Company Profile
Bay Cliff Health Camp
Company Overview
Bay Cliff is a year-round, nonprofit therapy and wellness center for children and adults with physical disabilities. Bay Cliff’s priority program is a seven-week, summer therapy camp session serving children with orthopedic, speech, hearing, and vision disabilities. The children work towards goals of increased independence and living a fuller life.
Bay Cliff also sponsors many programs throughout the year including: a week-long recreational camp for adults with physical disabilities, an adaptive paddling workshop, a health and wellness retreat for polio survivors, winter recreation for the children and adults that attend our summer programs, family programs for children with cerebral palsy, spina bifida, and obesity, and a professional development workshop for pediatric therapists.
Bay Cliff partners with non-profit organizations and schools interested in conducting programs at camp. These guest programs include health and wellness retreats, youth development camps, science and outdoor recreation programs, or volunteer and leadership trainings for people with & without disabilities.
Company History
Bay Cliff has a long history, starting in 1933 when Dr. Goldie Corneliuson and nurse Elba Morse identified malnutrition as a problem for children in the Upper Peninsula during the Great Depression. After purchasing and renaming 'Cliffs' farm to 'Bay Cliff Health Camp,' they set about fattening up under weight children and had much success.
As the Depression eased, the Polio epidemic devastated the Upper Peninsula and hospitals were stressed beyond capacity. Dr. Goldie and Nurse Elba saw the need and altered the purpose of Bay Cliff Health Camp to helping children with Polio recuperate and rehabilitate until it's eradication in 1956. Afterwards, Dr. Goldie and Nurse Elba saw there was still a need.
Since the 1940's, Bay Cliff has served children with physical, speech, vision and hearing disabilities who need therapy for habilitation or rehabilitation through our flagship Children's Summer Camp program. We have also expanded and grown as the years pass and our larger community's needs change.
Notable Accomplishments / Recognition
Bay Cliff has served children for 85 consecutive years.
Bay Cliff has helped thousands of children to become more independent, and to be better self-advocates.
Benefits
Bay Cliff Health Camp primarily offers seasonal therapist positions, for our flagship 8-week therapy program for children. Physical therapists can provide the treatment (habilitation and rehabilitiation) that is appropriate and agreed upon with the families of our children. Bay Cliff is a great place to refresh pediatric skills and/or can be a 'gateway' into working in pediatrics. We accept new and veteran therapists, but require active Michigan licensure (we are able to pay back part of the cost for first time state licensing).
Many find that time in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, surrounded by about 300 energetic and positive people to be reinvigorating professionally and personally.
Food and housing provided for the summer for all employees, and families as needed (and available).
