ACTIVITY THERAPIST - FULL TIME

UHS•Summit, NJ

101d•Onsite

About The Position

Summit Oaks Hospital, a 126-bed private acute care hospital and chemical dependency treatment center, is seeking an energetic and motivated individual with prior experience working with patients with behavioral health or addictions diagnoses for its Therapeutic Activities Therapist position. This role functions as an active part of the treatment team, providing continuous patient care, supervision, interaction, role modeling, and monitoring to patients ranging in age from preschool through geriatrics, depending on the nursing unit assigned. The hospital serves adult, child, and adolescent residents of the northeastern USA and is fully accredited by the Joint Commission. Summit Oaks has been recognized by U.S. News & World Report as one of the nation's best behavioral health hospitals. Universal Health Services (UHS), the parent company, is a Fortune 500 corporation and one of the largest and most respected providers of hospital and healthcare services in the nation.

Requirements

Bachelor’s Degree (Required)
Certification, licensure, and/or Board Certification by state and/or national governing body in Art Therapy (Required)
Licenses Included: CTRS (recreation therapy), ATR (art therapy),MT-BC (music therapy), OT (occupational therapy) and LAC/LPC (counseling)
1-3 years of related work experience (Required)
Knowledge in one or more program disciplines (i.e. art, occupational, recreation, and/or music, expressive, dance therapy).
Knowledge of psychiatric care techniques.
Knowledge of assaultive behavior management techniques.
Knowledge of adolescent and adult program rules and protocols.
Skill in organizing and prioritizing workloads to meet deadlines.
Ability to speak and write fluently in English language.
Visual acuity is needed for accurate reading of patient charts and for demonstrating activities or assisting patients in activities.
Effective oral and written communication skills.
Ability to communicate effectively with patients and co-workers.
Ability to accept direction and adhere to safety policies and procedures.
Ability to recognize the importance of adapting to the various patient age groups (adolescent, adult and geriatric).
Ability to work in a fast-paced environment and tolerate a variety of repetitive tasks.
Ability to react calmly and effectively in emergency situations.
Ability to work in an environment where the noise level is frequently high; where chemicals are frequently used for cleaning; where mechanical and electrical hazards may be occasionally present; and where dust, mist and steam are frequently generated in housekeeping tasks.

Nice To Haves

Thorough knowledge and training in CPR, preferred.

Responsibilities

Planning and implementing activity services for assigned program.
Defining and implementing treatment goals as a member of the interdisciplinary treatment team.
Providing continuous patient care, observation, interaction, and role modeling to patients.
Demonstrating responsibility for observation and application of sound judgment in patients' physical and mental condition/needs.
Observing and documenting changes in patients' appearance, behavior, and ability to work towards treatment plan goals.
Communicating changes in patient's condition to Charge Nurse or Program Coordinator.
Providing assessment in psychosocial/leisure and recreational skills development/deficiency.
Ensuring timely documentation of interventions and ensuring interventions are based on the patient's plan of care.
Applying appropriate crisis intervention techniques, as required.
Assisting patients in achieving their optimum level of independent functioning.
Documenting services rendered in accordance with established criteria.
Maintaining current documentation in weekly progress notes, including the patient's name, date, name of therapeutic group/intervention, and summary of the session.
Effectively planning and implementing therapeutic activity groups for assigned patient caseload within the facility, as well as outside the hospital as required.
Monitoring therapeutic space, supplies and equipment and ensures they are kept in a clean, orderly and safe condition.
Utilizing advanced knowledge of counseling and therapeutic concepts and methods for determining therapeutic services for psychiatric and chemically dependent patients.
Demonstrating knowledge of group dynamics as well as therapy and practice of group processing.
Demonstrating excellent guest relations in communication and cooperation, assisting patients, licensed practitioners, co-workers, and visitors in a prompt and courteous manner.
Acting as a patient advocate and assuring patient rights are upheld.
Reporting therapeutic services charges daily, substantiating any changes in the treatment notes.
Attending program meetings and maintaining related records.
Providing direction, education, and inservice to other unit personnel regarding Therapeutic Activities Department.
Teaching coping skills and stress management techniques to patients.
Providing pertinent feedback to the interdisciplinary treatment team regarding patient response to therapy, treatment interventions, and therapeutic objectives, as appropriate and necessary.
Contributing to treatment plan with specific goals and interventions to be achieved in therapeutic activities.
Maintaining knowledge of the Child Program rules, protocols and handbooks guidelines and maintaining knowledge of children’s stages of development and seeking guidance from the nurse in charge when questions about the norms for behavior related to child development arise.
Demonstrating an awareness of learning disabilities and translating treatment/program expectations to the learning disabled child.
Relating to child patients in an age-appropriate manner.
Utilizing seclusion and restraint procedures with an understanding of the need for modification in regard to smaller body sizes of children, abandonment issues and the history of physical and/or sexual abuse issues.
Recognizing acting out behavior of adolescent specific age group and setting appropriate limits in clear, concise, behavioral and non-judgmental terms based on the age of the patient.
Maintaining current knowledge of the Adult Program rules, protocols and handbook guidelines.
Gathering appropriate information from the patient, family and interdisciplinary team and using therapeutic judgments based on knowledge of gerontological health/behavioral care practices to develop a comprehensive plan of care.
Maintaining a complete knowledge of treatments, medications and side effects of such in the geriatric age group.
Collaborating with other chemical dependency staff professionals in planning for discharge and follow-up care.
Maintaining confidentiality of facility employees and patient information.