How to read this page
These terms teach skills for camp life. When a camper needs clinical support, refer to nurse, unit lead, or program director — do not treat in-app. Burnout and staff grounding: Counselor wellness. Start with the Volunteer handbook for camp contacts and season prep.
Bookmark this page before season. When an activity lists Words in this session, tap a term to open its definition in a new tab — your timer and place in the guide stay where they are.
Use the quick links and glossary sections for programs and escalation roles. Speakable counselor scripts (pass is OK, brain story, etc.) are in the vocabulary sections below.
Framework and org terms — full definitions in the sections below. Burnout and refer-out: Volunteer handbook (camp contacts) · Counselor wellness.
Social-emotional learning is how people learn to notice emotions, set goals, show empathy, build healthy relationships, and make responsible choices.
Counselor note: At Camp TLC we teach these skills through games and facilitated sessions. We are not diagnosing campers or running therapy.
Thought–Feeling–Move is Camp TLC's camper-facing loop for hard moments: notice what your brain is saying, pause, and try one small helpful move.
Counselor note: TFM is one of the SQUAD session guides. Speakable terms like brain story and helpful move live in Shared language. Camper copy never says TFM. The full session When your brain gets loud walks through the loop.
SQUAD is Camp TLC's catalog of counselor-led session guides — eight 45-minute sessions plus night-one ice breakers, each with scripts, print materials, and timelines.
Counselor note: Camp John Marc has twelve cabins with ten beds each — seven campers and three counselors per cabin. Default SQUAD format is three breakout groups with one counselor each, ages 10–15. Whole-cabin ice breakers are separate from SQUAD breakout time.
Shared language is the camp-wide counselor reference — speakable scripts, programs, roles, and acronyms in one place.
Counselor note: Bookmark before season. When an activity lists Words in this session, tap a term to open its definition in a new tab without losing your place.
The Volunteer handbook is the start page for counselors — camp contacts, season prep, and links to Shared language and Counselor wellness.
Counselor note: Directors fill in nurse and unit-lead numbers in Camp contacts before season. See Home site on the Volunteer handbook for Camp John Marc policy links. Full Camp TLC policies and printed camp paperwork stay in the volunteer policy manual.
Counselor wellness is for adult counselors — volunteer or paid — covering grounding, burnout signals, and when to refer out. It is separate from camper SQUAD sessions.
Counselor note: It uses the same notice–pause–move map with adult examples. It does not replace nurse, unit-lead, or program-director escalation.
Camp TLC runs on Camp John Marc — a host facility with partner weeks. Cabin counts and policy links live on the Volunteer handbook.
Camp John Marc is a barrier-free camp facility in central Texas that hosts partner programs for children, teens, and families with chronic medical and physical challenges.
Counselor note: Camp TLC runs as a partner week on this site. Camp John Marc staff run adaptive activities and site operations; your Camp TLC director and medical team run registration, cabin volunteers, and week-specific training. Licensed under Texas youth-camp law.
A partner camp is a session run by a hospital, nonprofit, or program organization on a shared host facility. The partner recruits campers, brings clinical staff, and supplies volunteer cabin counselors.
Counselor note: Camp TLC is a partner camp—not the host facility. Follow your printed Camp TLC handbook for legal forms; follow Camp John Marc Code of Ethics and safety norms on site. Registration goes through your Camp TLC director.
Camp John Marc is a DSHS-licensed youth camp. Official reporting contacts — not a substitute for printed handbook legal text.
Under Texas Family Code §261.101, any person who suspects child abuse or neglect must report it immediately — not only doctors or teachers. Healthcare professionals have additional timing rules and cannot delegate the report.
Counselor note: Camp TLC volunteers and staff are covered by this law. Your steps: protect the camper, tell Camp TLC director/Child Life/medical director, report to DFPS yourself, and inform the director so the camp documents the report. See Reporting child abuse in the volunteer handbook.
DFPS is the Texas state agency that investigates reports of child abuse, neglect, and exploitation. The Abuse Hotline operates 24/7.
Counselor note: If you suspect abuse or neglect, you must report to DFPS — call 1-800-252-5400 or use txabusehotline.org. Notify Camp TLC leadership immediately; they support you but do not make the report for you. Call 911 first if anyone is in immediate danger.
The Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) Youth Camp Program licenses and inspects youth camps under the Texas Youth Camp Safety and Health Act (Health & Safety Code Chapter 141).
Counselor note: Camp John Marc holds a DSHS youth-camp license. When abuse is reported at camp, leadership also notifies DSHS (512-834-6788, PHSCPS@dshs.texas.gov) after the DFPS report — counselors typically do not make that second call. Parents can verify licenses via Find a Licensee on the DSHS site.
