Retreat Support Associate (RSA)

Published: 6/14/2022

Job Description

Summary of Job

Spirit Rock is seeking an experienced insight meditation practitioner for its full-time Retreat Support Associate (RSA) role. RSAs live on campus and support the physical and emotional well-being of retreatants engaged in intensive meditation practice. Full-time RSAs work alongside one another and with Extra Hire RSAs. Shifts are shared, with RSAs alternating as the primary point of contact so that support is available around the clock while retreats are in session. This is a one-year term.

About the Residential Staff Dharma Program

This position is part of Spirit Rock’s Residential Staff Dharma program, which allows participants to work, practice, and live at Spirit Rock. The residential experience offers opportunities to grow in spiritual understanding and to practice living the teachings of the dharma in work and community.

Full participation in the Residential Staff Dharma program is required for the duration of the position, including:
- Attending weekly residential staff sangha meetings whenever possible
- Maintaining a weekly personal practice in alignment with current resident staff sangha
- Participating in regular 1:1 meetings with the staff dharma teacher
This position is a commitment to extended service and to the development of your personal practice. Time off requires careful planning and advance notice.

Responsibilities

Direct Retreatant Support & Healthcare Coordination

Physical & Emotional Welfare: Support the physical and emotional welfare of retreatants during residential retreats.
Distress & Care Support: Help ease a retreatant’s distress (e.g., talking over tea, taking a walk, or sitting together in silence) so they can either continue their retreat or safely transition home or to an appropriate care setting.
Medical Accompaniment: Pick up prescriptions and accompany sick or injured individuals to urgent care or the emergency room.
Early Departures: Follow departmental protocols for supporting the early departure of retreatants due to illness, injury, or other urgent circumstances.
Pharmacy Management: Organize the pharmacy and back-stock monthly, ensuring items are unboxed, priced, and inventoried accurately for timely reordering.

Communication and Team Collaboration

Accessibility Planning: Review pre-retreat questionnaires and communicate with teaching teams about self-identified accessibility needs.
Proactive Wellness Alignment: Work closely with teaching teams and staff regarding any current or potential medical or psychological concerns involving retreatants.
Meetings & Briefings: Attend staff and teacher lunch meetings during retreats, as well as periodic organizational, team, and residential meetings.
Team Collaboration: Support other retreat operations as needed, including holding office hours and helping with participant check-in at retreat openings.

Operations and Scheduling

On-Call Shifts: Alternate on-call shifts with other RSAs, including overnight hours, and respond to requests ranging from practical assistance to emergencies.
Continuous Coverage: Coordinate with the RSA team to ensure continuous, year-round coverage, including maintaining and updating shift schedules.
Reporting & Debriefs: Complete clear, timely incident and follow-up reports, and actively participate in post-incident debriefs.
Extra Hire Training: Plan and lead virtual and in-person training for new Extra Hire RSAs. Extra Hire RSAs are part-time employees who cover shifts for vacation and retreat days.

Documentation and Community Presence

Systems & Documentation: Maintain and update RSA training materials, the RSA Google Drive, and RSA systems binders. Help document and update departmental policies and procedures.
Group Announcements: Open affinity group sessions and occasionally share opening, closing, or general announcements in the meditation hall.
Dharma Immersion: Attend retreat meditation instructions and dharma talks to remain aware of the instructions being offered and serve as a familiar, grounded presence for retreatants.

Required Qualifications

Meditation retreat experience: Insight (Vipassana) meditation retreat experience in the Theravada tradition. Long-term retreat experience and recent retreat experience at Spirit Rock, IMS, or Insight Retreat Center are preferred.
Understanding of retreat states: Familiarity with the physical, psychological, and emotional states that can arise during intensive meditation practice, and the ability to recognize when a retreatant may need additional support.
Dharma practice: Commitment to understanding and practicing the teachings of the Buddha in daily life, including the ethical guidelines of the Five Precepts.
On-call experience: On-call or similar crisis-response experience.
Composure: Ability to stay calm, build rapport quickly, and make sound decisions under pressure.
Independence and self-care: Comfortable working independently with minimal supervision; adjusts pace to workload demands and maintains the self-care needed to sustain a compassionate presence with retreatants and teachers.
Communication and teamwork: Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to collaborate with teachers and staff.
Adaptability: Comfort with changing needs, priorities, and schedules, including overnight hours, short-notice requests, and working with a range of teaching teams.
Confidentiality: Discretion and sound judgment in handling sensitive, private information.
Cultural responsiveness: Ability to interact with care and respect with people of all backgrounds.
Documentation: Ability to write clear, concise reports.
Technology: Proficiency with Slack, Gmail, Google Workspace, and Microsoft Office, and comfortable using a smartphone for calls and texting. Familiarity with Asana is preferred.
Driving: Valid driver’s license and a driving record that meets Spirit Rock’s insurance requirements. The role requires driving for urgent situations, sometimes with retreatants as passengers.

Preferred Qualifications

Training that builds capacity to support people in distress, such as counseling, chaplaincy, Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), trauma-sensitive practice, somatic experiencing, and/or nonviolent communication.