Activity Therapist - Outpatient

Advocate Health • Milwaukee, WI

18d • $27 - $40

About The Position

The Activity Therapist facilitates activity-based therapeutic groups within outpatient behavioral health programs serving children, adolescents, and adults. This part-time role is scheduled Monday through Thursday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM, with a 30-minute unpaid meal break each day, for 24 hours per week. The therapist develops, plans, implements, and evaluates recreational and experiential therapy programming in response to patient assessments and treatment goals, and individualizes programming for assigned patients across the continuum of care.

The position works with an interdisciplinary team to contribute a psychosocial activity perspective to treatment planning, support patient care, and educate colleagues about recreational therapy as needed. The therapist documents care, evaluates and improves programming, monitors patient behavior, uses de-escalation techniques, and maintains therapy equipment and supplies. The role requires working within hospital, Wisconsin state, and Joint Commission standards, and providing age-appropriate care based on patients’ developmental needs.

The role requires a bachelor’s degree in Recreational Therapy and typically one year of experience in the assigned specialty area in a behavioral health setting; clinical field work experience may substitute for that experience. A full-time clinical field work experience must have been completed or be in progress. No license, registration, or certification is required. The work involves frequent physical activity, lifting and carrying, possible patient restraint, operation of necessary equipment, and potential exposure to workplace hazards and bodily fluids.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Recreational Therapy.
• Typically, one year of experience in the assigned specialty area in a behavioral health setting; clinical field work experience may be substituted.
• Must have completed or be in the process of completing a clinical field work experience on a full-time basis.
• Good verbal and written communication skills.
• Good interpersonal skills and the ability to function in a multidisciplinary team.
• Ability to perform frequent sitting, standing, walking, lifting, squatting, bending, twisting, and reaching above the shoulders.
• Ability to lift up to 50 pounds from floor to waist and up to 20 pounds overhead, carry up to 40 pounds a reasonable distance, and push or pull with 30 pounds of force.
• Ability to perform a sliding transfer of 150 pounds with a second person present.
• Physical ability to restrain and control patients who are outwardly psychotic or physically combative.
• Functional use of senses to allow effective communication.
• Ability to operate all equipment necessary to perform the job and wear personal protective equipment as necessary.

Responsibilities

• Develop, plan, implement, and evaluate recreational and experiential therapy programming to help patients reach treatment goals, based on patient assessments.
• Individualize treatment programming for assigned patients and facilitate therapeutic activities using a variety of modalities across the continuum of care.
• Provide leadership and role modeling, incorporating group dynamics into the therapeutic process.
• Complete documentation in a timely and appropriate manner.
• Contribute to treatment plan formulation by assessing patients’ needs from a psychosocial activity perspective as part of the interdisciplinary team.
• Educate other disciplines about recreational therapy theory and philosophy as needed.
• Evaluate programming on an ongoing basis and develop improvement plans as needed.
• Monitor patient behavior and intervene safely and appropriately, using de-escalation techniques.
• Maintain recreational therapy equipment and supplies.
• Work within Hospital, State of Wisconsin, and Joint Commission standards of practice.
• Develop supportive, collaborative relationships with all disciplines to promote a positive, team-oriented approach to patient care.
• Provide care appropriate to the age and developmental needs of patients, in accordance with departmental policies and procedures.

Benefits

• Paid Time Off programs
• Medical, dental, vision, life, and short- and long-term disability benefits
• Flexible Spending Accounts for eligible health care and dependent care expenses
• Adoption assistance and paid parental leave
• Defined contribution retirement plans with employer match and other financial wellness programs
• Educational Assistance Program
• Competitive compensation, premium pay for select circumstances, incentive pay for select positions, and opportunity for annual performance-based increases

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Part-time
• Career Level: Entry Level