Therapeutic Recreation Specialist Per Diem

Hospital for Special Care • New Britain, CT

22h • Onsite

About The Position

The Therapeutic Recreation Specialist evaluates, plans, implements, and documents care according to ATRA standards. The role creates therapeutic recreation programs that support patients’ health, functional status, personal development, and quality of life. The specialist supports recreation, leisure, and community participation throughout admission through an interdisciplinary team approach, communicating relevant information and educating staff, patients, and families as needed. The role also mentors and trains aide-level staff and volunteers as appropriate.

The position provides evaluation and treatment related to recreation, leisure, and community reintegration; develops measurable goals with patients and families; delivers and adjusts interventions; contributes to discharge planning; supervises delegated work; and maintains timely clinical and professional documentation. The specialist participates in team coordination, continuing education, incident follow-up, debriefings, and safe crisis response. Work is primarily indoors, with occasional outdoor work, regular interaction with others, variable scheduling, and weekend coverage of therapeutic recreation programs. Physical demands include patient transfers and assistance, lifting and pushing/pulling, mobility and positional changes, and occasional running. The role also requires clinical judgment, communication, documentation, and the ability to adapt interventions and communication to patient needs.

Requirements

• Valid driver's license.
• Baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university with a major in therapeutic recreation.
• Certification by the National Council for Therapeutic Recreation within six months of hire.
• Maintain competency requirements defined by NCTRC and ATRA standards of practice.
• Ability to tolerate up to four hours of consecutive work, periods of sitting and independent mobility, and frequent standing, walking, and sitting.
• Ability to safely transfer patients and provide contact guarding or hands-on assistance.
• Ability to lift or carry objects up to 10 pounds continuously; up to 20 pounds occasionally; up to 50 pounds occasionally; and over 100 pounds occasionally for patient transfer.
• Ability to push or pull over 100 pounds occasionally for patient transport.
• Ability to initiate frequent positional changes, tolerate submersion in water up to shoulder depth for 1–2 hours, and use functional fine and gross motor skills and upper-extremity sensation.
• Intact vision for observing patients’ nonverbal responses and driving.
• Ability to participate in physical management of patients, including safe body positioning, blocking or deflecting possible aggression, holding struggling patients using approved methods, and physically escorting potentially combative patients short distances.
• Ability to lift up to 50 pounds, reach with hands and arms, grasp and hold, bend, squat, and kneel without limitation; occasional short-distance running is required.
• Ability to identify problems independently, make quick decisions, reason abstractly, adapt information to new situations and changing environments, and maintain attention amid noise or distraction.
• Clinical judgment to analyze and synthesize information, interpret medical history and evaluation data, determine prognosis and plan of care, select interventions, and modify treatment to patient needs.
• Reading, auditory comprehension, inference, writing, and medical terminology skills, including attention to detail and adherence to style requirements.
• Strong communication skills, including explaining complex ideas, negotiation, active listening, dialogue with multiple parties, and adapting communication to the listener’s ability or readiness to comprehend.
• Ability to perform basic arithmetic operations, including calculations with fractions, ratios, rates, and percentages.
• Ability to work primarily indoors, occasionally outdoors, and regularly with and around others.
• Ability to work with frequent and often unpredictable schedule fluctuations and provide weekend coverage.
• Ability to work with occasional exposure to particles and cleaning chemicals, and exposure to body fluids, contagious disease, and occasional blood-borne pathogens and radiation.

Nice To Haves

• Current CPR certification.
• Minimum of one year of clinical experience.
• Public Passenger endorsement(s).

Responsibilities

• Evaluate, plan, implement, and document therapeutic recreation services according to ATRA standards of practice.
• Create therapeutic recreation programs that support patients’ health, functional status, personal development, and quality of life.
• Provide evaluation and treatment for recreation, leisure, and community reintegration.
• Recognize physiological, psychological, and age-related changes; consult with health care team members; and establish measurable goals with patients and families.
• Plan, implement, deliver, and delegate patient care using appropriate therapeutic modalities and interventions based on assessments, revising treatment as needed.
• Instruct patients and families using verbal, written, and audiovisual materials.
• Participate in discharge planning, including recommendations to community resources.
• Maintain knowledge of advances in care delivery through evidence-based review, peer review, case discussion, and continuing education.
• Organize schedules and coordinate time management for self and support personnel to meet patient-care needs and productivity requirements.
• Collaborate with team members for assistance and coverage when needed, and supervise responsibilities delegated to supportive personnel.
• Document patient and professional interactions in a timely manner, including evaluations, assessments, progress, equipment purchase orders, statistical reports, home programs, and discharge summaries.
• Communicate appropriately with patients, families, health care team members, supervisors, and students, and demonstrate professionalism in interactions.
• Use AIDET principles in interactions with internal and external customers.
• Report critical incidents promptly to the charge RN and document them in the medical record; complete other applicable documentation, including incident reports and seclusion and restraint forms.
• Participate in debriefings and handle crisis situations safely using the least restrictive safe patient-care alternative.
• Anticipate, address, and deescalate patient distress in accordance with treatment plans.
• Provide weekend coverage of therapeutic recreation individual and group programs.
• Mentor and train aide-level staff and volunteers as appropriate.

Benefits

• Employer-subsidized medical and dental insurance.
• Vision insurance.
• 403(b) retirement savings plan with employer match of up to 6%.
• Paid time off.
• Employer-paid life insurance.
• Short-term and long-term disability insurance.
• Health Savings Account (HSA) with employer contributions.
• Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA).
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP).
• Tuition reimbursement and professional development opportunities.
• Voluntary benefits, including pet insurance.
• Employee wellness programs with access to an onsite fitness and aquatics center.
• Employee referral bonus program.
• Employee recognition and appreciation initiatives. Eligibility for certain benefits depends on scheduled hours worked.

What This Job Offers