Blue Ridge Therapeutic Wilderness

UPDATES: Hiring!

Hiring:

Field Instructors at Blue Ridge Therapeutic Wilderness (BRTW) are central to the growth and success of our students. The Instructor role requires resiliency, a passion for service, and an ability to connect with others. Our Instructors are professionals who develop a wide variety of skills: They are outdoor educators, group facilitators, risk managers, excellent communicators, story-tellers, and coaches. Instructors teach students the skills necessary to understand themselves, their families, and how to connect in meaningful ways. 

Simply put: Field Instructors are role-models for a healthier way of life. 

 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. Our Mission is to teach individuals and families the skills needed to be aware of and act on their values. We strive to help our students to realize their best selves and come to a place in life where they honor their values and their strengths.

 As a Field Instructor, you live with students 24-7 for 8 days at a time, and then have 6 days off. Your primary duty is to ensure the physical and emotional safety of the group. At Blue Ridge, we believe in using the wilderness not just as the setting for therapy, but as an active part of the process! As a Field Instructor, that means you're continuously observing, teaching, and assessing all manner of skills: backpacking, bow-drilling, cooking & general outdoor living, in addition to therapeutic concepts and tools as well. Starting with new staff Training, we will provide you the mentorship and support needed so that you can excel in this role. We encourage staff to bring their own unique personalities, knowledge, interests, and passions into this work. Our staff are not cookie-cutter copies of one-another! You being yourself-- simply role-modeling what it means to be a healthy adult-- may be our most effective tool for creating change! You are the one students trust and look up to. You are the one that helps them through their hardest moments. And you are the one they remember long after they’ve left Blue Ridge!

We know we’re not the only program doing this kind of work. Our goal is to make sure we’re clear about who we are and how we operate. We’ll leave it to you to decide whether or not you think we’re the right fit for you!

You should consider us if you:

• Get excited about backpacking, exploration, and working in a nomadic setting.

• Want to learn from experienced, well-respected therapists, supervisors, and owners who know what it’s like to be in the field– because most of us were!

• Believe that a consistent track record (nearly 20 years) of excellence, safety, and service matters.

• Believe in a relational approach that honors the individual and seeks to identify and grow strengths.

• Believe that an owner-operated program, rather than a corporate one, better matches your values and gives you, students, and families the best chance to truly thrive.

Additional Information 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. Our Mission is to teach individuals and families the skills needed to be aware of and act on their values. We strive to help our students to realize their best selves and come to a place in life where they honor their values and their strengths.

BRTW knows the desire to do this kind of work isn't often driven by pay alone. Even so, BRTW seeks to ensure that Field Instructors can do this work professionally and sustainably. Pay for Instructors starts at $150/ day and goes upwards to $215/ day. Base pay is driven by staff level and development. Staff are also eligible for on-going commitment bonuses, PTO, additional overtime pay, benefits, and pro-deal discounts.