Activity Therapy Specialist 1

Ohio Department of Veterans Services; Sandusky (OH); On-site; USD 29,000 - 34,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Pay raises based on years of service

Longevity increases

Tuition reimbursement up to $5,000 per

Medical coverage begins after start

Dental & Vision after 1 year

Vacation, sick, holiday and personal?

Retirement/pension, deferred comp, and

Job summary

Ohio Department of Veterans Services in Sandusky, OH seeks a full-time Activity Therapist to plan and lead empowerment activities for veterans in long-term care settings.

The role involves coordinating events, monitoring residents, training volunteers, and documenting care plans; requires an associate degree in recreation or equivalent and a valid license. Competitive benefits included.

Qualifications

• Completion of associate degree in recreation or specialty area (e.g., music, art, drama); 12 mos. exp. in Activity Therapy; valid drivers’ license.
• Note: must have certification in animal-assisted therapy if utilizing trained animals for therapeutic goal reaching purposes.
• Or completion of undergraduate core program in recreation or specialty area (e.g., music, art, drama); valid drivers’ license.

Responsibilities

• Organizes, plans & conducts empowerment activities to promote high self-esteem & self-respect; maintenance activities for holistic health.
• Monitors nursing home residents participating in activities individually or in groups.
• Assists supervisor in establishing goals & objectives for department; helps achieve set goals.
• Develops & evaluates activity portion of Plan of Care; interviews residents; updates assessments; completes MDS and discharge summaries.
• Plans & conducts outings, social events & special programs.
• Escorts/transports residents to activities; may be solely responsible for these residents.
• Plans monthly calendar of events & activities.
• Orients, trains & supervises volunteers assigned to activity area.
• Prepares & maintains work-related documentation; maintains attendance records and memos.
• Maintains record of resident attendance, memos & reports.

Skills

Basic Documentation

Arts

Customer Service

Parks and Recreation

Therapy/Therapeutical Services

Building Trust

Creativity

Motivating Others

Teamwork

Time Management

Education

Associate degree in recreation

Undergraduate core program in recreation

Valid driver’s license

Animal-assisted therapy certification (if using animals)

Tools

Job description

• Multiple scheduled pay increases over your years of service
• Longevity increases start at your fifth year and grows as long as you stay with the State of Ohio
• Tuition Reimbursement up to $5,000 annually
• Incredible Medical Coverage begins the 1st of the month following your Start Date
• Free Dental & Vision After 1 Year
• Generous Benefits Package Including Vacation, Sick, Holiday, and Personal Leave
• Retirement/pension, deferred compensation, credit union benefits available
• View our full benefits package on https://careers.ohio.gov/why-work-for-state-of-ohio

Key Job Responsibilities

Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Organizes, plans & conducts empowerment activities to promote high self-esteem & self-respect (e.g., crafts, wood shop, sing-a-longs, cooking, gardening); maintenance activities designed to promote physical, cognitive, social, spiritual & emotional health (e.g., exercise, sports activities & events, reminiscing, current events, word games) & supportive activities to promote a comfortable environment with stimulation & solace for low functioning residents (e.g., soft music, sensory stimulation, aroma therapy, nature videos)
• Monitors nursing home residents participating in activities both individually or in group
• Assists supervisor in establishing goals & objectives for department & is instrumental in working to obtain goals set
• Develops & evaluates activity portion of Plan of Care (e.g., interviews residents for initial activity assessment record; updates activity assessments as required; completes Minimum Data Set (MDS) on each resident; completes discharge summaries) updating progress as needed
• Plans & conducts outings, social events & special programs
• Escorts/transports residents during shopping trips, outings & activities off grounds & is often solely responsible for these residents
• Plans monthly calendar of events & activities
• Orients, trains & supervises volunteers assigned to activity area
• Prepares & maintains work related documentation (e.g., routine & special reports on resident activities)
• Maintains record of resident attendance, memos & reports

The schedule/hours are flexible based on the scheduled activities and trips per needs of the residents of Dom Activities Department & Nursing Home Activities Department.

Work Location

Veteran Services - Sandusky

Primary Location

United States of America-OHIO-Erie County-Sandusky

Compensation

$22.59/hr

Schedule

Full-time

Work Hours

0800-1630

Classified Indicator

Classified

Union

OCSEA

Technical Skills

Basic Documentation, Arts, Customer Service, Parks and Recreation, Therapy/Therapeutical Services

Professional Skills

Building Trust, Creativity, Motivating Others, Teamwork, Time Management

Job Skills:

Therapy/Therapeutical Services, Arts, Basic Documentation, Customer Service, Parks and Recreation, Creativity, Motivating Others, Teamwork, Time Management, Building Trust

Organization

Veterans Services Sandusky

Agency Overview

It is our honor and privilege to provide comfort and care to Ohio's heroes — wartime veterans from all across the state and all branches of service.

The Ohio Veterans Homes, part of Ohio Department of Veterans Services, are trauma-informed care long-term care focused on providing excellent care to Ohio’s Veterans. The Veteran Homes provide direct nursing home care at facilities in Sandusky and Georgetown as well as domiciliary living to qualified veterans in Sandusky. We aim to maintain an inclusive work environment and commit ourselves to develop talented, inclusive, and dedicated employees.

WHO ARE WE?

To learn more about us, visit https://dvs.ohio.gov/what-we-do/work-at-odvs

Qualifications

Completion of associate degree in recreation or specialty area (e.g., music, art, drama); 12 mos. exp. in Activity Therapy; valid drivers’ license. Note: must have certification in animal-assisted therapy if utilizing trained animals for therapeutic goal reaching purposes.

• Or completion of undergraduate core program in recreation or specialty area (e.g., music, art, drama); valid drivers’ license.
• Or equivalent of Minimum Class Qualifications For Employment noted above.