Elements Wilderness Program
UPDATES: Hiring!
Hiring:
Field Mentor
As a Field Mentor for Elements, you are the foundation of our program. You are a teacher, outdoor educator, mentor, friend, advocate, and role model. Our primary responsibility is to keep our clients physically and emotionally safe. We provide a space for them to be challenged and grow while learning and practicing new skills through the experience of living with a group of peers and mentors in the wilderness. As a Field Mentor, you will facilitate group therapy sessions, outdoor skills clinics, one-on-one conversations, lead hikes, teach coping skills, and run mindfulness activities (among other things!). You will build meaningful relationships with our clients, and will guide them in all facets of our program. As a Field Mentor, you are part of a collaborative treatment team, working closely each week with a clinical therapist and a team of your peers to facilitate a productive therapeutic experience for each client.
We hold trainings monthly and look forward to speaking with you!
Required Qualifications:
20 years old
Able to pass a Federal Criminal Background Check
Pass a pre-employment and random drug screenings
Have at least a High School diploma or equivalent (Bachelor’s preferred)
Certified in 1st Aid and CPR at a minimum (WFR strongly preferred) if not certified, we will help you get certified
A strong love of the wilderness and camping
Patience, resilience, flexibility, and a sense of humor
Life in the field:
8 days on / 6 days off
Field Mentors sleep outside for 8 days in a row Tuesday to Tuesday. On your off shift of 6 days, you’re on your own to adventure or scroll TikTok at your leisure.
A typical week consists of:
Backpacking 3-4 times (distances averaging 1 to 5 miles)
Cooking on a fire
Outdoor skills learning, practice, and teaching
Adventure activities (a day of climbing/rappelling/fly-fishing/or something else!)
Therapeutic groups
One-on-one check-ins with clients
Layover days for clients to work on assignments and wilderness skills
Life outside the Field
Our field office is centrally located in Utah, allowing staff to choose where they live based on their interests and needs. Like big city vibes with recreation opportunities out your back door like skiing, climbing, biking, hiking, etc? Salt Lake City offers world class options! Want the sun and sky of desert living? Moab and St George are tucked up against some of the most famous national parks and are both a rock climber's and mountain biker's dream! Grand Junction, Colorado is also within range, and many of our staff don't limit themselves to a permanent location at all, choosing to live out of their vehicles and roam between adventures far and wide when not at work. Staff can live wherever they want, as long as they arrive to work on Tuesday at 9am well rested and ready to go. We also provide a mentor bunkhouse, including a shower and small kitchen, that mentors may use at the beginning and end of each shift. Wherever you choose to live, the Elements community is tight knit and finding folks with whom to recreate or hang out during off time is always a possibility.
Additional Information About Elements Wilderness Program
We’re a small company that focuses on supporting and developing the people that work here. Many of our field mentors come to their training week having no significant outdoor experience. Every individual has a unique perspective to offer and can learn how to live outside in the wilderness. Our team is, first and foremost, filled with people who care and people who want to grow and aid in the growth of others. You don’t need to come with years of outdoor experience or years of experience working in a therapeutic setting. As a team, we pride ourselves in being able to teach the skills necessary to do the job. As a Field Mentor, your coworkers and management team are focused on building you up and providing you with the space to succeed in the work that we do.
(plus whatever follows up to pay and benefits)
Pay and Benefits
Training/Signing bonus up to $500
Pay starts at $175/day (first 3 weeks) is $180/day thereafter and can reach $240/day
Paid Time Off - two full shifts a year which translates to two 20-day vacations.
Medical, Dental, and Vision insurance - 75% paid by the company after 30-day waiting period
Access to a Professional Development Fund - with a commitment, get money to pursue personal interests which promote your own professional development
Examples include: canyoneering, SPI cert, art therapy, yoga training, primitive skills, mountain biking, etc
Pro Deal Discounts on Gear
Wilderness First Responder course - paid for!