Drayton Valley Recreation Therapist

Connecting-Care-; Drayton Valley; On-site; CAD 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive compensation

Growth opportunities

Meaningful work in Eden philosophy

Job summary

Connecting Care is seeking a Recreation Therapist in Drayton Valley, AB, to model and integrate the Eden Alternative into daily community life. You will coordinate and evaluate all recreation services, fostering meaningful engagement and a sense of belonging for residents.

You will lead a team, assess residents' needs, collaborate with care colleagues, and participate in wellness planning to ensure high-quality, person-directed care consistent with our mission and values.

Qualifications

• Degree in Recreation Therapy or Therapeutic Recreation required.
• ATRA registration required; professional membership preferred.
• Criminal record check with vulnerable sector check required.

Responsibilities

• Lead and evaluate all therapeutic recreation services.
• Plan, implement, and evaluate recreation programs.
• Create a balanced recreation calendar addressing residents' needs.
• Facilitate group and 1-on-1 activities.
• Conduct assessments of residents' recreation interests and needs.
• Advocate for resident preferences in recreation plans.
• Collaborate with care team to align with resident-directed goals.
• Attend wellness conferences and provide Recreation Therapy reports.
• Oversee recruitment, onboarding, and supervision of recreation staff and volunteers.
• Provide leadership and coaching to ensure Eden Philosophy of Care is upheld.

Skills

Fluent English

Communication

Problem-solving

Decision-making

Leadership

Conflict resolution

Self-starter

Rapport building

Team collaboration

Education

Degree in Recreation Therapy

ATRA registration

Diploma accepted with ATRA membership

Clear criminal record check

Job description

Points West Living Drayton Valley, 5804 Power Center Blvd, Drayton Valley, Alberta, Canada

Job Description

Posted Friday, July 31, 2026 at 8:00 AM | Expires Tuesday, September 1, 2026 at 7:59 AM

At Connecting Care, we proudly embrace The Eden Alternative™ philosophy as a guiding force for every facet of community operations. This revolutionary approach to care prioritizes resident directed principles, fostering an environment that goes beyond meeting physical needs to truly enhance the well-being of our residents. We offer range of services, including senior living community operations. We enrich the lives of older adults through innovative care models and value-based care. Founded in rural Alberta, our commitment to care exceeds expectations – we are dedicated to creating a vibrant, inclusive, and compassionate environment for seniors and our employees. With a mission to build and operate person‑directed communities, we value individuality, dignity, knowledge, hospitality.

Role Overview

As a Recreation Therapist, you play a pivotal role in modeling and integrating the Eden Alternative into daily community life, fostering a culture that reflects our Mission, Vision and Core Values. Your leadership and priorities set the tone for the community environment. Using a collaborative approach with residents and their entire care team, including families and external healthcare professionals, you are responsible for coordinating and evaluating all recreational services. You will foster a vibrant community that promotes meaningful relationships, individual choice, and a sense of belonging for all.

Key Accountabilities

• Lead the direction, coordination, and evaluation of all therapeutic recreation services based on best practices.
• Oversee the planning, implementation, and evaluation of recreation programs and services.
• Create and manage a balanced recreation calendar that addresses the social, emotional, physical, cognitive, and spiritual needs of residents.
• Facilitate group programs and individualized one‑to‑one visits as needed to ensure all residents have meaningful opportunities for engagement.
• Conduct assessments of individual skills, needs, interests, and values related to recreation and leisure activities.
• Advocate for resident preferences, ensuring adjustments to recreation plans reflect individual needs and choices.
• Collaborate with other disciplines to ensure effective and efficient service delivery that aligns with resident‑directed goals.
• Attend ing and actively participating in wellness (care) conferences, providing a Recreation Therapy report that highlights residents' strengths, progress, and areas for improvement to support the care team wellness planning.
• Oversee recruitment, onboarding, retention, and performance management of recreation care partners.
• Provide leadership, mentorship, and coaching to the recreation team to ensure commitment to person‑directed services and the Eden Philosophy of Care.
• Develop and maintain program plans that provide clear guidelines for implementing recreation activities, ensuring consistency and quality across all programs.
• Adhere to and enforce emergency management plans, infection control protocols, WHMIS, and health & safety wellness strategies.
• Participate in budgeting and resource planning with the General Manager to ensure sustainable recreation programming.
• Manage staff scheduling within budget guidelines.
• Manage inventory and supplies.
• Support community‑wide initiatives that enhance companionship, purpose, and meaning in daily life.
• Promote a culture of engagement and spontaneity, creating opportunities for residents to thrive.
• Ensure attendance tracking is accurate , and use collected data to identify areas for program improvement and resident engagement needs.
• Maintain up to date paperwork on residents such as Resident Leisure Biographies, PIPA forms, Outings Consent, etc.
• Send monthly recreation summary report to the Home Office Designate.
• Oversee the recruitment, training, supervision, and retention of volunteers, ensuring they are meaningfully engaged in enhancing resident experiences.
• Participate in after‑hours on‑call responsibilities as required .
• Perform additional duties as required to support community well‑being and engagement.

Required Education

• Degree in Recreation Therapy, Therapeutic Recreation, or Recreation and Leisure Studies.
• Registered with the Alberta Therapeutic Recreation Association (ATRA).
• A diploma in Therapeutic Recreation will be accepted if the candidate is a professional member of ATRA.
• Current clear criminal record check with vulnerable sector check.

Required Skills

• Minimum 3-5 years facilitating group and 1 -to-1 programs.
• Minimum 1- 2 years in therapeutic recreation program planning experience.
• Minimum 1- 2 years of supervisory, leadership and conflict resolution skills.
• Fluent in English (reading, writing, and speaking).
• Knowledge of care planning, assessment tools, and therapeutic recreation regulations.
• Commitment to person‑directed care and the Eden Alternative Philosophy.
• Excellent communication, problem‑solving, and decision‑making skills.
• Demonstrated ability to motivate and engage residents through meaningful activities and connections.
• Self‑starter, takes initiative, high degree of comfort interacting and establishing rapport .
• Awareness of accident and injury prevention, with adherence to safe work practices.
• Ability to complete mandatory training and education requirements within designated timelines.

Additional Education and Skills

• Willingness to modify role to enhance resident experiences and engagement.
• Maintain all required certifications and professional development standards.
• Maintain confidentiality and uphold professional integrity within the community.

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Why Join Our Team?

• Competitive compensation package
• Opportunity for personal and professional growth
• We provide an approach to care that supports the WHOLE person, that upholds their right to a life full of purpose, connection, empowerment, and possibility. (Read more about our philosophy https://www.edenalt.org/ )
• Looking for a happy corporate culture!The term staff is not used here, we are Employee Care Partners!

Thank you for applying, only successful candidates will be contacted

Points West Living Drayton Valley, 5804 Power Center Blvd, Drayton Valley, Alberta, Canada