Recreation Therapist

Job DetailsJob LocationLake Academy - Tampa, FLThe following is a composite representation of the actual positions which make up this classification. It is not intended to cover all possible job requirements or job factors which, if applicable, are included by reference. Lines of supervision and reporting are as shown on an organizational chart. TrueCore has zero tolerance for abuse.A. Position Definition & Summary:Under direction of a supervisor provides coordination and implementation of a recreational therapy program, which includes on-site and off-site therapeutic and recreational activities for the youth in the facility. Based on individualized recreational therapy assessments, works with youth to restore motor, social and cognitive functioning, build confidence, develop coping skills and integrate skills learned in treatment settings into community settings. Recreational therapy modalities shall be used such as creative arts, sports, adventure programming, dance/movement and leisure education. Structured recreational therapy shall be provided during non-traditional hours, including weekends, to promote pro-social activities. B. Position Expectations and Essential Functions:Participates in implementing applicable youth performance and treatment planning by: (a) assessing the youths overall physical health and wellness; (b) completing a Wellness Plan with input from the youth; (c) reviewing Wellness Plan with youths therapist to integrate into clinical treatment plan; (d) works collaboratively with therapist to update and revise wellness plan as needed (e) attends Clinical Supervision weekly in order to provide feedback regarding the youths progress on wellness goals and overall physical health and wellness; (f) provides input in transition staffing to clinical and case management staff on the youths development in physical health and wellness; (g) utilizes information obtained in the transition staffing to develop an individualized calendar of individual, peer, and family recreational activities that the youth can participate in upon return to his/her community; (h) provides input in exit staffing by reviewing an initial schedule of recreational activities in which the youth can engage in with his/her community; (i) participates in the discharge process by presenting the youth with the completed community recreation calendar, reviewing the calendar the youth and family prior to the discharge, and providing the youth and his/her family with information on potentially beneficial community resources; Utilizes the results of the RPACT to assist in the development of the youths wellness plan; Assists youth during their orientation to the program to learn to Positive Performance System and the rules and expectations of the program; Organizes the daily recreational activities to provide healthy methods of engaging in physical fitness individually as well as with peers; Maintains all trackers, daily activity sheets, attendance/sign-in sheets, logs, materials, etc. for activities and services provided; Plans, develops, and promotes facility wide program of physical fitness and recreational activities to be implemented by staff when Recreational Therapist is off-site; Coordinates the recreational activities the youth engage in daily, but does not participate in the activities with the youth; Plans, develops and promotes program designed to promote cultural diversity awareness activities; Creates monthly calendar of program incentives with input from administration, staff, and youth; Develops a budget with Facility Administrator and Director of Clinical Services to ensure that the supplies necessary to implement the monthly calendar of incentives and canteen are available to staff conducting the incentives and distributing the canteen allotments; Obtains and maintains supplies and items specified for the monthly calendar of incentives and canteen; Posts the monthly calendar of program incentives as in an area accessible to youth, families, and staff; Oversees and conducts the daily, weekly, and monthly incentives; Assists in implementation of the PPS by collecting and reviewing the daily points earned by youth; Tracks program levels of youth as well as those earning daily, weekly, and monthly incentives and posts the tracker in a prominent location accessible to youth and staff; Participates in maintaining the therapeutic milieu on the unit through modeling, teaching, and enforcing the positive performance system; Contributes in creating and maintains a safe, orderly, and therapeutic physical environment for youth; Participates in developing professional knowledge and skills; Contributes to the planning and implementation of quarterly Family Day programs; Implements off-site activities for assigned program; Supports the facilitys favorable public image; Complies with applicable standards of conduct and regulations governing delivery of services; Maintains attendance and punctuality; Effectively implements and consistently applies the Programs Performance System (PPS)/Behavior Management System (BMS). Provides oversight to the PPS/BMS system to ensure it is properly implemented by program staff. Monitors and provides feedback to ensure that the rewards and consequences are distributed in a fair and consistent manner. Detect, respond and report abuse of youth. Performs other duties as assigned by supervisor.C. Position Requirements:Education:Must have a Bachelors degree in Recreational Therapy or related field (such as Recreation, Leisure Studies, Physical Education). Bachelors degree in related field must include an internship or practicum experience; Certification as a Recreational Therapist is preferred; A minimum of one (1) year of related experience working with youth is required.Other Requirements:Must be 21 years of age or older; Appointees will be required to possess a driver''s license valid in the state where the work site is located only if the operation of a vehicle, rather than employee mobility, is necessary to perform the essential duties of the position.D. Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:Ability to organize, develop, and coordinate a recreation program; Ability to demonstrate, lead, and participate in several broad types of recreational activities; Ability to promote and organize recreation programs; Ability to give individualized instructions to participants; Ability to enforce safety precautions and give first aid; Ability to establish and maintain good working relationships with participants, associates and the public; 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; Ability to work with a variety of behaviors; Ability to tolerate verbal and mental abuse while maintaining a professional demeanor; Ability to perform appropriate crisis intervention involving student behavior, including physically breaking up fights in the classroom; Ability to complete pre-service and annual in-service CPR and first aid certification training and self-defense and physical intervention training; Ability to pass drug and TB screening and testing; Ability to work under pressure; meet inflexible deadlines; set priorities; deal diplomatically with difficult individuals; and supervise others; ability to manage multiple programs; lead management teams and work independently. Adherence to the highest ethical standards essential.E. Equipment Utilized Ability to learn to utilize various types of electronic and/or manual recording and information systems used by the agency, office, or related units.F. Physical Requirements & Work Environment:Talking: Ability to express and exchange ideas via spoken word during activities in which they must convey details or important spoken instructions to others accurately, sometimes quickly and loudly. Hearing and Vision: Ability to perceive the nature of sounds with no less than 40 dB loss at Hz, 1000 Hz and 2000 Hz with or without correction. Ability to receive detailed information through oral communication. Work requires a minimum standard of visual acuity with or without correction that will enable employees to complete clerical tasks, and observe youth. Dexterity: Ability to stoop, kneel, crouch, reach, push, pull, lift, grasp, and be able to perceive the attributes of an object such as size, shape, and temperature. Movements frequently and regularly required using wrists, hands and/or fingers. Physical Strength: Ability to exert up to 100 pounds of force occasionally. Position is mostly standing and employee must be able to physically perform escalation matrix as defined in Protective Action Response. This may include, but is not limited to all countermoves and restraint techniques. Employee may be subject to temperature changes, but the employee is not substantially exposed to adverse environmental conditions as the work is predominantly inside. Language: Ability to write complex sentences, using proper punctuation, and ability to communicate in complex sentences using normal word order with present and past tenses. Processing and Reasoning: Ability to exercise self-control in potentially volatile situations such as in verbal and physical confrontations. Must be able to work and concentrate amidst distractions and noise. Ability to assist youth with problem solving and maintaining self-control in volatile situations. The work environment characteristics described are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this position the employee is occasionally exposed to outside weather conditions as they relate to travel. Work environment may involve exposure to noise, dust, fumes, dangerous machinery, chemicals, body fluids, falling objects, and aggressive verbal and physical behavior from students and weather and temperature extremes. 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 company undue hardship, such persons may not be eligible.

Created: 2025-11-15