An opportunity to make a difference in a unique therapy environment.
Year-round
- year round
Job Starts:
Mar 24, 2023
Make a difference in the lives of others by sharing your talents and warmth with a community of individuals working to overcome mental health challenges.
Spring Lake Ranch is a long-term, therapeutic residential community and farm located in Vermont's Green Mountains. Spring Lake Ranch's mission is to support and empower people with mental health and substance abuse challenges to grow and thrive through shared experience, meaningful work, and active participation in an accepting, diverse community.
In Cuttingsville, VT with the Appalachian Trail running through our 700 acre ranch.
Jobs in the Spotlight
An opportunity to make a difference in a unique therapy environment.
Year-round
- year round
Job Starts:
May 21, 2023
About Spring Lake Ranch Therapeutic Community
Spring Lake Ranch is a long-term, therapeutic residential community situated on 700 acres of farm, forest, and pastureland in Vermont's Green Mountains. We've been around for 90 years with the mission to support and empower people with mental health and substance abuse challenges to grow and thrive through shared experiences, meaningful work, and active participation in an accepting, diverse community.
Everyone's contributions are important here. Our staff live and work alongside residents on "the hill" sharing their unique set of skills, experience, personality, and interests.
Spring Lake Ranch is built on the values of hope, empowerment, community, and connection to the land. As a therapeutic community, each staff member has a role in supporting, modeling, and helping residents along in their recovery. Our work is hands-on, challenging, collaborative, and offers a lot of opportunity for personal and professional growth.
The Employee Experience
At Spring Lake Ranch you will serve as a mentor to help residents in their recovery of esteem, direction, and well-being. Your responsibilities include living and working alongside residents and leading a wide variety of tasks that keep the Ranch running through every season of the year. This may include caring for the farm animals, working in the garden, bringing in hay, shoveling snow, chopping wood, pressing apple cider, building furniture, producing maple syrup, clearing trails, and more. Throughout these tasks, you will be working alongside residents helping them through any frustrations, and modeling a healthy, stable lifestyle. There are opportunities to plan and participate in a variety of fun recreational activities and trips.
While work at the Ranch asks a lot from folk's physical and emotional resources, the Ranch life is also intensely rewarding. Helping people work through the struggles that have interrupted the normal progress of their lives, learning new skills every day, and being a member of a caring community is what makes the Ranch experience as deeply fulfilling as it is unique. Flexibility and spontaneity are key!
Ideal Candidate
Being a part of the Spring Lake Ranch community requires a willingness to share life with a community of diverse people. Patience, creativity, flexibility, and an eagerness to teach and learn are essential. You will be a role model of how to lead a healthy, stable life. Basic knowledge of farming, gardening, carpentry, cooking, sewing, auto mechanics, and landscaping are helpful, but not necessary. Applicants must be 20 years of age or older.
Room and Board
Room and board is included as part of your compensation package.
As a live-in staff member you will have a private bedroom and typically a private bath in one of our resident homes. This includes use of all Ranch amenities including laundry, linen service, woodshop, art and pottery studio, sewing room, hiking/ski trails and equipment, and lake front access with a private dock, canoes, kayaks, and stand-up paddleboards.
Employee Perks
As a full-time employee you are welcome to 3 delicious, nourishing meals a day. Full health and dental coverage are included as part of your compensation package as well as 3 weeks of paid time off.
Getting Here and Getting Around
Bringing your own personal vehicle if you have one is recommended as we are located in a rural area. We are located about 15 minutes away from Rutland, VT. Public transportation is available but limited. Initial travel to and from the community is your own financial responsibility, we can usually arrange for transportation to/from the local airport or train station.
For Fun
There are so many fun activities to do in and around the Ranch year-round. Most outdoor activities you can think of are readily at your fingertips like hiking, skiing, snowshoeing, swimming, canoeing, stand-up paddle boarding, tennis, and more. The woods are crisscrossed by various hiking trails, including the Appalachian Trail, which crosses the property near Spring Lake - one of the quietest and most pristine lakes in Vermont. The Ranch is close to several ski resorts including Killington and Okemo. Montpelier, Vermont's capital city, and Burlington, Vermont's largest city, are each an easy day trip away.
How to Apply
To apply, please send your resume or application and cover letter to Heather McGee at heatherm@springlakeranch.org. The Ranch offers a rolling application and interview process and often hires several months in advance.