Camp Luther must have the safety and security of every camper as our first and most fundamental goal. Therefore, Camp Luther:
* Will consider a special needs camper on an individual basis. A camper with special needs will be reviewed on an individual basis to determine if the camp can reasonably accommodate him/her. This will be determined by the Director and Dean(s) of the program to which the camper is assigned. The Director and the Dean(s) of the program may also include other staff members during this review of the special needs camper. If the Director and Dean(s) need further input, they can take the review to the Camp Luther Committee.
* Camp Luther is staffed entirely by volunteer staff. In most cases these individuals do not have specific training to adequately handle or respond to the specific needs these special needs campers may require. Additionally, should immediate medical care be required that is above the level that can be provided by a local clinic, the closest full-service care hospital is in Charleston, WV, some 90 miles away.
* If the camper can be adequately accommodated without negatively impacting the camp experience of the other campers or requiring dedicated attention from camp staff, their registration will be considered.
Examples (may include, but not limited to) of a special needs camper that Camp Luther would not adequately be equipped to provide the strongest care …
1. Staff or other campers would be needed to escort the special needs camper to classes, cabin or other activities,
2. Regular disruptions to sleep,
3. Assistance with meals,
4. Difficulty in handling their own personal hygiene,
5. The need of the counselor, teacher or other staff members to regularly spend additional time with that camper at the expense of the other campers.
6. Campers with an emotional disability such that they do not get along well with other campers, act out in physical or even violent ways in such a manner in which they can cause injury to or be of harm to themselves or others.
7. Campers without a specific special needs diagnosis, but who have a permanent or temporary medical condition that requires an above average amount of supervision for medications or other nursing skills. (The Director and Deans will consult with the camp nurses in making these decisions.)
8. Campers who have a personal aide to assist in the management of their life skills and/or functions.
Camp Luther requests that the Pastor and parents of the special needs child contact the director before registration so that the evaluation/review can occur before the child arrives at camp. The Director of Camp Luther must reserve the right to refuse admission to any camper with special needs that comes to camp without prior consideration of the above conditions. In cases where special needs are not disclosed and problems are discovered once camp has started, the Camp Luther Director reserves the right to contact the parents to come and remove the child from Camp.
The Senior Program of Camp Luther is designed for children completing grades 9 through 12 with the assumption that the age of these campers will be between 15 and 18. Again, since the camp experience is not designed for “special needs” children we reserve the right to refuse any camper above 18 years of age.