Lisa + Austin Williams
When Summer J Camp counselor Jack Drake needed help managing some challenging campers this summer, he knew where to turn for guidance: J Camp’s first-ever mental health coordinator, Lisa Williams.
“I don’t know what I would have done without her,” Jack said. Lisa, a longtime social worker, suggested some tools Jack could use to meet the campers’ needs and, to his relief, it made a difference. “I’m really glad I could lean on Lisa and her expertise.”
Thanks to a groundbreaking initiative from Foundation for Jewish Camp, funded by The Marcus Foundation, Lisa was part of a new program this summer focused on the mental, emotional, social, and spiritual health (MESSH) of our J Camp community. As one of 32 day camps selected to participate, J Camp will receive up to $36,500 over the next four years to hire mental health professionals, enhance counselor training, develop wellness activities, and more.
Lisa is thrilled with the program’s inaugural year. “It went phenomenally well,” she said. “The kids and counselors gained valuable skills and confidence that helped them at camp and, I hope, beyond.”
Throughout the summer, Lisa was actively involved in the daily life of J Camp. She helped kids navigate transitional moments, offered real-time therapeutic interventions, and joined activities.
She proudly watched as campers who were afraid of the water at the beginning of summer jumped into the pool after a few weeks of talking with her. She helped kids improve their patience and conflict-resolution skills, deal with homesickness, and more.
With the staff, she led weekly “mental health moments.” Counselors asked for tools for everything from helping kids stay focused to giving feedback to a coworker. Often, Lisa said, they just needed a sounding board. “Active listening was a big part of my job,” she said. “Sometimes they just needed someone to talk to.”
According to a recent survey, more than 80% of camp staff members said they benefitted from Lisa’s guidance. Jack said he’s gained invaluable life skills. “Lisa helped me remember to take care of my own mental health and I feel more equipped to deal with tricky situations in the real world,” he said. “I also think it made a difference for the kids to know they had someone to talk to if they were struggling.”
Lisa hopes the entire camp community gained a better understanding of their mental, emotional, social, and spiritual health. “I hope they learned how to do something they didn’t think was possible or realized that everyone feels the same way they do sometimes. I hope new relationships came out of this, and that kids feel confident in themselves and their abilities,” she said. “But most of all, I hope they had the best summer possible.”
It was certainly a memorable summer for Lisa, who, in addition to launching this new program, welcomed her first child this September with husband—and fellow J employee—Austin Williams. Seeing the impact Summer J Camp has on kids and teens makes Lisa excited for her son to one day join the ranks of happy campers at the J.
“I see these lineages of families that have been involved at J Camp for years and I think, ‘that’s going to be us,’” she said. “We’ll hopefully be part of J Camp for a long time. We couldn’t have picked a better place for our family to grow.”
Foundation for Jewish Camp’s Yedid Nefesh initiative is generously funded by
The Marcus Foundation.