Activities Therapist

UNC Health Care Systems • Butner, NC

79d • $20 - $28 • Onsite

About The Position

Become part of an inclusive organization with over 40,000 teammates, whose mission is to improve the health and well-being of the unique communities we serve.

Youth Behavioral Health Hospital (YBH) is a 54-bed, 24-hour locked psychiatric facility located in Butner, North Carolina. YBH provides specialized care through four units serving children, adolescents, and young adults ages 10-21 with mental health diagnoses, dual diagnoses, substance misuse, and complex behaviors. The facility's philosophy is grounded in a trauma-informed, milieu-based approach that ensures a safe, therapeutic setting.

YBH serves patients with complex histories, including aggression and psychosis, focusing on safety while promoting positive coping skills, healthy living, and engaging in leisure activities. As part of a large, interdisciplinary team including Psychiatrists, Psychologists, Social Workers, and Nursing Services, the Activities Therapist will play a vital role in the recovery process.

Summary:

The Activities Therapist plans, organizes, develops, and directs quality activities for patients, ensuring that the recreational, physical, intellectual, spiritual, and social needs of each patient are met in accordance with all applicable laws, regulations, and Life Care standards. Activities Therapists work as members of a multidisciplinary treatment team. May organize and conduct music, art, recreation, or other therapy programs, depending on specialty.

Requirements

• Bachelor's Degree in human services field required
• No licensure or certification required.
• No experience is required
• A variety of individual and group facilitation techniques
• Knowledge of one or more therapeutic activity area such as recreation/occupational/music/art therapy; individual and group behavior and effective ways of working with clients; knowledge of the general nature of physical or mental illnesses/disabilities and/or developmental disabilities;
• Ability to apply and adapt skills and knowledge of activity areas to planned sessions of therapeutic activities; Ability to foster interest, initiative, responsibility, and experimentation in clients and discourage inappropriate responses;
• Experience facilitating therapeutic groups.
• Familiarity working with forensic and/or psychiatric consumers preferred.

Nice To Haves

• Demonstrated proficiency in arts/crafts/music is preferred

Responsibilities

• Must perform proficiently in all competency areas including but not limited to: general activities duties,, supervisory responsibilities, care plan and documentation responsibilities, patient rights, and safety and sanitation principles and techniques of therapy as applies in an acute care psychiatric facility
• Must demonstrate understanding of basic medical and psychiatric terminology as well as basic regulations governing the treatment of people in psychiatric health facilities.
• Communicate effectively, both orally and in writing while appropriately and descriptively charting patient progress and behavior. Maintain detailed records of activity programs and participation of individual residents, identifying progress toward established care plan goals.
• Adapt treatment programs by graduating tasks to meet patient's level of function
• Develop, organize, and implement a program of adjunctive therapy activities to meet the social, emotional, physical and other therapeutic needs of patients as identified on the patients' plan of care and within the specified budget.
• Must be able to make regular in-room visits to patients uninterested or unable to participate in group activities
• Must exhibit excellent customer service and a positive attitude towards patients. Coordinate and verify that assistance is provided to residents for activities and events as necessary. Create an ongoing calendar of activities, which creatively meets multiple needs and is accessible and appealing to both men and women of all ages and abilities.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Industry: Hospitals