Fond farewell for summer camp
It was a big day at Spokane Mental Health on Friday, a day for pizza and goodbyes, as summer camp for kids ended for the year. The program offers children with psychiatric problems a chance to improve their social skills with other children their age in a safe environment. It’s also fun.
“The kids have a summer experience to share with other kids when they return to school, an experience they might not have had because of financial issues,” said Carl McConnell, a clinical supervisor at the agency’s Child and Family Services.
Though summer camp at Spokane Mental Health is a nonresidential program, it offers many of the same activities as a church camp, such as field trips to Riverfront Park or the beach.
“Being able to hop in a van and drive to Coeur d’Alene is no small thing if you’re poor,” McConnell said.
There are two four-week sessions during the summer. The children come three days a week for half a day and are divided into groups according to age.
“We get to go places. We get prizes. We get to make our own stuff, and we get to say who we make it for,” said Charley Jordan, 8, as she completed a jeweled bracelet for her mom.
“I love day camp because it’s fun,” she said. “We get to take long walks. We get to have lunch and breakfast and that’s all.”
Charley’s sister, Anna, who turned 13 this week, was succinct when she said what she would be doing were it not for summer camp: “Playing video games, duh!”
The girls’ mother, Cynthia Jordan, said the camp has done wonders for her children. “Charley has met new friends. Anna is meeting kids around her own age. It’s important that they hang around appropriate kids, kids whose parents feel the same way I do.”
About 60 children participated this year. McConnell said the program was not able to accept as many children last year because of countywide cutbacks that reduced staffing at Spokane Mental Health by 25 percent or more.
This year, staffing was restored, McConnell said, due in part to a Spokane County sales tax increase of one-tenth of 1 percent.
To qualify for state and federal Medicaid funding for the summer program, the children must have fairly significant psychiatric diagnoses, McConnell said. These may include attention deficit disorder, depression or post-traumatic stress disorder resulting from abuse. Many have trouble interacting in social situations, which also would prevent them from participating in other summer programs for children. The camp is “more than just playing,” McConnell said. “It’s an important life experience. So many kids would miss out on a tradition of summer activities if we weren’t doing this.”