ACTIVITY THERAPIST - PER DIEM

Per Diem Therapeutic Activities Therapist

Summit Oaks Hospital, a 126 bed, private acute care hospital and chemical dependency treatment center, located in a picturesque suburban setting, fully accredited (by the Joint Commission), has been providing quality health care to adult, child and adolescent northeastern USA residents, since 1902. Summit Oaks has repeatedly been recognized in U.S. News & World Report, as one of the nation's best behavioral health hospitals.

The Therapeutic Activities Therapist functions as an active part of the treatment team, providing continuous patient care, supervision, interaction, role modeling, and monitoring patients ranging in age from preschool through geriatrics, depending on the nursing unit assigned. At present, the nursing units include a 28 bed adult psych unit, a 28 bed adult dual diagnosis, a 22 bed child and adolescent unit, a 24 bed detox unit and a 20 bed rehab unit.

Position Summary: The Therapeutic Activities Therapist is responsible for planning and implementing activity services for assigned program, which involves defining and implementing treatment goals as a member of the interdisciplinary treatment team and providing continuous patient care, observation, interaction, and role modeling to patients.

Qualifications:

• Education: Bachelor's Degree (Required)
• Certification, licensure, and/or Board Certification by state and/or national governing body in art therapy (Required)
• Licenses Included: CTRS (recreation therapy), ATR (art therapy), MT-BC (music therapy), OT (occupational therapy) and LAC/LPC (counseling)
• Related Work Experience: 1-3 years (Required)

Essential Job Duties/Responsibilities:

1. Demonstrate responsibility for observation and application of sound judgment in patients' physical and mental condition/needs.
2. Observe and document changes in patients' appearance, behavior, and ability to work towards treatment plan goals.
3. Communicate changes in patient's condition to Charge Nurse or Program Coordinator.
4. Provides assessment in psychosocial/leisure and recreational skills development/deficiency.
5. Ensure timely documentation of interventions and ensure interventions are based on the patient's plan of care.
6. Apply appropriate crisis intervention techniques, as required.
7. Assist patients in achieving their optimum level of independent functioning.
8. Document services rendered in accordance with established criteria.
9. Maintain current documentation in weekly progress notes, including the patient's name, date, name of therapeutic group/intervention, and summary of the session.
10. Effectively plans and implements therapeutic activity groups for assigned patient case load within the facility, as well as outside the hospital as required.
11. Monitor therapeutic space, supplies and equipment and ensures they are kept in a clean, orderly and safe condition.
12. Utilize advanced knowledge of counseling and therapeutic concepts and methods for determining therapeutic services for psychiatric and chemically dependent patients.
13. Demonstrate knowledge of group dynamics as well as therapy and practice of group processing.
14. Demonstrate excellent guest relations in communication and cooperation, assisting patients, licensed practitioners, co-workers, and visitors in a prompt and courteous manner.
15. Act as a patient advocate and assures patient rights are upheld.
16. Report therapeutic services charges daily, substantiating any changes in the treatment notes.
17. Attend program meetings and maintain related records.
18. Provide direction, education, and inservice to other unit personnel regarding Therapeutic Activities Department.
19. Teach coping skills and stress management techniques to patients.
20. Provide pertinent feedback to the interdisciplinary treatment team regarding patient response to therapy, treatment interventions, and therapeutic objectives, as appropriate and necessary.
21. Contribute to treatment plan with specific goals and interventions to be achieved in therapeutic activities.
22. Maintain knowledge of the Child Program rules, protocols and handbooks guidelines and maintain knowledge of children's stages of development and seek guidance from the nurse in charge when questions about the norms for behavior related to child development arise.
23. Demonstrate an awareness of learning disabilities and translates treatment/program expectations to the learning disabled child.
24. Relate to child patients in an age appropriate manner.
25. Utilize seclusion and restraint procedures with an understanding of the need for modification in regard to smaller body sizes of children, abandonment issues and the history of physical and/or sexual abuse issue.
26. Recognize acting out behavior of adolescent specific age group and set appropriate limits in clear, concise, behavioral and non-judgmental terms based on the age of the patient.
27. Maintain current knowledge of the Adult Program rules, protocols and handbook guidelines.
28. Gather the appropriate information from the patient, family and interdisciplinary team and use therapeutic judgements based on knowledge of gerontological health/behavioral care practices to develop a comprehensive plan of care.
29. Maintain a complete knowledge of treatments, medications and side effects of such in the geriatric age group.
30. Collaborate with other chemical dependency staff professionals in planning for discharge and follow-up care.
31. Maintain confidentiality of facility employees and patient information.