PRN Recreation Therapist - SHARE Military Initiative

About the role

Shepherd Center provides world-class clinical care, research, and family support for individuals with complex conditions such as spinal cord and brain injuries, traumatic amputations, stroke, multiple sclerosis, and pain. As an elite center ranked by U.S. News as one of the nation’s top hospitals for rehabilitation, Shepherd Center is recognized as both Spinal Cord Injury and Traumatic Brain Injury Model Systems. Known for its culture of hope, humor, and hard work, Shepherd Center offers career growth, strong relationships, and opportunities for personal development.

Job Responsibilities

• Schedules patients for individual specialist meetings, classes, outings, and in-center activities on a weekly basis.
• Schedule and implement individual patient meetings on leisure education and skills on a weekly basis, or more often if appropriate.
• Determines equipment needs in consultation with patient support systems and other appropriate team members.
• Uses evaluation findings to determine appropriate discharge planning needs.
• Develops and implements treatment programs to further patient's functional skills, which is then periodically reassessed and adapted.
• Provides patient and/or family with resources for use after discharge.
• Facilitates community reintegration outings in accordance with policies and procedures for 1:1, group, and/or team outings.
• Prepares for and effectively teaches classes and lectures, conveying appropriate information and facilitating participant involvement to patients, family, and caregivers.
• Participates in and modifies individual family training according to the needs of patient/family.
• Plan, implement, and recap in-house and community programming throughout the year.
• Recognizes and discusses "age" developmental differences between adolescent, adult, and geriatric patients, communicating effectively with all patients, and relating this to all aspects of treatment.
• Assigns duties to supportive personnel (students, volunteers, aides, techs, nursing, therapists) and supervises performance.
• May float to inpatient, post-acute, or outpatient programs to provide patient evaluation or treatment sessions as needed.
• Practices proper safety techniques in accordance with Center and departmental policies and procedures.
• Responsible for the reporting of employee/patient/visitor injuries or accidents, or other safety issues to the supervisor and in the occurrence notification system.
• Maintains compliance with all regulatory requirements, organizational standards, and policies and procedures related to area of responsibility.
• Identifies potential risk areas within area of responsibility and supports problem resolution process.

Required Minimum Education

Bachelor’s degree from an accredited program in Therapeutic Recreation.

Required Minimum Certification

Certification by NCTRC as a Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist (CTRS).

Basic Life Support (BLS)

Within 90 days of start date.

Required Minimum Experience

Two years of experience within the field of Recreation Therapy.

Required Minimum Skills

• Two years of experience within the field of Recreation Therapy.

Preferred Qualifications

• Current Georgia driver's license and insurable by Shepherd Center's auto insurance policy preferred.