Recreational Therapist (CTRS) – Community Based
Full Time: $36,000 – $40,000

Job Summary:

Under supervision of the Program Manager, the CTRS facilitates group therapy sessions to community members within Wayne County, youth and adults, to promote mental health and decrease feelings of stress, anxiety, and depression.

 Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Works with Program Manager and other Recreational Therapists to determine community mental health needs within schools in Wayne County.
• Conducts the assessment process, develops individualized plan of care, implements program services, documents client progress and any client incident, and conducts program evaluation services.
• Designs and utilizes a wide range of activity-based interventions, exercises, and techniques to improve the assessed physical, cognitive, emotional, social, and leisure needs of clients.
• Assists community members to develop skills, knowledge, and behaviors to promote their mental health and leisure engagement.
• Educates the client in healthy coping skills and available leisure resources to continue the client in post-program leisure planning and involvement.
• Prioritize client needs and strengths to create interventions based on assessment data.
• Communicates with interdisciplinary teams within school-based settings on client updates and behaviors.
• Responsible for generating mental health education materials including reports, bulletins, and visual aids such as infographics, posters, and social media posts.
• May present at various assemblies, conferences, or schools to educate clients, families, and community members on mental health resources and techniques.
• Conduct mental health education with youth and their families.
• Educate internal/external stakeholders about the scope of RT/TR practices.
• Maintain credentialing requirements and attend trainings.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

Knowledge of:

The APIED process of Recreational Therapy: Assessment, planning, implementation, evaluation, and documentation. Understands trends and evidence-based practices in Recreational Therapy.

Skill in:

• Ability to facilitate individual and group sessions of small or large groups
• Designing and facilitating therapeutic group session and interventions tailored to assessed needs
• Compassionate and empathetic therapist
• Conflict resolution, de-escalation, and stress management skills
• Practices effective communication in all interactions
• Promotes a positive work environment by demonstrating teamwork

Ability to:

• Work independently and within a team setting
• Build rapport with various organizational staff including counselors, social workers, teachers, and other community members
• Build rapport and therapeutic relationships with clients
• Develop professional relationships within team and maintain professional competency
• Organize and prioritize multiple tasks and meet deadlines
• Communicate effectively, both orally and in writing
• Speak and write in English. Ability to interpret and speak in Arabic or Spanish is encouraged
• Maintain confidentiality of agency and client information
• Culturally sensitive and competent to the community being served
• Reliable transportation to travel to school sites within Wayne County

Education/Previous Experience Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree or higher from an accredited college or university with a major in Therapeutic Recreation/Recreational Therapy or a major in Recreation or Leisure with an option in Therapeutic Recreation
• Minimum of two years of experience working with youth and adolescents
• Minimum of year of facilitating or presenting to diverse populations
• Minimum of year of experience working within mental and behavioral health populations
• Bilingual skills highly desirable

License/Certifications

• Required- Successful completion of the National Council for Therapeutic Recreation (NCTRC) exam and holding of Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist (CTRS) Certification
• Recommended- First Aide, CPR, & AED Certified