Accreditation, Certifications, Licensing And Awards
American Camp Accreditation
American Camp Accreditation (ACA) is the best evidence parents have of a camp’s commitment to a safe and nurturing environment for their children.
American Camp Association accreditation is voluntary, so even though many state and federal laws and regulations address basic sanitation and food service concerns, we at Living Well Foundation wanted to take this a step further by meeting American Camp Association Standards as well. This is because American Camp Association Standards (over 300 of them!) go a step further in addressing the specific areas of programming, personnel, health care and management practices.
ACA Standards reflect every aspect of camp management and operation:
- Site: Fire protection, food service, sleeping quarters, utility and maintenance systems.
- Transportation: Procedures concerning drivers, vehicles and traffic on site.
- Health and Wellness: Staff qualifications, facilities requirements, record keeping, storage and distribution of medicines, contact information and health forms.
- Operational Management: Safety regulations, emergency communication systems, procedures for intruders, personal property regulations.
- Human Resources: Staff qualifications, screening and training, supervision ratios and procedures.
- Program Activities: Aquatics, adventure/challenge, trips, horseback riding and staff qualifications for special programs.
Mandatory standards include requirements for staff screening, emergency exits, first aid, aquatic-certified personnel, storage and use of flammables and firearms, emergency transportation, obtaining appropriate health information, among others.
Patients can (and should) verify the accreditation status of any camp at any time. This may be accomplished through the American Camp Association Website at www.ACAcamps.org or by calling 1-800-428-CAMP.
Better Business Bureau Accredited Charity: Living Well Foundation
- A+ Rating since 2008
- Our BBB accredited charity meets all 20 standards for charity accountability and is a seal holder
Safety First: Living Well Foundation
- Markel’s Safety 1st program recognizes policy holders who have a proven safety record and have shown an exceptional commitment to the safety of their employees and customers.
- Camp Jump Start at Living Well Village has received the award annually since it was offered.
WIT® Program
Camp Jump Start has also developed the WIT®: (Wellness in Teens, Tweens, Tots and Twenty+) Program, which has been peer reviewed and published in medical journals.
- It is a national award winning, evidence based practice showing positive outcomes.
- It is also recognized nationally as a best practice by the National Initiative for Children’s Healthcare Quality in Washington D.C.
- It is award winning from the Cooper Institute.
- Research published nationally and internationally with St. Louis University and Washington University.
Awards
2006
“Best Practice”
National Initiative for Children’s Healthcare Quality
2006
Young Professional Award
American Camp Association
2004
“Best Practice”
Cooper Institute
Accomplishments
2002
“Fat Like Me” Documentary
Provide Background Information
Hosted by New York film crew in New York
2005
“A comprehensive, year-round weight management program for obese children”
Research Abstract Presentation
Presented at American Camp Association National Convention
Chicago, Illinois
“What’s Love Got To Do With It”
2007
“Assessing changes in anthropometrics and other physical fitness measures in response to a four-week residential weight loss camp”
Research abstract presentation
Dallas, Texas
Peer-reviewed Articles
2008
“Assessing changes in anthropometrics and other physical fitness measures in response to a four-week residential weight loss camp.”
Ashley Glade, SPT; Susan Racette, PhD and Jean Huelsing RN, BSN, MEd.
2010
“Camp Jump Start: Effects of a Comprehensive Residential Summer Health and Fitness Camp for Older Children and Adolescents”
Jean Huelsing, R.N., Nadim Kanafani, M.D., Jingnan Mao, Neil White, M.D
2013
“Baseline Lipids and Weight Loss among Youth are Associated With Ad36 Antibody Status”
Jillon S. Vander Wal, Jean Huelsing, Olga Dubuisson, Nikhil V. Dhurandhar
RELATED ARTICLES by and about
1997
“The Woman on the Ground”
Nursing ‘97
2003
“Program Empowers Health Care Students”
Suburban Journals
2004
“Parents join kids at Fitness Camp”
Wall Street Journal
2004
“New Weight-loss camp for kids set up”
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
2004
“Lifestyles”
St. Louis Journals
2004
“Jump Start Campers Work Hard to Shape Up”
The Southern Illinois
2004
“Our Overweight Kids: A Supersized Crisis”
Special 8-page Section– St. Louis Post-Dispatch
2005
“Lose Weight, Gain Confidence”
ChicagoParent
2005
“The Joys of Camp Nursing”
Advance Greater Chicago/Wisconsin/Indiana
2005
“The Cafeteria Conundrum”
ChicagoParent
2006
“Camp Jump Start Helping Overweight Children”
CompassPoint
2006
“Giving Kids A Jump Start”
St. Louis Nursing News
2006
“Weighty Matters”
ChicagoParent
2007
“Teen Wanted More Than Weight Loss”
YoungSt.Louis.com
2007
“The Growing Problem of Childhood Obesity”
Consumer Digest
2007
“Camp Jump-starts Struggle Against Obesity”
St. Charles Journal
2007
“Weight Loss Camp for Kids-Teens trade pounds for self-esteem At the camp that offer tools for lasting success”
www.msn.com/health
2007
“Losing to Gain”
The Leader
2008
“La salud empieza en la juventud. Ponga a sus hijos en movimiento ahora”
Destinacion Campamento
2009
“Camp Fosters Independence”
West Newsmagazine
2009
Women Making Their Mark
St. Louis WOMAN magazine
2009
Huelsing Profile
Suburban Journals
2010
“Propósito de Año Nuevo: ¡Qué este sea el año más sano de sus hijos”
Destinacion Campamento
2010
“Getting A Jump Start on Healthy Living”
St. Louis Business Journal
March 2016
Top 10 Questions to Ask a Weight Loss Camp Director
Health and Wellness Magazine
September 2016
Cholesterol-Know Your Numbers and How They Are Trending
Health and Wellness Magazine
Invited Written Review of Books
2006
Winning the Weight War
Dr. Gillian Moore-Groake
2007
Dr.Susan’s Kids-Only Weight Loss Guide
Dr. Susan Bartell
Inclusion in books
2009
Teenage Waistland
by Abby Ellin
2010
America’s Cookie Kids: Die gesellschaftliche Situation übergewichtiger Heranwachsender in den USA (German Edition)
by Caroline Belz
Divorce: Did You Even Think About Me? Letters of Hurt and Healing
By Jean Huelsing (Author)
Divorce: Did You Even Think About Me? Letters of Hurt and Healing is a book that explores the effects of divorce on children, from their point of view. Through the eyes of children of divorce, a new perspective emerges showing how their lives are affected, often more than the lives of the people who are divorcing.
This book will help a child realize that they are not alone. Many children are in the same position and feeling the same emotions. Many children find their emotions are normal and may find comfort from one of the responses. This book will also help adults hear the voice of their child when they consider divorce. Divorce must be a last resort after all else fails in trying to solve adult problems. Hopefully one of these stories will resonate and give guidance during this difficult period in life for all involved. We must always remember it is not the child s fault and they need the parent to take care of them, and if the parent cannot, then the parent needs to find someone who can. The ending of this book also comes from the children s collective thoughts when divorce is necessary.