CHIEF RECREATION THERAPIST  
  DEFINITION:
 Under direction, plans, organizes, develops, directs, and supervises  the therapeutic recreation program; does other related work as  required.
 NOTE: The examples of work for this title are for illustrative  purposes only. A particular position using this title may not perform  all duties listed in this job specification. Conversely, all duties  performed on the job may not be listed.
  EXAMPLES OF WORK:
 Plans, organizes, develops, and directs the therapeutic recreation  program.
 Supervises the scheduling of appointments for patients.
 Supervises the training of therapeutic recreation student affiliates.
 Attends evaluative clinics.
 Supervises the therapeutic recreation work performed by the entire  staff.
 Establishes and sees that plans for the in-service training of staff  members are carried out.
 Maintains a liaison with professional and lay groups.
 Supervises the work involved in planning individual programs of  therapeutic recreation as prescribed by a physician.
 Under direction of a physician, performs the most responsible work  involved in therapeutic recreation.
 Answers the most difficult inquiries relevant to therapeutic  recreation.
 Gives suitable assignments and instructions to subordinate employees.
 Prepares and directs the preparation of reports containing therapeutic  recreation progress notes.
 Prepares the therapeutic recreation budget.
 Confers with members of the medical staff, and other professional  staff nurses concerning specific patients and their adaptation and  reaction to the therapeutic recreation programs.
 Directs the establishment and maintenance of records and files.
 Will be required to learn to utilize various types of electronic  and/or manual recording and information systems used by the agency,  office, or related units.
  REQUIREMENTS:
NOTE: Applicants must meet one of the following or a combination of both experience and education. Thirty (30) semester hour credits are equal to one (1) year of relevant experience.
Nine (9) years of professional experience in conducting therapeutic recreation activities in a clinical, health care, residential, or community-based therapeutic recreation program.
OR
Possession of a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university; and five (5) years of the above-mentioned professional experience.
OR
Possession of a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university in therapeutic recreation or in recreation with a therapeutic concentration; and four (4) years of the above-mentioned professional experience.
 NOTE:Therapeutic concentration in recreation is defined as including all of the following:
1. A minimum of three courses exclusively dealing with therapeutic recreation content. 2. Completion of six months of field placement experience in a clinical, residential, or community based therapeutic recreation program. 3. Completion of supportive course work which includes a minimum of 18 semester hour credits from four of the six areas listed below:         Psychology Sociology Physical/Biological Sciences Special Education Human Services Adapted Physical Education
OR
Possession a master's degree from an accredited college or university in recreation therapy; and four (4) years of the above-mentioned professional experience.
OR
Possession of a valid certificate as a Therapeutic Recreation Specialist issued by the National Council for Therapeutic Recreation Certification; and five (5) years of the above-mentioned professional experience.
NOTE:"Professional experience" refers to work that is creative, analytical, evaluative, and interpretive; requires a range and depth of specialized knowledge of the profession's principles, concepts, theories, and practices; and is performed with the authority to act according to one's own judgment and make accurate and informed decisions.
LICENSE:
Appointees will be required to possess a driver's license valid in New Jersey only if the operation of vehicle, rather than employee mobility, is necessary to perform the essential duties of the position.
KNOWLEDGE AND ABILITIES:
 Knowledge of approved therapeutic recreation principles, procedures,  and techniques.
 Knowledge of the activities which make up a therapeutic recreation  program.
 Knowledge of illness and disability with their implications for  therapeutic recreation programming for individuals with various types  of disabilities.
 Knowledge of activity modification techniques used to adapt the  practices and procedures of the therapeutic recreation field to the  specific needs of individuals and groups with various disabilities.
 Knowledge of procedures used in formulating individual and group  diagnostic assessments, prescriptions, and treatment plans for special  populations, and in recording and reporting client treatment and  rehabilitation information, both in single therapy treatment and  multi-disciplinary treatment settings.
 Ability to adapt standard practices and procedures of therapeutic  recreation to the physical, psychological, psychosocial, and emotional  needs and limitations of individual patients and groups of patients,  and to the treatment objectives prescribed by medical teams.
 Ability to plan and carry out, under medical supervision, individual  programs of therapeutic recreation for patients.
 Ability to comprehend such subjects as psychology, anatomy, and  physiology, and to develop appropriate skills in various modalities.
 Ability to relate subject matter and skills to therapeutic needs of  individuals.
 Ability to plan, develop, organize, and direct a therapeutic  recreation program.
 Ability to give suitable assignments and instructions to assigned  employees, and to supervise the performance of their work.
 Ability to achieve and maintain rapport with people with all types of  disabilities.
 Ability to exercise necessary modality skills when required in  demonstrating and instructing.
 Ability to maintain harmonious working relationships with professional  and sub-professional personnel.
 Ability to prepare written and oral reports containing therapeutic  recreation progress notes.
 Ability to establish and maintain records and files.
 Ability to identify the physical, psychological, and emotional  problems, limitations, and needs of disabled individuals in terms of  possible rehabilitation through therapeutic recreation.
 Ability to plan, organize, and implement a variety of therapeutic  recreation activities for individual patients or groups of patients  within the framework of a medical team approach to patient care,  physiotherapy and psychotherapy treatment, and rehabilitation.
 Ability to communicate effectively with a motivate people of widely  varying backgrounds, interests, and abilities.
 Ability to evaluate the degree to which specific therapeutic  activities and overall therapeutic services are meeting rehabilitation  goals and objectives.
 Ability to innovate in providing the widest possible range of  therapeutic activities within the therapeutic recreation field and  which take fully into account the physical, mental, psychosocial, and  emotional limitations and needs of the patients served.
 Ability to utilize various types of electronic and/or manual recording  and information systems used by the agency, office, or related units.
 Ability to read, write, speak, understand, and communicate in English  sufficiently to perform duties of this position. American Sign  Language or Braille may also be considered as acceptable forms of  communication.
 Persons with mental or physical disabilities are eligible as long as  they can perform essential functions of the job after reasonable  accommodation is made to their known limitations. If the accommodation  cannot be made because it would cause the employer undue hardship,  such persons may not be eligible.
 This job specification is applicable to the following title code:
Job
Spec
Code
Variant
State,
Local or
Common
Class of
Service
Work
Week
State
Class
Code
Local
Class
Code
Salary
Range
Note
05170
L
C
  
N/A
30
-

This job specification is for local government use only.
Salary range is only applicable to state government.
Local salaries are established by individual local jurisdictions.

 3/18/1997