Activity Therapist - Level I

NYC Health + Hospitals; New York (NY); On-site; USD 52,000 - 76,000; Full time

Job summary

Lincoln Medical and Mental Health Center seeks a motivated activity therapy professional to deliver medical/psychiatric recreational services to patients, individually or in groups, working with an interdisciplinary treatment team.

Responsibilities include planning programs, coordinating care with staff, and guiding students and volunteers to support patient progress and engagement in therapy activities.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree requirements include recreation, physical education, dance, fine arts, and/or applied arts, plus psychology/social psychology/group work courses.
• One year of full-time experience in planning, coordinating and supervising a recreation activities program in a health care setting, or an equivalent combo.
• All candidates must possess a Bachelor’s Degree.

Responsibilities

• Participate in planning and implementing a medical/psychiatric approved recreational program for patients.
• Coordinate with treatment staff to ensure effective patient care within a team setting.
• Plan individualized activity schedules including ADLs, arts, therapy and socialization to meet patient needs.
• Teach and lead recreational activities such as games, arts and crafts, dances, and therapeutic activities.
• Direct learning experiences to influence behavioral changes and patient development.
• Collaborate with students, volunteers and other staff in service delivery.

Skills

Group facilitation

Teaching background

Mentoring willingness

Medical records review

Treatment plans writing

Education

Bachelor’s Degree in recreation/therapy or related field

1 year healthcare recreation experience

Equivalent combination as allowed

Job description

Marketing Statement

Lincoln Medical and Mental Health Center is one of New York City’s premier acute care hospitals. Located in Downtown Bronx, Lincoln is a teaching hospital renowned for its Centers of Excellence, and a recognized industry leader in the implementation of state-of-the art medical technology and best practices. Our team of highly trained and caring medical professionals is dedicated to providing the highest quality health care that is safe, compassionate, culturally competent and patient-centered. Comprehensive services are offered in three major primary care areas: Medicine, Pediatrics, and Women’s Health in addition to more than eighty (80) specialty services. At Lincoln, the safety and comfort of our patients is our number one priority.

Marketing Statement

Lincoln Medical and Mental Health Center is one of New York City’s premier acute care hospitals. Located in Downtown Bronx, Lincoln is a teaching hospital renowned for its Centers of Excellence, and a recognized industry leader in the implementation of state-of-the art medical technology and best practices. Our team of highly trained and caring medical professionals is dedicated to providing the highest quality health care that is safe, compassionate, culturally competent and patient-centered. Comprehensive services are offered in three major primary care areas: Medicine, Pediatrics, and Women’s Health in addition to more than eighty (80) specialty services. At Lincoln, the safety and comfort of our patients is our number one priority.

At NYC Health + Hospitals, our mission is to deliver high quality care health services, without exception. Every employee takes a person-centered approach that exemplifies the ICARE values (Integrity, Compassion, Accountability, Respect, and Excellence) through empathic communication and partnerships between all persons.

Duties & Responsibilities

Purpose of Position

Under supervision, with latitude for initiative and judgement, performs responsible therapeutic work of varying degrees of difficulty and responsibility in an activity therapy department providing medical/psychiatric recreational therapeutic services for patients/residents, both individually and in group settings, in conjunction with other members of the treatment team. All personnel perform related work.

Under supervision, with latitude for initiative and judgement, performs responsible therapeutic work of ordinary difficulty.

Examples Of Typical Tasks

• Participates in planning and implementing a medical/psychiatric approved recreational program of individual and ward activities adapted to the needs, interest and capacities of patients.
• Participates in meeting with treatment staff to coordinate effective patient care and participates as a member of a team, in patient groups.
• Plans individualized schedules including activities of daily living, arts and therapy and socialization to meet specific needs of patients.
• Teaches and leads recreational activities such as group and team games, arts and crafts, dances, gymnastics, art in therapy, poetry, simple forms of music and dramatics.
• Directs learning experiences as part of care/treatment of patients to influence behavioral changes leading to increased experience and comprehension of self and environment.
• Works with and may guide students from multi disciplines, volunteers and others assigned to the area of service.
• Attends and contributes to department meetings, attends and conducts in-service training programs.
• Works with private and public organizations to further recreational programs.
• May co-lead or lead small group therapy and other discussion groups.
• May co-lead community meetings with other members of various disciplines.
• Communicates observations of patients in activity therapy to team.
• Charts Activity Therapy Progress Notes.
• Prepares periodic reports and keeps appropriate records.
• Is responsible for maintaining and ordering of supplies and equipment for assigned unit.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree from an accredited college or university, including or supplemented by eighteen (18) credits in recreation, physical education, dance, fine arts, and/or applied arts (including therapy), and twelve (12) semester credits in psychology, social psychology, group work, group dynamics, and/or related discipline; or
• Bachelor’s Degree from an accredited college or university, and one (1) year of full-time experience in planning, coordinating and supervising a recreation activities program in a health care setting; or
• A satisfactory combination of education, training and/or experience equivalent to 1 or 2 above. However, all candidates must possess a Bachelor’s Degree.

Department Preferences

• Experience running groups
• Teaching background preferred
• Willingness to be mentored and groomed in multiple modalities
• Experience reviewing medical records, conducting clinical interviews, and administering standardized assessment tools to determine a patient's baseline physical, cognitive, and emotional capabilities.
• Experience writing treatment plans and progress notes in a mental health and/or substance abuse setting