Assistant Recreation Director

Job Description

Job Description

BETHESDA 

ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF RECREATION

JOB DESCRIPTION

Job Summary: To assist the Recreation Director in ensuring that all neighborhoods are provided purposeful and meaningful activities and experiences that are personalized to improve quality of life for Bethesda’s residents. This leadership position provides support, coaching, and direction to recreation team members; supports implementation of programming and strategic initiatives for the department; and plays a significant role in contributing to a positive culture for individuals to live and work.

Full-Time Benefits:

Full-time employees are eligible for the following benefits:

• Health Insurance through Nice and Proximal
• Dental & Vision Insurance
• Short-Term Disability
• 401(k) with up to a 6% employer match
• Health Savings Account (HSA)

Job Relationships:

1. Reports to: Recreation Director.
2. Secondary Reporting to: Administrator.
3. Interrelationships with: Department Directors, Maintenance, Housekeeping, Office Staff, and Nursing staff.
4. Supervisory Relationships: Recreation Assistants
5. Internal Relationships: Residents. Resident family members
6. External Contacts: Clergy, Visitors, Vendors, Teachers, and Potential Volunteers.

Hours of Work: 80 hours per pay period; Monday through Friday, with flexibility to support on weekends as needed. 

Dress Code: Business casual attire. Jeans with no holes or rips. Bethesda shirts. Solid colored t-shirts. Footwear:  Close-toe, comfortable, slip-resistant shoes. Hair and Hygiene:  Maintain a high standard of cleanliness, oral hygiene and deodorant. Neat and practical hairstyle. Hair tied back when working with food. Identification:  Visible name badge worn on chest area. PPE:  Compliance with facility guidelines for masks, gloves, goggles, etc. if applicable. Piercings: Covered or removed if posing infection or safety risk. Tattoos:  Covered or removed if posing infection or safety risk. General Appearance:  Clean, well-maintained attire.

Essential Requirements of Work: (Minimum qualifications necessary to function at full productivity.)

1. Education:

May have completed the Basic Activity Education Course and have two-years of current work experience in Activity department of a long-term care facility. 

1. Experience: Three to five years of geriatric activity experience preferred.
2. Personal:
   1. Highly effective communication skills including communicating with frail people.
   2. Effective public speaking abilities.
   3. Proven organizational skills.
   4. Proven ability to motivate and empower staff.
   5. Ability to evaluate needs and affect change based on objective criteria.
   6. Excellent written communication skills.
3. Job Knowledge:
   1. Knowledge and proficiency in computers.
   2. Knowledge of basic human needs and the aging process.
   3. Knowledge of Federal and State regulations governing long-term care activity programs.
   4. Knowledge of professional activity standards.
   5. Knowledge of volunteerism.

Physical Demands of the Job:

1. Frequent walking and sitting.
2. Occasionally lifting weights 20-40 pounds.
3. Exposure to communicable diseases.

Skills and Abilities for Full Performance:

1. Ability to listen to others with interest, compassion, and to respond with comfort and encouragement while maintaining professional boundaries.
2. Knowledge and application of therapies, validation, remotivation, reality, art, grief, reminiscing, and life review.
3. Willingness to learn and adapt these various therapeutic approaches.
4. Ability to assess, perceive, and evaluate resident needs and to activity goal planning with resident and their family.
5. Well-developed problem-solving ability.
6. Ability to evaluate required charting.
7. Understanding and application of Bethesda’s policies and procedures.
8. Ability to organize, prioritize, and use time effectively.
9. Have an understanding of the Servant Leadership Style.

Mental Demands of the Job:

1. Judgment and Initiative:
   1. Required on a continual basis.
   2. Frequent interruptions.
2. Independent Action:
   1. Required on a continual basis through the need to vary and adapt activities to resident ability levels and needs.
   2. Quickly provide alternative activity plans.
3. Quality Recreation Program results in residents having an enhanced quality of life so that they can function at their optimum level, meeting their physical, emotional, intellectual, community, spiritual, and social needs.
4. Well-developed teamwork process within department. High team morale.
5. Family members needs met.

Poor Performance:

1. Can result in residents whose quality of life has been diminished causing dissatisfaction, greater loneliness, greater illness, increase in complaints, lack of physical, mental, social, intellectual, emotional, or community stimulation.
2. Lack of teamwork and low staff morale.
3. Increased staff turnover.
4. Dissatisfied family members.
5. Lost confidence of staff, residents, volunteers, and administration in the program leadership.

Principle Job Responsibilities:

Responsibility: Plan, organize, and supervise daily activity programming that meets the physical, emotional, intellectual, community, spiritual, and social needs of the residents.

Tasks:

1. Prepare and carry out activities that are of variety and meet different levels of ability.
2. Ensure daily activity schedule is promoted and implemented on a timely, resident satisfying level.
3. Assist and ensure that documentation is done accurately and neatly on a timely basis.
   1. Share appropriate information within the department and between departments.
   2. Attend care conferences or ensure a representative is present.
   3. Ensure daily charting on each resident.
   4. Completion of MDS forms on a timely basis.

Responsibility: Empower and coach team members to fully utilize skills and abilities while maintaining excellent performance criteria.

Tasks:

1. Provide coaching and corrective actions.
2. Interview potential staff in accordance with employment law restrictions.
3. Arrange and participate in the full orientation of all new staff insuring the understanding of Bethesda’s mission and the recreation philosophy.
4. Empower team members activities and prepare supplies in advance

Responsibility: Serve as example of excellence in meeting work requirements.

Tasks:

1. Report to work, accept, and complete assignments as scheduled.
   1. Communicate schedule changes to Administrator.
2. Follow all Bethesda policies and all governing regulations.
   1. Comply with all legislative laws regarding staff and resident rights and vulnerability.
   2. Report and investigate all work-related injuries on a timely basis.
   3. Maintain an up-to-date knowledge of all job responsibilities for yourself and your assistants.
   4. Participate in the annual performance evaluation process through an accurate assessment and goal setting.
   5. Be able to receive constructive feedback professionally.
3. Coordinate all departmental services with other departments to meet organizational goals of cooperation and cross-functioning work teams.

Professional and Personal Growth:

1. Report for and leave the work area on a timely basis.
2. Participate in annual performance evaluation process.
3. Write yearly personal goals.
4. Participate in all required in-service programs at Bethesda.
5. Maintain a professional conduct and pleasant, friendly attitude towards staff, residents, and visitors.
6. Be willing to learn and change to meet needs that arise.