CHIEF RECREATION THERAPIST/COORDINATOR OF VOLUNTEERS

Code: 07832 Local Non-Competitive

Official job specification

The text below is the official specification published by the New Jersey Civil Service Commission. The plain-language summary and analysis above are derived from it by NJ Civil Service Navigator. Source: the official specification page at NJ CSC.

Definition

Under direction, plans, organizes, develops, directs, and supervises the therapeutic recreation program; does other related work as required. Under direction, plans, organizes, administers, and coordinates a program for the utilization of volunteer workers to augment the services of regular agency staff by developing effective recruitment, training, and public relations activities; does other related duties as required.

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 how to utilize various types of electronic and/or manual recording and information systems used by the agency, office, or related units. Plans with administrative staff the objectives and scope of the volunteer services program to augment the services of regular organization staff. Conducts orientations and arranges training for new volunteers. Recruits, interviews, and assigns volunteers according to their aptitudes and interests. Confers with agency administrative staff to plan a volunteer program consistent with the agencys needs and objectives. Recommends policies and procedures for inservice training of volunteers, work hours, types of services to be performed, and assignment of volunteer workers. Meets with supervisory staff to determine volunteer service needs and to interpret service policies and procedures. Classifies volunteers according to qualifications, interests, age, time available for duty, and other characteristics. Receives requests for services of volunteers from various agency departments, cooperates with supervisory staff to define services to be performed by volunteers, and to outline duties for each assignment. Conducts periodic reorientation for all volunteers. Conducts surveys and meets with supervisory staff to evaluate effectiveness of the volunteer service program. Periodically counsels and evaluates individual volunteers. Devises methods for improving, modifying, or expanding the program and recommends changes in established policies and procedures. Arranges for appropriate recognition of volunteers. Prepares manuals, handbooks, and guides covering policies, procedures, and programs. Resolves personnel problems. Serves as liaison between administration, staff, and volunteers. Speaks to community groups explaining organization activities and role of volunteer program. Maintains personnel records. Prepares technical reports on extent, nature, and value of volunteer service. Will be required to learn how to utilize various types of electronic and/or manual recording and information systems used by the agency, office, or related units.

License

Appointee will be required to possess a driver's license valid in New Jersey only if the operation of a vehicle, rather than employee mobility, is necessary to perform in essential duties of the position. Appointees will be required to possess a driver's license valid in New Jersey only if the operation of a vehicle, rather than employee mobility, is necessary to perform the essential duties of the position.

Knowledge, skills 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 learn how 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 if they can perform the essential functions of the job with or without reasonable accommodation. If the accommodation cannot be made because it would cause the employer undue hardship, such persons may not be eligible. CODES: MCK 3/18/97 COORDINATOR OF VOLUNTEERS Knowledge of inservice, orientation, and other basic training methods and materials and their adaptation to a volunteer training program. Knowledge of methods for developing training plans, materials, and goals. Knowledge of methods of recruiting, screening, and placing personnel in a volunteer program. Knowledge of various means of developing a volunteer program. Knowledge of the use of public relations techniques. Ability to develop contacts with social service and other human services resources in a community to implement a volunter program and to utilize these resources in a coordinated manner to support goals and objectives of the program. Ability to analyze, comprehend, and interpret problems pertinent to work involving social services and other human services volunteers, and to take corrective actions. Ability to organize and develop programs for the recruitment of volunteers. Ability to interview prospective volunteers and make recommendations for selection. Ability to organize, develop, and conduct orientation and training programs for volunteers. Ability to exercise initiative and judgment in planning and directing of a program eliciting the services of volunteers. Ability to deal with people with regard to their job duties when interviewing, orienting, and following up on the performance of volunteers. Ability to recruit, select, and arrange for training of volunteers and to periodically appraise their job performance. Ability to evaluate the overall effectiveness of the volunteer program. Ability to identify those sources that would most likely provide those individuals who would be willing to volunteer their services. Ability to coordinate efforts of volunteer workers with those of civic, social, and service organizations in the community. Ability to speak effectively before community groups and communicate effectively to various types of people. Ability to prepare clear, sound, accurate, and detailed statistical, program, and other reports on the volunteer program. Ability to maintain records, reports, and files. Ability to learn how 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 if they can perform the essential functions of the job with or without reasonable accommodation. If the accommodation cannot be made because it would cause the employer undue hardship, such persons may not be eligible. CODES: LG - RKR/hw 2/18/98

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. 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, or 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 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 bachelor's degree in therapeutic recreation or in recreation with a therapeutic concentration from an accredited college or university; and four (4) years of the above-mentioned professional experience. A therapeutic concentration in recreation is defined as including all of the following: (A) a minimum of three (3) courses exclusively dealing with therapeutic recreation content; (B) completion of six months of field placement experience in a clinical, residential, or community based therapeutic recreation program; and (C) completion of supportive course work which includes a minimum of 18 semester hour credits from four of the six following areas: psychology, sociology, physical/biological sciences, special education, human services, and/or adapted physical education. 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. "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. 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. 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. Six (6) years of administrative experience in programs which involved either recruitment, selection, training, and development of employees or volunteers or provision of social service, health care, educational, welfare or other similar human services or community services. OR Possession of a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university; and two (2) years of the above-mentioned professional experience. "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.