STATE OF
HUMAN RESOURCES
CLASSIFICATION: RECREATIONAL THERAPIST I
Class Code: 7580-19
Date Established: 04-05-89
Occupational Code:
7-4-7 Date of Last Revision: 08-20-08
BASIC PURPOSE: To implement and review recreational therapy
activities in order to promote the constructive use of leisure time, physical
well-being and socialization of patients/clients/residents in a state
institution or facility.
CHARACTERISTIC DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
·
Advises staff
of recreational activity needs of patients/clients/residents to meet
recreational therapy program objectives.
·
Explains the
effect of combining recreational therapy programs with other treatment
strategies and activities to recommend appropriate recreational therapy
programs.
·
Updates
patient/client/resident documentation and evaluation reports to ensure resident
records are current.
·
Instructs
recreational therapy groups to meet recreational therapy program objectives.
·
Selects and
stores recreational equipment and ensure that equipment is maintained properly.
·
Participates
in conferences with other professionals to discuss and evaluate resident needs.
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DISTINGUISHING FACTORS:
Skill: Requires minimal skill in performing a series
of routine procedures OR in operating equipment according to standardized
instructions.
Knowledge: Requires logical or scientific understanding
to analyze problems of a specialized or professional nature in a particular
field.
Impact: Requires responsibility for achieving direct
service objectives by assessing agency service needs and making preliminary
recommendations for the development of alternative short-term program policies
or procedures. Errors at this level
result in incomplete assessments or misleading recommendations causing a
disruption of agency programs or policies.
Supervision: Requires partial supervision of other
employees doing work which is related or similar to the supervisor, including
assigning job duties, providing training, giving instructions and checking
work.
Working Conditions: Requires performing regular job functions in
an environment which includes exposure to continuous physical elements or a
number of disagreeable working conditions with frequent exposure to minor
injuries or health hazards.
Physical Demands: Requires medium work, including continuous
strenuous activities such as frequent reaching, bending, or lifting as well as
performing work activities which require fine manual dexterity or coordination
in operating machines or equipment.
Communication: Requires summarizing data, preparing reports,
and making recommendations based on findings which contribute to solving
problems and achieving work objectives.
This level also requires presenting information for use by
administrative-level managers in making decisions.
Complexity: Requires coordinating a combination of
diverse job functions in order to integrate professional and technical agency
goals. This level also requires
considerable judgment to implement a sequence of operations or actions.
Independent Action: Requires a range of choice in applying a
number of technical or administrative policies under general direction and
making routine decisions or in recommending modifications in work procedures
for approval by supervisor.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
Education: Possession of a Bachelor’s degree from
a recognized college or university with major study in recreational dance, art
or music therapy, physical education, or a related area.
Experience:
One Year of experience in therapeutic recreation, teaching, parks and
recreation or related work experience in health and fitness, swimming, dance or
music.
License/Certification: None
License/Certification
for the Division of Children, Youth and Families:
Certification by the
National Therapeutic Recreation Society of New Hampshire Teacher certification
with an endorsement in physical education.
SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS
for New Hampshire Hospital:
Satisfactory
completion of specified written and physical components of the Mental Health
Worker Training Program within first four weeks of employment at New Hampshire
Hospital. Knowledge and experience with
Psychiatric population is considered.
Must possess New Hampshire driver’s license and successful
completion of Defensive Driving Course.
RECOMMENDED WORK TRAITS: Knowledge of recreation and group work
techniques. Knowledge of problems
associated with mental illness or emotional disabilities. Ability to offer alternatives to modify
behavioral patterns through recreational therapy activities. Ability to plan a recreational therapy
program. Ability to communicate effectively.
Ability to secure the cooperation of both professional and non-professional
persons. Ability to understand and
follow instructions. Ability to
establish and maintain effective relationships with other employees and the
patient or resident population. Must be
willing to maintain appearance appropriate to assigned duties and
responsibilities as determined by the agency appointing authority.
DISCLAIMER STATEMENT: This class specification is descriptive of
general duties and is not intended to list every specific function of this
class title.
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