Position Summary:

The Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist (CTRS) provides direct services to clients. The scope of practice includes but is not limited to utilizing recreation and other activity-based interventions to address the assessed needs of individuals with illnesses or disabling conditions as a means to psychological and physical health, recovery and well-being. The CTRS treats and helps maintain the physical, mental, and emotional well-being of their clients by seeking to reduce depression, stress, and anxiety; recover basic motor functioning and reasoning abilities; build confidence; and socialize effectively. The CTRS collaborates to develop interdisciplinary person-centered treatment plans and provides therapeutic recreation and activities to persons with acute or serious and persistent mental illness and/ or substance use disorders admitted to Inpatient Behavioral Health.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Provides treatment services and recreation activities to individuals and groups using a variety of techniques including arts and crafts, animals, sports, games, dance and movement, drama, and music, with a person centered, trauma informed, recovery-oriented, insight-oriented approach.
• Provides Group Therapy as assigned based on clinical program design.
• Demonstrates leadership in contributing to the design and continuous improvement of the clinical program.
• Participates in Interdisciplinary Treatment Team Meetings and collaborates to develop a treatment plan with individualized interventions for each patient based on recreational evaluations, the patient’s goals for treatment, and patient’s response to individual and group therapy and therapeutic activities.
• Demonstrates the skills and judgment necessary to implement the plan of care, interventions, and procedures necessary, with an emphasis on patient self-determination.
• Maintains an up-to-date, accurate and appropriate record of therapeutic activities in patient’s medical record. Documents patient’s participation in and response to individual and group therapy.

Required Qualifications:

• Minimum 1 year of experience highly desired
• Bachelor’s degree or Master’s degree in Therapeutic Recreation / Recreation Therapy
• Successfully completed the certification exam administered by the National Council for Therapeutic Recreation Certification.
• BLS Required.