Expressive/Experiential Therapist

Job Summary:

Expressive/Experiential Activity Thereapist organizes and conducts daily therapeutic programs to facilitate rehabilitation of people with psychosocial illnesses; assesses, maintains, and develops programs to enhance social, cognitive, physical, and emotional functioning of patients.  This position ensures patient-centered care and safety provided is in alignment with the culture, philosophy, organization and practices of the hospital.  Provides specialty services operating in a range of clinical settings, and coordinates with health care team members to plan and implement patient care. 

Position Qualifications:

Bachelor’s degree in Recreation Therapy, Art Therapy, Music Therapy, Dance Therapy, Education, general Expressive Therapy, COTA or BSW.

Previous experience in geriatric and/or behavioral health setting, preferred.

Two years relevant experience preferred.

Key Responsibilities / Job Accountabilities:

• Responsible to ensure that group programming is evidence-based.
• Responsible to plan, conduct, direct, and coordinate the patients’ needs through therapeutic programming and activities in a group and/or individual setting.
• Complete assessments for functional and rehabilitative needs that may include activities of daily living; community living skills; social, leisure, and vocational skills.
• Promote patient empowerment and self-care activities.
• Educate patient, family, and caregiver in skills applicable for discharge plan.  
• Document services in accordance with hospital policy and requirements.
• Participate in the interdisciplinary team conferences to review patient progress.

Additional Skills / Qualifications:

• Have knowledge of therapeutic processes, growth and development, limit setting, behavior management, and establishing/maintaining therapeutic relationships and boundaries appropriate to age of patient population served.
• Prepare facility (fields, rooms, etc.) for planned events.
• Create treatment plans and programming that meet patients’ needs and interests.
• Plan and implement interventions to prevent harm to patients.
• Help patients learn social skills needed to become or remain independent.
• Teach patients about ways to cope with anxiety or depression.
• Record and analyze a patient progress.
• Evaluate interventions for effectiveness.

CERTIFICATES, LICENSURES, REGISTRATIONS:

Preferred certification and/or registration in Recreation Therapy, Art Therapy, Dance Therapy or Music Therapy, COTA Experiential Therapy (AEE) or BSW.

ATTENDANCE:

Regular and punctual attendance. 

LANGUAGE SKILLS:

English is the primary language of the facility.  Ability to read and write, communicate clearly with coworkers and customers and to respond to appropriate questions regarding work process or work product.

MATHEMATICAL SKILLS:

Ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions and decimals as appropriate to the position.

REASONING ABILITY:

Ability to apply common sense understanding to carry out instruction furnished in written, oral and/or diagram form.  Ability to define and solve problems and collect data.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential function satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Ability to identify and implement components of the administrative process. Identify learning needs and teach patients and families. Ability to communicate and collaborate with a variety of teams and individuals. Working knowledge and ability to apply professional standards of practice in job situations.