OAR 419-460-0120: Outdoor Youth Programs: Staff Qualifications and Requirements

(1) Staff written policy requirements. An outdoor youth program must have written policy regarding minimum staff requirements. (2) Verification. An outdoor youth program must verify qualifications of staff through documentation of minimum requirements for work experience, education, and classroom instruction. (3) Required staff positions. (a) An outdoor youth program which provides outdoor youth programming as its primary function must have an executive director. The executive director may also function as the field director if the executive director meets those qualifications. In addition to meeting the requirements in OAR 419-400-0040(3)-(4), the executive director must comply with all of the following: (A) Be at least 25 years of age. (B) Have one of the following qualifications at time of hire: (i) Five years of paid full time experience in the social services or wilderness field with at least one year in a paid administrative capacity. (ii) A Bachelor's degree and four years of paid full time experience in the social services or wilderness field with at least one year in a paid administrative capacity. (iii) A Master's degree and three years of paid full time experience in the social services or wilderness field with at least one year in a paid administrative capacity. (C) Have knowledge and experience demonstrating competence in the performance or oversight of the following essential job functions: program planning and budgeting, fiscal management, supervision of staff, personnel management, employee performance assessment, data collection, reporting, program evaluation, quality assurance, and developing and maintaining community resources. (D) Demonstrate by his or her conduct the competencies required by this rule and compliance with the program policies and procedures implementing these rules. (E) Have completed the field training as required by OAR 419-460-0150(3). (b) Field director. An outdoor youth program must have a field director who is primarily responsible for the quality of each outdoor youth program activity, coordinates field operation, supervises direct care staff, and manages the field office. The field director must: (A) Be at least 25 years of age; (B) Have a minimum of 30 college level semester hours or 45 quarter hours in recreational therapy or in a related field or one year of outdoor youth program field experience; (C) Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of applicable licensing rules; (D) Have completed the field training as required by OAR 419-460-0150(3); (E) Hold a Wilderness First Responder (WFR) certificate or equivalent; and (F) Have completed an approved course in nonviolent crisis intervention. (c) Senior field staff. An outdoor youth program must have a senior field staff working directly with each group of children in care. Senior field staff must: (A) Be at least 21 years of age; (B) Have an associate degree or high school diploma or equivalent with 30 college level semester hours or 45 quarter hours of study or comparable experience and training in a field related to recreation and outdoor youth program activity; (C) Have a minimum of forty 24-hour field days of program experience or equivalent experience in outdoor programs documented in the personnel file; (D) Have completed the field training as required by OAR 419-460-0150(3); (E) Hold a Wilderness First Responder (WFR) certificate or equivalent; and (F) Have completed an approved course in nonviolent crisis intervention. (d) Field staff. Each field staff member of an outdoor youth program must: (A) Be at least 21 years of age; (B) Have a high school diploma, or its equivalent, or comparable experience directly relevant to assigned outdoor youth program responsibilities; (C) Have completed the field training as required by OAR 419-460-0150(3); and (D) Be certified to provide cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and first aid. (4) Specific Outdoor Youth Program activity training. All staff of an outdoor youth program must have documented training and experience in conducting any outdoor youth program activity he or she is assigned to conduct. (5) Multidisciplinary team. An outdoor youth program must have a multidisciplinary team of staff or consultants who have knowledge of the physical and emotional demands of the program and are available to children in care and staff upon the recommendation of the field director or senior field staff. The multidisciplinary team must also be available to outdoor youth program staff upon request for consultation regarding the appropriateness of admission of a child in care. At a minimum, the team must consist of: (a) A licensed health care professional (physician, doctor of osteopathy, nurse practitioner, or physician's assistant); (b) A treatment professional who is a licensed or certified psychologist, clinical social worker, marriage and family counselor, or professional counselor; and (c) If the program does not exclude children in care with substance abuse problems, the multidisciplinary team must include a professional who is a Certified Alcohol Drug Counselor or who has demonstrated equivalent experience and training in the field of alcohol and drug abuse counseling.