Recreation Therapist

The Recreation Therapist plans, schedules and implements facility-wide recreational therapy and leisure activities and groups so that patients across inpatient and outpatient levels of care are offered a wide range of expressive therapy opportunities. The Recreation Therapist also supports a safe, structured and therapeutic milieu during scheduled programming and unstructured time. Consistently demonstrates Elevare's values of uncompromising care, relentless compassion, and unconditional joyful spirit.

Primary responsibilities

1. Assesses each patient's recreational therapy and leisure needs through analysis of interests, needs and skills, to provide a basis for individual program planning.

2. Plans and implements recreational therapy groups, expressive therapy, leisure and social activities that address patients' clinical needs. This is accomplished by directly observing patients, conducting assessments, reviewing literature to identify effective methods, consulting with other recreational and expressive therapy professionals, and designing individual recreation programs.

3. Participates as a member of the interdisciplinary treatment team in planning treatment programs.

4. Designs and writes recreational therapy goals and interventions for patient treatment plans.

5. Establishes therapeutic relationships with patients that are beneficial to their treatment.

6. Counsels patients individually and in group sessions to help them address behavioral health, substance use and social issues.

7. Educates patients on healthy alternative ways of coping with problematic events, emotions, cravings and triggers, including sober leisure and relapse prevention skills.

8. Develops cooperative relationships with volunteers and community service organizations to expand programming opportunities, including animal-assisted therapy, outings and community recovery resources.

Milieu management

1. Promotes a safe, structured, recovery-oriented therapeutic milieu during groups, activities, meals, outings and unstructured time.

2. Partners with Behavioral Health Technicians, nursing and clinical staff to maintain the daily schedule, transitions between activities, and patient participation.

3. Monitors patient behavior, mood and peer interactions, and identifies early signs of conflict, escalation, withdrawal, cravings or risk of leaving against medical advice (AMA).

4. Uses verbal de-escalation, redirection and motivational interviewing techniques to address disruptive behavior and encourage engagement.

5. Reports safety concerns, behavioral incidents, suicide or self-harm risk, and changes in patient presentation immediately to the primary therapist, nursing staff and leadership, following Elevare policy.

6. Reinforces community expectations, house rules and peer accountability in a consistent, respectful way.

7. Participates in shift huddles and communicates milieu observations to the treatment team.

8. Supervises patients during on-site and off-site recreational activities and outings, maintaining accurate patient counts and line-of-sight supervision as required.

9. Maintains recreation spaces, equipment and supplies in a clean, safe and organized condition, including the courtyard and activity areas.

Inpatient and outpatient populations

1. Provides recreational therapy services across all levels of care, including detox, residential, partial hospitalization (PHP), intensive outpatient (IOP) and outpatient (OP) programs.

2. Adapts activities to each patient's level of care, medical status, withdrawal symptoms, physical limitations and stage of recovery, in coordination with nursing and medical providers.

3. For inpatient patients, provides structured daily recreation and leisure programming that supports stabilization, routine-building and positive use of evening and weekend time.

4. For outpatient patients, emphasizes community reintegration, sober leisure planning, healthy routines and connection to community recovery supports.

5. Supports continuity of care as patients step down from inpatient to outpatient levels of care, updating recreational therapy goals and leisure plans at each transition.

6. Contributes leisure, recreation and community-support recommendations to discharge and aftercare plans.

7. Coordinates group schedules and room assignments with the clinical team so that inpatient and outpatient programming runs smoothly and without conflict.

Documentation, safety and collaboration

1. Reviews recreational and expressive therapy plans to ensure suitable measures protect patient health and safety. This includes staying informed of health and safety requirements, communicating them to staff who assist with programming, and correcting deficits in plans.

2. Collaborates with primary therapists, physicians, nurses and Behavioral Health Technicians to plan and coordinate treatment based on patient needs, using the clinical record as a source of information.

3. Completes all required documentation, including assessments, group notes and progress notes, according to Elevare policies and procedures and within required timeframes.

4. Ensures daily clinical notes document each patient's participation and progress toward treatment goals.

5. Implements care according to Elevare program policies, procedures and applicable state licensing and accreditation standards.

Knowledge, Skills and requirements

1. Current license and/or certification through a national agency for the specific profession (for example, CTRS through NCTRC, or music or art therapy credentials).

2. Recreational therapy and leisure needs assessment principles and methods sufficient to develop relevant treatment plans.

3. Recreational therapy principles and practices sufficient to meet the needs of a wide range of patients.

4. Specialized recreational therapy principles as they apply to substance use disorder, co-occurring mental health conditions, and assigned populations.

5. Knowledge of milieu management, trauma-informed care, verbal de-escalation and motivational interviewing.

6. Health and physical requirements sufficient to protect patient health and safety during recreation and leisure activities.

7. Current CPR/First Aid certification and completion of required crisis prevention training, or willingness to obtain within the timeframe set by Elevare. Work requires willingness to work a flexible schedule, including evenings and weekends, and occasional overnight travel.HIPAA and 42 CFR Part 2 privacy training and sanctions

All employees with access to protected health information must receive training on the HIPAA Privacy Rule and the federal confidentiality regulations for substance use disorder records (42 CFR Part 2), matched to their job responsibilities. Site-specific training on Elevare's health information policies and procedures may be required under the direction of the privacy officer. Employees who violate these requirements will be subject to discipline, up to and including termination.

Employer's rights. 

This description is intended to describe the essential job functions, general supplemental functions, and essential requirements for the performance of this job. It is not an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities and requirements of a person so classified. Management retains the right to add or change the duties at any time.

Responsibilities:

• Plans and implements recreational therapy groups, expressive therapy, leisure and social activities that address patients' clinical needs.
• Educates patients on healthy alternative ways of coping with problematic events, emotions, cravings and triggers, including sober leisure and relapse prevention skills.
• Promotes a safe, structured, recovery-oriented therapeutic milieu during groups, activities, meals, outings and unstructured time.

Requirements/Qualifications:

• Current license and/or certification through a national agency for the specific profression (for example, CTRS through NCTRC, or music or art therapy credentials).
• Current CPR/First Aid certification and completion of required crisis prevention training, or willingness to obtain within the timeframe set by Elevare.

• Education

  Bachelors Degree

• Experience

  Entry Level (0-2 years)

Benefits/Perks:

• Medical
• Dental
• Vision

Location:

Elgin, IL