ASSISTANT CHIEF RECREATION THERAPIST DEFINITION:
Assists the Chief Recreation Therapist in planning, organizing, developing, directing, and supervising the therapeutic recreation program; does related work as required.
DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS
The work of an Assistant Chief Recreation Therapist is typically characterized by the following supervisory responsibilities.
Assisting in assigning, directing, and reviewing the work of subordinate employees.
Evaluating employee's work performance.
Assisting in solving problems related to the work and/or workers supervised.
Recommending material, equipment, and facilities needed.
Assisting in planning work schedules and sequence of operations on a weekly, project, or longer basis to assure an even flow and distribution of work, the expeditious handling of priority cases, and the meeting of schedules, and deadlines.
Assisting in revising work schedule to meet changes in workload considering factors such as priorities, peak loads, availability of manpower, time requirements, difficulty of assignments, and capabilities of employees.
Assisting in coordinating activities of the unit with representatives of other units regarding matters of priorities, procedures, and treatment plans.
Making recommendations concerning the maintenance and replacement of equipment and the maintenance and safety of facilities.
Assisting in preparing reports on highlights of operations and problems to higher level supervisor.
Assigning tasks as necessary to provide new employees with the experience and training required to perform the work.
Explaining work requirements, methods, and procedures as needed, giving special instructions on difficult or different operations and answering questions about the work.
Reviewing work in progress or upon completion or spot-check work as deemed appropriate in order to assess and evaluate the quality and quantity of work produced by each employee.
Informing employees about the policies, procedures, and practices of management as they relate to the work of the unit.
Interviewing candidates for positions in the unit.
Making recommendations to superiors concerning appointments, promotions, reassignments, transfers, disciplinary actions or other personnel transactions.
Hearing and resolving complaints from employees, referring group grievances, and the more serious complaints not resolved to higher level supervisors.
Assisting in identifying developmental and training needs of employees, and making provisions for such development and training.
EXAMPLES OF WORK:
Assists the Chief Recreation Therapist in planning, organizing, developing, and directing the therapeutic recreation program.
Assists in supervising the scheduling of appointments for patients.
Attends evaluative clinics.
Under direction of a physician assists in supervising the therapeutic recreation therapy work performed by the entire staff.
Assists in establishing and insuring that plans for the in-service training of staff members are carried out.
Maintains a liaison with professional and lay groups.
Assists in supervising the work involved in planning individual programs of therapeutic recreation as prescribed by a physician.
Under direction of a physician, performs the most responsible work involved in therapeutic recreation.
Answers the most difficult inquiries relevant to recreation therapy.
Gives suitable assignments and instructions to subordinate employees.
Prepares and directs the preparation of reports containing therapeutic recreation progress notes. Assists in the preparation of the therapeutic recreation budget.
Confers with members of the medical staff and nurses concerning specific patients and their adaption and reaction to the therapeutic recreation programs.
Assists in directing the establishment and maintenance of records and files.
In the absence of the Chief Recreation Therapist, assumes all of his/her duties, responsibilities, and authority.
Observes patients/residents in programs in order to maintain records of their behavior and evaluates and determines long and short term goals and develops plans for them.
Records progress notes of participants in various activities.
Prepares written and oral information describing patients/residents symptoms indicative of progress or regression for review with the treatment team.
May be required to learn to utilize various types of electronic and/or manual recording and information systems used by the agency, office, or related units.
REQUIREMENTS:NOTE: Applicants must meet one of the following or a combination of both experience and education. Thirty (30) semester hour credits are equal to one (1) year of relevant experience.
Eight (8) years of professional experience in planning and conducting therapeutic recreation activities in a clinical, health care, residential, or community-based therapeutic recreation program.
OR
Possession of a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university; and four (4) years of the above-mentioned professional experience.
OR
Possession of a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university in therapeutic recreation or in recreation with a therapeutic concentration; and three (3) years of the above-mentioned professional experience.
