Recreation Therapist

Position Summary

The Certified Recreation Therapist is responsible for developing, implementing, managing, and delivering the recreational program. Recreational therapy is skilled work provided as an aspect of active treatment, involving individualized assessment, treatment planning, treatment implementation, and evaluation to restore, remediate, or rehabilitate specific aspects of physical, cognitive, emotional, or social functioning to assist patients/clients who have medical, psychiatric, developmental disabilities, substance abuse, sensory impairments or other disabling conditions to improve functioning and independence in life activities.

Job-specific Responsibilities

• Selects appropriate instruments/batteries and uses systematic assessment procedures, including structured interview, direct observation, performance testing, information from others, and/or record review to generate age, diagnostic, and culturally appropriate baseline data that identifies the patient's/client's strengths and limitations in physical, cognitive, social, emotional functioning as well as behavioral functioning and interests in leisure/play.
• Involves patient/client, family, and/or significant others as appropriate and conducts the assessment in a timely manner, in accordance with standards of regulatory agencies and/or treatment protocols and policies.
• Reports and documents a summary of the assessment results containing information relative to the patient's/client's strengths, limitations, and functional status.
• Based on the assessment data analysis, the recreational therapist formulates clinical impressions and recommendations for treatment, referral for other services, or no services.
• Interprets assessment findings, collaborates/consults with the patient/client family and significant others, referring physician and team members as needed, and develops the individualized recreational therapy treatment plan that includes patient/client preferences, short-term, long-term term and/or discharge-related functional outcome goals and the treatment interventions to be used to achieve treatment goals and outcomes.
• Prepares the patient for treatment and implements the individualized treatment plan using appropriate treatment interventions and counseling/helping/facilitation techniques to restore, remediate, or rehabilitate physical, cognitive, emotional, or social functioning to improve independence in life activities.
• Implementation of the treatment plan is consistent with the comprehensive multi or interdisciplinary patient/client treatment program.
• Evaluate patient/client progress and satisfaction resulting from the treatment interventions provided and modify or discontinue the treatment interventions as needed and based upon patient/client progress, achievement of functional outcome goals, lack of progress, or change in condition.
• Reports and documents patient/client progress, achievement, and changes in the treatment plan.
• Develop a recreational therapy discharge plan in collaboration with the patient/client, family, significant others, supervising physician, and team members; additional treatment or aftercare is needed when maximum improvement in recreational therapy treatment interventions is reached.
• Reports and documents discharge summaries in a timely manner, according to policy and procedure.
• Communicates with local health and health care agencies and community programs to assist patients/clients to seek appropriate treatment facilities or programs for continued recreational therapy treatment or aftercare and reintegrate into community life after discharge.
• Establishes and Maintains an active Volunteer Program
• Trains recreational therapists and assigns duties and job tasks to recreational therapy assistants, recreational therapy aides, interns or fieldwork students, and volunteers and serves as a resource to other treatment areas such as physicians, nurses, and physical and occupational therapists.
• Provides clinical supervision for recreational therapy assistants, recreational therapy aides, student interns, and field placement students completing field placements and internships as a degree and credentials requirement and assures that National Council for Therapeutic Recreation Certification (NCTRC) requirements for field placements are met. Participates in safety, risk management, and quality improvement activities and conducts program evaluation and applied research to assure safe and effective recreational therapy services.
• Serves as a resource in areas of activity coordination
• Offers positive suggestions/solutions to improve service delivery and unit operations.
• Utilizes resources appropriately and uses/maintains equipment to prolong working life.
• Participates in discharge planning.
• Documents and charges daily therapeutic units timely and accurately.
• Communicate with the Director of Rehabilitation Services regarding department programs, goals, objectives, problems, and successes.
• Accesses and checks email each shift to keep informed of current events.
• Performs other duties as assigned.
  
  

Education

POSITION QUALIFICATIONS:

• A minimum graduate of a bachelor's degree in Recreational Therapy from an accredited college or university
  
  

Experience

• Minimum of one year of experience working in a recreation therapy program, preferably with adolescent age range infant to early adulthood
• Experience working with individuals with cognitive or developmental disabilities, physical health impairments, rehabilitative needs, and neurological/orthopedic conditions.
  
  

Licensure/Certification

• Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist (CTRS) as recognized by the National Council for Therapeutic Recreation Certification (NCTRC)
• Must be certified in AHA BLS
• Must be certified in Nexus-approved Nonviolent Crisis Intervention-Crisis Prevention Intervention (CPI/SAMA training) or obtain the following employment
• Must maintain current certification in good standing during employment with this facility
• Maintains certifications and licenses as current to avoid voluntary resignation.
• Must obtain current tuberculosis test within the first fourteen (14) days of employment and annually after that.
• Maintain current certification in good standing during employment with this facility or obtain it within thirty (30) days of hire.