Recreational Therapist

About the role

Completes recreational assessments, develops plans, and carries out interventions for patients with psychosocial risk factors in a behavioral health hospital setting. Works as part of an interdisciplinary team to evaluate coping skills, cognitive functioning, support systems, and barriers to treatment and discharge. Facilitates therapeutic group therapy, provides crisis intervention, and coordinates discharge planning with community resources.

Responsibilities

• Conducts recreational assessments through patient/family interviews, interdisciplinary team consultation, and medical record review
• Evaluates coping skills, cognitive and intellectual functioning, support systems, resources, and factors affecting response to illness, treatment, and discharge
• Identifies barriers and plans interventions to overcome or lessen barriers per treatment plan
• Communicates findings and plans to interdisciplinary team; documents assessments, plans, and interventions in medical record
• Conducts reassessments based on patient needs and plan of care
• Facilitates and participates in therapeutic group therapy for patients on assigned unit
• Maintains clean, organized recreational therapy room free of clutter, contraband, and ligature risks; conducts safety rounds before each group
• Provides short-term supportive counseling for crisis intervention to help patients develop healthy relationships and lifestyles
• Refers patients/families to appropriate community agencies for further intervention or recreational services
• Facilitates interactions between staff and other agencies; documents all pertinent information
• Serves as active team member in discharge planning: identifies complicating social/interpersonal factors and barriers to discharge
• Ensures patient referral to appropriate post-discharge social resources for efficient transition
• Reviews caseload daily with treatment team to share findings, needs, barriers, and progress
• Collaborates with treatment team to implement discharge planning for complex patients to ensure timely discharge
• Communicates and coordinates findings and care recommendations across disciplines to achieve targeted outcomes
• Maintains working knowledge of available community resources

Qualifications

Required experience

• 1 year experience in behavioral health care hospital

Preferred experience

• 3 years as recreational therapist in behavioral health care hospital

Education

• Bachelor's degree in rehabilitation, recreation therapy, physical education, music therapy, art therapy, drama therapy, horticultural therapy, or psychology

Licenses and certifications

• Heart Saver or Basic Life Support (required)
• CPI certification (required at or before orientation)

Skills

• Excellent communication skills
• Conflict management
• Organizational and planning skills

Physical demands and work environment

Functional demands: Medium work — exerting 20 to 50 pounds of force occasionally, 10 to 25 pounds frequently, and up to 10 pounds constantly.

Physical requirements

• Sitting: occasional (0–35% of day)
• Standing: frequent (36–66% of day)
• Walking: frequent (36–66% of day)
• Climbing (stairs/ladders): occasional (0–35% of day)
• Lifting floor to waist: 20–50 lbs, occasional
• Lifting waist level and above: 10–20 lbs, occasional
• Carrying objects: frequent
• Push/pull: frequent
• Twisting: occasional
• Bending: frequent
• Reaching forward: frequent
• Reaching overhead: frequent
• Squat/kneel/crawl: occasional
• Wrist position deviation: frequent
• Pinching/fine motor activities: frequent
• Keyboard use/repetitive motion: frequent

Sensory requirements

• Near vision: accurate 20/40
• Far vision: accurate 20/40
• Color discrimination: yes
• Depth perception: moderate
• Hearing: accurate

Occupational exposure risk

• Bloodborne pathogens: reasonably anticipated
• Airborne communicable diseases: reasonably anticipated
• Radiation: reasonably anticipated
• Extreme noise levels: reasonably anticipated
• Dust/particulate matter: reasonably anticipated
• Chemical: not anticipated
• Extreme temperatures: not anticipated
• Uneven surfaces or elevations: not anticipated
• Other: not anticipated

Schedule

Days shift (United States of America)

Reporting relationship

This position does not formally supervise employees.