Activities Assistant

Lifepoint Health•Richmond, TX

3d•Onsite

About The Position

Westpark Springs is a mental health and addiction treatment center in Richmond, Texas, providing inpatient and outpatient services for adults, adolescents, and children with psychiatric, substance use, or co-occurring disorders. The Activities Assistant is a member of the interdisciplinary team and provides evidence-based activity services under the supervision of an Activity Therapist or Activity Therapy Coordinator to patients receiving treatment for substance abuse, dual diagnosis, psychiatric disorders, or emotional disorders. The Activities Assistant helps plan and deliver medically approved programming, including holidays and special events, social activities, relaxation techniques, music-based interventions, leisure education, games, and expressive arts. These activities are intended to help patients build interpersonal relationships, increase motivation, socialize effectively, and develop confidence in participating in group activities. Program content is regulated in accordance with each patient’s capabilities, needs, interests, and treatment plan, with guidance and supervision from an Activity Therapist or Activity Therapy Coordinator.

Requirements

High school diploma or GED.
CPR certification and Crisis Prevention Training (CPI) within 30 days.
May be required to work flexible hours, holidays, and overtime.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institute in a recreation-related field.
Previous experience in a psychiatric health care facility, with direct experience working with chemical dependency, dual diagnosis, psychiatric, and geriatric patients.

Responsibilities

Provide activity groups.
Document patients’ responses to groups as pertinent to treatment in daily or weekly progress status, as appropriate.
Provide and document appropriate alternate interventions when patients miss groups.
Conduct groups according to the protocol established by the Activity Therapist, communicating and working with patients to support benefit and resolution.
Maintain communication with the Activity Therapist when a patient is not responding to treatment.
Contribute to the effective functioning of the patient’s program.
Understand age differences and corresponding developmental needs.
Provide activities suited to patient needs and offer varied stimuli in accordance with the treatment plan, with approval from the Activity Therapist or Activity Therapy Lead.
Help maintain a quality program that meets patients’ therapeutic needs.
Provide direction and education to maintain clear communication of expectations.
Provide quality programming that supports patients’ objectives and needs.
Contribute feedback to nursing and program staff for treatment planning and therapeutic interventions under supervision from the Activity Therapist or Activity Therapy Lead.