cleaning/packing up site location

• This job requests a minimum of six 3-day shift commitments per year, with ample opportunities for more shifts as desired. Flexible to your schedule. Will likely require some weekend shifts. 

• Candidates will have a master's degree in a counseling/mental health field. One year of treatment experience is preferred. If not fully licensed, have a supervisor for supervision already in place. 

• CPR certification required (can provide training and certification or recertification)

• OBHC accredited since 2015 

• LGBTQ+ supportive environment 

• Dynamic team, fun activities, beautiful work environment, compassionate & caring co-workers

 

Salary: Fully Utah licensed therapist: $1600 per Family Focus after training 

Associate therapist: $1100 per Family Focus after training

About Us: Elements and Traverse wilderness programs are facilitated in the beautiful San Rafael Swell during the winter months and the Manti LaSal mountains in the summer months. Elements works with adolescent boys (13-17) and their families. Traverse works with young adults of all genders (18+) and their families. Both of these programs provide short-term residential treatment that works with individuals navigating challenges with their mental health. Our programs understand that when one person is struggling, the whole family is impacted. With our clients, the opportunity for positive and lasting outcomes is greatly increased when those in the immediate family system are working on themselves too.  Accordingly, one key service our program provides is engaging the family system in the wilderness setting through a Family Focus. 

Elements Wilderness Program is hiring a PRN Family Focus Therapist to facilitate 3-day family therapeutic intensives in our wilderness setting. The therapist and an Elements staff member work together to facilitate meaningful groups and experiential activities for one family per focus. The enrolled client and their family members camp with the therapist and staff member for 2 nights and 3 days. The therapist has the opportunity to utilize creativity, various therapeutic models, and the natural elements of the wilderness to create an impactful, lasting therapeutic experience for the family. The entire process is designed to work towards healing within a family system.  

If this position sounds like a great fit for you, please apply by clicking the link below! We are excited to speak with you.

Apply Here

If you have additional questions, please reach out to Lisa at lisa@elementswilderness.com. 

Elements is looking for an amazing candidate to join our team as a part-time Transporter. This position has a super Flexible schedule that allows for great work/life balance or added income! As a Transporter, you will help the students in our program get to the field area and back as well as help with emergencies. 

 

Benefits:

• Part-time work with flexible hours

• Hourly pay starting at $13 per hour

• Great team culture and locally owned company

• Paid Training

 

Requirements:

• Must be at least 25 years old or older

• No criminal history - background screening done at time of hire

• Must have a valid drivers license

• Must be eligible to work in the USA

• Aegis and First Aid/CPR - Elements will pay for certification if not currently certified

• Knowledge of the Manti-La Sal National Forest BLM land, preferred not required

• Live in or around the Huntington area is preferred

 

All transport hours are scheduled on a first come first serve basis. You will be notified of an open Transport and based on your availability you can choose to accept or not. 

 

If this sounds like a great fit for you, please contact Mike at 858-752-1967 or mike@elementswilderness.com to schedule an interview.