Activity Therapist - LIII

About NYC Health + Hospitals

NYC Health + Hospitals/Gouverneur is a 295-bed Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) with a 5-Star CMS Quality Rating, located in Manhattan’s Lower East Side neighborhood. Gouverneur offers enhanced, cutting edge healthcare services in a state-of-the-art space. It provides 24-hour care for individuals in need of sub-acute care, long-term care or hospice care which include services like physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech and vocational rehabilitation. Gouverneur is an academic affiliate of NYU School of Medicine and Rusk Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine.

Work Shifts

8:30 A.M – 4:30 P.M with rotating evenings and weekends.

Duties & Responsibilities

• Purpose of Position:
• Under supervision, with latitude for initiative and judgement, performs responsible therapeutic work of varying degrees of difficulty and responsibility in an activity therapy department providing medical/psychiatric recreational therapeutic services for patients/residents, both individually and in group settings, in conjunction with other members of the treatment team. All personnel perform related work.
• Plans, directs, coordinates and monitors a program of medically approved recreational activity therapy programs for an assigned area/unit of a health care setting including mental hygiene services.
• Examples of Typical Tasks:
• Participates in planning and implementing a medical/psychiatric approved recreational program of individual and ward activities adapted to the needs, interest and capacities of patients.
• Participates in meeting with treatment staff to coordinate effective patient care and participates as a member of a team, in patient groups.
• Plans individualized schedules including activities of daily living, arts and therapy and socialization to meet specific needs of patients.
• Teaches and leads recreational activities such as group and team games, arts and crafts, dances, gymnastics, art in therapy, poetry, simple forms of music and dramatics.
• Directs learning experiences as part of care/treatment of patients to influence behavioral changes leading to increased experience and comprehension of self and environment.
• Works with and may guide students from multi disciplines, volunteers and others assigned to the area of service.
• Attends and contributes to department meetings, attends and conducts in-service training programs.
• Works with private and public organizations to further recreational programs.
• May co-lead or lead small group therapy and other discussion groups.
• May co-lead community meetings with other members of various disciplines.
• Communicates observations of patients in activity therapy to team.
• Charts Activity Therapy Progress Notes.
• Prepares periodic reports and keeps appropriate records.
• Is responsible for maintaining and ordering of supplies and equipment for assigned unit.
• Affairs with and may guide students from multi disciplines, volunteers and others assigned to the area of service.
• May review clinical case records for accuracy and completeness.
• Works with other disciplines to coordinate effective patient care.
• Maintains communication with other disciplines and services.
• Attends and contributes to departmental meetings and health care setting-wide training programs.
• Participates in overall planning of a Therapeutic Activity program for the health care setting.
• Maintains communication with community resources and research programs for patient’s referrals.
• Explores new developments within the area of Activity Therapy and works with staff in implementation of those applicable to their setting for reevaluation of ongoing programs. Applies new techniques and skills in a continuing effort to provide effective treatment modalities.
• May select and order supplies and equipment, and maintain functional operational level of equipment, supplies and work area.
• May participate in departmental administration of recreational programs including budgetary expenditures and setting procedures.
• Prepares reports, correspondence, and maintains records.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree from an accredited college or university, including or supplemented by eighteen (18) credits in recreation, physical education, dance, fine arts, and/or applied arts (including therapy), and twelve (12) semester credits in psychology, social psychology, group work, group dynamics, and/or related discipline, and three (3) years of full-time experience in planning, coordinating and supervising a recreation activities program in a health care setting; or
• Bachelor’s Degree from an accredited college or university, and four (4) years of full-time experience described in 1 above; or
• A satisfactory combination of education, training and/or experience equivalent to 1 or 2 above. However, all candidates must possess a Bachelor’s Degree.

Benefits

• Comprehensive Health Benefits for employees hired to work 20+ hrs. per week
• Retirement Savings and Pension Plans
• Paid Holidays and Vacation in accordance with employees' Collectively bargained contracts
• Loan Forgiveness Programs for eligible employees
• College tuition discounts and professional development opportunities
• College Savings Program
• Union Benefits for eligible titles
• Multiple employee discounts programs
• Commuter Benefits Programs

How To Apply

If you wish to apply for this position, please apply online by clicking the "Apply for Job" button.