Responsibilities:

• Caregivers functioning in Behavioral Health are required to: complete patient assessments within 24 hours of a patient admission, plan and implement psychoeducational therapeutic group programming, coordinate interdisciplinary programming on the units, and participate in the interdisciplinary team conferences to review patient progress.
• Responsible to plan, conduct, direct, and coordinate patients’ needs through therapeutic programming and activities in group and individual settings.
• Train other caregivers in provision of therapeutic programming and activities, including nursing caregivers.
• Complete assessments for functional and rehabilitative needs that may include activities of daily living; community living skills; social, leisure and vocational skills.
• Educate patients, family, and other caregivers in skills and resources applicable for discharge plan.
• Document services in accordance with hospital policy and requirements.
• Effectively and efficiently plan and utilize programming budget, including care and maintenance of equipment.
• Research, explore, and implement innovative and evidence-based therapies that may benefit patients in the clinical setting.

• Coordinate and supervise volunteers, students and interns.
• Participate in continuing professional education, departmental teaching and meetings.

• Participate in hospital and enterprise safety programs identifying risks to patient safety and reducing healthcare errors.
• Provide relevant in-service training sessions for caregivers.
• Create treatment plans and programing that meet patients’ needs and interests.
• Educate patients in social skills needed to become or remain independent.
• Plan and implement therapeutic group programming.
• Record and analyze a patient’s progress.
• Evaluate interventions for effectiveness.
• Develop and create new applications, ideas, systems, or products.
• Participate in quality monitoring and improvement process for programming and activities.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited school in Recreational Therapy required
• Master’s degree preferred

Certifications:

• Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist (CTRS) through the National Council for Therapeutic Recreation Certification required.
• BLS Healthcare Provider within 90 days of hire.
• For caregivers functioning in Behavioral Health, WELLE (crisis intervention) training is required within 90 days of hire and annually thereafter.

Complexity of Work:

• Knowledgeable of emergency and disaster procedures.
• Maintains excellent working relationships with co-workers, health care professionals and other health related facilities and organizations as appropriate.
• Demonstrates ability to prioritize tasks/responsibilities and complete duties within allotted time.
• Seeks out new methods and principles and willing to incorporate them into existing practices.
• Demonstrates and understands the importance of and respect for the rights, dignity, and individuality of each patient in all interactions.
• Demonstrates honesty and integrity at all times in the care and use of patient and hospital property.
• Demonstrates respect for co-workers and responds to the needs of patients by complying with hospital policies.
• Demonstrates satisfactory level of interpersonal skills to interact and deal tactfully with all fellow caregivers, Administration, patients, families, vendors, and government agencies.

Work Experience:

• For caregivers functioning in Behavioral Health, experience in healthcare and/or behavioral health setting preferred.
• Knowledge of therapeutic processes, growth and development, limit-setting, and establishing/maintaining therapeutic relationships and boundaries appropriate to age of patient population served.

Physical Requirements:

• Ability to maintain balance despite sudden load, in order to support person from falling during gait.
• Ability to lift and reach with arms sufficiently to lift a person's arms or legs during exercise programs.
• Requires the ability to sit and be stationary for prolonged periods of time, normal or corrected vision and manual dexterity sufficient to perform work on a personal computer.
• Requires the ability to travel throughout the hospital system and function in a stressful environment.

Personal Protective Equipment:

• Follows standard precautions using personal protective equipment as required.