Director of Recreational Therapy

Position will Close: 02/01/2026

Position Summary:

The Director of Therapeutic Recreation is responsible for strategic direction, leadership and oversight responsibilities, including the planning, organization, direction, supervision and evaluation of all Therapeutic Recreation services provided by Craig Hospital.  This position is responsible for promoting clinical innovation and high standards of performance in the areas of patient care, ethics and professional behavior. The Director fosters a positive, collaborative environment that supports staff development, continuous learning, and teamwork. Ensures department compliance with federal, state, and local regulations and maintains compliance with Joint Commission.  The role also includes responsibility for developing and executing long-term strategic initiatives to advance Therapeutic Recreation.

Position Requirements:

• Licensure/Certification/Registrations: Current BLS for Health Care Provider certification from the American Heart Association is required. Certified by the National Council for Therapeutic Recreation Certification (NCTRC) as a Therapeutic Recreation Specialist (CTRS) or eligible, preferred upon hire. Must have a current, valid Colorado driver's license in good standing and insurable.
• Education: Bachelors of Science in Therapeutic Recreation is required.
• Experience: Minimum of 3 years of supervisory experience in a Therapeutic Recreation department required. 3–5 years of work experience working with spinal cord, brain injured patients and/or veterans preferred.
• Skills & Abilities: Excellent organization and customer service skills. Ability to successfully handle multiple priorities and prioritize and schedule accordingly. Advanced supervisory, team-building, conflict resolution, and communication skills, both verbal and written, are required. Work collaboratively with other departments and physicians. Ability to develop institutional educational and research policies and programs, quality improvement programs, and operational policies and procedures. Ability to use professional judgment to identify areas for improvement and participate in development of quality initiatives. Skilled in the ability to conceptualize and pragmatically apply rehabilitation treatment plans, in coordination with multidisciplinary team members. Ability to determine the time, place, and sequence of operations or action to be taken on the basis of analysis of data; executing determinations and/or reporting on events. Skilled in dealing with individuals in terms of their total personality in order to advise, counsel, and/or guide them with regard to problems that may be resolved by clinical or other professional principles. Strong computer skills, including Microsoft Office.

Essential Functions:

• Provide strategic leadership in setting the direction, priorities, and goals for the Therapeutic Recreation, ensuring alignment with the hospital’s strategic initiatives, mission, vision and values. 

• Foster a culture of excellence, innovation, and continuous improvement in patient care. 

• Provide direction and supervision of department personnel, demonstrate professional judgment, use problem-solving techniques and delegate appropriately. Collaborate with the team to assess and allocate staff resources on a daily basis, based on patient needs.
• Provide leadership in the development of performance standards for all departmental personnel. Evaluate and counsel all employees on their performance in a professional and timely manner. Plan and develop educational in-services for the department as appropriate. 
• Responsible for the implementation and coordination of department procedures based on the policies and procedures of the department. Review and analyze reports, records, and directives and confer with coworkers to obtain data required for planning department activities.
• Prepare an annual budget and monitor it concurrently. Monitor and analyze costs associated with supplies, staffing, etc.

• Provide a staffing matrix that effectively provides adequate coverage for all patient programs. Make changes to staffing levels based upon caseloads and acuity. Analyze employee workload and adjust as necessary.

• Develop and manage proficiency of annual staff competency expectations. Actively work to maintain staff competency.

• Provide staff education, coordinates orientation training for new staff, interns and students. Responsible for oversight of volunteer programs within the departments.

• Participate in the development and implementation of clinically based goals and objectives. Serve as a change facilitator, assisting others to understand the importance, necessity and impact of change.
• Consistently demonstrate knowledge of and application of quality indicators, and proactively monitor and implement systems to achieve and/or surpass hospital and community benchmarks. Coordinate and/or develop ongoing QA activities for T-Rec.
• Support and promote the hospital standards for superior customer service by exhibiting positive, courteous, and helpful behavior when dealing with all internal and external customers.
• Work in collaboration with physicians, department directors and employees to support Craig Hospital's Mission, Vision, Values and Leadership Covenants.
• Administer, manage and ensure effective coordination of Therapeutic Recreation through interdepartmental collaboration and direct supervision of employees.
• Develop and sustain therapeutic recreation programs appropriate to the needs of patients and their families that include, but are not limited to, social activities, indoor/outdoor events, activities away from the facility, spiritual activities, and creative activities. Provide direction for new program development, new treatment techniques and equipment.
• Create an environment that supports the delivery of quality care to patients and military clients.
• Collaborate with the nursing and therapy directors to assess and allocate staff resources based on patient needs and assist in hospital program direction and long-range planning with other department directors.
• May be required to perform the essential functions of a T-Rec Specialist as patient load dictates.
• Work closely with the Craig Hospital Foundation.

** This job description is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties. Employee may perform other related duties as assigned.

Craig Hospital Benefits:

Benefit Eligible Positions:

At Craig Hospital, we offer a wide range of outstanding benefits that allow our employees to tailor a benefits package that meets their individual needs. Planning a family or looking forward to retirement, we have options.   Our medical insurance is a self-funded plan administered by Allegiance Benefit Plans with a CIGNA network of providers offering two different comprehensive plans. We offer dental insurance through Delta Dental, and Vision insurance through EyeMed. Craig offers Health Care and Dependent Care Spending Accounts. Craig also provides and pays for both Short Term and Long-Term Disability Insurance plans for every benefit-eligible employee. We offer generous time off benefits to allow you to enjoy your time away from work too! Additionally, we have a 403b Retirement Plan with a generous matching contribution through Empower Retirement that you are eligible for upon hire.  Do you want to go back to school?  We have Tuition Assistance. Unexpected emergency?  We have Employee Assistance Programs. For Craig, we believe in offering best-in-class benefits, and we prioritize benefits to support you.

Additional Director Level Benefits will also be discussed with viable candidates. 

Pay Range: $51.96/ Hour - $74.83/ Hour 

                         $108,076.80/ Year - $155,646.40/ Year

Salary : $52 - $75