Recreational Therapist

Responsibilities

• Provides direct clinical services to patients 18 years of age and younger.
• Facilitates therapeutic groups or individual sessions, focusing on individual needs/strengths of the patients.
• Utilizes evidence-based, therapeutic modalities in art, music, leisure education, creative writing and journaling, while incorporating skills from various therapies.
• Observes, assesses and manages patient’s behaviors and interactions with peers and staff, while facilitating groups or 1:1 interventions.
• Provides therapeutic interventions as needed. Utilizes CPI methods when managing challenging behaviors.
• Conducts and documents initial interview/assessment of newly admitted patients to determine readiness/appropriateness for participation in groups or individual sessions.
• Documents each patient’s weekly treatment goals, interventions, daily progress in groups/individual sessions, and level of participation.
• Communicates effectively by attending daily morning/evening report.
• Attends treatment planning, as scheduling permits.
• Attends monthly team meetings, and participates in Unit Council as needed.
• Communicates effectively with staff regarding any behavioral issues observed in groups/1:1’s.
• May have to cover another unit during staffing shortages or extended leaves of absences.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Recreational Therapy or in Recreation with a concentration in Recreational Therapy required.
• Master’s degree preferred.
• Some experience in working with individuals or groups in a clinical setting with basic concepts of psychology and pathology preferred.
• Completed relevant clinical education in comparable setting required or equivalent combination of education and experience.

Skills

• Knowledge of evidence-based therapeutic modalities in art, music, leisure education, creative writing and journaling.
• Ability to utilize skills from various therapies, such as Dialectical Behavior Therapy and Cognitive therapy.
• Experience in managing challenging behaviors using CPI methods.
• Ability to communicate effectively with staff and patients.
• Ability to document and track patient progress.
• Ability to maintain and order equipment and supplies.
• Ability to provide guidance and orientation for interns, shadowing students, and prospective hires.

Benefits

• The referenced pay range represents the minimum and maximum compensation for this job.
• Individual annual salaries/hourly rates will be set within the job's compensation range, and will be determined by considering factors including, but not limited to, market data, education, experience, qualifications, expertise of the individual, and internal equity considerations.