Activity Therapist Assistant

Please note: This position requires weekend availability.

Wages: Starting at $16/hr

Ready to make a real impact — and be part of something extraordinary? At Corterra of Wichita, we’re not just offering a job — we’re offering a chance to change lives every time you walk through our doors. Join a team where your voice matters, your skills are valued, and your compassion makes a difference. If you thrive in a fast-paced environ

Job Summary
The Activity Therapist Assistant supports the emotional, cognitive, and social wellbeing of patients. Under direct supervision of the Activity Therapist, this role helps implement therapeutic group and individual activities that are trauma-informed, age-appropriate, and aligned with the patients’ treatment goals. The Assistant helps implement activity therapy sessions to meet patients’ cognitive and emotional needs. This role focuses on assisting with individual and group sessions, providing appropriate therapeutic interventions, and ensuring safety and engagement. The Activity Therapist Assistant plays a key support role within the multidisciplinary team and contribute to the therapeutic environment of the Hospital.

Qualifications:

• Associate’s degree or completion of coursework in recreational therapy, psychology, behavioral health, or related field preferred.
• Prior experience in a similar position and/or industry is preferred, but not required.
• Maintains effectiveness and certification in required patient management protocols
• Current certification in CPR or BLS (or willingness to obtain upon hire).
• Participation in continuing education, in-service meetings, and training as required by Corterra.
• Is knowledgeable of hospital and departmental policies and procedures, objectives, quality improvement program, safety, environmental, and infection control standards
• Develops basic knowledge of Hospital staff and organizational structure

Essential Functions and Responsibilities:

• Basic understanding of mental health diagnoses and how comorbidities of cognitive decline can impact behaviors.
• Familiarity with therapeutic recreation techniques and how to support emotion and cognitive health in seniors.
• Awareness of trauma-informed care and respectful communication strategies.
• Ability to lead and redirect behaviors for up to 24 seniors in a group setting.
• In a group and one on one setting, demonstrate the ability to actively listen and respond to verbal and nonverbal ques of patients.
• Use calm and de-escalating language when under pressure.
• Document groups and one on one interactions with patients accurately and concisely.
• Demonstrate empathy, patience, and understanding towards patients throughout all interactions with patients.
• Maintain professional boundaries while building meaningful therapeutic rapport with patients demonstrating acute mental health crisis.
• Ability to recognize emotional triggers and self-regulation for yourself effectively.
• Respects patient rights and organizational ethics
• Assist the Activity Therapist in preparing and conducting therapeutic activities and therapeutic interventions.
• Monitor patient participation and behavior during sessions; reports observations to their supervisor and document behaviors in charting system.
• Completes progress notes and assessments according to hospital procedures.
• Participates in interdisciplinary meetings as directed by supervisor.
• Communicates effectively with other professional and support staff to achieve positive patient outcomes
• Practices hospital and departmental policies and procedures, objectives, quality improvement program, safety, environmental, and infection control standards
• Conducts group therapy sessions, displaying good theoretical knowledge of group therapy principles and group therapy techniques
• May assist in discharge planning as directed by supervisor. Works in close conjunction with patient family, nursing staff, social worker(s), and attending physician.
• Displays thorough knowledge of available community therapeutic resources
• As directed, conducts group therapy sessions, displaying good theoretical knowledge of group therapy principles/psychopathology and effective group therapy techniques
• As directed, conducts activity therapy sessions, displaying good theoretical knowledge of activity therapy principles/psychopathology and effective group therapy techniques
• As directed, conducts educational group sessions, displaying good theoretical knowledge of subject matter and effective communication skills in presenting material
• Provides resources and support to patients before, during, and after treatment of patients
• Actively involved in measuring patient performance; communicates results and trends to supervisor
• Provides feedback to supervisor on ongoing basis regarding concerns, improvements, changes, etc.
• Identifies areas needing improvement and utilizes the facility performance improvement process. Actively participates in department processes as requested
• Maintains professional interactions with peers, management, and staff through effective written and verbal communications
• Assists with ambulating and lifting patients as needed
• Completes and maintains crisis prevention training
• Redirects and provides interventions to patients in need in both groups and one on one settings.
• Provides purposeful and therapeutic groups and one on ones to meet patient needs.
• Ensure the safety of patients while using therapeutic tools and location of tools in groups or one on ones.
• Adheres to structured group schedule provided by supervisor to meet patients’ treatment needs.
• Respects and provides a variety of resources to meet varying cultural, spiritual and, personal differences.
• Other duties as required and assigned

License/Certification

• CPR certification OR
• American Heart Association issued BLS
• Crisis prevention certification (Provided by Corterra)