NOTE:Therapeutic concentration in recreation is defined as including all of the following:
1. A minimum of three courses exclusively dealing with therapeutic recreation content. 2. Completion of six months of field placement experience in a clinical, residential, or community based therapeutic recreation program. 3. Completion of supportive course work which includes a minimum of 18 semester hour credits from four of the six areas listed below: Psychology Sociology Physical/Biological Sciences Special Education Human Services Adapted Physical Education
OR
Possession a master's degree from an accredited college or university in recreation therapy; and three (3) years of the above-mentioned professional experience.
OR
Possession of a valid certificate as a Therapeutic Recreation Specialist issued by the National Council for Therapeutic Recreation Certification; and three (3) years of the above-mentioned professional experience.
NOTE:"Professional experience" refers to work that is creative, analytical, evaluative, and interpretive; requires a range and depth of specialized knowledge of the profession's principles, concepts, theories, and practices; and is performed with the authority to act according to one's own judgment and make accurate and informed decisions.
LICENSE:
Appointees will be required to possess a driver's license valid in New Jersey only if the operation of vehicle, rather than employee mobility, is necessary to perform the essential duties of the position.
KNOWLEDGE AND ABILITIES:
Knowledge of and familiarity with approved therapeutic recreation principles, procedures, and techniques.
Knowledge of the activities which make up a therapeutic recreation program.
Knowledge of illnesses and disabilities and their implications for therapeutic recreation programming for individuals with various disabilities and illnesses.
Knowledge of activity modification techniques used to adapt the practices and procedures of the therapeutic recreation field to the specific needs of individuals and groups with various disabilities.
Knowledge of procedures used in formulating individual and group diagnostic assessments, prescriptions, and treatment plans for special populations, and in recording and reporting client treatment and rehabilitation information, both in single therapy treatment and multi-disciplinary treatment settings.
Knowledge of adapting standard practices and procedures of therapeutic recreation to the physical, psychological, psychosocial, and emotional needs and limitations of individual patients and groups of patients, and to the treatment objectives prescribed by medical teams.
Ability to plan and carry out under medical supervision, individual programs of therapeutic recreation for patients.
Ability to comprehend such subjects as psychology, anatomy, and physiology, and to develop appropriate skills in various modalities.
Ability to relate subject matter and skills to therapeutic needs of individuals.
Ability to plan, develop, organize, and direct therapeutic recreation programs and to give suitable assignments and instructions to assigned employees and to supervise the performance of their work.
Ability to achieve and maintain a rapport with people with all types of disabilities.
Ability to exercise necessary modality skills when required in demonstrating and instructing.
Ability to maintain harmonious working relationships with professional and sub-professional personnel.
Ability to prepare written and oral reports containing therapeutic recreation progress notes.
Ability to establish and maintain records and files.
Ability to identify the physical, psychological, and emotional problems, limitations, and needs of disabled individuals in terms of possible rehabilitation through recreation therapy.
Ability to plan, organize, and implement a variety of therapeutic recreation activities for individual patients or groups of patients within the framework of a medical team approach to patient care, physiotherapy, and psychotherapy treatment, and rehabilitation.
Ability to communicate effectively with and motivate people of widely varying backgrounds, interests, and abilities.
Ability to evaluate the degree to which specific therapeutic activities and overall therapeutic services are meeting rehabilitation goals and objectives.
Ability to innovate in providing the widest possible range of therapeutic activities within the therapeutic recreation field and which take fully into account the physical, mental, psychosocial, and emotional limitations and needs of the patients served.
Ability to learn to utilize various types of electronic and/or manual recording and information systems used by the agency, office, or related units.
Ability to read, write, speak, understand, or communicate in English sufficiently to perform the duties of this position. American Sign Language or Braille may also be considered as acceptable forms of communication.
Persons with mental or physical disabilities are eligible as long as they can perform the essential functions of the job after reasonable accommodation is made to their known limitations. If the accommodation cannot be made because it would cause the employer undue hardship, such persons may not be eligible.
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