The escalation ladder is who to tap when facilitation is not enough — from swapping co-counselors to nurse, unit lead, and program director.
Counselor note: Camp TLC teaches skills, not treatment. When safety, clinical need, or counselor burnout is in play, move up the ladder. Do not improvise therapy in the cabin.
The camp nurse is licensed medical staff on site for injury, medication, and health concerns that exceed counselor scope.
Counselor note: This is the first clinical step for campers — physical health, acute distress that needs assessment, or when you are unsure. Nurse distributes meds; activity guides stay facilitation. Follow your camp's medical protocol.
The program director plans which activities run when, pre-briefs vocabulary by week, and aligns the season schedule with camp goals.
Counselor note: Before season they walk Shared language and the SQUAD week map with leadership. Frontline counselors rarely need this role day to day — tap your unit lead first.
A unit lead supervises a camp unit — usually a cluster of cabins or an age band — and sits between cabin counselors and program leadership.
Counselor note: Tap your unit lead when a camper situation exceeds facilitation, when you need coverage after a hard day, or when a nurse referral is unclear. Your camp may use a different title.
Season-wide participation policies — how counselors cheer choice without pressure. Speakable lines for facilitated sessions live in Shared language.
Challenge by choice means campers decide how far to go in any activity — physical challenges and facilitated shares alike — without pressure or shame.
Counselor note: Cheer from the sidelines or offer an alternate activity. Never force, guilt, or keep going when a camper is unwell or unwilling. In SQUAD sessions, pass is OK is the speakable line; this is the camp-wide umbrella that also covers ropes, swim tests, and outdoor blocks.
Supervision ratio is how many campers each counselor covers — and how many adults are in the cabin or activity when campers are present.
Counselor note: Camp John Marc cabins run 7 campers and 3 counselors (see Volunteer handbook). Design SQUAD breakouts for co-facilitation — not one counselor alone in a share circle.
Cabin Chat is an optional evening peer conversation some camps offer — a structured check-in, not group therapy and not required disclosure.
Counselor note: Camp TLC SQUAD sessions follow optional check-in spirit: pass is OK and opt-in disclosure. Counselors facilitate; licensed staff handle clinical need.
Campers may skip any prompt, question, or share without explaining why.
Say this: Pass is always OK — you can point, move, or pass.
Campers choose what to share about themselves; counselors do not press for private details.
Say this: Share what you're comfortable with — or pass.
A made-up camp situation for practice — not a camper's real private story.
Say this: This is a fictional scenario — we're practicing, not confessing.
Executive-function support means visual schedules, roles, and chunking that help campers follow multi-step sessions.
Say this: Pick one role: reader, picker, or timekeeper — I'll keep the steps visible.
This is a quick either-or prompt. Campers pick a preference — not an identity label.
Say this: Pick the one that's more you right now, or pass.
In this format, campers move around the room or swap pairs instead of sitting in one share circle.
Say this: Find someone you haven't talked to yet — or pass this round.
Required handshakes; forcing eye contact
This is our three-step loop for hard moments: notice the brain story, pause, and try one small helpful move.
Say this: Notice what your brain is saying, pause, then pick one move that might help.
A brain story is a quick thought your brain offers — not always true, not always helpful.
Say this: What's the story your brain is telling you right now?
Your body alarm is what your body feels when something matters — tight, hot, restless, quiet, tired, or stuck.
Say this: What did your body feel — tight, hot, restless, or something else?
A helpful move is one small action that might help — ask for help, breathe, step away, or use a script.
Say this: Pick one move that might help — not the perfect one, just one to try.
A maybe-not-true guess is a brain story that might not be fully true — we can question it gently.
Say this: Could this be a maybe-not-true guess — a story that feels real but might not be the whole picture?
The pull to fit in or be accepted — real need, not an excuse for harm.
Say this: Belonging is a real need. The goal is to notice when it drives a choice.
A next step that protects respect, safety, and self-worth — even when belonging pressure is loud.
Say this: What's a better choice that still respects you and others?
A word people use to describe someone — can help explain you or shrink you.
Say this: You can keep the parts of a label that help and reject the parts that shrink you.
Courage that doesn't look loud — asking for help, setting a boundary, including someone.
Say this: Brave doesn't have to be loud. Quiet brave counts.
Real brave people aren't scared.
A decision that matches what the group or person says matters most.
Say this: Which path fits the values you picked?
A concrete repair step — listen, invite, apologize, or ask for help.
Say this: Pick one bridge tool that fits this gap.