Recreation Therapist/Recreation Specialist

Andrus Childrens Center • Yonkers, NY

4d • $55,000 - $65,000

About The Position

The Recreation Therapist/Recreation Specialist is responsible for designing, planning, facilitating, and monitoring therapeutic recreation services for assigned clients and across campus, in collaboration with department peers. The position manages administrative aspects of program delivery and supports team members in facilitating activities and programs. As an interdisciplinary team member, the role uses on- and off-campus recreational resources to support the individualized treatment goals of ANDRUS youth through the clinical implementation of therapeutic recreation services and the APIED process.

The schedule is Sunday through Thursday, 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. The role includes designing and facilitating developmentally appropriate activities, programs, and community outings; creating recreation schedules with input from clients and cottage treatment teams; developing therapeutic recreation groups aligned with client goals; documenting progress; and coordinating resources, supplies, and programming. The position also supports and guides Direct Support Professionals in activity facilitation.

The role has separate qualification pathways: Recreational Therapists must have a relevant bachelor's degree and be on the CTRS certification track or hold CTRS certification; Recreational Specialists must have a high school diploma and two years of recreation experience. The job requires collaboration, communication, youth engagement, program design and monitoring, and the ability to use agency software. Recreation staff must be able to meet stated physical requirements, with or without reasonable accommodation, and successfully hired candidates must participate in Therapeutic Crisis Intervention training.

Requirements

• Recreational Therapist pathway: bachelor's degree in Therapeutic Recreation, Recreational Therapy, Recreation, or a related field.
• Recreational Therapist pathway: must be on the CTRS certification track or have obtained CTRS certification.
• Recreational Specialist pathway: high school diploma and two years of experience in recreation.
• Experience with, or willingness to obtain certification in, at least one relevant area such as ropes course facilitation, lifeguarding, MSF Dirtbike School Instruction, RAP Studio Music Production, Animal Assisted Interventions, sports coaching, or another area of Therapeutic Recreation.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office, including Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, and ability to learn additional software, including agency EMR software.
• Ability to work on interdisciplinary teams with strong collaboration and communication skills.
• Ability to engage youth and colleagues through motivational and relational leadership.
• Ability to design programming based on client treatment goals, monitor client progress, and manage client data.
• Excellent time management, coordination, and delegation skills.
• Ability to access and use the ADP app on a smartphone or other device to access agency programs.
• Ability to sit, stand, walk, see, climb stairs, kneel, and lift up to 30 pounds, with or without reasonable accommodation.
• Physical abilities relevant to safely facilitating specialized program skills, such as swimming endurance for lifeguarding, fine motor skills for high ropes belaying, and sensory integration abilities for OHV/Dirtbike instruction and coaching.
• Manual dexterity necessary to operate a computer keyboard.
• Ability to hear and see well enough to provide appropriate supervision of children.
• Successfully hired candidates must participate in Therapeutic Crisis Intervention training, which includes a written and verbal test and evaluation on conducting a proper physical restraint.

Nice To Haves

• A driver's license in good standing is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Design and facilitate engaging, motivating, developmentally appropriate activities, programs, and community outings.
• Create monthly recreation activity and trip schedules with significant client and cottage treatment team input and feedback.
• Collaborate with Recreation Department team members to design and deliver community recreation programming, special events, and holiday events.
• Develop and facilitate therapeutic recreation groups using the APIED process, aligning client treatment goals with interventions across social, emotional, psychological, spiritual, and physical domains.
• Document client progress in the agency EMR system, including individual and group notes.
• Assess client interests through data collection and increase program access based on self-report measures such as surveys.
• Provide diverse programming that supports normal childhood experiences and social-emotional growth and development.
• Participate in proactive and responsive treatment team meetings, including TPCs, Achiever meetings, Red Flags, weekly team meetings, programming meetings, and daily briefing meetings.
• Manage and monitor recreation supplies, budgeting, purchasing, and replenishment.
• Maintain specialized program skills and certifications, such as CTRS, lifeguarding, ropes course facilitation, RIDE Program, and RAP Studio.
• Provide guidance and support to Direct Support Professionals in activity facilitation, including establishing Talent Integration Projects.
• Participate in Therapeutic Crisis Intervention training, including testing and evaluation on proper physical restraint.

Benefits

• Generous PTO, including four weeks of vacation, floating holidays, holidays, personal time, and sick time.
• Health insurance.
• Dental insurance.
• Vision benefits.
• 401(k) employer contributions.
• Tuition reimbursement.
• Flexible spending accounts.
• Employer-paid short-term disability, long-term disability, and life insurance.
• Professional development.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time