Therapeutic Recreation Aide - G5 - Therapeutics - Part time

Major Duties and Responsibilities

This position supports individuals with disabilities in therapeutic recreation programs.

• Plans, organizes, and oversees therapeutic programs.
• Provides general assistance to program participants who may have emotional, intellectual, cognitive, behavioral, and developmental disabilities.
• Assists in providing on-site supervision to program participants to include monitoring behavior, conflict resolution, and de-escalation of incidents.
• Implements physical, cognitive, and social programs for participants.
• Assists with conducting group activities to include recreational sports.
• Assists in preparing therapeutic centers for use including ensuring the appropriate equipment and supplies are available for classes and events.
• Occasionally attends overnight trips to include the Special Olympics.
• Transports participants to and from program sites in a passenger van.
• Performs other related duties as assigned.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Knowledge of the principles and practices of therapeutic recreational programming.
• Knowledge of creating and implementing therapeutic activities.
• Skill in recreational sports. Skill in conflict resolution.
• Skill in operating standard office equipment including work related computer applications.
• Skill in oral and written communication.

Minimum Educational and Training Requirements

Knowledge and level of competency commonly associated with the completion of specialized training in the occupational field, in addition to basic skills typically associated with a high school education. Sufficient experience to understand the basic principles relevant to the major duties of the position, usually associated with the completion of an apprenticeship/internship or having had a similar position for one to two years. Possession of or ability to readily obtain a valid driver's license issued by the State of Georgia for the type of vehicle or equipment operated.

Physical Requirements

The work is typically performed while intermittently sitting, standing, stooping, walking, bending, or crouching. The employee frequently lifts light and occasionally heavy objects, climbs ladders, uses tools or equipment requiring a high degree of dexterity, and must be able to distinguish between shades of color. Additionally, the following physical abilities are required:

• Balancing – maintain equilibrium to prevent falling while walking, standing, or crouching.
• Climbing – ascending, descending ladders, stairs, ramps, requires body agility.
• Crawling – moving about on hands, knees, or hands, feet.
• Crouching – bending body forward by bending leg, spine.
• Feeling – perceiving attributes of objects by touch with skin, fingertips.
• Grasping – applying pressure to object with fingers, palm.
• Handling – picking, holding, or working with whole hand.
• Hearing 1 – perceiving sounds at normal speaking levels, receive information.
• Hearing 2 – receive detailed information, make discrimination in sound.
• Kneeling – bending legs at knee to come to rest at knees.
• Lifting – raising objects from lower to higher position, moving objects side to side, using upper extremities, back.
• Manual Dexterity – picking, pinching, typing, working with fingers rather than hand.
• Mental Acuity – ability to make rational decisions through sound logic, deductive reasoning.
• Pulling - use upper extremities to exert force, haul or tug.
• Pushing – use upper extremities to press against objects with force, or thrust forward, downward, outward.
• Reaching – extending hands or arms in any direction.
• Repetitive Motion – substantial movements of wrists, hands, fingers.
• Speaking – expressing ideas with spoken word, convey detailed, important instructions accurately, concisely.
• Stooping – bending body downward, forward at waist, with full motion of lower extremities and back.
• Talking 1- expressing ideas by spoken word.
• Talking 2 – shouting to be heard above ambient noise.
• Visual Acuity 1 - prepare, analyze data, transcribing, computer terminal, extensive reading.
• Visual Acuity 2 - color, depth perception, field of vision.
• Visual Acuity 3 - determine accuracy, neatness, observe facilities/structures.
• Visual Acuity 4 - operate motor vehicles/heavy equipment.
• Visual Acuity 5 - close acuity for inspection of small defects, machines, use measurement devices, or fabricate parts.
• Walking - on foot to accomplish tasks, long distances, or site to site.

The work is typically performed at therapeutic recreation centers, community facilities, outdoor recreation sites, and in passenger vans while transporting participants, with occasional overnight travel for events.