Recreational Therapist

About This Role

This role involves developing, organizing, and administering Recreation Therapy programs to provide therapeutic treatment to patients across various medical and psychiatric settings. The Recreational Therapist will work with patients in both inpatient and outpatient settings, including general medical and surgical, chemical dependency, acute psychiatry, day treatment, and spinal cord injury units.

Responsibilities

• Evaluate patients, establish goals based on evaluation findings, and develop treatment interventions
• Implement and modify treatment plans and goals as necessary throughout the course of treatment to ensure optimum outcomes
• Use Recreation Therapy expertise for direct service delivery to patients
• Act as a subject matter expert to staff, students, and other healthcare professionals
• Serve as Recreation Therapy representative on interdisciplinary teams as assigned or needed
• Educate patients, their families, and caregivers regarding treatment interventions and goals, in addition to any considerations involving adaptation to better ensure optimal treatment outcomes
• Complete administrative duties as assigned (work orders, information processing, program development) for the PM&R Service or Medical Center
• Professionally represent the Service and/or administration on behalf of the Medical Center during off-station events, committee meetings, and contacts with outside agencies
• Attend staff meetings as directed
• Maintain timely and appropriate documentation of all consults, initial evaluations, progress notes, discharge notes, patient/family education, workload statistics, QA monitors, patient attendance records, and other clinical activities
• Follow appropriate billing and coding practices
• Input scheduling data into computer systems or through approved charting methods and update daily to reflect status of patients, in concert and accordance with Medical Center policies on scheduling, consult management, and electronic wait list entry
• Complete all employee/patient incident documentation in a timely manner as required by hospital or Service policy
• Perform other duties as assigned

Requirements

• United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy
• English Language Proficiency: Must be proficient in spoken and written English as required by 38 U.S.C. 7403(F)
• Education: The individual must meet at least one of the requirements below:
  • A bachelor's degree or higher from an accredited college or university, with a major in therapeutic recreation or recreation/leisure, with an option and/or emphasis in therapeutic recreation. The degree must be approved by the National Council for Therapeutic Recreation Certification (NCTRC).
  • OR
  • A bachelor's degree or higher in any field from an accredited college or university and must be a certified therapeutic recreation specialist (CTRS). The degree must be approved by the NCTRC. If hired under this education, the certification cannot be waived.
• Certification: Must be certified in recreation therapy as a CTRS by the NCTRC
• May qualify based on being covered by the Grandfathering Provision as described in the VA Qualification Standard for this occupation (only applicable to current VHA employees who are in this occupation and meet the criteria)
• GS-11 Recreation Therapist (Full Performance Level) Experience: At least one year of creditable experience at the next lower grade level (GS-9)
• Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
  • Ability to adapt assessment tools and treatment interventions to address the complexity of the diagnosis or disabilities and demonstrate the clinical reasoning necessary to identify the need for further in-depth specific assessment of function and utilization of unconventional methods and techniques
  • Knowledge to independently interpret provider referrals and consults, and apply all health and safety regulations to minimize and mitigate risks in the provision of patient care and the environment of care
  • Skill in effectively communicating and educating, in a clear and concise manner, with patients, families, caregivers, and other health care professionals to facilitate the interdisciplinary treatment process
  • Skill in independently utilizing appropriate screening and evaluation techniques required to appropriately provide direct patient care in areas such as, but not limited to, recommendations for recreation therapy assistive devices, including fit and function
  • Skill in independently applying evidence-based and best practice therapeutic techniques and interventions
  • Knowledge of the principles and techniques in recreation therapy assessment and the treatment of recreation, leisure, and biopsychosocial functional deficits

Important Details

• Schedule: Monday-Friday 8:00am to 4:30pm (Some weekends may be required)

About the Company

This role is for the VA, a government agency providing healthcare services to veterans.